Chapter 461

"The Savior"

That night, after leaving the tavern, Ash, Misty, Brock, Roman and Alexa gathered inside a small teahouse near the western end of Regole.

The inside of the teahouse was rectangular-shaped and dotted with small circular wooden tables and chairs. The ancient pottery and furniture seemed outdated by modern standards but was still usable.

Ash, Misty, Brock and Roman all took a seat a table in the center. Not a cup of tea on the table, they sat in silence.

Alexa, however, walked to the far-side of the room where a doughy and bearded man wearing a maroon sweater waited. Alexa sighed, "Do we really have to do this, Bray?"

"Of course," Bray smiled, "It is breaking the fourth wall but for the sake of the young souls we have to. Millenials don't understand what it means to be a villain anymore. They've watched too many Marvel movies and want to one the side of the bad guy or understand the antagonist rather than just hate the baddie like in times before."

Alexa scratched her chin, "How do you think that mindset plays into race-relations today? I mean, back in the day, if someone told you something was bad you just accepted it. You didn't try to understand it, you just accepted it. Today's generation tries to understand why something is bad or what made it that way and relate to it. Similar to how blacks were told white were evil and didn't question it, or how whites were told blacks were evil and didn't question it. Today's generation does question it and we see more relatability and better interactions between races, right?"

"Hmm," Bray nodded, "I don't think I've ever thought about it that way. Maybe there is some truth to it. Well, there'll be no relating to evil with us because we're not the bad guy. We are the saviors."

"I think," Alexa cocked her head, "That's up for the audience to decide. You could move in the shadows like Sithis and just always be the bad guy."

"That's very unlike him to do it that way." Bray chuckled. "He doesn't want it that way. He wants them to understand him. He doesn't want them to hate him. He wants them to understand him."

Alexa pulled back her chain and sat, "You saved me on Zion. Then, you were beaten by Sithis. Weak, that's when he came. That's what I remember."

Bray nodded, "He came. He took hold and now we're on our way to saving this world. One soul at a time, he puts us all in a place of peace. Paradise that was impossible without his magic."

"You're right," Alexa admitted, "Before I always felt like I had to be tough. I had to be strong. I had to be ruthless to get where I wanted to be for people to take me seriously. Now, I don't feel that way."

"He," Bray began, "wants to change something. The flow of time is always cruel and difficult, its speed seems very different for every single person but nobody can ever change it. One thing that won't change with time is the memories of younger years, but in order to go back and make things better is the power of Tamen's bloodline. The power of that pharaoh's love, power over time."

Alexa thought for a moment. Bray's riddles were almost mind-benders. "So, does he want control over time? The power of Ezra?"

"Sithis," Bray continued, "Has the power of Ezra but there are limits. The abilities of a queen are powered by the love of a pharaoh. A pharaoh's love grants power to those who the pharaoh upon. The Northern Pharaoh's communication abilities were transferred to his lovers in different ways. The Eastern Pharaoh's battle enhancements were transferred to his queens. The Southern Pharaoh's healing abilities, and so on. That love manifests into power."

"So," Alexa further questioned, "Why would he make the deal with Sasha? What makes Sonya so important? She's related to Tamen, so what? She doesn't have Tamen's power."

"Ezra's power is the key." Bray explained. "Sonya holds the key to the heart of the greatest bargaining chip to Ezra. After Tamen was murdered, Ezra turned to two people for council. One of those was the late king-to-be AJ Styles. The second was the emissary that became her best friend and confidant, Mandy."

Alexa thought, "Why doesn't he just put Sasha under his spell?"

Bray folded his hands together, "Even though he's influenced us. We're still in control. We understand what he does for us. We don't fight what's good for us. Sasha is too strong-willed. She's too ambitious and powerful to be controlled or on anyone's side or influence."

Alexa glanced at Ash. (So that must mean?)

"Them," Bray motioned to Ash, Misty and Brock. "In terms of pokemon and battling, Ash is one of the best there is. His mind," Bray tapped the temple of his forehead, "He's still very young, he was broken by Misty's betrayal and the memories he's received."

"So that's what you mean by too powerful." Alexa realized. "I was about to say Ash is just as powerful as Sasha is when they were last ranked in Brazil. Maybe even stronger."

"Well," Bray shrugged, "Prince and Sasha didn't compete in Brazil because of Sithis."

Alexa crossed her arms, "So there's something in the past thathe wants to change?"

"Isn't that what we all want?" Bray questioned. "Isn't there something in the past you wish you could push the reset button on? An error that you could correct? And misstep that you could have a do-over?"

(So that's what he wants.) Alexa realized. (To change something in the past. But what?)

"So what is he?" Alexa asked. "Have you ever found out what he is exactly and where he came from?"

"He," Bray glanced at the center of the wooden table, "is older than time. Has existed long before the pharaohs, an ancient being, and now that Sithis has made his move for control over Ezra and time, he challenges the Supreme Pharaoh for her."

"Ezra." Alexa blinked her eyes. "He wants Ezra."

"As far as I know but now she's under Sithis' control."

"Wait." Alexa paused. "If all the pharaohs were reincarnated, then was Tamen also reincarnated? And if Tamen falls in love with Ezra then," Alexa gawked, "She'd get her powers over time back and whoever controlled both of them would-"

"Control time-and-space."

Alexa paused and nodded, "Tamen was born in Atlantis. So the most likely place he would be reincarnated would be here." Alexa smiled, "Well, it makes sense now what he's after and why. I don't understand everything but it makes sense to me now."

Bray sighed, "At the end of Star Wars: A New Hope movie did we all understand Darth Vader and the Emperor? Yet, he's considered one of the greatest villains of all time. Did we have to understand why Ganondorf wanted power? No but he's a great villain. Charles Manson? I guess I'm old school when it comes to villains. Not every move of the villain has to be understood. Villains are not supposed to be understood all the time."

Alexa giggled, "Maybe you are old. Villains can still be evil even though people understand them."

"I prefer the older way." Bray admitted. "Makes you hate them more."

"The world just doesn't want to hate anymore. Doesn't that make the world better?"

"Yes, and maybe no."