Ch.88: A Cosmic Clash! The Scope of Wes' Will Pt.2!
Wes stepped carefully on the crumpling ground as lava continued to seep from the growing cracks. Between that and the colossal Oranguru looking down upon him, he only now realized just how small he felt standing against the headmaster.
"Inprobus Winter!" Before the lava could rise from under him, he generated a cold around his body and slammed his paws down. The cold aura rang out across the floor and sapped away the lava's heat, flash freezing everything around him instantly. A thick steam seeped through clenched teeth as the frost around Wes' body started to evaporate.
"Novaton!" Cielo rained down arching lasers from the ceiling.
Wes let loose the breath he was holding and expelled the trapped heat from his body. The pressure of the heat slammed into the lasers and knocked them off course. They were redirected into the walls followed by a chain of explosions that rumbled the cavern. Wes covered himself against the falling debris.
Cielo merely swatted the raining rumble while charging another spell. "Nexus Well!" Distorted space compressed into his palm to which he tossed into the air.
Wes noticed the spell and took off running to the other side of the cavern. "Nope, nope, nope—"
BANG!
His eyes widened as the ground left his paws. He looked down and saw he was high above the ground, almost like he was teleported. Before he could question it, he was bombarded by all sides by a shower of debris. Rocks slammed into his body and each other as if magnetically attracted. All the loose rock broken off from the misfired Novaton had been attracted to a single point in the air instantly.
"Space is malleable, Ravenfield," Cielo said. "With my magic, in this realm, it's nothing but putty and rubber. You'd do well to remember how outclassed you are!" He swung his fist and backhanded the compressed boulder.
It shattered against the wall, breaking Wes loose, but Cielo punched into the limp Umbreon before he could recover. Reality shattered against his fist yet again and sent Wes flying out into an open desert.
He bounced and rolled through the sand before stopping on his face. He sprung up and shook the sand out of his fur, visibly annoyed. "Are you kidding me? Do you know how long it takes to get sand out of fur—WAH!"
The ground trembled beneath his paws yet again, though not from a rumbling volcano. The sand collapsed in on itself, an entire section of space sinking beneath ground level. When Wes turned himself around, he found himself sliding into a sinkhole.
"Nope! None of that!" He kicked off the ground with Warp Pad and tried to get back into the air.
A fist materialized from a portal and smacked him back into the sinkhole, which buried him most of his body. He sputtered sand from his mouth while gravity dragged him and the sand closer toward the bottom.
"Of all the freakin' days—" Wes flailed about until he managed to spin himself back on his paw. "Screw all of this! Infernius!" He spat the white fireball into the center of the sinkhole, which swallowed it up.
After a brief pause, the sinkhole exploded outward, throwing sand and Wes up into the air. Wes caught himself on a Warp Pad and covered his face as sand rained down on him. Once the large clumps were gone, he stood up straight and shook the sand off his body.
"If you're so invested in proving something, you sure do like being a coward about it!" Wes yelled. "What's the matter? Afraid I might land a scratch on you?!"
A thunderous crackle sounded behind him. He glared as Cielo's avatar warped itself from below the sand and looked down upon him with the usual gravitas. "Know well that such taunts and childish behavior on the battlefield is—"
"Give someone else the old man speech!" He clapped his paws together. "Magi Effingo! Septem Gladii Virtutis!"
He spawned seven crystal clones of himself into the air. The seven sword constructs appeared before each clone, and they took hold of one each in their mouths. Warp Pads spawned beneath them.
"Let's see how you handle this!" With a swipe of his paws, he commanded the clones to launch themselves at Cielo.
The headmaster grunted. "Worthless. Novaton!" He fired the myriad of lasers from all five fingers, littering the immediate atmosphere in a shower of purple light.
The clones skipped off a series of Warp Pads while slicing their way through the lasers. Three clones were unable to make it through the storm and shattered on impact. The remaining four braved the onslaught until they reached the avatar. They split off from each other and attack various sections of the body, specifically the arms and head.
Cielo raised his guard and grunted as the clones sliced into his constructed body. They zipped around with increasing acceleration the more they bounced off a Warp Pad, making them difficult to swat away. Even so, he kept his eyes focused on their movements and positions, flickering his eyes left and right to get a read on all their movements.
"There!"
He unfolded his arms and swung them, firing off four lasers in unison. While he couldn't swat the clones, he perfectly fired his lasers to intercept their most likely escape path. The four clones were shot through and shattered instantly, along with the swords.
"You shouldn't have taken your eyes off me, old man!" Cielo looked down and saw Wes running circles around his vortex-shaped lower half. He had just finished tracing a purple ring around him. "TerraSlash!" The ring glowed bright and commanded hardened shards of sand to fire up at him in mass.
Cielo braced himself against the repeated onslaught. Some shards continuously struck in the same spot, generating cracks over his avatar. He took a deep breath and roared, releasing a pressure wave from his body. It blasted the shards away and blew the ring out of the sand, disabling the spell.
"Yoohoo!" he heard as something zipped past his ear.
"Got you!" He spun around and caught the jumpy Umbreon out of the air. His eyes widened as he felt the body collapse inside his hand. He opened it and found crystal pieces in his palm. "A clone—"
"Rift Splitter!"
From out of nowhere, Wes came flying from ground level with the galaxy disc spinning above his head. He dove straight into Cielo's outstretched arm and cut through. Cielo grunted and staggered back as he held the severed area. His arm crashed into the sand, briefly kicking up a sandstorm's worth, before dissipating into particles.
"Not so tough now, are you?" Wes didn't give him time for a response as he fired himself from above and crashed down atop Cielo's head with an accelerated kick. Cielo's avatar crumpled under the unexpected blow and tipped forward like it was about to fall over. "You can't stop me!"
Cielo started to lose his balance, but he still had fight in him. Just before he crashed onto the ground, he spun himself around and backhanded into the sand. Reality shattered from the impact, and the cracks spread instantly around their surroundings.
Wes' eyes widened as the cracks formed around him. "Oh no—"
The desert landscape broke away like a flash of light, and in its place was a murky blueness surrounded by mountains. The air felt chilly all of a sudden, yet it didn't feel breezy. The coldness sent a shock through Wes' body, which only just grew accustomed to the desert heat.
It was in that moment he realized why it felt so cold. He wasn't just in a cold environment, he was underwater.
Wes stopped himself from gasping and held in what little air he had. A quick survey of his surroundings determined he was deep down in an ocean with no clear marker to how far off the surface was. It was having flashbacks of fighting the Desert Beasts under similar conditions, and he would prefer not having a replay of those events.
He formed a Warp Pad and tried to launch toward the surface. However, in his haste, he forgot about Cielo. The avatar regenerated his lost limb before pressing his fingers together.
"Observable Aether: Corrupted Horizon." With a snap of his fingers, a magical wave echoed out through the ocean.
The wave passed over Wes, who was suddenly stuck with a case of vertigo. He flailed around in the water and held his head. He couldn't make sense of what struck him, but the wave knocked him out of his launch to the surface. Since he could get a visual on landmarks, he wasn't sure how he was oriented. Launching himself deeper underwater could do serious damage to his body, nothing his magical aura might be able to fend against.
"Struggling under these new conditions, Ravenfield?" His eyes widened as Cielo suddenly appeared over him. The headmaster clapped both his hands together with Wes in between, generating a brief shockwave. "Don't worry, I have no intention of drowning you. Just give up here and we can put this battle behind us—"
Magic burst from between his hands before exploding them apart. He staggered back in the water and glared as a monstrous Umbreon construct took shape in the water, matching him to his colossal scale. In the center of the beastly avatar, Wes was taking in large, precious breaths of air.
"Oh thank goodness, that worked!" He shook his head and growled. "Cheap shot, Cielo! My turn!"
With the avatar mirroring his movements, Wes swam toward Cielo and sliced at him with his claws. It knocked the headmaster back, allowing Wes to throw in a punch to the chest. He managed to knock the Oranguru avatar over, allowing him to lunge and grapple the neck. The monster avatar sunk its claws into the construct's form.
"Got you now!"
Cielo glared. "Have at you!" He punched the air and shattered the reality around them.
The ocean broke away and gave rise to their new settings: a forest surrounded by thick rows of trees.
Before Wes could say anything, he felt himself being lifted off the ground. He wasn't being grabbed or tossed into the air, though. It was as if he had been knocked into the air and reached the zenith of his flight before gravity took hold again. It was a gradual feeling until his Cor Bestia dispelled, where he went flying up into the trees.
"Oh no!" He extended his claws and dug into the bark, barely catching himself. His claws dragged along the tree as he stared up at the ground. "What did you do?!"
Cielo picked himself up and glared at the helpless Umbreon while completely unfazed by the gravitational shift. "Corrupted Horizon. You didn't feel its true effects underwater, but I reversed your personal gravity. What is up and down have been switched."
Wes gritted his teeth, trying to adjust his claws and find a good grip in the bark. "W-Well, I'm not impressed!"
"Even under these dire circumstances, you still don't understand the hopelessness of our fates. Do you truly not see the harm of a world dictated by fates beyond our control?"
"Have you been paying attention to anything I've said? I don't care about the prophecy!" Wes yelled. "I get you're afraid, but no one has that kind of control over a person's fate. Not even a god!"
Cielo glared. "You've read the tomes of your ancestor, Dougal, and the mayhem he brought in his pursuit for power. The pain he caused, and the consequences of his actions. Tampering with forces beyond our understanding only leads to disaster."
"What do you know about anything?!"
"History itself has proven such, and I will not allow another Apollo to lay waste to a world still mending from its wounds!"
Wes narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"
Cielo took a deep breath and extended his hand. "Graviton Burst!" Magic concentrated into his palm, warping the space around it. He roared and launched a sphere of magic and warped darkness at the Umbreon.
Wes gasped and let go of the tree, succumbing to the inversed gravity. However, the spell flew faster than he could, gradually matching his speed and gaining centimeters on his position. He curled himself into a ball and braced himself as the spell made contact.
A brilliant light burst across the horizon and ruptured, causing the forest and atmosphere to distort and crackle in the shockwave. Cracks formed along the air in an instant, followed swiftly by a resounding cacophony of shattering glass.
Flashback
It was the middle of the afternoon, and Wes had yet to rise from under his covers. He buried himself beneath his blanket while curled up into a ball, staring into the darkness around him. He was thankfully eating more thanks to Ella's intervention, but it wasn't enough to pull him out of bed.
He sluggishly tilted his head to the sound of someone knocking on his door. "Wes? You awake?" It was Flint.
"…" Wes sighed and lay his cheek back down on the bed. "No."
A long pause followed until the bedroom door swung up. Paws marched up to the side of his bed, and the blanket was ripped from his body. Before Wes could protest, his bedside lamp flickered on and bombarded him with the rays of light in weeks.
"AGH!" Wes shot up onto his haunches and covered his eyes. "What the hell?!"
Flint jumped onto the bed and crossed his forelegs. "Ah good, you haven't lost your motor functions."
Wes kept one eye shut as he glared at the Flareon. "What do you want?"
"You've been hauled up in your room for three weeks. Do you know how much school you've been missing?"
He glanced at his desk and saw the unfinished homework piling up on his desk. "A…general idea." He shook his head. "What does it matter? School's pointless. When has it taught me anything useful?"
Flint pinched between his eyes. "I'm not having this argument with you. Do you even remember the hell Mom brought down when you refused to attend elementary school?"
"I recall a demon staring down my back."
"Exactly." Flint sighed. "You've been cooped up in here for way too long. Maybe it's time to go outside and get some fresh air."
Wes looked away. "Not interested."
Flint glared. "Is this it? Have you cemented yourself to this room in hopes of becoming one with your bed?"
"I leave to use the bathroom—"
"You know what I mean! All you've done is mope around in bed and brush us off whenever we try to check up on you. You're freaking Mom out. You're freaking ME out!"
"I just don't feel up to it."
"Wes, you're barely taking care of yourself! You've barely changed out of your pajamas."
Wes grunted. "How I take care of myself is none of your concern."
"It is my concern because you're my brother, and I don't like seeing you like this. You need to stop sulking around and get some fresh air. You aren't the type to stay cooped up in one place."
The Umbreon growled through clenched teeth. "Gee, I'm SO sorry the death of my father is such a traumatic topic. I'll do better to feel emotionally numb when I hear about your unexpected death."
"Don't throw that attitude at me. He was my father, too, but you don't see me laying in my own sweat and fur!"
"Some of us can't move on with our grief, though why am I surprised? You like working with old, dead crap. The sight of Dad's corpse is just another history project for you!"
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
"Maybe you didn't love him as much as you think—" Wes bit his tongue as soon as the words left his mouth.
Flint looked away with a stern glare, but Wes could see the hurt shimmering in his eyes. "Jackass…"
"…" Wes' ears drooped. He straightened up and scooted closer to his brother. "I…I didn't mean to say that. I'm sorry. I…" He closed his eyes and sighed. "I'm being stupid."
"…" Flint sighed and pulled Wes into a side hug. "There's nothing stupid about mourning over Dad."
"I know you and Mom have been going through a lot, too. I'm being selfish."
"There's nothing selfish about grief, only in how you let it control you." Flint wiped his eyes into his sleeve. "Truth be told, I almost considered locking myself away in my room, too. But I knew I had to face the truth eventually. I was worried about going back to school, but everyone was considerate of my feelings. The questions and junk got annoying, but I felt a little better knowing I had some support."
Wes sighed. "You're a braver man than I am."
"It's not bravery. I just knew I didn't want to waste my life on the past." He placed his paw over his heart. "Grief hurts. It really does, and I'd do anything to fix that." He closed his eyes and sighed. "But holding onto the what-ifs and possibilities won't bring Dad back. Grief sucks, but I can't let it rule over my life. I have to move on for his sake, and so should you."
Wes looked down. "How can I?"
"All we can do is remember who he was and cherish those memories." He patted the Umbreon's back. "And most importantly, live the lives we want. That's something he inspired us to do. Live our best lives."
Wes rubbed his foreleg. "I guess." He closed his eyes and sniffled. "I'm sorry I acted like a jerk there. That was wrong of me."
Flint wrapped both forelegs around him and held him close. "You were always the more emotional of the two of us."
Wes sniffled with a chuckle. "S-Says the guy who got upset because his theory on an ancient relic was confirmed false."
Flint pouted. "I'm telling you, the scriptures on that vase point to an extraterrestrial jellyfish, not a stylized Tentacruel."
"Heh. Guess you'll have to prove the experts wrong when you become an archeologist."
"You're damn right."
The brothers shared a quick laugh while straightened themselves up. Wes wiped his eyes again and sighed. "I'm a mess."
"No, you're not." Flint hopped off the bed. "Listen, how about we head down to Lenny's and get you something to eat? I think you deserve a little fast food."
Wes stood up and stretched out his legs. He winced at the cracks and pops crackling through his bones. "Ow. Y-Yeah, maybe I should get out of bed."
"Annnd, I didn't want to say anything, but…" Flint covered his nose. "Please take a shower. And clean your bedsheets. Ella didn't want to say anything the last time, but her exact words were 'an insult to the garbage-filled aura of a family of Trubbish.'"
Wes smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, that sounds like something she'd say. Alright, I'll get cleaned up and join you downstairs."
Flint smiled. "Thanks."
"And, really, I'm sorry about—"
"I've already forgiven you, Wes. I wouldn't have put up with you for fourteen years if I couldn't handle an argument or two." He turned and walked out of the room. "But seriously, power wash yourself if you need to! You smell horrible!"
"Heh. Sure thing!" Wes took a deep breath and crawled out of bed. "I don't want to live like this anymore…"
"Ugh…h-huh?"
Wes cracked one eye, pushing against the throbbing in his head. He barely recalled what happened following Cielo's last spell other than everything around him being washed away in an overwhelming light. As his vision cleared, he noticed the dust surrounding him.
He was laying on a stone floor, and surrounding him were stone pillars weathered by the passage of time. As he took in more of the sights, he looked beyond the ruins to an infinite black sky with no stars or anything of the sort, yet there was clearly light coming from somewhere. Somewhere, yet nowhere. Not darkness, but simply existing in the moment.
"W-What…?" he mumbled as he picked himself up. "Cielo—"
"Do you want to know why I cannot overlook the nature of this prophecy?" He turned around and found the Oranguru standing on the other side of the ruins, in the flesh and without an avatar. He folded his arms behind his back and glared at the Umbreon. "How can I remain calm in an uncertain future when the progenitor of this cursed world has already brought upon destiny?"
"Progenitor of…?" Wes narrowed his eyes. "You mean Dougal."
He nodded. "Dougal Ravenfield tampered with forces beyond his control or understanding, yet he's the reason magic was brought into the public eye. His impact on old society had led to the precursors of witchcraft and a growing interest in the occult. We take pride in curiosity, our minds wandering toward dark subjects to better understand them. His actions started a chain reaction that led to our current society. Everything brought up in Mysto today was because of him, and now destiny repeats itself for a third time."
"Third…?"
Cielo sighed. "Don't you get it? You cannot deny your place in destiny's strings. This battle has already happened before. No matter what, the Ravenfield bloodline is cursed to the corruption of Apollo. Your battle has raged in silence for generations, and the actions of a Ravenfield bring change. Dougal brought the knowledge of magic to this world. Do you know who inspired the mages of the Grand Imperium Age to take a stand against the shadows?"
"…" Wes glared. "One of my ancestors."
"Archibald Ravenfield. Survivor of the original shadow massacre, and father of the forgotten hero, Buster Ravenfield. He inspired the mages that took him in to take up arms and spread the word of magic so that a new dawn may shine upon this world. Apollo had Dougal reincarnated as Archibald in hopes that he could study how Pokémon have changed after thousands of years only to sink deeper into his despair. Archibald, however, still had a little bit of Dougal in him. Whatever darkness shrouded the boy was washed away, but his pride in magic still persisted. Apollo set himself up for failure, and now the cycle continues with you."
"…"
"How do you expect me to sit by easy when this has all happened before? What will you accomplish in this battle? Will you vanquish the Shadow King, or should we expect another battle to rage in the next five hundred years? Two hundred? One hundred? One year? I can't rest easy knowing our actions will spark the next bloody war of the future, thus I've been hesitant to accept a Ravenfield as the savior. Despite that, your father dug too deep and left behind the clues for you and your brother to figure out for yourselves."
"…"
"Even if the Shadow King wins, a war may still happen. So long as this curse between Apollo and the Ravenfields persists, there will never be freedom from this cycle. A battle where no one wins, and we must wait in anguish for the next war to raze the land and stir panic in the hearts of all. That is the prophecy I feared, not the one shown."
"…"
"Do you deny my beliefs, Wes Ravenfield? What do you intend to do when you confront the Shadow King?"
"…" Wes took a deep breath and sighed. "Put a cork in it already."
Cielo raised his brow. "Hmm?"
Wes rubbed his aching head and groaned. "You know, I try not to think about all that cosmic stuff. It gives me a headache. Being existential and junks is a waste of time." He glared. "That said, the prophecy never states we were the ones to take out the Shadow King. It just says six warriors would take him on."
Cielo crossed his arms. "Your point?"
"If Team Ravenfield perishes in battle, hope will not be lost. It's like you said, there are plenty out there who want to defend their homes and families. What's stopping six random strangers from picking up a pitchfork and giving Ol' Spooky a good stabbing? What decides why they can't win? Who decided we were the chosen ones?"
Wes stamped his paw down, radiating with an intense pressure that shattered the ground beneath him.
"I am so sick and tired of everyone putting their expectations on us. The gods aren't perfect. We aren't special. We all exist together in this cosmic mess, yet we keep pretending the universe has an answer for everything. Maybe, just this once, the gods are wrong! The symbols can mean anyone! I'm not a hero. I'm an idiot failing college! But that doesn't mean I'm sitting around and letting the rest of the world falter for my inaction. If someone wants something done, get it done yourself!
"So let me tell you and Arceus himself what I think about this stupid prophecy. I reject the will of the gods and everything they stand for! So long as I stand, I'll fight for myself and what I believe in! You got that, Gramps?"
From beyond the rite, they could hear an audible gasp from the audience. Cielo's glare tensed up while Wes' stance remained firm, his glare fixed and determined.
"You tell him, Wes!"
Wes' ears perked up, and he whipped his head in the direction of the voice. Glimmers of the audience flash in and out on the infinite black sky, but he saw a brief glimpse of something within.
His eyes widened. "Wait, was that…?"
Outside the Rite of Space…
The audience of students and Origin Mages gasped as a group burst their way through the seats and reached the edge of the arena. Though their numbers were large, five Pokémon in particular proved to be the most vocal of the party.
Griffin slammed his fist against the arena's barrier. "To Hell with prophecies and fate! I've dedicated my whole life to accomplishing my goals, and they'll die as mine alone. That is why I fight!"
Tony flicked his hand through his fur and laughed. "A world without freedom is a world governed by chains, so let reality's chains be severed to the new age!"
Gwyn clasped her hands together. "As long as we stand together, the light of the friendships we made will burn through the darkest abyss. That is my proclamation as a goddess!"
Ambrosine placed her hand over her heart. "I gave into a fate of self-loathing for too long, but I refused to stay in my self-made pit of despair forever. No matter what, only I get to decide how I'll use my life!"
Ella crossed her forelegs over the arena's edge and snickered. "In a less longwinded sort of way, we don't give two shits about some damn prophecy, Cielo. If we're going to end the reign of shadows, we're doing it our way. Not as heroes, but as Pokémon desperate to protect their homes."
"You got this, Wes!" Saffiro, Ebony, and Oswald cried out.
"You are the master of your own destiny!" Ava shouted.
"Carve the path through the fated stone!" Willow shouted.
Krystal and Cosette ran down to join the group and cheered, "Go, Wes!"
"Steady your mind!" Cybil yelled.
Up above the audience, the Desert Beasts loomed in the back, looking down upon the arena in silence. Arid crossed his arms and wore a large grin of his face. "Show these zygotes what you're capable of, Ravenfield," he said to himself.
Flint slammed his paw against the barrier and glared. "We overcame so much by our choices alone. We've always had each other to fall back on and keep us going. No matter what, the lives we've inspired and reached out toward surpass anything the universe has to throw at us! You and I promised to carry on Dad's legacy, and we'll do that by our own dreams. His memory lives on through us, and the memories of all live on in all of us! Not one savior, but a region willing to fight for their dreams!"
Friends and allies alike raised their fists and paws into the air, joining in one last cheer that shook the training hall itself.
"You are the Raven of Chaos, Wes Ravenfield!"
Inside the Rite of Space…
Wes stared through the flickering images of his friends cheering him on from beyond the rite. He blinked twice, feeling tears welling up in his eyes. A smile found its way onto his face as he laughed. "I can't believe it…"
Cielo narrowed his eyes at the intruding party. "Even after everything they've endured, they still have that much spirit?"
Wes wiped his eyes and stamped his paws down on the crumbling, ruined floor. "It's like I said, Cielo. This isn't going to turn out like the last thousand years ago. We're not gods, and we're not machines. We're all Pokémon striving to live our lives. The prophecy you foresaw in is not our future, but a future dictated by those who have the strength and will to carry out an impossible mission. There are so many here in Mysto who will fight the universe itself to protect what they love." He broadened his stance and grinned. "And I'm no different! I am the Raven of Chaos!"
"Well spoken, Wes Ravenfield. Well spoken."
Wes gasped, feeling a voice echoing through his mind. Before he could ask, he looked down at his paw and saw a prismatic aura steaming off from it. The presence felt familiar, something he sensed a mere few days ago. This experience reminded him of when he discovered Vashti Ravenfield's spell, which meant…
Is this the voice of…?
"Sir Andreas Ravenfield, at your service. I've got to say, you remind me a lot of myself when I was your age. I sympathize with you, kid. Must be rough being compared to someone as legendary as a father. You try stacking up to the glory of Buster Ravenfield."
Andreas Ravenfield…
Wes felt a hand touch his shoulder. He looked around and saw the ghost of an armored Kecleon smiling down at him. In his other hand, a prismatic flame burned away in his palm.
"With each new generation of powerful mages, we're entering an age where children are unlocking the secrets of their family legacies. Such a rare trait, Ancestral Magic is. I sense you will be a part of a large boon of this generation, and with many more to come. Wield the power of your legacy and herald in a new age of magic."
Wes stared at the prismatic flame in awe, then nodded. "I will."
Andreas grinned. "Do us all proud, kid. It's like you said, this isn't about you. This is about all of Mysto standing up for itself." With that, his ghost faded away into mist and shot itself into Wes' chest.
Wes touched his heart, feeling a sudden warmth inside him. He narrowed his eyes and nodded firmly. "Right!" He stamped his paws down and faced Cielo. "It's just you and me, Cielo! One last brawl to decide it all!"
Cielo glared. "I don't know what you were whispering about a moment ago, boy…" He closed his eyes and laughed. "But I underestimated your potential. Very well, exceed my expectations! Show me the scope of your power!"
Wes smirked, feeling the prismatic magic flare from his eyes. "Let's do this! Prismatic Armatura!"
Flashback
The bell to the Enchanted Bar rang as Flint and Wes entered. The fresh aroma of Lenny's signature meals could melt the coldest hearts away in one whiff. Patrons sat by the bar, clinking glasses and indulging in the selection of alcohols. Others were off in the corner partaking in some of the recreational additions, like the pool table or dartboard.
Wes scanned the bar as they walked until he spotted a familiar coat of lilac fur sitting in one of the booths enjoying a soda. "E-Ella?!"
She glanced at the brothers and set her drink down with a smile. "What took you boys so long?"
"I…" Wes glanced at his brother. "Wait, you both were planning to bring me here?"
Flint shrugged. "I wasn't opposed to dragging you out by the collar." He pushed the Umbreon along. "Come on, sit down!"
Wes stumbled into the booth and sat down beside Ella while Flint took the seat opposite of them. A Makuhita waiter passed by their table and handed them menus with barely a word, as if he was waiting to hand them out. It told Wes just how much his friends were betting on him coming to lunch.
After the brothers ordered some drinks, Wes let out a breath he was holding. "So, uh…" he mumbled. "I don't exactly have any money—"
Ella waved it off. "I'm paying, don't worry."
"You sure?"
"I love this place and all, but the food here is dirt cheap. I could buy a hundred meals here and still wouldn't make a dent in my allowance. So, quit worrying and eat to your heart's content."
Wes looked down at the menu with a sad gaze. "I'm…really sorry about the way I've been acting, guys."
Flint sighed. "We don't blame you. It…It's been hard on all of us."
Ella looked aside. "I heard from your mom that they'll be holding a funeral soon. If you don't mind, I'll be joining."
Wes smiled sadly. "You kidding? You're just as much a part of the family as us."
She smiled back. "Thanks."
Flint closed his eyes. "Let this not hold us back moving forward. Dad wouldn't want us weeping over him until we're his age. Instead, I think it's best we keep moving forward and striving to do better. That's something he always believed in."
Wes took a deep breath and sighed. "I…I don't want to remember his passing as something sad. I want to remember him as the man I aspire to be. I guess that's why it's been so difficult to move on. I just…I wanted him to watch me grow into a great treasure hunter."
Ella patted his shoulder. "He knows in his heart and the heavens above what you're capable of. He's watching over his family and wishing them brilliant futures. He's wishing the best for both of you."
Wes nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, he is."
The waiter returned with drinks for the brothers, one soda and one water. They gave their orders and handed back their menus to him. Flint grabbed his tankard of water and lifted it up.
"Then let's promise to stick together and support each other in the days to come. We'll make a name for ourselves and live lives to be proud of."
Ella grabbed her tankard and raised it as well. "Begone, vile feelings of hopelessness, and make room for a shining future."
Wes smiled and raised his tankard. "To make better choices and never lose heart in the friends we have in our lives."
"Here, here!" They clanked their containers together and chugged back their drinks.
Though it would be a long recovery, the memory of Garret Ravenfield will not shackle the trio to despair. Instead, they promised themselves that they will overcome all adversity and be there to support each other in the darkest hours. A vow to transcend time and space.
"Novaton!" As soon as Wes spoke the spell, Cielo lit up all ten fingers and cluttered the space before him in a mass of magical beams. They arced through the air and came down onto the Umbreon, trapping him within a field of endless explosions. Cielo pulled his arms back and slashed the lasers like whips. "Novaton: Distorted Cycle!"
The beams curved around the explosions like rings and constricted it. After a brief flash, multiple explosions went off repeatedly. The ruins trembled, and the internal dimension of his rite shook from the power bursting from the blast's epicenter.
The repeated explosions calmed, and Cielo staggered onto his left knee to take a breath. Sweat trickled down his brow, and his fingertips smoked from the magic. He could feel his magic waning. Keeping the Rite of Space up for as long as he has, he was reaching his limit soon.
He noticed something amidst the brief calm. Gazing down at ground, he watched as the colors started to wash away like water running over a sidewalk covered in colored chalk. The dull blues of the ruins faded into a dark gray. Looking over himself, most of the color from his body was peeling away as well, dripping onto the floor and mixing with the receding colors.
"What the…?" He stood up and glared at the smoke from the blast, sensing a sudden rise in magic. "Ravenfield…"
The smoke cleared away. Standing in the center was a relatively unharmed Umbreon, but one wrapped in an unfamiliar aura. A prismatic aura surrounded him, flaring from his eyes and lighting up the rings on his body. The color draining away from the ruins absorbed through Wes' paws, amplifying the glow of the colorful aura.
Of everything in the ruins, Wes was the only thing glowing.
"W-Whoa!" Wes looked himself over and laughed. "Oh, thank goodness! I didn't expect that to work." He grinned at Cielo. "Look what I just learned, Cielo."
"Ancestral Magic." Cielo glared. "A spell from one of your ancestors."
"Let's see what this spell can do! Lumios Storm!" Wes channeled the absorbed light through the ring on his forehead and aimed. The light flared from the ring until firing out as rays of prismatic arrows erratically twisting through the air.
"Area Denial!" Cielo quickly deleted the space before him and stopped the light arrows into their tracks. However, a larger cluster curved around the barrier and came down from behind. He summoned another barrier to stop them, but the arrows collapsed onto each other and ruptured into a blinding blast. "AGH!"
He staggered and dropped the barriers. He rubbed his eyes and blinked them open, only to find colorful spots dancing around in his eyes. Complete darkness coupled with a lightshow of color. The experience made him dizzy.
"Take this!"
Wes' penchant for the dramatics allowed Cielo to block a flying kick with Area Denial, all without needing to see. He closed his blinded eyes and instead focused on sensing Wes' aura. "You've adapted to that spell quickly."
Wes grinned. "Warp Pad!" He kicked off the deleted space and bounced himself into the air. "Rift Splitter! Prismatic Armatura!" He summoned the galaxy cutting disc, layering the edges with a rainbow flame. "HA!" He flung it down onto Cielo.
Cielo clapped his hands and shifted the space around him, teleporting himself out of the way just before the Rift Splitter struck. "Fenestra Shatter!" He traced circles in the air and fired the dimensional glass shards.
"Magi Effingo!" Wes clapped his paws and spawned clones to take the hits. "Infernius! Prismatic Armatura!" He inhaled and fired an actual rainbow fireball down.
"Area Denial!" Cielo stopped the fireball with his barrier. He winced as the heat from the blast broke around the barrier. The closeness of the heat made the skin under his fur singe. There's very little I know about the Ravenfield Bloodline, but their deeds couldn't all be washed away from history. Tomes here and there that detail points in history.
"Mystic Burst!" Wes activated the cloak of magic and dove down onto Cielo's position. He slammed his body against the Area Denial barrier.
Andreas Ravenfield, a knight of the Entrustian Kingdom before it fell to ruin. He possessed an amplification spell that added supplementary power to his other spells and weapons. The effects of this spell were said to drain the color around him, using the visible light spectrum as kindle. A simple spell, yet he turned it into a powerful tool.
Wes kicked off the Area Denial and ran circles around Cielo. "Magi Effingo!" Crystal clones spawned with their own Mystic Bursts, surrounding the headmaster in a solid line of magic. "And now, Prismatic Armatura!"
The light finally returned to Cielo's eyes just in time to see two empowered clones lunging at him, shining with intense color. He swiped his finger across the air and distorted the space before him, instantly teleporting the clones to the other side of the ruins. When they crashed into the floor, they ruptured and released stored bursts of magic like living bombs. As soon as they exploded, a portion of color returned to the colorless world.
He turned his focus away as Wes rushed him with a sliding kick, narrowly blocking it with his arm. He winced, being unaccustomed to the Umbreon's strength. His defensive aura cracked a bit. He knocked Wes away and slammed his hands down. "Stairway to Reality!"
The ruins shattered away and were replaced by an open canyon riddled with sharp spires. Cielo punched his fists together, gathering his magic around himself, and retook the shape of his genie-like avatar. He towered above the canyon, his presence emitting a pressure that quaked its walls.
"Novaton!" He raised his hands above his head and infested the sky in a storm of lasers, all arcing down onto the canyon.
Wes jumped on a spire and raced across them as the lasers fired down behind him. Explosions, one after another, shook the canyon walls and caused rocks to roll down into an avalanche. Huge rocks rolled toward Wes to crush him, but he adeptly jumped onto the boulders just as they reached and lunged into the air for safety.
"Aquos Mist!" Wes covered himself in a deep mist that spread over the length of the canyon.
Cielo flew through the mist, dragging his fingers through the crumbling spaces. "Fenestra Slash!" He slashed the air and sent forth projectile blades composed of spatial glass.
"Rift Splitter!" In response, the galaxy disc flew from the mist and intercepted the slash attack. They collided and held their ground for mere seconds before dispelling on each other.
"Novaton!" Cielo charged up his lasers.
"Mystic Beam!" However, Wes leapt from the fog and fired a quick blast of the magical beam directly into the headmaster's face.
"AGH!"
Wes kicked off a Warp Pad and rammed himself into the avatar's chest. "Prismatic Armatura!" His rings and eyes glowed in the rainbow blaze while draining the immediate color from the area. He ran up the length of Cielo's avatar and jumped into his head. "Septem Gladii Virtutis!" He summoned the seven swords and infused them with the rainbow light.
As Cielo recovered from the attack, he watched the seven swords fuse into each other. The blade grew in size, transforming into a might great sword that shined like crystal in the sun's light.
"Cor Bestia!"
More light was drawn out from the world as Wes infused its power into his beastly avatar. The monstrous Umbreon took shape once more, landing on its hindlegs and standing tall. It grabbed the sword out of the air and wielded it in both paws.
"There's one thing you can't deny, Cielo!" Wes yelled. "When it comes to messing with magic, there's no one quite as crazy as me!"
Cielo's avatar smirked. "Raven of Chaos, indeed. Very well!" He brought his fists together and pulled something out from between them. He compressed his magic into a crystallized form and reshaped it as it left his closed fist like a scabbard. He pulled it out into the open, revealing a shining claymore that warped the space around it. "Have at you!"
The two behemoths squared each other up, rearing back their weapons as they charged with magic. They tensed their constructed bodies and swung their hefty blades. The crystal weapons clashed, ringing out with a devastating shockwave that obliterated the surrounding landscape in one stroke. The canyon was blown apart, the land ruptured with fissures, and a sandstorm brewed from the pressure.
"Come on!" Cielo yelled, swinging his sword again, which Wes blocked.
The second clashed ruptured the spatial dimensions around them. The canyon landscape vanished in an instant, transporting them into an open field. They clashed again, and the landscape tore away to a mountaintop. Another blow, sending them into the middle of the sea as the waded through the waters.
"HA!" Wes slashed the surface of the sea and sent forth a tsunami.
Cielo braced himself as the waves crashed against him. He sensed Wes charging and thrusted his arm out, catching the beastly avatar by the head. "Disappear!" He drove his blade across the beast's stomach and sliced through.
The bisected lower half fell into the water and summoned up a giant wave before fading. Cielo held up the fading upper half while looking for Wes inside it. He found something in the avatar's core, but his eyes widened to see it was one of Wes' crystal clones.
"Death from above!" From behind, Wes dove from the sky behind Cielo and kicked into the avatar's back.
"AGH!" Cielo gasped. Did he escape…when he threw that tsunami at me?!
"Mystic Burst!" With his momentum intact, he boosted the power of his kick and used a second Warp Pad to drive himself further into the avatar. "Time to return to reality, old man!"
Try as he might to reinforce the exterior, Cielo couldn't maintain its shape. Wes punched his way through the avatar and dove into the core, landing a hard kick to the back of Cielo's head. The impact broke his concentration and dispelled his avatar, but it also sent cracks through the aether. Unlike the last several times, these cracks shined the light of the outside realm.
Not. YET!
"Novaton!" Cielo forced himself around and bombarded Wes with a close range blast of lasers to the face.
"AGH!" Wes covered his face behind his forelegs, growling. "I'll keep fighting! I'll keep pursuing my dreams! A reality where despair reigns supreme is a reality I'll shatter! The universe…is a droplet in the ocean of my potential! Mystic BURST!"
"Graviton Burst!"
Wes amped up the power of his spell while Cielo summoned up the gravity warping spell in his hand. Wes reared his head while Cielo reared his arm. With battle cries summoned up from their souls, they collided head to spell as the Observable Aether crumbled around them.
The audience outside the rite covered their eyes as light shined from the cracks growing over the field's surface. The pressure was too much, and the exterior ruptured, flooding the training hall in an overwhelming flash. The protective barrier strained against the explosive pressure and broke apart, releasing a powerful shockwave over the audience. Everyone ducked under their seats and covered their heads as the training hall rumbled.
Flint and Ava raised barriered for their allies and the Pokémon behind them against the blast as they ducked down. The barriers cracked against the pressure, nearing total destruction, but the tension died down gradually after a few seconds.
Everyone pulled themselves off the ground, coughing and groaning as the shaking of the training hall came to a halt. Once they shook off the dizzy spells, they gazed down upon the arena to see the results of the final clash.
With the Rite of Space vanquished, they were finally able to see the two competitors in the flesh again. The smoke cleared away, and the winner was seen standing triumphantly over his opponent with haggard breaths.
Wes, standing over Cielo, shook like a frazzled Yamper as he tried to catch his breath. His defensive aura had completely shattered over the left side of his body, the rest slowly crumbling away. His clothes were singed and ripped apart from the final blast. His jacket was now only a back and a right sleeve. Only Wes' signature fedora remained mostly unharmed, save for the burns in sustained.
Cielo, in comparison, was out of breath. His breathing was slow and hoarse compared to Wes' sharp inhales. His defensive barely stayed intact to tank the blast, only now cracking open as his body relaxed. In terms of damage taken, he looked significantly better compared to Wes, yet it was clear from his winded expression that he was the first to succumb to exhaustion.
"…I've been pushing myself for the last few years in preparation for this day," Cielo whispered. "I could've finally retired and lived my last precious years in peace. I let fear hold onto me for too long. I feared a future where my choices were…irrelevant. After your father died, I knew I had to prepare for when the Shadow King resurfaced. Five years of waiting since his revival, and I see that Garret's children continue to carry on his legacy." He laughed, though end up choking on his own air.
Wes stepped off of Cielo and frowned. "Living in fear sounds like a simple option against the truth, yet truth doesn't always mean what is said is right. I prefer to live by my ideals than let the cosmos guide me."
"You're still young."
"I think I've shaved some years off my life from the past year and a half…ish."
Cielo laughed. "You truly are your father's son."
Wes smiled. "I'm just doing what I know is right. That's the only prophecy I abide by. One conjured by my ideals and my beliefs."
"Perhaps…Perhaps I underestimated your potential." Cielo pushed on the ground and lifted himself up. "No, that's not it. I overestimated my choices. Generations keeping these keys secret, and I've grown mistrustful knowing the power it protects. We had to be harsh, and we had to be sure you were ready. But it seems…I never accounted for the region and its people."
Wes snickered. "Guess you needed some youthful wisdom to kick those fears aside."
"Youthful, or reckless? Two words so different, yet so similar." He closed his eyes and sighed. "I owe you an apology, Wes Ravenfield. It seems…I should put more faith into the people than the chosen few. Still, I fear my age makes me unsuitable to handle the Shadow King."
"Then let the rest of us save the world for you. This is our home, and no one's taking it away from us. Ever. You can count on that."
Cielo smiled softly. "You have a good head on your shoulders, boy."
He extended his hand to the Umbreon and snapped his fingers. Wes gasped as light protruded from the headmaster's palm. A small vortex opened up and ejected an item from its depths. Cielo caught and presented the item to the victor.
A purple, crystal key. The Key of Space.
"Find the Idol of Origin. Keep your wits about you, and use it to end this nightmare. Can I trust you to handle this mission?"
Wes settled down and glared. "…No." He turned and smiled at his friends in the audience. "Put your trust in us."
Cielo chuckled. "Of course." He handed the key to Wes. "Then I wish you luck on your mission, Wes Ravenfield."
As Wes accepted the key, the students erupted into applause, rising up in their seats and cheering for all to hear. It seemed so different to the behavior from earlier, how this was all just testing procedures and formal setting. Even though Wes had no real plan to inspire hope in everyone, it seemed his original assignment was completed.
He looked to the box seats and saw the mages standing up in their seats to clap for him. On the two screens, he could see the other mages and the party behind them cheering for him. He smiled when he saw the circus troupe waving him down behind Seth, and he believes he could see Andre in the back behind Cicely.
He noticed Benedict was still in his seat with his arms crossed, though he could see the proud smile he was keeping to himself.
"WES!"
The Umbreon gasped as all of Team Ravenfield came running onto the arena and tackled him into a group hug, even Griffin of all people. They crowded around their team leader, laughing and shaking him in the excitement.
"You really showed him, Wes!" Tony exclaimed.
Griffin nodded. "An exceptional battle, I must say."
Gwyn wrapped her arms around his neck. "Oh, but who cares about all of that! We missed you so much!"
"I'm just happy to be here!" Ambrosine said.
Ella kissed Wes' cheek. "Looks like you had everything under control without us. You sure you were struggling with treasure hunting before?"
Wes laughed sheepishly. "Well, it helps to have someone with common sense."
"Hmm, true."
Flint hugged Wes from behind and playfully ruffled his head. "You always were the destructive one in the family, bro."
Wes laughed. "H-Hey, cut that out!"
Team Ravenfield's ally party hung by the front seats and watched as the treasure hunting team had their reunion. It was enough to make them bust out into laughter. The partially reunited Team Shatter Star locked arms around each other and bellowed with joyous laughter as they danced side to side.
Ava fell back into a chair and sighed. "Thank goodness that's over."
Willow sat down next to her. "Only one more thing to take care of. One exhausting task after another."
"The world hasn't ended yet. I say give them a few days to recharge."
"You sure that's a good idea?"
Ava glanced across the arena for a moment, then smiled to herself. "I'd think it would be good for all of us."
Willow blinked, then followed Ava's line of sight to the other side of the seating. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of a Scrafty surrounded by cheering students jumping around him, all while he was clapping for Wes' victory.
Eventually, he caught her staring and looked back with equally shocked eyes. Given how much the Rite of Space took up, well, space, it's no wonder he didn't immediately notice her when they arrived. He might not have even heard her clearly when she spoke up earlier.
Willow and Alex held eye contact for what felt like hours, their hearts beating as one as old memories resurfaced after years of repressing.
As all things were, a happy moment laced with something most bitter.