Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.
Author Notes: Chapter 35! Enjoy!
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Chapter 35 — Limbo
Steven Stone sighed as he lowered his PokéNav, which displayed an unanswered outgoing call on its screen. "Still no answer from them," he commented worriedly. "I hope Ash and his friends are alright." He looked out the window, which gave him a good view of most of Rustboro City from its position near the top of one of the Devon towers. By now, a clear and sunny day lay ahead of him and the metropolis. Yet, given the events of the last half hour, he knew he couldn't trust it one bit.
"Your dad gave them the PokéNavs a few hours ago. I doubt they've even taken them out of the box or set them up yet," Cynthia said back while putting a reassuring hand on her husband's shoulder. "I'm sure they're alright. They're strong. I don't think a storm will hurt them."
Steven frowned and impatiently tapped the floor with his foot. "I guess so…" He turned around and faced his father, who was sitting at his desk and looking at his computer intently. "Are things improving at all?" he asked.
Joseph glanced from one of the monitors of his personal computer to the other and typed several commands on his keyboard. "It looks like Hoenn's Coast Guard just issued an update saying that all storms appear to have subsided. Though they've upheld their order that all commercial ships remain at dock across all of west and south Hoenn for at least until tomorrow."
"What about flights? Are they still canceled?" Cynthia asked curiously.
"Afraid so," Joseph replied. "No flights until tomorrow at least, either."
Cynthia leaned back against the wall and crossed her arms. "Well, looks like I'm staying in Hoenn for a few more days. I should start getting worried texts from my colleagues any moment now."
"My own group chats have been quiet and I don't have any missed calls. But, if I had to guess, the entire Hoenn League and the regional government are going nuts right now," Steven commented.
"You'll probably get a call or text any moment now," Cynthia guessed, suppressing a slight chuckle.
Steven glanced down at the building complex's courtyard, which looked minuscule from his vantage point, yet he could still see traces of the damage it had sustained in the battle days prior. "I wonder if Team Aqua had anything to do with this. They did try to blow up Rustboro a few days ago…" Steven murmured with a thoughtful expression.
Steven's PokéNav rang.
"There it is," Cynthia noted with a laugh.
"Yeah." Steven chuckled and answered the call.
As her husband turned to attend to his call, Cynthia walked over to Joseph Stone's desk and looked at his monitors. "Any clue on what that mysterious thing is?"
"Not at all. As the days go by, we'll most likely receive better images than the ones available to the media and internet now," Joseph answered. "I've assigned some of my best employees to gather information." He tapped the screen on one of the news channels he had open, which currently displayed the ominous and heavily blurred image of a distant monstrous creature that seemed to tower beyond the horizons of the Hoenn region. "I wonder if that's even a Pokémon to begin with."
"I've never seen anything like it." Cynthia's eyes narrowed as her mind raced for answers. 'Something to ask Valeran next time I see Tobias. He's gotta know something.'
"Whatever it is, it can't be good." Joseph clicked through several tabs. "Look at this. There are also a lot of reports of shockwaves and tremors that nearly every single satellite and seismograph worldwide picked up. Their epicenter seems to be right where that strange creature was."
"Was? Is it still out there or is it gone?" Cynthia asked while raising an eyebrow.
"Apparently it's gone," Joseph answered. "Everything's quiet now. But I don't know how far behind the news is from getting real-world updates."
"We're leaving, Cynthia," Steven announced as he pocketed his PokéNav.
Cynthia perked up. "Who was it?"
"Wallace. He called to let me in on information not yet available to the public. Hoenn's Coast Guard is sending an airship to investigate and subdue any possible threat, and Wallace is going along with a team of Hoenn's best Ace Trainers. He called for backup should a dangerous fight be ahead of him," Steven explained. He smiled at his wife. "And I said 'we' because I don't think you'll be staying here knowing that."
"Of course not," Cynthia responded immediately. "What about Sidney?"
"Wallace told me the League mobilized the entire Elite Four for crisis response. Sidney's being dispatched to Dewford Island along with Drake," Steven answered.
Joseph looked at him in alarm. "Something wrong with Dewford?"
"It's not public yet, but there's flood damage to several cities and towns in the west and south of Hoenn, and there have been no communications in and out of Dewford since the storms began. Sidney and Drake will provide backup and aid in possible rescue efforts there," Steven explained. "Glacia's been sent to Slateport and Phoebe will take Sidney's place here in Rustboro. When she gets here, please give her all the support you can."
Joseph nodded. "I will."
"Very well." Steven glanced at Cynthia. "Let's go."
Bianca, Brock, Onix, and Pikachu stared in frozen shock at the second Legendary's arrival, unsure of how to react to her presence or the onslaught of events that had transpired in rapid succession over the last several minutes.
Pikachu finally let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding. His eyes widened and his pupils shrank. 'Why did I freeze? Was I afraid of that thing?' he wondered to himself. He shook his head and dashed toward Bianca. "Latios! Latias! Ash!" he shouted desperately as he came up to the artist's side, only to see an empty landscape of cooled glass ahead of him.
Bianca gasped deeply while glancing at the devastated beach around her. 'That black Pokémon took the twins… it took the twins… but what about Ash? Did it take him too?' She gulped and trembled as her mind went over many unpleasant possibilities. 'Did it take them away for something good or bad?'
Bianca closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and did her best to relax, even if marginally. 'Think rationally, Bianca. That dragon could've hurt me, but it didn't. It was gentle. Does that mean they're being honest about being friendly?' The young artist slowly turned to face the immense Lugia towering imposingly in front of her, who so far remained silent and watched them intently. "You really are…" She paused, struggling to find her words.
Phaedra sat down on her haunches, lowered her neck, and folded her wings—both real and prosthetic—to her sides, all to make herself appear smaller and less threatening. "You may call me an ally, a friend, whichever you prefer." She gave her a friendly look and a smile. "I mean no harm to any of you, I promise." She stretched out her long neck to glance back at the endless sea behind her. "And neither does my friend."
Brock sluggishly stood on his feet and dusted the sand off his pants and jacket. He looked at the Lugia with uncertainty. "Sorry, it's just…"
Phaedra turned her attention to him and gave him a slight nod. "A lot to take in? I can understand," she said telepathically. "Take your time to calm down and process this. I'm not going anywhere."
Brock hesitantly reached for a Poké Ball and pointed it at Onix. The device shot a red beam of light which swiftly dematerialized the lumbering rock-type back into its safe confines. "What even happened?" the former gym leader asked. "Do you know anything?"
Phaedra frowned and looked between the two humans repeatedly. "It's… hard to explain. I'm not even sure how to explain it, but I can try to give a brief explanation if you desire."
Pikachu glared at the roosted Lugia. "Forget explanations. Where are our friends? What did you do to them?" he asked sharply. "I want to know if they're okay."
"My friend, Skailyn, took them to Sky Pillar," Phaedra replied, telepathic voice calm and nonthreatening. "I can leave you here if you so desire, but you may also come with me. I'll gladly take you to Sky Pillar, and your friends, as well. The choice is yours."
"Are they okay?" Pikachu asked tensely, sparks involuntarily flying out of the red spots on his cheeks.
"I couldn't get a good look at them," Phaedra admitted. "But from what I could sense, they should be fine. I can promise you that they're in good claws."
Bianca, Brock, and Pikachu looked amongst themselves uncertainly, as if silently asking each other what to do. "So, you'll take us to our friends at Sky Pillar?" Bianca asked slowly.
Phaedra gave her a polite nod. "Of course. That's why I offered." She slowly rose to her feet and turned to the side. She extended her remaining wing onto the beach and lowered it in front of Bianca. "Climb on."
"I think we'll go," Brock replied. He sighed after a moment's thought and looked at Bianca. "I don't think we have any other better option. If we go, at least we'll get answers and get to Ash and the twins."
"Yeah, I guess," Bianca agreed with a hesitant grimace. "Let's get everything then." Bianca headed over to return the unconscious Pidgeot back into the safety of her Poké Ball, while Brock hastily worked on gathering their belongings as well as Ash's.
As the two worked on gathering everything, Pikachu stared at the Lugia with slight mistrust and then directed his attention back at the crystalized beach. 'Are they okay, truly? Can I trust what she's saying? I couldn't see a thing of what happened.' He scowled. 'I swear, every time we're near Legendaries, something bad happens.'
Pikachu idly looked down at the shards of glass under him. 'That fire wave, it turned the sand to glass. Had we not reacted to it, it would've killed Bianca and Brock, no doubt.' His gaze followed the damaged landscape to the area where the twins had been only moments ago. 'And Ash… he's trapped in the middle of it all. If Latios or Latias didn't protect him…' He trembled and a chill ran down his spine. 'I can't shake the feeling of dread off.'
Brock and Bianca hastily walked up to where Pikachu was. "We're ready," Brock announced to the Lugia, causing Pikachu to let out a slightly startled jump.
Phaedra gave them an encouraging nod and motioned to her wing. Brock walked ahead first and carefully stepped onto the Lugia's wing. He slowly made his way to the goddess' back, crouching down near the end to slide seamlessly onto her back. He glanced around. 'So, this is what Ash saw when he flew on Lugia back then. Holy Miltank, they're enormous.' He sighed when his thoughts drifted to the younger trainer. 'Please, be alright…'
Bianca followed Brock along with Pikachu. As they neared the base of Phaedra's wing, Brock turned around and extended a hand to help the two comfortably step onto the Lugia's back.
Phaedra lifted her wing, stood up, and spread the thick blue plates that ran down her back. "You may grab onto them for comfort, but don't worry. I'll make sure none of you fall off." Once the ocean goddess felt her passengers settle down comfortably, she extended her wings and flapped them powerfully a few times, causing strong gusts of air to blast the waves and sand away from under her.
Phaedra took off and rose into the sky. As the ocean goddess ascended, Brock took note that the Lugia's right wing appeared constructed out of water, with a stump of flesh and torn muscles covered with dried blood at its base. "You lost a wing? Are you okay?" Brock asked with concern. He paused and gulped. "You're not going to crash mid-flight, are you?"
Phaedra stifled a laugh. "No, I won't crash. But, yeah, I lost my wing earlier. Don't worry about me, though. I'll be alright," she responded. "I'm more concerned about you all. Are any of you hurt?"
"No, I don't think so," Bianca answered with a tremble. "Just a few scrapes and a bruise or two, but nothing dangerous. We're mostly just concerned and confused."
"That's understandable," Phaedra replied. She looked down at the torn beach under her. With a slight exertion of her will, a potent wave rose from the water and smashed into the beach like a highly pressurized stream that swiftly ripped off most of the glass and washed it off into the ocean. Phaedra looked at the inland forest and made sure that there were no remaining fires. She nodded to herself in satisfaction, swiveled around, and took off to the open oceans with a potent flap of her vast wings.
Brock carefully crawled closer to Phaedra's neck and grabbed the uppermost blue plate for balance. "So, what happened back there, Lugia?" he questioned.
"You can call me Phaedra," Phaedra said telepathically. "That's my name."
"Oh, you have a name? Sorry," Brock apologized. "Are you the same Lugia from the Orange Islands?"
"Nope. You're most likely thinking of my father," Phaedra answered. "And, to answer your question." She sighed and shook her head a few times in distaste. "You guys were attacked, and the thing that attacked you is an old enemy of the twins' family." She paused for a moment, mulling over her thoughts. "If you two know the twins and are traveling with them, I presume one of you is from Alto Mare?"
"I'm the one from Alto Mare, yeah," Bianca spoke up. "I've known Latios and Latias since I was a baby. They're like my big siblings."
"I see." Phaedra's expression soured. "Then, I imagine you're familiar with the tale of Alto Mare's origin and the death of their father?" the Lugia asked.
Bianca cast her gaze down. "Yeah, we are."
"An evil trainer attacked Alto Mare with a powerful Kabutops and Aerodactyl. He caused great destruction and death until the father Latios killed them by bringing the water, creating Alto Mare in the process," Brock surmised. "Or so I believe it goes."
Phaedra's eyes narrowed. "Well, the thing that attacked you today, the one that caused all of this, is that evil trainer from the Alto Mare legend," she revealed.
Both humans gasped. "Wait, wait, wait. That thing is still around!? But it was over a hundred years ago!" Bianca asked incredulously. "Latios killed it!"
"He did. But, unfortunately, yes, he's still around," Phaedra explained. "Many of us have been trying to get rid of him. But he's proven to be quite persistent and rather good at hiding."
"Then you're here because…" Brock started uncertainly. "You were chasing after that guy?"
"We were protecting the twins… or, trying to." Phaedra scoffed. "It could've been worse if that thing had more time with you all. Thankfully, what he was doing had to end because of our arrival."
Brock's eyes widened as his thoughts drifted to the inclement weather and the blasts that he had seen in the distance not long ago. "So, all of what happened out on the ocean, that was you?" he asked.
"Yeah, that was me," Phaedra answered. "Remember the Kabutops and Aerodactyl from the Alto Mare legend? Well, the 'evil trainer' has a few more of those left, and we had to deal with them on the way here." She craned her neck to the side and gave them an apologetic look. "If anything, I'm very sorry to all of you for not making it here faster."
Bianca stared at her in surprise for a moment, completely taken aback. "I… okay?" she said slowly. "I'm sure you did your best. Thank you for being here and helping us."
"If it was the evil trainer who attacked us, was he here to finish what he started back at Alto Mare, then?" Brock asked worriedly. "Was it trying to kill Latias and Latios?"
"Not precisely. But, yes, that thing was after the twins," Phaedra confirmed. "What for? I'm a bit uninformed myself in that regard, so I can't really go into detail."
Bianca gasped and her eyes widened. "Are they still in danger?"
"He escaped us, once again. So, they could be." Phaedra let out an annoyed growl. "But I swear we'll get him eventually. Until then, we'll protect them."
"You couldn't protect them today, though," Pikachu muttered in disdain.
"Yeah, and I'm not very happy about that," Phaedra agreed.
Pikachu sighed. "No use mulling over that anyway. What about Ash?" he asked. "What does that thing want with him anyway?"
"Ash?" Phaedra asked back.
"Our friend. He's a human. He was with Latios and Latias when that thing attacked us," Pikachu explained. "Do you know if he's okay?"
"I don't know. I didn't notice or ask if Skai had a human with her or not. She left rather quickly," Phaedra replied. "I'm sorry."
"That only worries me more," Brock commented with a frown.
Phaedra paused in thought for a moment. "She knows what happened better than I do, as I was quite far behind. We can ask her when we arrive at Sky Pillar," she added.
Pikachu slumped in his place and looked down in concern. 'Please be alright, Ash…'
"By the way, I'll go underwater now," Phaedra informed her passengers. "Don't panic, I'll keep you safe and dry. It's just so I can travel faster." The Lugia descended into the ocean and, as she approached the waterline, the ocean opened like a sphere to allow the massive Legendary to gently slide into the water without any splash or turbulence.
Phaedra pressed her wings to her sides and noticeably sped up. The large sphere of air around her slowly dwindled until it was a small oval-shaped pocket of air centered on her back, allowing her passengers to breathe and remain dry while she swam through the ocean at a swift pace.
Lugia calmly swam through the undersea currents toward Emerald Paradise, idly taking note of the information that his senses could pick up. "Phaedra caused quite a commotion out there. She must have gotten into a very serious fight if something forced this kind of response from her. I hope she's alright."
"I'm pretty sure she'll be fine, dad. Phae's very strong," a young voice said behind him.
Lugia chuckled. "I know. That doesn't mean I'll stop worrying about her one bit, Antaeus," Lugia replied to a rather small Kyogre—only about half his size—swimming behind him. "If anything, the stronger she gets, the bigger the fights she gets into, and the more I worry."
"I wish I could learn to fight like her," Antaeus commented with a grin. "That'd be so awesome! Can I ask mom to finally teach me cooler stuff? Like, more than just basic battling? I want to beat my sister up already!"
"You're still a bit too young for that." Lugia laughed at his son's adorable pout, though made note of his narrowed eyes. Chances of Antaeus going to talk to Kyogre about it just shot up by about fifty percent, he was certain. Hopefully, he could convince her that Antaeus was still too young and keep him away from the more advanced and violent training for a while yet.
"Stay here while I go and get Silver." Lugia swam to the surface and emerged from the waves with a magnificent splash, flapping his wings to take off into the air. He flew over the island and descended the moment he noticed Silver in one of the open grass fields.
Lugia landed with a heavy thud on the grass and looked at a replica of his daughter that dutifully stood guard nearby. The substitute regarded his presence with a glance but did nothing in response. 'That's a very powerful Substitute. If Phae left Silver under such strong guard and called for him to be immediately picked up… that can't be good news.' The storm god's eyes flashed with a shimmer of blue light. "Disperse." The substitute rippled noticeably as it lost stability and shape, turning into an amorphous blob of water that collapsed and formed a stream that unceremoniously flowed to a nearby creek that led to the island's lake.
"Dad!" Silver screamed excitedly. He awkwardly waddled out of the thick foliage he was playing on and hopped through the grass up to him.
"Silver!" Lugia shouted, mimicking the toddler's excited scream with delight.
Silver playfully jumped and tackled his father's side. Lugia let out a roar and dramatically rolled onto his back, causing a slight tremor to shake the island and Silver to triumphantly land on top of him. "I win! I win!" the toddler chanted ecstatically while hopping up and down.
"You win! You win!" Lugia echoed, prompting Silver to erupt into amused giggles.
Lugia gently slid his tail under Silver, lifted him off his chest, and deposited him on the grass next to him. "Come, Silver, let's go home." The ocean god rolled upright and calmly walked to the island's edge, with Silver toddling after him excitedly.
"Ante!" Silver shouted excitedly the moment he noticed his older sibling floating on the water close to the beach with a rather bored expression. The Kyogre's eyes lit up in glee at the sight of the diminutive Lugia, who eagerly made his way through the beach. Silver hopped into the seawater, where he sped up and swiftly swam to his older brother to make excited loops around him.
Antaeus swiveled around and playfully tried to bite where his younger brother was but missed the much more agile Lugia by a wide margin. "You missed me! Try and get me!" Silver shouted through boisterous laughs before darting toward deeper waters while staying close to the seafloor.
Antaeus growled in amusement and dived with a large splash after him. "Come here, you little runt!"
Lugia watched his two sons playing around with a bemused expression and leisurely slid under the waves to follow them.
Skailyn soared through the upper echelons of the atmosphere at a speed that far exceeded that of sound, with the unconscious Latios and Latias safely cradled in the protective hold of her enormous claws. As the goddess flew through the world, her ghostly powers pulsed and caused slight waves of dark green energy to flash across the damaged runes that ran down the length of her body.
'He's badly injured, but out of danger,' Skailyn thought as she worked on healing the injured soul with her. 'Why would Azrael do something like this? What is the point?' She let out a low rumbling growl. 'I should've gotten there sooner. I should've done better.' As soon as she noticed her intended destination, the sky goddess descended to the ocean and gradually slowed down. She pierced a translucent barrier which caused the air around her to visibly distort as reality itself warped and expanded, opening to reveal a colossal continent that sprawled magnificently in front of her.
Skailyn turned and flew to a large bay framed by a beautiful mountainous landscape on the continent's south region. The black dragoness slowed down and maneuvered through the enormous cliffs until she arrived at the massive valley in the region's heart. The black Rayquaza calmly flew to the lake at its center and, as she did so, her draconic runes and the air around her pulsed briefly.
'Looks like dad's not here. At least Ho-Oh is, and speaking of Ho-Oh…' Skailyn thought as she slowed down over the lake and glanced at a magnificent stone shrine at its center, which housed a large torch of dazzling rainbow fire that gave the lake a crystalline and occasional blue-tinted multicolor hue.
Pokémon of dozens upon dozens of species, with dragon-types being abundant, looked at the goddess' arrival and adopted alarmed expressions at Skailyn's horrifying physical condition. However, a look and smile from their goddess left it clear, even if unsaid, that she was fine, prompting the Pokémon to move away to give the large Rayquaza some space and privacy.
Skailyn slid into the warm waters of the healing lake and let out a sigh of relaxation as the gentle waves washed over her countless injuries and immediately began to numb the pain. She coiled around herself and with utmost love and care placed the unconscious Latios and Latias on an outward coil from her midsection, arranging them so they were facing each other.
"I'm sorry for not reaching you two fast enough," Skailyn whispered to the resting pair. She lowered her coil and curved it so the warm water covered both unconscious dragons up their necks. Skailyn opened her mouth, reached down, and soothingly ran her tongue over Latias' back and neck repeatedly, using the warm healing waters to gently wash the sand out of her feathers and make sure the water spread through her body. She pulled back and did the same to Latios, washing him more thoroughly given the fact he had far more injuries. The black Rayquaza smiled the moment she finished, noting that the faint injuries and scorched marks on Latios began to heal away.
Skailyn watched the two sleeping dragons, glad that their expressions appeared far more peaceful now. "You two are so strong."
Skailyn rested her head between them and closed her eyes. The golden runes that adorned her injured body pulsed with a light wave of dark green energy, which emanated from her and coalesced in front of her into a miniature ghostly apparition of herself that held a small ball of light within her claws. The ghost turned around and faded away.
At the peak of a tree whose summit stretched toweringly into the sky of the Sky Pillar continent, hidden from view by the myriad of thick branches and swaying leaves, a powerful deity roosted. The colorful avian goddesses' features reflected deep concern, which contrasted with the intense brightness and potent distortions created by the sheer amount of pure power emanating from her imposing body.
"Ho-Oh."
Countless waves of deep golden light surged from Ho-Oh's body and spread down the tree's colossal trunk, dispersing into the landscape below and flowing seamlessly out of Sky Pillar's continent and spreading through the planet like an unseen torrent. Ho-Oh's eyes stayed closed as her power washed through the world, bringing in a nigh-infinite torrent of information to her.
"Hey, Ho-Oh?"
Ho-Oh's expression scrunched from the effort and the intensity of her focus as she carefully went over every bit of information presented to her from every corner of the world, carefully analyzing every single living being and every soul she could sense within the path of her power. Billions of life forms came and went across the vast reaches of the globe, carrying out their lives like normal. Yet, Ho-Oh looked and looked through them all without missing a beat.
Something abruptly smacked against her neck.
Ho-Oh gasped and her eyes snapped open. She looked around in alarm and quickly noticed the presence of a small ghostly dragon in front of her. "Skailyn," she acknowledged. She relaxed and the power faded from around her, causing the tree branches around and under her to dim back to normal. "I'm sorry, I was busy."
"It's fine," Skailyn replied with a slight smile. "I figured you would be doing this." She frowned. "Given that he got away from me as well, it's without much success I presume?"
"Yes," Ho-Oh said plainly. "But that doesn't matter. More importantly, how are the twins?" she asked immediately.
"They're okay but unconscious. Azrael… he took a part of their power. It's nothing that won't heal after some rest, but he took a sizable sample from them," Skailyn replied.
Ho-Oh hummed in thought. "I wonder what for…"
Skailyn's ghostly form shrugged. "I don't know, but I'm with them in the south healing spring. You can come by whenever you like," she replied. "However, I came to see you for a different reason."
"Different reason?" Ho-Oh asked, perplexed.
"During the battle… someone died. I was originally going to guide them to the afterlife as usual. But he was different. Someone quite unique." Skailyn gave Ho-Oh an unamused look. "You won't believe who it must be of all people that comes to my claws, injured and in need. You'll see what I mean. Life… can certainly come around in surprising ways."
Ho-Oh blinked and stared at Skailyn. "Okay, I'm very curious now." The life goddess tilted her head and stretched her left wing forward.
"Anyway, I give you the decision on this one. Your history with him is far more recent than mine." Skailyn gently deposited a small ball of light on it, only visible to the life and death deities. Skailyn gave Ho-Oh a small smile. "Anyway, I'll be with the twins." The ghostly dragon suddenly faded away into many dark green wisps of light.
"Give the decision to me? Why?" Ho-Oh frowned at the space the death dragoness used to occupy and brought her other wing to cradle the soul tenderly, as she would a child. Ho-Oh looked down at the soul and observed it intently for a few moments. 'So, he's Ash…' she realized. 'Oh, I see what Skai meant now.'
Ho-Oh's eyes slowly widened in shock as she peered over the soul, allowing her to see his final moments. 'And she killed him…' The life goddess shook her head in dismay. 'Sometimes I feel like it's all my fault. Why did this have to happen on top of everything?' she wondered, raising her distant gaze to the endless sky around her.
Ho-Oh closed her eyes and slumped down in her roosting place. 'I can sense a very faint sliver of Mew's power in him. It looks like he's already died once and she revived him. I wonder why?' She hummed and held Ash's soul forward, deep in thought. 'Why, Mew? What were your motives here?'
Ho-Oh looked away and remained in awkward silence for a long while. 'What should I do?' the fire goddess wondered. 'Cutting off the pull of the afterlife and continuously reviving a soul whose physical form has already died can severely strain it. This would be his second time in this life already.'
'The correct thing would be to allow his soul to move on. After all, as of late, I've gone against the natural order of life and death quite a lot.' Ho-Oh paused. 'Yet, if he does, both twins will be crushed by this, especially her. However, I could just revive him and avoid that.'
Ho-Oh's deflated gaze lowered. 'Ash did, after all, help end the Alto Mare curse and free them from their guided prison.'
'But if I revive him based on that reasoning…' Ho-Oh frowned. 'Would I be doing it because it's a necessary thing for the preservation of fate, because I'm rewarding him for his actions to us, or purely out of a selfish desire of mine to appease the twins?' she wondered. 'Is that even morally sound? Just because I'm Life doesn't mean I should take this lightly.'
'Would I do it because it's the correct thing to do, or am I just looking for a reason to justify my personal desire?'
Chapter End
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