Ch.99: Executing Armageddon! A Fallen Hero Rises!
Gwyn led the charge through the tunnels, following the trail of magic along the pathway. The rest of her party kept pace, though Ella struggled to keep up with her injuries. Against her wishes, Willow scooped the Espeon onto her back and carried her the rest of the way.
"How much closer are we getting?" Tony asked.
Gwyn squinted as the magic started to fade. "I think we're getting closer. Just a little—" She suddenly staggered and gripped her head, letting out a bloodcurdling scream.
Everyone gasped. "GWYN!"
She collapsed, but Griffin lunged and caught her before she hit her head against the wall. "What happened? Are we under attack?"
She pressed her fingers into her skull, kicking her legs against the floor and squirming in his arms. "It…HURTS! AAAAGH! Something's…wrong with the atmosphere!"
Ava looked around. "What is she talking about?"
Tony widened his artificial eye and looked ahead. His fur stood on end upon detecting a sudden spike of magic building up just below them, piercing through the dense veil of atmospheric magic. "There's something building up an enormous magical charge directly below us!"
Ava, Griffin, and Ambrosine looked down as well and soon detected the same magic presence. Ambrosine's eyes widened. "What is that?! It feels…overwhelming."
Callie groaned. "That's…the Idol of Origin, without a doubt. Whatever you lot are sensing, to overwhelm Gwyn's senses like this, that's not Garret wielding its power. It's someone else. Someone with a malignant heart filled with despair and fury."
Realizing what the witch meant, Tony picked up Gwyn and ran the opposite direction. "We need to get out of here now!"
Ella winced. "But Garret and the boys—"
"We're going to die if we stay down here!" Tony snapped.
Just then, the tunnel shook violently, rattling the group and throwing them against the walls. They turned down and saw cracks opening along the floor. Golden light poured out like beacons, and hot golden bubbles rose under their feet. An intense pressure burst from the cracks as they grew in size, blasting hot air out like jets.
"AGH!" Alex jumped back as the hot air blasted across his arm. He clutched it, but hissed in pain. The air peeled off an upper layer of skin, leaving the raw flesh underneath exposed. He gritted his teeth and said, "I hate to say this, but Tony's right. Staying down here is too dangerous! We need to leave!"
Seeing the increasing danger rising up from below, the party had no choice but to run back the way they came. More steam jets burst out and chased after them, completely cutting off the path behind them. The tunnel broke apart under itself as golden light washed over the murky blacks and grays.
The once dark cave filled with an immeasurable source of light that looking directly at it put the fear of permanent blindness into their minds. The light expanded out like a dome, consuming everything in its way. It tore the internal structure of the cave down, causing floors to collapse ahead of itself.
The collapsing earth chased behind the fleeing party, threatening to swallow them amidst the avalanche. Ambrosine yelped as she lost her footing and nearly fell behind with Callie, but Ava grabbed her arm and helped them onto her back.
"Which way out of here?!" Willow yelled.
Tony looked around in a panic. "I…I don't know!"
"You don't know?!"
"Everything's shifting too much! I can't remember the way we came through!"
Griffin growled. "He's right. With the way the cave's collapsing, our original route may be nigh inaccessible."
"We can't keep running forever!" Alex yelled.
Callie carefully looked back as the expanding dome of light neared them. She could feel the heat blistering her skin. "We don't need to outrun it. We just need to survive the cave in!"
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Ella yelled.
"Medical girl, trade me with Gwyn! Tony, I need you to run up ahead and help me create a magic circle!"
"What?!" everyone shouted.
"It's the only way! Just do it!"
Tony gritted his teeth. "I'm trusting you, Callie! Ambrosine!" He activated Quick Step and lunged over at Ava.
Ambrosine undid her harness and held it out for Tony to snatch. Once he strapped Callie on, he summoned his Nebula Rider and darted back, passing off Gwyn to the medical magician. He sped on ahead, reaching a spacious tunnel system that was beginning to collapse.
"Alright, what do we do?"
"Follow my directions exactly!"
With no time to waste, he sped circles through the air while Callie fired off web fluids. With help from Tony, she marked out a near perfect circle large enough to fit their party. Next, she fired off webs to create runes and symbols across the border and inside the circle.
Their team came charging through as the walls started crumbling behind them. "Now or never, witch!" Willow yelled.
"Callie!" Tony yelled.
"Everyone, get in the center! I'm almost done!" she ordered in between shots.
They covered their heads and raced into the center of the circle. They huddled together with Ava casted a barrier over their heads. Rocks fell from the ceiling and crashed down on top of them, but Tony blasted apart any that came close to ruining the circle.
Callie's webs started tinting red with blood. She coughed violently, but pushed through the pain until the last rune was created. "I hope this works. Sapienti, down!"
He dove into the center and set the witch down. He stood protectively over Gwyn as she continued convulsing on the ground in agony. Everyone averted their eyes as the light poured through the area and ceiling came careening down on them.
Callie summoned up as much strength in her withered body as possible, raised her forelegs high, and slammed them down. "I call upon the magic of this dimension! Please, great lands of Mysto, grant us the strength to survive!"
The magic circle lit up just as the light enveloped the party. Everyone braced themselves the circle retaliated with a bursting glow of blue light.
Meanwhile
"AAAAAAHHHHHH!"
The Desert Beasts, unable to move or assist, could only watch in utter defeat as Aeternus subjected their captain to a prolonged torture. Arrays of magic crackled out from the Darmanitan's body, his flesh contorting as his bones and organs were reformed over and over into increasingly painful shapes. His breathing turned erratic, starting and stopping all over the place, and his skeleton twisted and churned into differing forms with the express purpose of tearing his insides apart.
Aeternus cackled through his maniacal grin. "I must admit, you're lasting longer than I anticipated! Death has eluded you, but you'll be begging for the scythe to cleave through your soul. Enough with the bravado and squeal your final request, Arid of the Sand! Beg for me to end your suffering!"
Arid gritted his teeth and lifted his head enough to growl at the clown. "What's…the matter? Losing your touch, you shitbag?"
"Ooh, banter. You're funny." Aeternus amped up the magic flow, sending Arid into a fit of convulsions.
"CAPTAIN!" Jeffery screamed.
"Stop it! Stop it!" Indigo yelled.
"I'll kill you bastards!" Leigh screamed, trying to push herself off the ground.
Graham, clutching his stomach wound, rose to his feet with a dagger clutched in hand. That salty bastard…isn't dying a dishonorable death! If he's going to die, he'll die standing on his feet!
Right as he prepared a spell, something alerted his senses. He looked at the ground and gasped as a powerful charge of magic was expanding directly below the earth. He could feel the inner pressure rising up from the damage done to the area, slowly splitting cracks open with hot steam rushing out.
"What the?!" Graham yelled.
Aeternus ceased his fun as he, too, sensed the increasing pressure in the air. "What…?" His eyes widened as cracks opened across the earth and spewed hot gas. "What is this?!"
Voss and Callista staggered back into defensive stances. "Are we under attack?" Callista asked.
"What is that potent aura I'm sensing?" Voss asked. "It's incredible. It's…It's nothing like I've ever since before. The closest that could come to this power would be—"
"Gwyn Belladonna," Zaros finished, smirking as he observed the increasing power flowing through the ground. "In other words, we're witnessing the birth of a new god. This malignant force accompanying it. Without a shadow of doubt, our glorious Shadow King has claimed victory!"
Arid's eyes widened. "W-What?"
Beams of golden light pierced through the ground, and both opposing sides braced themselves as the earth began to rise with the growing pressure. The remainder of the shadow crew stumbled back into widening fissures and screamed as the light swallowed them.
"We need to retreat before we're overcome by the light!" Callista exclaimed.
Aeternus clapped his hands and forged a platform. The heralds, Zaros, and Nightmare boarded the platform, and Aeternus commanded it to rise high up from the expanding light.
Arid turned onto his stomach and dug his fingers into the fracturing earth, dragging himself toward his crew. Lyra and Tyrone grabbed him under the arms and helped him the rest of the way, avoiding the fissures opening behind them.
"We're going to die!" Jeffery screeched.
"What do we do, captain?!" Ray yelled.
The Darmanitan gritted his teeth. "Everyone, brace yourselves!" With the last of his strength, he slammed his hand down and broke open the remaining earth.
Sand poured out behind the Desert Beasts and dragged them off their feet toward their captain. The sand forced everyone to bunch together as it tightened around them into a dense sphere. For added protection, shadow sand overlapped the exterior of the bubble and hardened into reinforced black stone.
The ground gave out under their protective bubble, and the light swallowed them whole as it washed over the cavernous valley.
Minutes of calm passed after the complete destruction of the underground caves. In its place stood a barren region of smooth earth sunken beneath surface level. The destruction extended wide across the land, where the remains of mountains disintegrated into smoothed walls towering over the sunken plains. It resembled the arena of a glorious colosseum.
For a moment, not a single lifeform lay within the carved space. Nothing but dust blowing in the wind and bits of rock leftover from the cave-in. It was as if the Sky Zone returned to a state of normalcy, left without travelers to explore the endless horizon.
Eventually, life returned to the barren wasteland as a pocket of blue light burst out from below ground. The surviving party of Team Ravenfield crawled out from the hole, nursing their aches and wounds. Before the cave collapse on them, Callie created a protective field that shielded them from all oncoming danger. Downside, it didn't protect them from being thrown around and hitting their heads against each other.
"Some…escape plan," Griffin groaned.
Tony pulled himself out with Callie resting on his back. She glared at the bounty hunter and hissed, "It worked, so stop complaining." She groaned and coughed up a splattering of blood.
Ava got out next, helping the others get above ground. Ambrosine climbed off Ava's back and set Gwyn on the ground. As soon as the danger averted, the Mew stopped screaming and suffering from intense migraines. Even so, Ambrosine applied her healing magic as a precaution.
Alex got above ground and massaged his neck. "That…was rough. Everyone still alive?"
Ella groaned as Willow carried her to the surface. "I think my ribs just broke again…"
"Easy, dear." Willow lay the Espeon on her back. "Ambrosine, we need medical assistance here."
Ambrosine sighed and turned away from Gwyn. "You people are going to run me ragged, I swear." She placed her hands on Ella's chest and resumed healing her ribs.
Tony wiped his brow and looked around at the empty plains. "Where's everyone else? Did they get away from the blast in time?"
Just as he asked, the ground broke open not too far away from them. Sand poured out from the hole, spewing out Desert Beasts one-by-one. They sprawled out on the ground, coughing up sand and massaging their irritated skin. Being pushed together inside a giant bubble of sand didn't do wonders for their previous injuries, some even squirming in pain from direct contact.
Ava ran over to the pirates just as Arid was the last to emerge from the ground. "Oh my goodness, are you all okay?!"
Jones sat on one knee and took a second to catch his breath. "I don't know what happened down there, but…it gave us time to escape. The heralds nearly creamed us. We held them off for as long as we could, but…" He glanced at the captain worriedly.
Leigh rolled Arid onto his back and said, "That bastard clown tortured him by messing with his internal components. We don't know if he'll make it or not."
"Oh dear. Ambrosine, we need your help over here!"
"Are you kidding me?!" She stopped healing Ella and raced over to the captain's side. "Take a number, people! I'm just one—" As soon as she started healing Arid, she gasped in horror. "What the hell happened to you?! I can sense your entire anatomy was scrambled!"
Arid grimaced. "Better…than him torturing my crew."
She bit her lip. "Sweet Mew, what is wrong with you? This requires surgery magic." She clapped her hands and manifested a teal orb that tethered to Arid. "This'll keep you stabilized for the time being. Rest of you, line up so I can heal you. I'm not sure how long Arid's operation will take, so I'm getting the rest of you out of the way first."
As Ambrosine got to work healing the pirates, Tony took the initiative to scan the deserted plains. Griffin limped up to him and asked, "What are you looking for?"
The Dewott didn't answer until he detected something beneath the ground. "There!" He ran ahead, so Griffin tagged along.
A few meters or so ahead, something spawned out of the earth. It was Garret, phasing through the ground with Wes and Flint in tow. He plopped them onto the surface first before dragging the rest of his body out. Once fully corporeal, he collapsed onto his face.
"Shit, are you three alright?!" Tony knelt next to them and checked their pulses. Fortunately, they were still alive, but he took notice of their injuries. Garret was a non-issue thanks to his undead state, and Wes had a few abrasions and bruises. Flint, however, had all of that plus two crushed hindlegs. "Griffin, help me."
Griffin threw Wes and Garret onto his shoulders while Tony carried Flint in his arms. They raced back to the others, all horrified to see the barely conscious Ravenfield trio. Gwyn, awoken by the commotion, gasped when she saw Flint's condition.
"Flinty!" She rushed over after Tony set him down. She cradled his face and exclaimed, "Flinty! What did that jerk do to you?"
He cracked his eyes open and tried his best to smile at her. "H…Hey, sweetie. I'm sorry I worried you."
"Stop talking and save your strength!" She set his head on her lap and rummaged through her bag for a potion. "You'll get better soon, I promise."
Willow helped Wes sit up and checked his injuries over. "How are you feeling?" she asked, pulling on his eyelid and checking his eyes for signs of a concussion.
"Dizzy, I guess. Can't really feel pain at the moment," he mumbled.
"It was a disaster," Garret grumbled as he picked himself up. "I'm sorry, everyone, but the Shadow King managed to claim the idol from us."
His announcement ceased all activity and commotion the split second it left his lips. The Ravenfield trio felt uneasy under their horrified eyes, sensing the fear now bubbling in their hearts. All their efforts to stop the Shadow King, and they missed the mark by a hair.
"He…has the idol?" Ella whispered.
Alex's eyes widened. "What? What does that mean for the rest of us? Where is he?!"
"Why don't you ask me yourself, Alex Ghostwind?"
An uncomfortable air stirred through the group as their eyes turned skyward. Hovering high open the collapsed plains, wielding the idol in hand, was the possessed Hypno himself. A golden aura radiated around his body, and his eyes gleamed gold atop his black sclera. Even with the immense pressure he exuded, the fact they couldn't feel it until actively observing him sent worrying chills through their bodies.
Alex gritted his teeth. "Shadow King. Damn you!"
The king glanced at the idol before caressing the top. "It's been thousands of years since I last felt this power. Oh, how it disgusts me to use this corruptive force once again, but it'll serve its purpose to reforge this world to a state of perfection."
Garret snarled. "You insane dictator! Do you have any idea what you're imposing on the people of this world?! Is this justice in your eyes?!"
The Shadow King glared. "Justice failed me, so why should I call it such? I'm aware of the horrors my actions will bring, but it doesn't deter my conquest for peace. You can't bring others to sign over for peace, so you have to force them into complacency. But why stop at reinforcing laws when I can simply eliminate the drive to hurt?"
Ava formed his swords and pointed them at the airborne Hypno. "Regardless of the idol's power, we won't stand back in defeat. This battle is far from over."
The king narrowed his eyes. "You're far from the truth. With the idol's power at my disposal, victory is already in my grasp."
"Well put, my glorious king!" He glanced up as Aeternus descended from the sky with the other heralds, Zaros, and Nightmare. The clown clapped for his master, snickering through his grin. "Gold is such a wonderful color for you, Your Majesty. It suits you."
Voss knelt down and crossed one arm over his chest. "We've served you to ensure your goals were realized, my king. We're happy to have exceeded your expectations."
Callista huffed. "Indeed. The true god has risen."
Nightmare raised his hands to the sky and yelled, "Hear this declaration, mortals! Before you is the god that will bring order to this chaotic land! Bow while you still can!"
Alex raised his fists, ignoring the stabbing pain in his arm. "We're not done yet. As long as we stand, we'll continue fighting!"
Zaros snickered. "They can't seem to reason with themselves." He extended his finger, charging up an Everto. "What's say we eliminate the pests and be done with their pathetic heroism—"
"No." Zaros and the rest of the king's followers glanced at their godly ruler. "None of you shall interfere. They believe they have the mettle to continue fighting? I welcome the delusion. In fact…" He held the idol over his head. "Perhaps they should test their mettle against someone else."
Tony smirked, even if a poor attempt to hide his trembled. "What's the matter, Shadow King? I thought you said you were going to fight us. Too scared all of a sudden?"
"You are mistaken. I haven't known a true body for well over five hundred years. Inhabiting a corrupt priest, a lost fighter, and my own henchman has shown me how much I've longed for that feeling of life again. So, I shall grant you this final visage of your true god."
The idol flashed once and proceeded to melt. Liquid gold and jewels raced down the king's arm, coating it completely before absorbing into the skin. He clenched his fingers, pressed them to his chest, and slowly dragged them across. Marks of gold streaked across his chest before spreading out.
"With the power of the idol, I can manifest anything into reality with just a thought. I can manipulate the forces of nature or break the laws of time on a whim. But a simpler application? Repurposing the flesh of a corpse into something else."
His entire form glowed in a blinding gold, forcing all to avert their eyes. The king tensed his body before splaying his limbs out and roaring. The shockwaves of his shout passed over the air and nearly knocked everyone off their feet.
First were his limbs, stretching out and reshaping into lankier arms and legs. His torso thinned out, and the fur collar around his neck receded back into his body. The nose shrunk, and the ears rounded themselves out and moved to the sides of his head. A tail protruded from the tailbone next, waving like a ribbon in a gentle breeze. Finally, the top of his head burst with a golden light, swaying like fire.
The light scarring the sky soon dimmed, allowing all to turn their eyes back onto the new god. When the light faded away, everyone's eyes widened to the new figure looming above them. A figure only described in storybooks and ancient paintings. One whose physique embodied the godly aspects of the world, the savior of Pokémon kind.
Hovering in the air, no longer the corpse of Wendrake Vanderhart or Morgan Tenebris, was the legendary Infernape hero, Apollo. He wore dark steel armor from his chest to his legs. A black cape swayed from his shoulders, bearing the mark of the shadows. His right arm, however, was covered in golden armor with red and green gems adorned on the forearm. His eyes retained the black sclera and golden irises.
"I wasn't sure who I was for the longest time. Do I continue as the Shadow King or as something else entirely? Who will be the man to rewrite this world?" He glared. "But now my mind is clear. History shall learn from the errors of Pokémon and renounce the title of hero from my legend. For I stand not as the Shadow King, but as Apollo! Apollo the Armageddon!"
Team Ravenfield and the Desert Beasts stared at the god king with a mix of horror and hesitance. The act to fight back drained from their spirits, as even those without magic could sense the power exuding from him. His aura felt like a still ocean waiting to crush their seafaring vessels in its disastrous rogue waves. Only Tony and Indigo could speak of the true horrors the idol granted its user.
Apollo floated closer to the ground and beckoned to the paralyzed group. "I was the hero of my legend, but all I saw was the villain that struck down his best friend because he was given no other choice. Playing hero is a road that leads to misery. If you still believe you will have your happy ending, strike me down while you can."
Garret growled. "Apollo, you…huh?" His eyes widened as the younger generation of Team Ravenfield, save for Ella and Flint, stood up with their weapons drawn and spells at the ready. "What are you doing?"
Wes glared. "Fighting to the end, obviously. We're not going to let this guy scare us."
Tony cracked his knuckles. "He's all hot air. I bet I can take him."
Griffin supported Endless Regret over his shoulder. "I can take him down faster than you, Sparks."
Gwyn formed her grass blades. "I sensed the power within him when he merged with the idol. His power is the antithesis of the gods: pure, vile anguish and evil. I won't stand to let this force corrupt the essence of my bloodline."
Ava, Willow, and Alex shared a look before nodding and joining alongside the youths. "The kids are right. We didn't come all this way just to run with our tails between our legs," Alex said.
Ava summoned her Guardian. "Garret, keep everyone safe. We'll handle this."
Willow snarled. "We'll show him the unstoppable spirit of Pokémon."
Ella struggled to sit up on her haunches. "You're all…insane. This isn't the time to be acting like—"
"You're just saying that because you're injured," Wes interrupted, causing her to gasp. He looked back and grinned. "Don't tell me you wouldn't blindly jump into this without something to prove?"
"…" She narrowed her eyes. "Wes…"
Flint lifted himself on his forelegs. "He's baiting all of you."
Wes took a deep breath, crouched down, and formed a Warp Pad behind himself. "Yeah? Well, he's going to kill us anyway, so might as well bite back. Everyone ready?"
"Ready!" his team shouted.
"Let us show you the true power of our spirit, Apollo! Attack!" Wes launched off ahead while the rest charged behind him.
Apollo crossed his arms behind his waist and let the Umbreon crashed into him. Wes struck with a dropkick, but an invisible force prevented him from getting with a couple inches of Apollo's person, all while the god king remained unfazed. Wes growled and kicked off with another Warp Pad. He ricocheted circles around the god before striking from behind. When that failed, he repeated the process several times over, striking down from multiple angles.
Griffin and Tony ran in from both sides with Endless Regret and Flash Splitter in hand. Griffin struck with the power of Exosus Release, the power spilling out and shattering the earth under his feet. Tony leapt through the air and struck into Apollo's shoulders, lightning crackling out and scorching the land around him. Apollo remained unfazed, their attacks incapable of breaching his invisible defense.
Gwyn planted seeds into the ground and channeled her magic. "Accelerated Growth!" Giant roots burst out in front of her and split the earth apart as they charged toward Apollo. Her teammates saw the attack and moved out of the way.
Apollo narrowed his eyes and finally made his first move. He raised his hand and extended his index finger toward the racing roots. Once they reached within his range, he tapped the roots and instantly halted their progression. The momentum forced the roots to crash and fold into themselves. He flicked his finger into them, causing them to instantly be incinerated to dust.
Alex charged through the wall of dust. "Phantom Skewer!" He got under Apollo and threw a fast, undetectable punch into the god king's stomach. Rather than deal a crippling blow, the energy of his punch rebounded and sent him flying away. He skidded across the ground, but rolled with the push and landed on his feet.
"Greater Agility!" Ava increased her speed and ran circles around the unmoving Infernape. She empowered her sword constructs while her Guardian cracked its knuckles. "Take him down!"
They stopped on opposite sides of Apollo and lay into him with a flurry of strikes. The Guardian unleashed a fierce pummeling while Ava slashed into the unbreakable barrier. It did nothing to the resurrected monkey, his stoic expression unchanging.
Willow kicked her katana ahead of herself and teleported to it. She caught it in her teeth and slashed across his face. "Griffin!" She tossed the sword up, summoning Griffin to it.
"Exosus Cloak!" He dove down in a blaze of spiteful magic and kicked into the back of Apollo's head.
Tony sped up behind Apollo with his hands sparking with electricity. "Lightning Shot: Double Barrel Shockwave!" He fired two massive lightning lasers that spiraled into each other and blasted into the god king's back.
As the resisting team lay their attacks into him, their friends on the sidelines watched with growing concern. Beyond the struggle, they could see nothing they did was bypassing or even bothering Apollo. All their attacks simply rebounded when they came in contact.
Regardless, standing back and letting nothing happen wouldn't suffice.
Arid growled at his crew. "What are you landlubbers standing around for? If you can fight, you can kill that son of a bitch!"
Indigo glared and rushed on ahead, coating herself in her shadow form. "Let's take him down, Desert Beasts!"
Leigh brandished her battle claws and followed suit. Jones pushed through the pain in his legs and ran ahead with cutlasses. Zerif and Drake shared a nod and joined after them with their weapons. Malcom, though recovering from a headache, cracked his knuckles and sprinted after his crew.
Team Ravenfield parted ways for the assisting pirates. Indigo morphed her arms into giant blades and slashed into Apollo. They both shattered on contact, but she sprung herself over his head before he could think of retaliating. She reformed her arms into dual crossbows and fired a hail of arrows down on him.
Leigh and Jones roared, slashing into the king's chest. While the aura coating Leigh's claws protected them from shattering, Jones' cutlasses shattered as soon as they grazed the barrier. Drake and Zerif leapt over the helmsman and kicked Apollo in the face, though were thrown back by the rebound.
Malcom ducked under his flying crewmates and lunged at the king, socking him in the face. The rebound struck back on his arm, but he rolled with it and smashed his elbow into his cheek. The second recoil knocked him away, but he landed on his hands and feet.
Deciding not to let their crew go at it alone, Rico and Cheshire ran in to help as well. While Rico dashed ahead, Cheshire pulled out a cluster of throwing knives marked with cursed blood seals.
"Take this!" Rico lunged and delivered a flying roundhouse kick that immediately hurtled him in the opposite direction.
Cheshire leapt over Rico's flying body, jumped off Jones' back, and soared over the god king's head. He chucked several knives down, forming a circle that enclosed his target. Once he landed on the ground, he clapped his hands and formed a black ring through the knives. Lines crossed through the center of the circle until they formed a twelve-pointed star.
"If you try to leave that space, every atom in your body will be ripped to shreds," Cheshire warned, snickering through his half-open mouth. "Just try it, buddy!"
Apollo glared at the Banette over his shoulder. By simply tapping his own bicep, the cursed magic and the knives shattered to nothing.
"…Right. Should've saw that coming."
"Mystic Burst!" Apollo glanced to his left as Wes divebombed and kicked into his head. The magic rippling out from Wes exceeded what he normally outputted, blazing like a streaking comet. He winced against his own pressure, but pushed on through to bypass Apollo's barrier. "We're not giving up! Nothing will stop us! We won't bow to you, Shadow King!"
His allies raised their armaments and charged in unison at Apollo. Magic blazing, weapons drawn high, and battle cries reaching out to the sky above. The look of determination burned brightest in their souls, the drive to exceed and win the impossible battle by any means necessary.
It made him scoff.
"Pathetic."
He merely clenched his fist, and all that opposed him were blasted out of his way by his immense pressure. It struck the resisting party like a surprise hurricane going from zero to five hundred in less than a second. It caught everyone off guard and threw them back to their allies.
Team Ravenfield and the Desert Beasts braced themselves as the immense pressures blasted across them. They anchored themselves down and held onto each other. The resisting party grappled onto the earth before they were blown off the sunken earth and held on for all their life.
The high winds died down in an instant, dropping those hanging in the air back down. Their bodies trembled from the enormous pressure that slammed into them. Their bone and organs quaked for seconds before settling down. It took all their strength to remain grounded.
"Do you see the pointlessness of your resistance?" Team Ravenfield and the Desert Beasts glared at the god king, who kept his arms folded behind his back. "The world cannot change without a firm hand pounding out the imperfections. The magic of this world has allowed Pokémon to fight on without consequence, thus the turn to crime and villainy. I'm putting an end to this chaos once and for all."
Wes pushed himself up and snarled. "Is this what your family would've wanted?! If they saw you right now—"
"Don't try guilt-tripping me, boy," Apollo interrupted. "I've made peace with the sins I'm committing. When this is all over, my life is forfeit. I'll be happy knowing I've saved this world from its mistakes."
Ella pushed against the pain in her chest and glared. "You're all talk. How long have you been festering in your own darkness to see how absolutely insane you are? Not even a shred of dignity or hope for us lowly creatures? Pokémon have screwed up in the past, and plenty more will screw up our futures. I get that, but how do you expect us to grow if you force compliance?!"
"You've had thousands of years to get your acts together. Should we wait ten thousand more or when the universe decides to reset itself at the end of its lifespan?" Apollo glared. "How long until Pokémon learn to create order? How long do any of us have to wait until the mere act of common sense becomes second nature? You have pirates running around like a daily occurrence, children practicing the arcane arts to expand its destructive potential, and now you stand before someone who found a relic capable of rewriting reality. Tell me, what is so great about this world that chaos should be allowed to roam free?!"
Ella stomped her paw down and growled. "You don't know the meaning of the word chaos! I'm sorry for what happened to your family, but this isn't going to solve the world's problems. How long until Shadow Pokémon learn to hate again? Hatred and intolerance aren't the only things that starts wars and fighting."
"…" Apollo closed his eyes. "Indeed. You make a fine point, Ella Cipher. However, hatred is a useless emotion. It makes people do things blindly and gets others killed."
Everyone's eyes widened as the god king lifted his finger and lit it up. They followed to where he pointed and landed their eyes on the stunned Espeon sitting in the dead center of their group.
"Allow me to demonstrate."
All seemed to go silent as soon as he fired the golden beam from his finger. It raced across the earth, splitting a path toward the startled group. Too shocked to react, the beam passed by the resisting alliance and locked onto Ella, too injured and scared to leap out of the way.
She only had a second of time to react to the beam, yet her mind raced faster than her body could process. So many thoughts flooded her mind. First day of school, the day she met Wes, her first adventure with the brothers, her first date with Wes, many happy moments with her parents before their relationship soured, graduating high school…
She kind of wished she graduated from college, though it's not like she had a plan for herself at the time. She was content with coasting on by in life, but reality struck her hard. So conflicted with where to take the course of her life that she was willing to stick herself with a degree she was barely passionate about. She didn't have a plan. Would she rather surrender to her parents' expectations and take over the family business, succumb to the life of an ancient translator with minimal applications in the real world, or galivant on a high risk, high reward venture with Wes?
What did Ella even want out of her life?
It was almost sad to see the irony of her situation. She finally came to terms with the path she wanted to take, and now a laser was heading directly for her unguarded body. Perhaps her parents were right about the dangers of adventuring.
She just wished she could've seen a little more of the world.
I…I don't want to die yet.
"ELLA!"
The paralysis inflicted upon her fizzled out as someone tackled into her side, worsening her injuries. However, she barely paid mind to that when she saw it was Flint who pushed her. With his legs disabled, he mustered the legs of his Guardian to kick himself into her with barely enough time to reach her.
Her eyes widened as the light of the beam drew closer. "Fli—"
It flashed past her eyes in less than a second and pierced through Flint's chest. All seemed still for a moment until the Flareon's back ruptured with a golden blast. The blast knocked Ella back and staggered anyone nearby.
Flint's body rolled across the earth until he stopped on his back. Smoke hissed from his chest, and minor twitches pulsed through his body. His eyes and mouth were wide from the shock like the air was kicked out of his lungs.
Whenever recovered from the blast, their eyes turned to horror when they saw the results of the attack. None spoke louder to the sight than the one who treasured the Flareon the most.
"FLIIIIIIIIIINT!"
Gwyn scrambled to her feet, tripping over herself as she did, and collapsed by his side. Her face turned pale at a smoldering hole in his chest. She could see the blood pooling on the ground through it. She cautiously raised her hand to his cheek, feeling the heat drain away.
"NO!" Everyone, sans Wes, ran over to Flint's side. Garret loomed over his son, looking as if he wanted to cry, but physically incapable. "No, no, no! Flint!"
"H-Hang on!" Ambrosine dropped to her knees and tried a healing spell, but her mind was too frazzled to properly focus. Her eyes flooded with tears that she tried to clear away. "I-I've never…I don't know…I…"
Tony and Griffin stood over everyone with grim expressions. The Desert Beasts looked solemnly at the Flareon, some even tearing up over the sight. Ava and Willow were in fits of tears while Alex, eyes brimming with water, tried his best to contain his composure.
Ella limped over to the crowd and glared at Flint, though it couldn't hide the river of tears flowing down her face. "You…i-idiot! What were you thinking?!"
Flint weakly turned his head toward the Espeon and forced a weak smile. "I…I'm sorry. I…didn't know what I was doing until it…happened."
His answer choked her. Her lip quivered, and she fell back on her haunches as the rest of her trembled. "Y-You…"
"I…I could never let anything happen to my friends. I…just wanted to protect…" Tears streamed from his eyes. "I'm…so sorry."
Gwyn bit her lip. "F-Flinty…"
His tears worsened when he saw her expression. "G-Gwyn…I-I…w-wish we…had more time…together…"
"N-No…"
"P-Please…t-take care…of Wes…f-for…m…me…" His head tilted to the side, and the light drained from his tearful stare. The last of his air left his lips.
The magic users watched in despair as his vibrant orange aura, once flickering with passion and drive to protect everyone, snuffed out like a candle reaching the end of its wick. The magic steamed from his body as orange vapor, rising up into the air high above and fading into the aether where it belonged.
A long silenced droned on as everyone stared at the Flareon's body, breaths held tight in hopes he would jolt back to life or what they saw was a trick of the eyes. Reality set in sooner than they hoped. The first to break, clutching into her fiancé's warm mane, was Gwyn as the floodgates opened in her eyes.
"N…NOOO!" Gwyn collapsed over his body and pressed her face deep into his mane. "FLIIIIINT!"
Ella broke down into sobs, ignoring the stabbing pain in her chest. Ava and Willow stood next to her, rubbing her back as the tears flowed from their eyes. Tony collapsed to his knees and covered his teary face. Ambrosine held one of Flint's paws as she cried into her arm. Griffin, unable to bear the sight, looked to the sky with clenched teeth with a thin trickle of tears flowing.
Garret hunched over his son's body, despair washing over his artificial body, unable to express anything beyond his face. Alex wrapped one arm around his undead friend while hiding his own tears. Even a majority of the Desert Beasts couldn't keep their eyes dry. Only Arid could watch without breaking down, yet he bowed his head in respect to the Flareon.
…Then there was Wes.
The Umbreon sat frozen in place, unmoving ever since the shot pierced through his brother. The screams and anguish of his friends was drowned out by an intense ringing in his head. He couldn't be sure if what he saw was real or not, if this was some twisted hallucination conjured by fear. He couldn't even find the strength to check on his brother in his final moments. He…just couldn't move.
The reality of the situation finally hit him, and the tears poured from his unchanging expression. His older brother, his own flesh and blood, the man he respected and held in high regards throughout their childhood, the one he looked out for during the rough patches and the one that looked out for him…
"F…Flint?" he mumbled.
A slow clapping broke through his deafening silence. He stiffly turned his neck and stared at Apollo with blank, teary eyes.
"Well, it seems I was only half-right. Loyalty seems to get you killed just as quickly." He crossed his arms. "His bravery is to be admired, but foolishly throwing his life away without a second thought is just a testament to the recklessness of your generation. Not that it matters since I planned to exterminate the remains of the Ravenfield bloodline."
"…" Wes' pupils shrank back, and he bared his canines into a tight scowl. Hot tears raced down his face as he stood up, trembling with feverous emotion. Was it despair? Was it grief? Guilt for not seeing Flint off in his last moments? Guilt for dragging his only brother into this adventure? A storm of emotions all valid to his fierce shaking, but a mere drop compared to the ocean crashing inside him.
Unbridled, bloodcurdling wrath.
"I'll…I'll…" he seethed through clenched teeth.
Apollo raised his brow. "What's that?"
"I'LL KILL YOU!"
His friends were startled by his declaration of murder. Before anyone could intervene, the ground exploded by Wes as he kicked off with Warp Pad. Faster than ever before, he crashed into Apollo with a blinding kick that swept the god king off his feet. Wes roared and ricocheted all around him, kicking and tackling Apollo before knocking him into the air.
"I'm going to rip you to PIECES!" Wes launched after Apollo, coating himself in Cor Bestia. The monstrous construct, fueled by Wes' fury, unleashed an onslaught of havoc, battering the god king left and right with sharpened claws. It opened its jaw and bit down on him, but exploded apart from the recoil.
Wes activated his Septem Gladii Virtutis and thrusted them into the airborne king. He plunged four through his chest, two into his shoulders, and caught the last in his teeth to personally plunged it through his face. Darkness spewed out from the wounds and sprayed across Wes.
"MYSTIC BURST!" He grappled the king and swung his forelegs furiously, punching endlessly into his face. "DIE, DIE, DIE—"
Apollo's hand lunged out and caught Wes by the face, delivering a brief yet painful jolt through his body. Wes' magic fizzled out as he dangled in the air in Apollo's grip. His eyes widened as the god king straightened himself out and glared at the Umbreon despite the swords impaled through his body.
"Really? And what did you think that would accomplish?" He snapped his fingers, and the swords dispelled. Even the wounds inflicted upon him weren't serious, like stabbing through gelatin. They sealed themselves up as if nothing happened. "I allowed you to hit me just to see if you could actually inflict damage. Guess you didn't love your brother as much as you think if this is the extent of your vengeance."
Wes clenched his teeth and flailed in the king's grasp. "You rotten, nihilistic piece of shit! Give me my brother back or else—" His eyes widened as something tugged on his right foreleg. He turned his head and saw black string wrapped tightly around it.
Apollo glared. "Nihilism? Not the word I would use. Let me give you a piece of advice, kid: life's not fair. No matter what we do, something will always get in our way and thrust the consequences of the world onto our shoulders. That's what it means to be a chosen one. It's nothing but an endless cycle of destiny and responsibility brought onto those who didn't ask for lofty ambitions. I would've been perfectly content as a farmer for the rest of my life, not as a legendary hero and being treated as the demon killer. Look where following destiny's strings got you—"
"WES!" Garret rocketed into the air with Warp Pad. "Let go of my son—"
"Ah, Garret." Apollo snapped his fingers, and black string spawned from the aether to restrain the puppet. He tried to pass through them, but they spatially locked him in place. "I'll deal with you in a moment."
"If you hurt Wes, I'll—"
"You'll what?" Apollo taunted. "Please, elaborate what you can do to stop me. You can't admit it because you're still grieving over that fresh corpse you called a son. Where's your inner strength or power of friendship, Garret? Why am I still standing? You clearly think you can take me on…" He glared. "Except even you know it's hopeless."
"…" Garret clenched his teeth, unable to respond back.
Apollo turned back to Wes. "Even your own father has accepted the scope of reality. This is the destiny you fought for." He glared. "And it's all your fault."
Wes' eyes widened. "What?"
"You stumbled into your father's secret study. You pursued the map. You assembled together all the keys that brought us here because you wanted a final adventure. Well, you can't get more final than this. Congratulation, Wes Ravenfield." He pulled on the string connected to Wes' foreleg. "Here is your reward."
The Umbreon could only gasp as the string constricted around his foreleg and sliced through effortlessly. A fountain of blood spewed out into the air as his foreleg was reduced to bloody flesh, ripped cleanly from his shoulder. The pain overwhelmed him, hitting so hard that he couldn't muster the energy to scream. His vision went in and out, his mind slipping into unconsciousness. Apollo distorted inside his vision, and he could only speak out with inaudible gasps.
Apollo tossed Wes into the air, causing his hat to fly off his head, and raised his arm. "This is the end of the Ravenfield bloodline. Destiny or not, I've put an end to the only force in the world that can kill me." Golden light charged inside his palm. "Now...disappear into oblivion."
"A…App…o…" Wes gasped.
"HA!" Apollo unleashed a wide, golden beam into the Umbreon, completely engulfing him.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
Wes' screams finally breached air and bellowed across the canyon. His friends and Garret couldn't avert their eyes, glued to the devastating show of power as the Umbreon's silhouette crumbled away inside the energy beam. His screams faded little by little until the whole of his body was vaporized to nothing.
The beam reached into the clouds and exploded at the apex of its height, punching a hole through and revealing the dark sky above. Magical lightning struck down behind Apollo, wrapping him in shadow under the multicolor light. His piercing gold eyes, even in darkness, could be felt by everyone below.
A moment of silence passed over the resisting party, all frozen in shock. Eventually, something fell out of the sky. Two somethings. First, Wes' messenger bag plummeted to the ground and landed in front of the group. It steamed from the close proximity of the blast. In his final moments, Wes managed to unhook his bag before it succumbed to oblivion.
The second was his hat, fluttering down and landing in front of Ella. The Espeon stared at the hat with a blank stare, tears staining her cheeks and eyes reddened from crying. She reached out to the hat and picked it up. It trembled between her paws.
"W…Wes…" she gasped.
Gwyn felt new tears peeking out. "N-No…"
Arid clenched his teeth, his own shaking with rage…and sorrow. "That idiot…"
Garret gawked down at his allies. He felt like his mind malfunctioned, unable to handle the information he was absorbing. In the span of a few minutes, he lost both of his sons to the man he failed to kill seven years ago. Brought back to life, reunited with his children…
All for what?
"Lost the will to fight, Garret?" The puppet gasped as Apollo seized him by the neck, cutting him loose from the string. "Good."
Before Garret could spit out all the venom he was holding back, a black crystal collar appeared around his neck and tightened around him. A quick jolt raced through his system, causing his artificial muscles to stiffen. "W-What?"
"I should be thanking you, too. You did technically set this all in motion with your meddling." Apollo glared. "Because of that, I shall grant you an act of mercy. An unbreakable collar to neutralize your magic, everything but your new healing abilities. You shall be the only Ravenfield, the only uncorrupted Pokémon, to witness the evolution of your world. Savor this opportunity, Garret Ravenfield."
Apollo thrusted Garret against the sky, causing the space behind him to shatter. Garret gasped as he dangled thousands of feet in the sky, back in his realm.
"You will get to witness every bit of destruction to your home. You can live with the fact that your hubris to search for the world's greatest treasures has not only doomed your way of life, but ended the lives of your two precious children. Thank you, Garret Ravenfield."
Garret growled at him. Darkness spilled from the corner of his eyes. "Apollo, I—" He paused for a moment.
For a moment, he could've sworn he saw purple string hovering over the god king's head. It was brief second, one he could've missed had he blinked.
"What?" Apollo taunted.
Garret blinked twice in confusion before glaring. "I swear, I'm going to find a way to break this collar. When I do, I'm going to rip the idol out of your soul and use every drop of its power to make your life a living nightmare."
Apollo glared. "I welcome the attempt. Enjoy the new world." He let go of Garret and watched him plummet back down to Mysto.
"APOLLLLLLLLLLLLO!"
Apollo snapped his fingers and closed the rift in space. "All Ravenfields removed. No more Ravenfield Curses to deal with. Now then…"
The remains of the Ravenfield-Pirate resistance staggered back when the god king looked down in their direction. Griffin gripped Endless Regret tightly and whispered through clenched teeth, "Sparks, please tell me you have a plan in that crackpot mind of yours. Sparks?"
"I…" Tony's arms fell to his sides. "I don't know what to do. I don't know what any of us can do."
Hearing Tony's defeat crushed what little hope Gwyn had left in her heart. She cradled Flint's head against her chest, crying over him. "Flint…Wes…"
Ava panted slowly and took a step back. "We need to run and rethink a strategy."
Before the resistance could make any moves, the shadow enforcers rejoined their king's side. Aeternus bowed to the resurrected Infernape and said, "You look even more radiant than ever, Your Majesty. Shall we begin the first stages of terraforming this world into the shadow paradise?"
Apollo glared. "First things first, you wanted me to spare those three, correct?" He pointed down and singled out Griffin, Tony, and Gwyn.
Callista clicked her mandibles and hissed joyfully. "Oh yes. With the soul of a Mew, I can finally complete my ritual."
Aeternus grinned. "And maybe Sapienti will finally cave in toward the winning side."
Voss crossed his arms. "I wish to see the full power of Everfall before his death."
Apollo nodded. "Very well." He extended his finger and fired a thin golden beam.
Griffin's eyes widened as the beam headed toward them. "Tony, look out!" He shoved the Dewott out of the way before being pierced by the laser.
Tony staggered and gasped. "Griffin!"
However, the beam didn't kill Griffin. Instead, much like Cosette's magic style, the beam compressed him within the golden light and shrank him down into a red marble. It floated into the sky, where Apollo caught it.
"Next." He fired again.
Tony dodged the second laser, but it curved around and sniped Gwyn in the back while she was distracted. She gasped, ripped away from Flint's body, and compressed down into a green marble.
Once Apollo collected the second marble, he fired multiple shots on Tony. The Dewott speedily ran across the canyon, dodging the tracking beams as best he could. He fired off Lightning Shots in the air, but they ricocheted when they came into Apollo's barrier range.
"Bastard!" Tony clapped his hand and formed a ball of lightning. "Take THIS!" Right as the beams sniped him, he chucked the lightning ball as hard as he could. He compressed down into a blue marble.
Apollo backhanded the lightning ball and sent it flying into the clouds above. He caught the last marble and presented all three to his heralds. "Your rewards."
Aeternus clapped, bouncing on the tips of his tentacles. "Happy days!"
The resistance gawked in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me!" Willow yelled.
"Our heaviest hitters are gone!" Alex exclaimed. "Shit, what do we do? He's going to kill us!"
Arid struggled to his feet and raised his gauntlet. "Not…yet! Everyone, with me!" He slapped his hand down and conjured a massive sandstorm.
Before the sandstorm completely engulfed her, Ella hugged Wes' hat against her chest and stared up at the floating king. Her expression was unreadable, too overwhelmed with emotions. She bowed her head and hugged the hat tighter as the sandy winds embraced her.
Nightmare flared up. "I'll get them—" Apollo stuck his arm out before the boss shadow could follow.
The sandstorm swirled for a solid minute before fading, leaving no trace of the remaining Team Ravenfield or the Desert Beasts.
Voss glared. "My king?"
Apollo sighed and turned away. "At this point, they can't do much of anything. Leave them stranded to fend for themselves. They'll die here eventually."
Zaros smirked. "How vindictive. You truly take to your evil roots well, Your Majesty."
Apollo took a deep breath and extended his arm out. He flicked two fingers up, causing a shockwave to ripple across the earth. Sand rose deep within the horizon and came to him as mighty twisters. They struck down inside the canyon and reconstructed itself. The sand piled on each other and rose up into the sky, forging a mighty black castle with a central tower in the center of the roof.
"The rebirth of a new world shall be witnessed from here." Apollo tossed the heralds their respective marbles and floated up into the sky. "This…is where it all begins."
He held his palms near each other and channeled an orb of black and golden magic. He glared at the vortex in the sky and tossed the orb toward it. The orb splashed against the outer edges of the vortexes, transforming the multicolored wind into black and gold. Dark lightning crackled off the vortex. The Sky Zone's lightning drew toward the vortex, feeding its power into it.
Apollo snapped his fingers. "Every beginning has an end, and every end faces a new beginning. I call upon the forces of darkness to remake this world and extinguish the sins of Pokémon!"
"A world blindly researching the power of the gods to wield and destroy at their leisure. A world like that cannot be allowed to exist."
From the vortex, a massive column of shadow magic struck down on the Great World Tree. Occupants of the Swamp Zone gasped as a wave of darkness extended out like a tsunami and washed over their homes and community, spreading out beyond the trees and toward the distances of Mysto.
As Pokémon screamed and struggled inside the haze of darkness, their shadows overlapped their skin and spread all over them before being completely engulfed. Their crimson red eyes peeked through the darkness. The corrupted Pokémon reared their heads back and roared out into the sky.
"A slave to their own ambition."
Seth peeked outside the cave and gasped as the wave of darkness charging in the distance. "What in the world…?"
"Mr. Seth?" He looked back at Cheri and Ava's children, all giving him concerned looks as they also could see the dark wave. "Are we going to be okay?"
"…" The Zoroark clenched his teeth and glared out at the approaching darkness.
"Striving to become something greater than what the world gave them. The wants of a chosen one."
Medusa grimaced through her closed eyes, a sensation also felt by Cicely. The time mage looked to her friend and asked, "You can feel that, too?"
Medusa turned her head up to see Venus tending to Andre's condition. She sighed and lowered her head. "I'm afraid so…"
"There's nothing special about magic. All it has ever done was wrought distrust and discord into the hearts of many. All it does is feed ego."
Gene and Wolf poked their heads outside the Immensus Library, having sensed the massive shockwave of magical energy. Their eyes widened at the splotch of black extending across the land at high speeds. "Oh no," Wolf gasped.
Gene clenched his teeth. "Gene doesn't like the looks of this."
"Abandon your hopes and dreams. There is no solace in striving for the top when it brings misery to the world."
In the ruins of Monsoon Village, Hugo lifted his head upon sensing a disturbance. He turned away from Holly, Edwin, and Fernando as they prepared the funeral and stared into the distance. His staff rattled at the malevolent energy in the atmosphere.
"A darkness is coming. Holy Father, Light of Arceus, grant us protection."
"Abandon your wants and feelings. Emotion brings despair, and despair brings ruin."
As Fleurette showed Courtney the script they'll be using for their next play, her attention turned to something approaching the village. Something…overwhelming. Unlike anything she ever experienced or detected in her life.
"Oh no." She dropped the script and picked Courtney up.
"WHA—" the little Absol gasped.
"We need to find Mr. and Mrs. Cipher!"
"Become the legend you turned me into. Embrace the darkness wrought in my heart, and the darkness injected into Dougal Ravenfield, wrongfully scorned by society."
The remaining students, faculty, and allies of the academy attack gathered inside the canyon walls. While everyone shivered and worried about what would happen to them, the mages stayed on high alert for enemy attacks.
Benedict was the first to notice something, sensing a malevolent force approaching them. He turned in its direction and glared. "Does anyone else sense that?"
Sitting against a wall, clutching the bloodied left side of his body where his arm used to be, Cielo lifted his head and glared. "We're too late…"
"You romanticized my legend and turned me into a hero that inspired those to take on the path of a chosen one. I'll show you the horrors of legend."
Vivian winced as a framed photo fell from the fireplace mantle and shattered on the floor. She walked over to it and carefully picked it up in her feelers. She frowned at the picture inside, depicting her and Garret with the boys when they were still Eevee. Flint sat with a refined smile in front of his mother while Wes sat atop his father's head and laughed like he was enjoying life.
"Garret. Wes. Flint." She wasn't sure what came over her, but she felt like crying. She brushed the leftover glass away and hugged the photo against her chest.
She never noticed the wall of corruptive magic heading straight toward the village.
Apollo waved his hands and parted the clouds, painting a map of Mysto across it and the results of his corruptive energy wave. "Dougal and I battled over the course of seven days to decide the fate of this world. If you truly believe you deserve to keep your individuality, Pokémon, then I welcome the challenge."
He and his enforcers landed in front of the castle. While his enforcers stared up at the sky basking in their victory, Apollo only watched with growing disdain.
"In seven days, the corruption will expand beyond Mysto and forever transform this world in a realm of darkness. Embrace your new reality, and sink into the abyss where you belong!"