A/N - Thank you so much for all reviews and faves =D it's so encouraging! All feedback is welcome! The Wildfire battle did seem a bit short, I admit. I had a think about it to see where I went wrong, but it shows that they were really no match for Tyrix since they relied on their fire to destroy things. They actually come across as cowardly, which I hadn't initially planned but I do like the idea of. I may re-work it at some point to give it a bit more oomph and amplify those facts.

So the last chapter ended on a bit of a heart-wrenching cliff-hanger. This chapter starts the fifth and final section of the story. Yup, I have written the final 70th chapter. It needs a bit more refining, but this fanfic will cap at 70 =D

Part 5

56 – Reunion and Heartbreak

"Dad! Dad! Dad!"

Starshine raced out of the training room, his small claws clicking over the hard floor as he picked up enough speed to rise into the air. A Furret and Marshstomp trotted behind him, the both of them following his shouts with "Uncle Tinker!" as they followed the Swablu through the winding tunnels of New City.

Two guards were walking the opposite way, a Growlithe and Pikachu. The Pikachu raised a paw when he saw the hatchlings.

"Boys! Boys!"

Starshine landed gracefully beside them. He fixed them with his little, black eyes and smiled.

"Excuse me! Have you seen my dad?"

Scout stopped beside him and adjusted his blue scarf. "Yeh, we've got some news for him!"
The Growlithe tutted and shook his head. "You kids know you shouldn't be running in these tunnels."

"Sorry!" The Furret clasped his paws behind his back and laughed. "It's kinda important."

"Aye!" said Tad. "We wanna give 'im th'news before anyone else does!"

"Sorry. Not seen him," said the Pikachu. "It's a while until the dinner bell goes, so he's probably still in the medical ward."

"He's been spending a lot of time there," said the Growlithe. "It's either there or his office."

The Pikachu shrugged. "And if he's not in either... no clue."
The Marshstomp scratched his head beneath his bandanna. "Aye, he does tend t'do a disappearin' act from time't'time."

Scout folded his arms and nodded. "Right enough."

Tad nudged him with his elbow.

"Okay! We'll try there." Starshine flapped his wings and rose back into the air. "Thanks, sirs!"

The Pikachu waggled a claw at the three children as they prepared to speed off again. "And no running!"
"Okay," the three chimed.

...

"Well, Melody seems to think you're recovering nicely." Tinker leant back in his wooden chair and eyed Cleo's bandaged leg. "Even if you're being a nuisance at not keeping it elevated."
Cleo shrugged and swatted Tinker's paw away. "If she thinks I'm recovering then does it matter? I'm more comfortable this way."

"You don't want it to heal crooked, now, do you?" Tinker resigned to keeping his paws to himself. "Honestly, Cleo. What were you doing running into a fire in the first place?"

Cleo closed her eyes and tutted. "You've been asking me that every day since I got back here."
Spark peered at him from the foot of the bed. "And she's not over-exaggerating."

A dull creak came from the wall as the elevator descended. Faith's slender form appeared in the hole in the wall clutching a plate of berries. Starshine and his two friends accompanied her. Tad, the Marshstomp, had hold of the rope in both paws. He released it and stood aside with a small bow.

"Milady!"
Faith smiled at him and stepped off the elevator just before Starshine sped past her.

"Excuse me, Miss Faith!"

Cries of "Dad!" and "Uncle Tinker!" filled the medical ward as they zipped by Faith, causing her to wobble and steady the berries on the plate and look on with amusement as the Riolu was bombarded by the three children.

"What's got into you three?!" Tinker exclaimed as Starshine hopped onto his lap.

The Swablu placed his fluffy wings on Tinker's shoulders. "We have news!"

"Aye! Big news!" said Tad.

"What news, exactly?" asked Tinker.

"Has it reached you yet?" asked Scout. "Because if it has, then that would kinda suck the fun out of it."
Tinker let out a sigh and ran a paw down his face. "Are you going to tell me?"

Starshine hopped up and down, his eyes sparkling. "Three dark Pokemon just turned themselves in at the cells!"

Tinker's red eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

"See?" Tad nudged Scout. "Told ya he wouldn'ta heard that fast, aye?"

"Hah! Yes!" Scout fist-pumped the air. "Team Heroes finished another mission!"

"I'd hardly call delivering a message you overheard to me when it would have arrived at some point a mission," said Tinker. "But points for effort." He rose to his feet, letting Starshine hop back onto the floor. "By any chance did they say who these Pokemon are?"

"Aye, an important one," said Tad. "Some assassin named Harlequin."

Cleo sat bolt upright.

"Harlequin?" she gasped at the same time as Tinker.

"My!" Faith placed the plate of berries on the table next to Cleo's bed. "I wonder if she's all right?"

"My thoughts exactly!" Spark helped herself to one of the oran berries.

"Why is she with two others though?" Cleo asked. "Did they say who they are?"

Scout shrugged. "Two Pawniard, apparently."

"So he's mixing with dark Pokemon again?" Tinker grunted and crossed his arms, shooting a glare at Cleo. "I told you not to remove that collar."
"She helped us!" Cleo told him.

"So you keep saying! And here he is, locked in the cells with two more dark Pokemon."
"But they said she turned herself in," said Faith. "Why would she do that?"

"That's the thing!" Starshine flapped his wings and hopped onto the bed to look up at Tinker. "She wants to see Cleo."

Tinker's eyes shot to the Meowstic, and she returned his look with a firm stare. Pushing herself up, she lifted her leg gently over the edge of the bed.

Tinker folded his arms. "You're not going in your condition, seriously?"

"She wants to see me, so I'm going," said Cleo.

"But you can't walk all the way to the cells!"
"Come on, it's been almost an entire season! As far as I know, flowers could be blooming up there!" She accepted the crutch Faith handed to her and stood up, wobbling slightly as she tried to avoid putting too much weight on her wounded leg. "Are you coming with us?"

Tinker moved over to the elevator and took hold of the pulley rope. "Of course I am. Hurry on in." He turned to the three children. "Don't follow us, okay? I don't want to risk putting you in danger."
Scout folded his arms and huffed. "We're Team Heroes! Heroes! We're supposed to be fighting evil, not watching you fight for us!"

Faith giggled and gave them a small wave. "I'm sure you'll make great heroes!"

Tad blushed and threw an arm around Scout. "Aww. Thanks, Milady!"

The elevator creaked and wobbled as Tinker pulled on the rope. It finally came to a stop in a quiet corridor.

"Like I said." He turned to Cleo. "It's quite a walk."

"I'll manage."

Cleo moved past him, leaning on the crutch as she hobbled through the corridor. She didn't feel she even needed it any more. It mainly provided balance over the cumbersome cast. Tinker was soon at her side, causing Faith to walk on ahead of them and Cleo's right shoulder to almost brush against the wall. The Mawile had fortunately been able to explore New City during her time there so she knew her way around without having to keep looking back at them.

They moved through the maze of tunnels until they arrived in a narrow corridor that ended at a stone slab in the floor. A Meinfoo and Combusken sat on either side of it and they gave the group a small smile as they drew closer.

"We're going to the cells," Tinker explained to them.

The Combusken nodded. "Questioning the new prisoners?"

Tinker said nothing. He unlocked the stone slab and led Cleo in first. He watched Faith steady the Meowstic then followed after them just before the stone slab rumbled back into place above his head.

Cleo was beginning to appreciate this system linking New City to the cells. It certainly was a safer means of travelling back and forth without having to go through the Moorland's Forest.

The musty smell of damp earth filled her nostrils and she was beginning to find the crutch was digging into the soil, making it a little harder to move along. She masked her struggles as best she could, in hopes Tinker wouldn't notice and say something.

They reached the end of the tunnel and Tinker wriggled through the group to unlock the stone slab. Cleo refrained from reminding him she had her own key, and instead just followed the Riolu through until they emerged through the iron grate leading to the cells.

"You're right!" said Spark. "It is a trek!" She hopped to the ground.

"A trek?" Cleo looked down at her. "You were riding on my shoulder the whole way."

"Yes. And you did well!"

Cleo smiled and followed the Riolu until he stopped at one of the doors. He was talking with another Combusken who nodded at their unheard conversation and stepped aside so Tinker could unlock the door. Cleo followed him inside and her eyes were instantly drawn to the cell. Looking back at them from behind it were Harlequin's familiar blue eyes, accompanied by two pairs of large red ones. The identical Pawniard duo were sitting against the cold, damp wall, one of them huddled into the corner and rubbing his blades together, creating a ear-piercing screech of metal.

Tinker frowned at him. "I suggest you stop that before you give me a headache."

The Pawniard froze, his blades clasped to his metal chest.

Harlequin looked Cleo up and down and raised an eyebrow. "What on earth happened to you?"

Tinker's attention locked onto Harlequin his eyes narrowed. "We should be asking the questions, Harlequin. Not you." He folded his arms and stared down at her. "Turning yourself in... Now why would you do that?"

Harlequin's brow furrowed and she flashed her canines. "I'm not here to talk to you. I want to talk to Cleo." Her face softened when she looked at Cleo and Faith.

Before Cleo could open her mouth to speak, Tinker cut her off. "The Combusken gave me this, which he confiscated off you." He held out a sun-shaped Guild badge, identical to the one Cleo had on her bag. "Care to tell me how you got it?"

Cleo looked from the badge to Harlequin and back. She had no recollection of giving her one, so if she'd managed to get one it would have been after they'd parted ways.

"Mischief gave it to me," Harlequin told him. "I told him I wanted to find Cleo, and he said I'd be able to get into New City with it, since you use it as a key."

Tinker's face went from shock to anger in the space of a split second. He clenched the badge in his paw so tightly Cleo feared it might puncture his pads.

"I made a devastating mistake trusting that Whimsicott with a Guild Badge." He spoke the words slowly, each one flashing more and more of his sharp canines. "He's just handing it over to dark Pokemon?!"
"Harlequin isn't our enemy," said Faith. "Mischief knows that."

"Don't even start!" Tinker rounded on her, both fists clenched at his sides. "I still don't even know what your motives really are! You act all friendly and go around spouting utter nonsense! The only reason you're here is because you can use that new fairy type!"

Faith's face fell, her violet eyes seeming much larger in her dainty face. Spark hopped up onto her shoulder and placed a paw on her horn.

"Ignore him. He's just a grumpy bottom."

Tinker snarled and turned back to Harlequin, but Cleo nudged him aside.

"Let me deal with her. You've said enough." She looked down at the Zorua and gave a small smile. "So... why did you come back to the cells of all places?"

Harlequin gave her a half-smile. "It'd be the best way to get your attention without risking my life." Her smile fell and she looked away from her. "I need your help."

"Help?!" Tinker barked.

A small sizzle of electricity suggested Spark had just silenced him.

"Help with what?" Cleo asked.

Harlequin looked back up at her, her expression serious. "Assassinating Hydreigon."

Cleo felt every hair on her body stand on end, and the gasps behind her proved she'd heard her correctly.

"Assassinate Hydreigon?" Cleo rubbed a paw over her right ear. "How do you plan to do that?"

"I've been travelling back and forth since we parted ways. A lot has happened," Harlequin explained. "I've been through the Border Woods and I've tried to search the walls. But what I heard while I was there caused me to run back here with my tail between my legs!" She clenched her jaw and locked her eyes on Cleo's. "Hydreigon wants to re-awaken Yveltal!"

"What?!"

Cleo span to look at Faith. The Mawile's paws were clasped over her mouth and her breath was coming in quick bursts.

"Yes... he wants to wipe out every Pokemon that isn't a dark or dragon type."

Faith shook her head. "That will surely backfire! You know what happened the last time?"

"I don't know... I heard his plan and I recognised the name... it's a Pokemon Xerneas defeated during the last great war. And now Hydreigon wants to bring it back!"

"But... it's dead, right?" Spark asked.

"It's left in a cocoon state," said Faith. "I don't know how he's planning to awaken it, but if he does... we need to stop him."

"I know!" Harlequin whined.

"What were you even doing back in the Border Woods?" Tinker growled.

"Searching for a way in, I told you!" Harlequin shook her head sharply, blinking back tears. "I want to kill Hydreigon! He's done a lot of damage to this world. He's even killed Pokemon I care about! An entire village and even Enigma."

A loud yell split through the room and all eyes snapped onto Faith.

"Enigma's dead?!"

Faith's violet eyes filled with tears and she took a step back, both paws clasped over her mouth again.
Harlequin's expression reflected the Mawile's. She looked away and hung her head, her canines visible as she let out a small growl.

"Yes."
Cleo thought her heart was going to break at the pain behind the Zorua's eyes.

Tinker snorted. "Good riddance."

Harlequin rose to her feet, the fur along her back rising as a vicious snarl came out from between her teeth.

Tinker stared back at her, completely unfazed. "It's one less assassin to worry about."

"Hydreigon killed him because he rebelled!" she barked. "You already didn't need to worry about him!"

Cleo turned to the Riolu and pointed a paw at the door. "I want you out. Now."

Tinker sighed. "I have you know, Cleo, I am in charge here."

"Yes, but you're making this harder than it needs to be. Go."

He shook his head and moved towards the door.

Spark cleared her throat and he looked back at her.

"Keys?" The Dedenne held out her paws.

Tinker tossed the keys onto the desk and slipped out of the door. When it closed behind him, Cleo turned back to Harlequin.

"Did you..." She trailed off as she tried to re-word the question. "Were you there?"

Harlequin shook her head. "No. I thought it might be a lie, or a misunderstanding, so I went looking for him. Our paths normally cross quite frequently, but... not this time."

"Okay... what exactly happened?"

Harlequin screwed her eyes shut and fell back down onto her haunches. "I don't know! It's all happened so fast, I can't even think straight!"

Faith fell down at the cell gates and reached a paw inside, placing it on Harlequin's shoulder. The fur on the Mawile's face was streaked with tears, but she still managed to give the Zorua a reassuring smile.

"Start from the beginning."

Harlequin nodded and swallowed audibly. "After I'd heard he'd been killed, I just fell to bits. The next thing I know, Harbinger is leaving Scratch and Claw with me in case any dark Pokemon decide to come after me." She nodded towards the two Pawniard.

"You found Harbinger?" Faith asked.

"Yes. I returned his Mega Stone and he went to the Fairy Garden for training. He said he'd come back and look for me after, but I've no idea how long he'll be there. I don't even know if he's even made it." She grit her teeth and shook her head sharply. "I've been going back and forth for days now, trying to figure something out. This is all I've got! A sneaky entrance and a plan to stab Hydreigon with the Nidoking horn."

There was a long silence, interspersed with the occasional grating from the fidgety Pawniard's claws.

"That's your plan?" Cleo finally asked.

"It's the best I can do," said Harlequin. "An outright confrontation would only end up blowing this whole thing into a massive war. This gets rid of the problem at its source."
"But... what about the fairy type?" Faith asked.

"That's where you come in." Harlequin looked up at the small group of Pokemon. "You stay by the wall, and pick off any dark Pokemon that try to stop me. Any that look like they're going to cause an uproar, distract them. Destroy them."

"How do you plan to get inside?" asked Cleo. "Surely it's not going to be easy."

Harlequin rubbed her paws together and looked down at the ground. "I'll take on the form of a Deino. There's a lot of those there, and they're blind so one wandering outside the walls won't be seen as unusual. With so many of them around, I won't stand out. If I can get into the throne room, I can rush him with the horn and use my illusion to run."

Faith stood up and took a step back, clasping her paws behind her back. "It sounds a bit risky."

Cleo was still staring at Harlequin. "It's the best plan we've got." She grabbed the keys from the desk and unlocked the door.

Spark looked up at her sharply. "You're going along with it?!"

"Listen. We've been wanting to put an end to this war for a long time, and now we've just found out it's going to get a lot worse! If there's a chance we can stop Hydreigon before he wakes up Yveltal, we might as well give it a try!"

The key clicked in the lock and Cleo swung the gate open. Harlequin gave her a smile and moved out into the room.

"I agree with Faith," said Spark. "It does sound rather dangerous."

"Just stepping outside is dangerous," said Cleo. "And it will get a lot worse if we don't stop him."

Harlequin cast her eyes up and down Cleo's body. "Are you sure you're fit to walk?"

"I'm due to have this cast off tomorrow. I don't know if they'll want me to walk so much straight away, but to be honest I don't plan on sitting around much longer." She paused and looked down at the keys. "I don't think Tinker is going to be too happy if you're walking around New City, though."

"Then I'll wait in the cells." Harlequin looked back at the gate and her eyes widened at Faith.

The Mawile was approaching the Pawniard twins, her paw stretched out to them.

"Hi there! So you're Scratch and Claw?"

The two Pawniard looked from Faith's face to her paw and back, slowly edging away from her.

"It's okay!" Faith told them. "You don't need to be afraid of me, I'm a friend!"

"They're not afraid of you, they're afraid of cutting you," said Harlequin. "Their species was shunned for it since they're covered in blades."

"That's awful!" Faith shook her head sadly and looked back at the two Pawniard. "Well, I'm a steel type, so it won't hurt me that much."

This seemed to calm the two nervous Pokemon and their arms fell to their sides.

"Really?" one of them asked.

"Really!"

They jumped slightly as Faith managed to place a paw on each of their heads. She gave them a warm smile.

"See? You're not that dangerous, are you?"

The large eyes of the two Pawniard brothers softened and they looked up at her, small tears starting to trickle down their faces. They moved into her, burying their faces into her neck and letting out small sobs. She placed her arms around each of them and laughed.

A small smile played on Harlequin's face as she watched her. "She really has a way with others doesn't she?"

"She really does!" said Spark. "Now if only she could get Tinker to listen to her..."

Cleo looked at the closed door then back at the Zorua. The question that had been playing on her mind since she'd seen that badge crept back to the front and she shifted against her crutch.

"You said you got the badge off Mischief?"
"Yes," said Harlequin.

"When?"

Harlequin licked her lips and looked away from her. "I know I shouldn't have done it, Cleo, but I took him to the Border Woods with me. I told him we might be able to find a cure there."

"You tricked him?!" Cleo clenched a fist and took a deep breath to steady herself. Faith's eyes were on her now, along with the two Pawniard who were bracing themselves to leap to Harlequin's defence.

"I didn't outright trick him," Harlequin told her. "I know I shouldn't have dragged him there. There was too much risk of him being caught! But the Heretics have more settlements that way. If they made the Pokerus, they might have a cure for it. Anyway, when we got wind of what was happening, we ran together. I parted ways with him yesterday, back in the mountains."

Cleo narrowed her eyes. "Which mountains?"

Harlequin nodded towards the door. "The silent ones your city is built under."

Cleo continued to stare at her, her eyes no longer narrowed as she took all this in. She swallowed drily and looked at the door.

"He's in the mountains?"

"Yes. But I don't know how much longer he'll be there, Cleo. He seemed pretty adamant on finding a cure after his last outburst."

"Why?" Cleo felt her stomach tie in knots. "What did he do?"

Harlequin pawed at the floor and looked away from her. "He killed a friend."

...

Please R&R! =D