Here we are. Not at the end of the story, but at the climax. I still intend for four more chapters before this story ends. But this is the final battle, if you will - what will the outcome be? Read on to find out!
Also, thank you all for 25 favorites. It means a lot to me that twenty-five people adore this tale. I'm not going to waste your time any longer - here's the chapter. And by the way, if you want to meet me on Discord, I'm Lucas the Lion#2967. Enjoy the chapter!
Current music: When Doves Cry - Prince
LUCAS' POV
Two more days went by, during which time I spent many minutes pacing the deck. With nothing else to do, this was the best way to pass the time.
Sionne would occasionally accompany me. Most of the time, however, she sat by Janelle's bedside to look after her. I was a little surprised by this (since when had Sionne cared so much about Janelle?), but I wasn't going to complain. Quite frankly, keeping an eye on my fellow Earthling's condition couldn't be a fun job, but someone had to do it.
The weather grew even colder as we traveled closer to our target. According to Leopold, Thunderhead Mountain was towards the northern part of the archipelago, meaning that the weather was most severe there out of any of the islands. Judging by how long it had taken to get here, I believed him.
One morning (or was it afternoon?) I stood on the deck, looking down at the churning sea. It was just the type of weather that had given Sionne such trouble, and yet she didn't seem as bothered by it now. Perhaps she'd grown used to it.
Speaking of Sionne, she stepped in beside me before I knew it. "Hello, Lucas," she said softly.
"Yes? What is it?" I blurted out. The words sounded harsher than I meant them to.
"Nothing, really. I'm just nervous. Leopold says we'll be at Thunderhead Mountain tomorrow."
Tomorrow. For better or worse, we had a definite end date to this quest. One way or another, it would all be over tomorrow.
"I see," I said blankly. "How is Janelle doing?"
The Pyroar turned her gaze away from mine. When Sionne looked back into my eyes, her expression was like one of a doctor who must give a family bad news.
"Her fever has risen further; at least, that's what it looks like. And when she's awake, she's practically screaming. You don't want to be there right now, trust me."
Dread rose within me. "It doesn't sound like I do."
"Indeed. Anyway, on a happier note, what are you going to do with the fame once we have saved Zeraora?"
It occurred to me that Janelle and I had discussed this just the other day. It wasn't necessarily a sore subject, but it got me thinking about how so much had changed since then.
"I don't know," I said simply. "Truth be told, I don't know if fame is what I want. There are lots of downsides."
"But what do you want, then, Lucas?" Sionne asked me.
With a deep sigh, I responded: "What I want is irrelevant. It all depends on what happens."
If pressed, I would have to tell Sionne that what I truly wanted was to continue my friendship with her, while potentially getting closer to Janelle. She might not like the truth, but it was still the truth nonetheless.
"That's fine," Sionne told me. "You don't have to think about that right now. You still have to make it back to civilization before you can cash in on your payday."
"Good point" I snorted.
The fog was rolling in, the sun completely blocked out. It was hard to tell even what time of day it was; it was as chilly as the dead of night. The spray on my fur got colder by the hour.
"Well, I guess I'll go back to check in on Janelle," Sionne said. "She needs round-the-clock monitoring at this point; at least, it'll make me feel better if she gets it."
After Sionne left the deck, I stood there for a few more minutes, watching the occasional island come into view. None of them, if my dream from so long ago was to be believed, were nearly as majestic as Thunderhead.
It was remarkable, really. I had only met Janelle and Sionne a couple months ago, and now we were trusting one another with our lives. As for Kai and Otto, it had only been a few days, and yet the latter had gotten our ship running again.
Tomorrow, one way or another, our story would reach its climax. We would save Zeraora and bring stability to Nexus once again, or we'd die trying. And even if we succeeded, someone might still die.
Let's just hope it's not me.
Yes, that might be a selfish way of thinking; I'm the first to admit it. It's easy enough to say you'd risk your life for something you truly believe in, but when it comes time to put up or shut up, the idea of doing so becomes far more daunting.
I'd give anything to make a deal with Arceus. He could guarantee my life, in exchange for…I don't know. I'd do whatever he asked. Anything so that I won't die tomorrow.
This trip might not cost me my life. But what if it cost me everything else?
I had trouble sleeping that night.
Needless to say, this was bad. If there's one thing I needed that night, it was shut-eye, because I had to be at the top of my game in the morning. So much rode on it.
As I tossed and turned repeatedly, flipping from my back to my stomach and vice versa, I was all too aware of Janelle's labored breathing coming from the next bed. I wanted to get out and check up on her, but that would only serve to keep me awake longer.
She'll be okay. I need to have faith that she'll survive. Because if she doesn't…
I shook my head. I didn't even want to entertain that possibility, although I had to acknowledge it existed. Instead, I let the gentle rocking of the yacht, as well as the sounds of the waves against the hull, serve as a lullaby.
At least, I tried to. Like I said, sleep was difficult to come by.
At some point, though, I must have drifted off, because I remember awakening to the sound of a foghorn going off.
That's weird, I thought. Leopold must have had access to that foghorn this whole time, and he hasn't used it until now. We must be there.
I sat bolt upright and jumped out of bed. Then, I scampered out of the bedchambers and up the steps to the engine room.
Leopold stood at the wheel, licking his lips. For an elderly 'mon, he seemed as spry as a spring chicken. The old Pyroar smiled as he stared at the nearby island.
"This is our target, Lucas," he said proudly. "It looks like we made it."
I snorted. "Don't count your Torchics before they've hatched."
"I'm not doing that," the Village Elder replied. "Notice, Lucas, that I didn't say we'd finished the job. I just meant that we made it to the correct island. Take a look out the window and behold: Thunderhead Mountain."
It was just like what I'd seen in one of my nightmares. Ringed by a black sand beach like a dark belt, the mountain rose from the sea, a mass of dark stone. It was a giant spike protruding from the surface of Nexus.
"We're going to climb that thing?" I asked.
"Of course we are," Leopold said matter-of-factly. "You didn't think we'd get ferried to the top, did you?"
"Well, no. It's just…it's hard to believe it's actually happening."
"Perhaps it is. But we'll all have to do it together; the more of us standing against Roy, the better our chances of success. If it means we have to sacrifice someone…".
"Hold up: Sacrifice?"
Leopold glanced at me guiltily, like a child caught stealing cookies.
"I didn't mean it that way. If anyone's going to be sacrificing themselves, it'll be me; I've lived the longest, and besides, I might be a hindrance in the escape from Thunderhead."
"Nope!" I snapped. "Nobody's going to be giving up their life for this. We are not going to die today."
"We can hope," Leopold responded. "But sometimes, hope is all you have. Now come on, let's gather on the deck."
A few minutes later, the five of us stood on the outside deck of the Windwhistler, facing the black sand beach. It would only be a short swim from here, but the water was pretty rough.
"So we'll swim through that", Kai said, "and then climb the mountain?"
Otto nodded. "It'll be easy."
"Maybe for you it is" Sionne snapped. "But you're the only Water-type here, Otto."
"We can swim well enough, Sionne," Leopold insisted. "And the mountain isn't terribly tall; we will merely need to pace ourselves on the climb, and we'll be able to summit."
I really hope this is the right island, I thought grimly. If my dream (and the intelligence of Chilly Waters) had been faulty, I would never live it down.
Just then, there was a limping sound from the nearby chambers. I turned to find that it was indeed Janelle.
My fellow Earthling's face was pale and sweaty, and her bad ankle looked more swollen than ever. But there was determination in her eyes, lots of it.
"Morning, guys" she said, sounding like she was trying not to puke.
Sionne glared at Janelle. "Are you really thinking of climbing the mountain with us? You can't possibly-".
"Yes, I am," Janelle responded flatly. "I'm sick of feeling useless around here. I'm no damsel in distress. I'm going to scale that damn thing if it's the last thing I do!"
Leopold shook his head. "I don't think so, Janelle. The last thing your ankle needs is more stimulation. You need rest, and any doctor would agree with that."
"I feel fine," she insisted. "The ankle's still swollen, yes, but it's going down. And I don't even need it that badly - I can put my weight on the rest of my body."
To this day, I'm not sure how Janelle was able to convince Leopold that she was feeling better. It was plenty obvious, at least to me, that she was lying through her fangs.
But the Village Elder seemed to acknowledge that he was fighting a losing battle, so he heaved a great sigh. "Fine, Janelle. You can come with us, but if it's ever too much - if your ankle becomes a greater hindrance than it already is - you need to return to the yacht. Do you understand me?"
Janelle nodded, perking up a bit. "Will do, Chief."
"Very well," Leopold responded. "Now, after me!"
Leopold climbed the railing and took a flying leap into the sea. Then, with a perfect butterfly stroke, he swam towards the beach.
"We'll stay around you, Janelle," Otto said. "If you need any help staying afloat, grab onto me."
"I'm fine," she grunted. "I don't need you to be my personal lifeguard."
"If you say so. But if you drown, don't say I didn't warn you."
And with that, we all jumped overboard and made our way towards the shore. As soon as Janelle hit the water (as the last of us to do so), she screamed.
I gasped, but not from the frigid water temperature. Instead, I realized that something must be seriously wrong.
And then I remembered: Janelle had yelped in pain when even a bit of salt water had touched her ankle the other day. To have her whole ankle submerged like that…yeah, it can't have been comfortable.
I grabbed her shoulder and began flailing my legs wildly to get us to the beach. I'd had so many frightening experiences with the ocean as a Litleo, and even if we got through this one, the danger wouldn't stop there. But I tried to see the light at the end of the tunnel as my lungs burned from the exertion.
At last, we reached the beach, where both of us coughed up some water, the sea breeze massaging our backs. Getting to rest felt amazing, but it was short-lived.
"Okay, gang, is everyone ready?" Sionne asked shortly. "We've got a lot of ground to cover."
"Yeah…" Janelle moaned. "Just…let me rest one more minute."
"With all due respect, Janelle, we don't have any time to waste," Kai told her. "Don't wait until you're ready, because you'll never be ready."
"Fine," my fellow Earthling grunted, managing to get to her feet. She was a bit unsteady, but she nonetheless took a few steps forward. "Can I lead the way, though?"
"No, I will," Leopold responded simply. "You can go in the middle, Janelle. I think somebody should be looking after you while we climb, even if you feel okay. And I'm the leader, so whatever I say, goes."
Janelle must have understood that there was no use protesting. She nodded silently, and then fell in behind Sionne. I went right after her, with Kai and Otto bringing up the rear.
The path up Thunderhead Mountain was a winding one, consisting of numerous switchbacks. For the most part, it was about as wide as the roads in Forrest County, which was a blessing.
Maybe this is too easy somehow, I thought grimly. Maybe they have Zeraora here as bait for the trap.
Of course, that made little sense. Leaving aside the fact that the Seablast Corporation would have needed to use lots of effort to chisel this path up the mountain, it wasn't easy at all.
Janelle's ankle didn't seem to slow her down too much, though she grimaced with every step. A bit of liquid oozed out of it every minute or so - probably not a good sign.
As we climbed further and further up the mountain, the fog grew thinner. Eventually, it looked as though we were above the clouds, which was quite an interesting sensation.
"Look at that!" Sionne exclaimed. "This looks just like heaven!"
"Please be quieter," Leopold whispered. "We'll lose the element of surprise if you're not careful."
"But really", the younger Pyroar said, only slightly more quietly. "It's just what I'd imagine heaven would look like, to be on a mountain above the clouds…this is gorgeous."
"Maybe it is," Otto muttered. "But within the bounds of that analogy, the being atop this mountain is a demon, not an angel."
We kept going, and a few minutes later, my paws started to ache. I had no sense of time, but it must have been over an hour since we'd begun the trek. This climb was a marathon, not a sprint.
"Can we have a break?" I asked Leopold.
The Village Elder didn't turn around, instead continuing his brisk march uphill. He didn't even respond.
"I…I guess I'll take that as a no."
For the most part, the hike itself was uneventful. However, towards the summit, we encountered our first major obstacle.
Inexplicably, the path had eroded away right in front of us, to be replaced with what looked like a miniature via ferrata - a narrow path used for traversing the side of a mountain. Except this one didn't have any ropes.
"Just when I thought this would be too easy," I muttered. "Of course something like that has to be here."
Leopold didn't have much of a problem with it. He took a running leap and grabbed onto the opposite end of the gap, a good fifteen feet away. His old bones must not have hindered him at all, for he was able to pull himself up with (seemingly) very little effort.
"Okay, you made it look easy," I said under my breath.
Sionne was next. She did the same thing as Leopold, with the same results, though it did take her a bit longer to hoist herself onto the ledge. Once on the other side, she swiveled around to face the rest of us.
Now it was Janelle's turn. She gasped as she looked down at the path.
"I didn't know you were afraid of heights," I told her.
"I'm not," Janelle responded. "But my ankle says otherwise. Honestly, it hasn't fully recovered. I just really wanted to play my part."
To be honest, I'm not that surprised.
"Leopold said to go back down if it bothered you" I reminded her. "It's not too late to do that, you know."
"No. We've come this far. I'll get to the other side."
Even with her assurances, I couldn't help but have a miniature heart attack as Janelle eased her way onto the narrow ledge. Her bad ankle was probably barely holding her weight, and she seemed to have trouble keeping her balance.
Please don't fall, I thought, unable to be any more eloquent than that. The image of Janelle splayed out on the ground far below was too much for me to handle.
She wobbled at a few spots, but after what felt like forever, she was on the other side. And then it was my turn.
Okay. Maybe this is harder than it looks.
Leopold might have had the confidence to leap across, but I certainly didn't. I shuffled my way onto the path and clung to any spot of the rock that I could.
Let me make one thing clear: It was fucking terrifying. Each motion, no matter how minor, threatened to upset the delicate balance that kept me alive. And I had to move painstakingly slowly, precisely because I didn't want to fall.
I'd been rock climbing once, but ropes and harnesses had been involved there. Even if I'd slipped, I wouldn't have fallen far. There was no such safety net here.
Still, I eventually felt the area behind me grow wider, and breathed a sigh of relief when my back left foot touched solid ground.
"You did well, Lucas," Leopold told me. "The most important thing is to stay calm."
I snorted. Everything seemed five times funnier now. "Did you see me? I was panicking on the inside!"
"Well, you didn't let it show, and you're still alive now" Sionne replied. "In a few moments Kai and Otto will have crossed, and then we can make a last push to the summit. And there'll be hell to pay."
The fire in Sionne's eyes was something else. Of course, Pyroar is a Fire-type, so it makes sense that there would be a certain ferocity in the windows to her soul. But the sheer level of determination I saw was almost scary.
It was then that I knew: Whatever familial ties she had to her father were probably gone. At a minimum, she'd be willing to do what was necessary to save Zeraora and bring this madness to an end, no matter what it entailed.
Ferguson: Did the look in Sionne's eyes give you any…shall we say, inspiration?
Defendant: That doesn't make any sense, Darren. It seems like a complete non sequitur.
Ferguson: Okay then, let me say it another way. When you saw the way Sionne felt about her father, did you think you could get away with-
Defendant: Look at me. Do I look like a criminal to you?
Ferguson: Getting desperate, I see. Fine. The grand jury will be asked to disregard that question.
Defendant: This is doublethink, Darren. You're trying to tell them all that I'm this horrible person for things that happened in the Pokemon world, and also that the Pokemon world doesn't exist. Both can't be true at the same time.
(The prosecutor did not respond.)
Defendant: I got you there. Will you let me go?
Ferguson: I keep telling you, we're almost at the good part.
Defendant: The part where I get to leave this courtroom?
Ferguson: Yes. Now, shut up and testify.
The air acquired a new chill every few minutes now, and the wind was howling. And you might not think of the wind as being very loud when you're on the ground, but up in the air, it's very different.
As a human, I'd been fairly big for my age, and the idea of the wind sweeping me away was basically unthinkable. But as a Litleo, I only had a fraction of my human weight, so I would be pushed around a lot more easily.
Almost there, I told myself, a similar sentiment to what Darren Ferguson would frequently tell me close to a year later. But that didn't help my emotional state, for I knew that things were about to get ugly. All the marbles, and all the pressure, were squarely on our shoulders.
We made our way over a ledge, and here we were: The summit of Thunderhead Mountain.
It was, if anything, even more ruggedly ominous than it had been in my dream. It had felt real then, but to actually be here was something else entirely.
Tied to a rock on the other side of the summit, there was a catlike Pokemon with yellow, dark gray, and blue fur. I don't think I need to tell you which Mythical Pokemon it was.
Zeraora appeared painfully thin, as though it hadn't eaten for a very long time. The tendrils had tied its limbs so tightly to the rock that the Pokemon was bleeding. Its eyes were shut, but I couldn't tell if the being was asleep, unconscious, or simply determined not to waste energy trying to process what it saw.
When I saw the Mythical in chains, I wanted to get down on my knees and weep. Not just out of sadness at this pitiful condition, but also out of sheer fury at the injustice of it all.
Nobody had a right to do this to Zeraora, least of all some asshat head of a mining corporation. And they would pay.
"We should come up with a strategy," Leopold said quietly. "We don't have much time, either; Roy is likely to hear us soon."
"I'll work to free Zeraora" Otto told the Village Elder. "I'm sure the knots aren't that hard to untie."
"I'm afraid it's not that simple," Kai replied. "It can't be that simple. Why would it even be possible to undo the knots by normal means?"
"Well, it's worth a shot," I said. "I'll try to help."
"And…Sionne?" Leopold asked.
"What is it?" the other Pyroar responded.
"What will you do?"
There it was again: The fiery glint in Sionne's eyes, the type that made me want to run for my life. At least, I would have if she wasn't an ally of mine.
"I'm going to fight," she told us bitterly.
"Your own dad?" I asked.
Sionne nodded. "Truth be told, I don't really feel an attachment to him. He might be my father, but he sure as hell isn't my dad. Not after all the shit he's done."
There was no convincing her otherwise; then again, we needed someone to fight Roy, to keep him distracted from what we were doing. So why not Sionne?
"Okay" Leopold said. "That seems like as good a plan as any. I'll help Sionne in the battle; at least, as much as I can. Are you guys ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be" Janelle said weakly. Come to think of it, those were the first words that had come out of her mouth since the via ferrata. Maybe she was struggling more than she'd been letting on.
Sionne smiled. "Let's rumble."
Roy stood at the opposite side of the summit from Zeraora. He licked his lips as we approached.
When I'd first seen him in my nightmare, I hadn't put two and two together. But now that I saw him in person, it looked totally obvious. Of course he was Sionne's father - the family resemblance was uncanny!
"Good day, you all" he said in a rather threatening tone. "How was the hike?"
"Please don't mock us, Father" Sionne shot back.
"I'm not mocking any of you," Roy insisted. "I'm merely asking a question. There's a difference."
"Please tell us what you've done with Zeraora" I snapped. "If it's not released, the world will slowly get more and more unstable. You don't want that, do you?"
"We can use its life force to power the mining equipment. That's what the machine within this mountain is meant to do."
I gasped, nearly collapsing at that revelation. Roy seemed like a cartoon villain at this point, though by no means a petty one. It's all fun and games until it's real life.
"But do you think that justifies increasing disasters?" Sionne replied, pure hatred implicit in her tone. "Look, Father, we were threatened by a wildfire and a massive storm on the way here. If you don't care about any of us, at least care about your only child!"
Roy frowned. "If you leave in peace, I will not kill any of you. If not…".
"What you either don't understand, or don't care about", Kai shot back, "is that we're all going to die if you keep Zeraora in chains. It's not a matter of hiding in a bunker beneath Thunderhead Mountain - disaster will find you one day."
"Well, I guess we have to agree to disagree" Roy replied matter-of-factly. "Some things are just necessary. That doesn't mean I have to like them, but reality doesn't always conform to what we would like."
"But you don't have to be involved with making it worse," Sionne said. "Please, Father, while you still can, spare your conscience. Free the Mythical. And then we can go home in peace, and you can remain CEO of Seablast, making massive profits."
There was silence, and Roy's eyes darted back and forth as he sized up the six of us. Eventually, he responded bitterly.
"I'm afraid that isn't an option" he said simply. "Whether we like it or not, money is what keeps the world going. Capitalism is the way it works, for better or worse."
"But it doesn't have to be," Leopold replied. "Roy Pyroar, you were once a respected member of the Chilly Waters community, believe it or not. And you squandered it all - indeed, you're still squandering it all - just to make a quick buck?"
"I could say the same about you six," Roy muttered. "You had an excellent life on the fantastical planet of Nexus, and you're throwing it all away to stand against the economy."
"But there isn't going to be an economy if this planet is destroyed!" Otto yelled. "Please, just let Zeraora go! It hasn't harmed anyone!"
"I'm afraid I cannot do that" Sionne's father replied. "And this is your last chance to start descending Thunderhead Mountain before we fight to the death. And make no mistake: I would win that fight, even outnumbered six to one."
On this, I didn't think Roy was bluffing. I could see the bulges in his chest - muscles. Obviously strength wasn't everything (how you use it matters most), but all things being equal, he'd probably wipe the floor with us.
We stood there for what felt like forever, just sizing one another up. I almost wished I didn't have that time to think - if I'd been forced to act more quickly, at least I wouldn't have had as much time to worry.
I was beginning to think that this confrontation would amount to nothing at all, and we'd all end up trekking back down the mountain. That it would be up to some other expedition to save Zeraora.
It would be pretty terrible to just leave it hanging like that. But what choice would we have in that case? Another trip here would be too much effort.
And then Sionne charged at her father, flame curling off her body. The anger was practically radiating off of her.
"Now's our chance!" I exclaimed as quietly as I could, while still getting Otto and Kai to hear me. "Untie Zeraora!"
We scrambled to the other side of the peak and began working on the knots. I heard a great many scratches in the distance; whatever was going on between Roy and his daughter, it couldn't be pretty. But I had my own problems to pay attention to.
Namely, the fact that these knots weren't coming undone. I became convinced that I could try until my paws bled, but all I'd manage to do would make the problem worse.
The Mythical Pokemon did not stir as we tugged at the tendrils. These tendrils were a lot tougher than ordinary ropes; each one was roughly the thickness of a standard human arm. The thought of being bound with so many of them…it must have felt like one's chest being crushed.
Nonetheless, we kept trying. And eventually, we made some progress, though my brain may have merely been trying to fool me on that front. Given infinite time, I had little doubt that we'd do it eventually.
Of course, we didn't have infinite time. Indeed, we didn't have very much time at all before Roy turned his (literal) fire on us. Speed was of the essence.
"My paws are shaking," Otto said sheepishly. "I don't know if I can untie any more of these."
Kai glared at the Oshawott. "Are you a mechanic or not?" he snapped, loudly enough that I became convinced he'd blown our cover.
"I am" Otto replied.
"Then just do it!" the Raichu shouted, which is what did it.
The sound of fire breath (a Flamethrower, perhaps?) made itself known. I instinctively jumped out of the way, but I still felt some heat on my back.
"I took care of your little friend there," Roy remarked cruelly. "Now I'll do the same to you. It didn't have to be this way."
I didn't turn around to see which friend Roy was referring to. The pit in my stomach was proof enough.
My rage exploded after that, and I found myself capable of extraordinary things. It gave me the strength to reflect on the merits of pride, how it comes before a fall, and other philosophical questions. At least, that's what I would be saying if what came after that wasn't a blur.
I remember that a burst of flame came out of my mouth, much like the breath of a dragon. I stepped forward towards Roy as I did so, and eventually took a flying leap at his face.
Roy came out swinging, and he swatted me aside like a fly. I fell to the ground, the hard surface knocking the wind out of me. My eyes watered, and when I tried to stand up, dark circles danced before my eyes.
But Roy wasn't done yet. He came out with another Flamethrower, which I barely managed to roll away from. I heard another yell of pain, which wasn't mine. Just like before, though, I couldn't care about who it belonged to yet; I was too busy fighting for my life.
"Let's go!" a harsh male voice, presumably Roy's, bellowed. And that gave me the strength to get to my feet and unleash a biting attack.
After that, I don't know exactly what happened next. There was a lot of confusion - "fog of war", they sometimes call it. I clawed at Roy's face like there was no tomorrow, because for me, there would be no tomorrow if I didn't defeat him.
There was more fire, lots of it, and I somehow managed to avoid it. The adrenaline surge was real. There was something satisfying about all of this - if I could experience this much exhilaration every day, I'd be satisfied with my life.
But if there's one lesson Leopold had always tried to drill into me, it's this: Never let yourself become confident that nothing can go wrong. Never assume that you're in the clear, that you're above the world. Because you're not.
I wish I could tell you that I took that lesson to heart. But as I kept clawing at Roy's eyes, all I could even think about was how great it felt to inflict pain on someone who had been responsible for so much suffering.
"We got them free!" I heard Otto shout. And that gave me even more courage to keep up the onslaught. Not a single inch of Roy's body would be spared from my claws.
I don't know how long this continued. How many minutes did I spend atop Roy's body, making sure he couldn't counter my attacks? How much satisfaction did I derive from causing Sionne's father as much anguish as possible? (Okay, the answer to that question is a lot.)
"Stop, Lucas! Stop!" I heard at one point, but I kept going. If it was even one in a million that this would happen, I had to make sure it didn't. We needed to put a stop to any ambitions the Seablast Corporation had of world domination.
I only stopped when strong arms pulled me backwards. I tried to keep attacking Roy, but even in my blind rage, I didn't have the strength to resist.
"Bad boy, Lucas" a female voice chastised me. "He's already dead."
He's already dead. I realized she was talking about Roy. And then I turned around, expecting to face Janelle.
I was wrong; the speaker had been Sionne. She gave me a wary look, as though she'd just seen me behave suspiciously at an airport.
At that moment, I was numb to the understanding of what I had just done. I didn't give any thought to the consequences of my actions, even if they had been the right things to do.
Sionne glared at me. "You just wasted several minutes pounding my father into the ground. Newsflash: You can't hurt him any more. He's gone."
My eyes widened, but I tried to stay nonchalant about it. "He could have destroyed the world, Sionne. That's the truth."
"Perhaps, but those are minutes we'll never get back. And in that time, we could have fled with Zeraora. But she's bleeding out."
I frowned. "Since when is Zeraora a she?"
"That's not…that's not what I meant" Sionne replied. And the anger in her voice was gone; it had been replaced with what I thought was sorrow.
My lungs felt as though all the air had leaked out of them, like a rocket balloon. It was hard to breathe. There was only one other she atop Thunderhead Mountain.
"Sionne, did something happen to Janelle?"
Sionne did not have time to respond, because at that very moment, the ground shook.
"What was that?" I exclaimed. "An earthquake? Do those even happen at sea?"
"Uh, yeah" I heard Otto say from a distance. "They create tsunamis. But that's not important right now. Lucas, we've got bad news for -".
Suddenly, the ground fell out from beneath us.