Character: Marciel

Species: Butterfree

Age: 19

Year of character creation: 2016

Story: Zygarde's one true Scion. He manages the World Peace Organization, the sponsor of the Wayfarers and all Guilds. They act as a political layer of defense between countries that would otherwise wage war. They have been aware of Scions since their creation over a century ago, and have aided them across the years. He wields Sacred Treasure Gungnir from his continent of origin, Abuja. Many people guess he's actually much older than he really is.


"Because of Uxie's passiveness, Acuity ended up with the short stick of land on the Trio Continent. For centuries, we've had to struggle and fight to survive in cold, bare wastelands. That's why we are the most powerful, technologically advanced, and chosen by the Peacekeeper. And now that your destiny has changed, or has always been different than what you thought, you, Galahad, are now the apex of Acuitan rage. Two has selected Eighty-eight to lead the charge against the Wayfarers. You are allowed to act at your own discretion."

"Got it."

"I only have one special instruction. You're not allowed to kill Chingyang, Amadeus, Marciel, Gareth, Markus Valor, Jewel Verity, or the traitor."

"Okay," he said.

"There's a variety of reasons. Some personal, some planning ahead. Some are special requests from Adrian. If you can't accomplish your mission with all of these limits, I'll understand. Whatever you do, don't kill them."

"Got it."

"Head to the surface. I sent the coordinates to your new pegasi wings."

"New?"


The Wayfarers remained in Zulu for another day. Flareon Light had nothing to do other than eat sugar and prepare for the future. He did some exercise for a while, but his body couldn't keep up for long. He'd ended up more tired out after the jungle than he realized.

He decided to power-up another way, in a manner of speaking

He could use Candor to sort through his memories and bring out what he wanted, which would be incredible, if he had anything worth remembering. He read through e-books on battle strategies in the arena, but they didn't have anything for jetpacks. He didn't even need to actually read. He let his eyes glaze over the page and make sure he at least saw every word for later.

Once he exhausted a few of those, he moved on to miscellaneous subjects: how to bake sweets, how to use Fire Blast, and-

Holy shit a red dot.

Light shut off his phone screen and turned upright on a bed. The red dot dashed along its surface, on the edge of falling off to the rock floor. A low growl rumbled in his throat. He pounced.

The dot darted away. He pounced again. Another miss.

"Mrrrr…"

Light flicked his tail. He wiggled his hips and leapt on the floor.

He caught it. He turned his paws around.

The red dot didn't show anywhere. He saw it again on the floor, taunting him.

He extended his claws.

"Mraaaaow!"

Light slammed his paw on it; a miss. He stalked close to it to get a better chance.

A red gleam struck his eye. He jumped at it.

He slammed into something.

"Mreeeeeeeeeeeeeeow! Hyiiiiiiiiii!"

Light rolled around for a second. He landed on something soft and sturdy. He randomly slammed his paws down.

"Mrrrgh?"

A laser pointer? And what did he slam into?

Light looked around in a circle. He ended up in the rock hallway. Eyes landed right on him, a horde of them, from Leafeon Charlotte, Umbreon Amadeus, Haxorus Gareth, and Heliolisk Jonathan.

And he landed on top of Sky Shaymin Ariel, who smiled up at him. Based on the position of her paw, she was the one holding the laser pointer.

"Well heeeeel-lo muffin top..."

"W-what's going on?"

"We heard about what happened," Jonathan said. "And, uh, looks like you made the right decision, in a way. We're all set to leave, so pack up."

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"The safari," Gareth answered. "Charlotte will build her machine there, in hiding. We'll head out in an hour. We'll leave you to it."

Amadeus and Gareth nodded and turned back. Jonathan swung around and followed. Charlotte wiggled her digits and turned around.

Ariel reached up and locked her paws behind his back.

He flinched back. She frowned.

"What's wrong?" Ariel asked.

Light broke eye contact. "We can… Talk about it later…"

"Okay."

Ariel let him go. He hopped off of her chest and speed-walked away.


For the first few minutes of their carriage ride, Flareon Light waited in tense silence for them to be clear of Zulu. When the dark hue broke to unrelenting daylight, he breathed easier.

He sat next to Sky Shaymin Ariel on the same cushion, in her shadow. He traced a claw down the side of his face. Without anyone else, he couldn't dodge giving an explanation. The stress especially got to him considering he chose to wear his "If lost, return to Ariel" T-shirt underneath his hoodie for the trip.

Ariel placed a paw on his left shoulder.

"What's up?" she asked quietly. "Are you feeling a bit of regret about stealing?"

"No," he said. "Not at all. It was for the greater good. I'm, uh…"

"Clones? Still kinda crazy, right?"

"No, I believe that."

"Oh… Really? Cause, I'm kinda torn."

"Well, it's something about that…" He stared down, hard. "I've been, uh, thinking about things I don't usually think about. About myself."

"Mhm," she hummed.

"If it's the truth, then… I'm the clone of a woman." He raised up his paws. "So, all of my traits, maybe even the way I think, is from her. So, what does that make me?"

Ariel grabbed his right paw.

"I can't give you an answer," she said. "You'll have to discover that for yourself. I'll be here for you just like this," she tightened her grip, "no matter what you find."

He hugged her, and buried his face in her arm's fur. She flinched a bit.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Your, uh… Uncle and granddad beat me up. In training."

Light glared. "What?" he asked with a flame under his voice. "Well, why the hell are they picking on you?"

"They just want me to be able to keep you safe. From larger threats."

He could get that, but they probably didn't have the best standards on how far to go with it. He couldn't let them put Ariel in pain. There were better ways. Not every strong warrior had to be made out of pain.

"Airy," Light said, "I can't let them go too far."

Ariel hung her head in defeat.

"And I can't let you go too far either," he added. "So, promise?"

"Promise," she muttered.

"Turn your back to me?"

"Uh, alright?"

Ariel swiveled around.

Their internet connection turned spotty ever since they left Zulu. Luckily, he thought to look up stuff about pressure points (randomly, on a whim). He remembered most of it even without Candor. He blew small puffs of fire onto his paws and massaged the sides of her neck.

She fell asleep fast.

After that, Light closed his eyes too.

The carriage rumbled on. Light napped for an hour, or maybe less. Once he and Ariel were awake and had nothing to do, they cuddled.

Their carriage had a lot more traffic around it than usual. The Wild Bunch were traveling with them so they could hold up their end of the deal. The rumble of the extra wheels seemed to add up to an earthquake. Thanks to Ariel, it didn't bother him. They would be traveling for a long while. The Abujan safaris extended for miles and miles. Their trip only looked short on a world map, and even then, only debatably so.

Light stretched his arms and yawned. He rubbed against Ariel's side. She hugged him close.

"Huh," Ariel huffed.

"What's up?" he asked.

"My phone's… not working."

Light turned his attention from Ariel's majestic face to her paw, and phone. The screen turned black. She clicked the power button, and it wouldn't turn on.

"Out of battery?" Light asked.

"No," she said. "It was at full power. And I didn't use it."

Light pulled out his phone from his white hoodie's pocket. It wouldn't turn on either.

"Did Jonathan say anything about Dragoons doing stuff with phones?"

"Uhm… I don't know, but… Actually, maybe?"

"My uncle and grandad should have a physical map on them. Let's check how it is outside."

"Right."

Sky Shaymin Ariel rocketed to her feet and shoved open the doors. Light stood up. She stared out without moving.

"Uhhhh… Light?"

"Yah?"

"There's a giant floating piece of metal chasing us."

Light ran out to the back of the carriage. He couldn't get a good view with his stubby legs. Ariel grabbed his paw, the top of the carriage, and pulled them both up to the roof. Once he got his footing, he turned skyward.

A giant, silvery metal cylinder floated high in the bright, clear sky. It casted a shadow over half of the carriages behind them. It seemed somewhat shaped like a cone with dull, rounded edges.

Sky Shaymin Mei sat at the front of the carriage, as its driver. She glanced her head back, but focused ahead on the open land around them. Bright, amber grass reached out and touched the horizon. The shadows of animals and trees wearing their green leaves like hats lay few and far between.

They were sitting ducks, out in the open.

Light whipped his head towards a metal clank on the side of the carriage. Heliolisk Jonathan zipped to them, with the black line of a Grappler. His feet attached to the side of the carriage.

"It's an Archangel's airship!" Jonathan called over the crunching dirt and pebbles.

"They have airships?" Light asked dumbly.

Jonathan pinched one eye and shook his head. "Light, it's a flying city. Of course they have airships…"

"What do you mean 'of course they have airships'!? And what's an 'Archangel'!?"

"One of the first seven clones. Their EMPs are blocking out our communications. I'm going by hand to other carriages to warn them. We're making a beeline for the jungle."

With his free hand, Jonathan aimed his Grappler and hit a carriage ahead of them. He zipped away.

"They have airships!?" Mei screamed.

"What the hell is an EMP?" Ariel asked.

Light stared up.

Small, red comets arced down towards them from the ship. The buzz of the Acuitan blessing didn't hit him yet, if it would. They couldn't outspeed those. He looked around in a circle.

The jungle, a mass of green in the distance, would take ten or fifteen minutes at max speed, assuming they could keep that. Their carriage already swiveled around to head straight for it. They scattered a bit further apart, likely to make themselves harder targets.

The electricity of a Sacred Treasure washed over him. His eyes darted around and landed on Butterfree Marciel. His wings fluttered as he landed next to him and Ariel. He rested the blunt side of his spear on top of the carriage.

"I'll remain here and help," Marciel said. "No machine could stand a blow from Gungnir."

"Our carriages aren't exactly made for battle, either," Ariel warned.

"Yes. If we lose them, take Light and flee. And no holding back."

"Right."

Green, hexagonal scales covered over Marciel's wings. Yellow veins, like on Rayquaza's body, stretched across Ariel's. Light's head shot between them.

He sure wished his Reshiram had something to help right about now.

"Shut up."

"I'll go first," Marciel said.

Marciel stepped to the edge of the carriage. As he flapped his wings, scales shot off. More grew out of thin air. Seconds later, a hurricane of green projectiles rose to the sky. From his point of view, Light couldn't see anything. All of the red lights were swallowed up.

Light gasped. The blaze of the Acuitan blessing shot through his heart. He clutched his chest. His eyes darted around.

"Light!?" Ariel shouted.

A dark red fireball cut through the carriages following their's. Light went airborne.

His ears erupted. He flipped over and scraped against dirt. Chunks of wood pelted him. He extended his claws and dug them into the earth. As he slid to a stop, more crashed down on him. His back caved under sharp, painful weight. Some metal part of the engine landed on him. He groaned and grimaced.

"Light!"

Sky Shaymin Ariel swooped down from the air. She ripped the chunk of metal off of him and landed. Light gasped for hot air and scrambled up.

Whatever that thing was, it tore right through their traveling formation. All of their carriages turned into wads of torn apart wood and metal, several on fire. The red comets arced close enough for Light to see the black of their pegasi wings. They all formed into an arrow heading straight for them.

Out of all the carriages? They knew which one he was in? How? What signaled them?

Shit.

"Airy!" Light roared. "Marciel signaled them!"

"Huh?"

A piece of metal stuck to his side. Light flew back through the air. He landed on dry grass on his back.

A green light slammed down where they stood seconds earlier. Pieces of burnt metal geysered. The flap of a hefty pair of wings cleared the kicked up dust.

Butterfree Marciel looked up from the ground, Gungnir in hand. Heliolisk Jonathan detached his Grapplers from both his and Ariel's sides. He stepped forward between them and Marciel.

"Figures," Jonathan puffed.

"The job of the World Peace Organization is to balance out the desires of the world's strong political powers," Marciel said. "Olympus is the greatest of those powers. If all they want is the life of one… boy, it's for peace."

"Blood-soaked peace, huh?"

"Zygarde has always protected balance. Blood will always be a part of it."

"Anyone's but your own, right?"

"You know this is all pointless. I can go slay the Glass Reshiram myself."

"Ah hell." Jonathan paced in a short circle and stared back at him. "You gave up a long time ago, didn't you?

"I believe there's a way where this all ends well," Marciel said. "Just not for everyone."

Ariel charged and leaped in the air. Marciel pointed his spear.

Green lights plumed outward. Wind pushed on Light's front. He dug his claws into the dirt to stay up, but he lost track of the two in the chaos

"Eyes up, kid!" Jonathan called.

Two large red comets drew near: an Emboar and an Electivire with massive pairs of pegasi wings on their backs. The flames spewing out from their jets cut off and dropped them to the ground, a short distance in front of their wrecked carriage. Jonathan's frills opened up as he fired electricity.

The electric bolt arced away from Emboar and hit Electivire. It did nothing. He stomped through the sparks. Light shot a small ember from his mouth to see how they'd react.

Sure enough, Emboar dipped in front of Electivire and walked through it. They returned to a side by side positioning.

"Let's show 'em real teamwork," Jonathan said.

He unwrapped a black, metal band from around his wrist and passed it to Light. He eyeballed the black cylinder as he wrapped it around his right wrist.

Electivire and Emboar entered burst distance.

Jonathan whipped his arm and fired his electricity-soaked Grappler at Emboar's chest. He moved too slow to dodge. Electivire reached to grab the wire. Lighted aimed and fired his at Electivire's palm. He yanked it up.

Jonathan zipped under Electivire and kicked Emboar in the chest. As he did, Light dug his claws between his fur and the metal band to slip the Grappler off.

Right on time.

The wire lit up with electricity as it fell to the ground. Electivire threw the cylinder aside and leapt for him with a raised, electric fist. He'd strike him in the chest while he was airborne.

Something struck Electivire in the back, something green. His raised fist flattened. He fell face-first on dirt in front of Light.

Overhead, Sky Shaymin Ariel grappled with Buttefree Marciel. Gungir had dropped to the ground somewhere. She soared up in the air with him, the two like green lights. More red dots approached from the sky, a lot more. It looked as if Marciel's attack didn't take out a single one.

Go figure…

"Jonathan?" Light asked. "What's the plan?"

Jonathan shrugged. Light frowned.

"I did my best on the planning side, kid," Jonathan said. "It's all you. Whatcha wanna do?"

"Uh, escape to the jungle?"

"Then let's move."

Jonathan broke out into a run. Light bent down, yanked out the black chord from under Electivire, put on the Grappler, and chased after him.

More red dots swooped behind them. He tried to time when they'd catch up. Two or three minutes, maybe?

Blue lasers rose up from the wreckage of carriages behind them. The red dots changed course into spirals towards the ground.

"Light! Jonathan! What the blazes is going on?"

Jonathan stopped running. Light caught up and bounded to a stop next to him.

Haxorus Gareth lifted the roof of a carriage from over himself and Umbreon Amadeus. Amadeus slunk from under it, which allowed Gareth to shove the roof aside and let it collapse down beside them. Amadeus stared at Gareth as he stood up.

"Are you alright?" Amadeus asked.

Gareth snorted and walked on. His eyes got stuck on the sky. "Damn."

Amadeus stared up. He gaped, unevenly. "They have airships?"

"What do you mean?" Jonathan asked. "Of course they have airships!"

"What do you mean 'of course they have airships'?"

"Fine," Gareth grunted. "We're going to run for the jungle? How fast can that thing fly?"

"No faster than an average ship on the water, but pegasi wings can go up to two-hundred miles per hour. We're not outrunning them."

"Starting to notice a severe lack of options."

Their heads flicked.

A Sableye fell out of nowhere. He rolled on the ground and reached for Light's fur.

Either Gareth or Amadeus hit him with a blast of dark energy; he couldn't quite tell. Light's shoulders stiffened. He raised a paw to his chin and the other flat out in front of his face. When the puff of dust fell back down, Sableye vanished.

Amadeus snorted. "Maybe we're not in as much danger as we tho-"

He grunted. A dark claw slashed across his face. Another reached to grab Light's mane. He pulled his neck back.

Jonathan shot his Grappler on Sableye's back. He swung him as a ball of electricity over their heads and slammed him to the ground. He fired a Thunderbolt like hell through the wire. The ground rumbled. Light held his eyes shut from the blast

Jonathan turned back to them. The black cylinder of his Grappler snapped back to his wrist. "They can't feel pain. You have to take them out. Move ahead and help the others."

An Incineroar, Larvitar, and Rampardos landed behind them. They shrugged pegasi wings off their backs. Jonathan groaned and rolled his neck. He stepped towards them.

"Go!" he shouted.

Haxorus Gareth snagged Light and set him on his shoulder. Amadeus ran to the ruins of their carriage. He used Psychic.

Chunks of wood and metal floated around aimlessly. With them cleared, he found Sacred Treasures Courtain and Pangu on the ground. Gareth jogged over. As he bent down for Pangu, Light reached and took Courtain.

Amadeus broke into a run again. Gareth followed. Light hung on with his forearms. The bottom half of his body flopped up and down. They chased after a metallic banging sound.

Gareth slowed to a stop.

Ahead, surrounded by rubble, a Darmanitan and Toxicroak pounded their fists down on the ground. Light's lower lip shivered. He looked to down to see.

Oh, thank the Lord. It was just Kaleb.

Toxicroak picked up Pyukumuku Kaleb with two fingers and turned his face around.

"Why are you still breathing?" he demanded. "Your bones should be mush!"

"Does it look like I give a shit?" Kaleb asked. "I took Draco Meteor point blank from Glass Reshiram. I'm a god."

Toxicroak turned to Darmanitan. "How are we supposed to kill this thing?"

"And I neverdie."

Gareth stalked up behind them while they were so distracted. Light shuddered and looked away. Stiff vibrations ran through his arms, and all he heard were loud, meaty thwacks. When he squinted one eye open, both of them had been slammed into dents in the dirt.

"Thanks," Kaleb said. "We should move. The others aren't as manly as me."

Flareon Light flinched.

A massive whirlwind of leaves kicked up in one direction. Jagged stones flew up from another.

Before they could pick a direction, a torrent of water rushed over him and Gareth. Kaleb flew away over their heads. It shoved his claws off of his scales.

He landed on something soft, sturdy, and airborne. He looked up and saw white fur.

Sky Shaymin Ariel flew with him on her back. He adjusted to talk better.

A lightning bolt struck her foot from below. She spiraled out of control. Light was flung off her back.

He hit the ground hard. Courtain slipped out of his grip. Five seconds later, he finally scraped to a painful stop on his arm. Courtain stopped abruptly.

A white Eevee caught it by its handle.

Light brushed the pain off of his arm and stood. Eevee held Courtain by its handle. Her eyes traced its blunt, silvery edge with mild interest. In the end, however, she stared at him. The Acuitan blessing swam through his brain.

Was this what he felt like to his family: a soft sensation, like a plucked cord?

With Courtain in hand, Eevee backed away. She smiled as metal brackets set around her chest. Pegasi wings on her back ignited. She shot up to the sky, along with Courtain. Light could only watch. The older age was apparent on her face. He wouldn't have had a chance.

A vine wrapped around his torso. It yanked him backwards. A dark projectile whiffed past him in mid-air.

A Bisharp leapt for his neck. He spat a small, quick fireball. Bisharp careened through it.

The fire blinded him. A Roserade jumped in front of Light and kicked Bisharp across the face, hard. The metal snap lingered in his ears. Light landed on his feet. The vine around his torso unwrapped.

"Storm!" Light called.

Roserade Storm didn't have the breath to answer. He gasped while holding his chest.

"Guildmaster!"

He whipped around.

A Scyther slammed his blade down. It clanked with black claws.

Zangoose Fernand held it back. Above Scyther's head, a dark shadow with its arms raised slammed down a hunk of metal. Fernand swatted Scyther's limp body aside.

Mienfoo Robin landed on Light's right. She flashed him a look.

All three of them covered their ears.

A blood red comet flew overhead, again, faster than anything he'd ever seen before; even Reshiram. It vanished as soon as it showed up. With his attention aimed up, Light saw a Pidgeotto swoop down from above. A Dewgong slammed into it and sent it off course.

A Beartic and Malamar poked their heads from over a mountain of carriage rubble. They dipped back down as Light saw them. He spat a fireball in their direction. The wood lit up in flames. Both of their figures darted off in separate directions through a thin veil of smoke. Rocks and flame-pellets pelted them from another direction.

Mienfoo Robin dipped under Roserade Storm's shoulder and lifted him up.

"This way!" Light yelled.

Zangoose Fernand, Robin, and Storm followed him.

Only a few steps after, a Bewear and Milktank landed in front of them and blocked their path.

Milktank collapsed into a ball and rolled forward at high speed. Fernand stepped forward in front of Light and crossed his arms.

Her body scraped against his claws. Yellow sparks flew off. With a few seconds and enough force, she slowed to a stop, with her back to them. Roserade Storm threw out a vine from his bouquet and coiled it around her. He turned and used both arms to throw her over his shoulder.

Bewear had the time to run up close. Mienfoo Robin ran under him and jumped. She kicked him dead in the chest.

No good.

Bewear swiped his right arm. Robin hit the ground. He raised his foot.

Light shot his Grappler at Bewear's leg. He yanked forward, hard, with everything he had. His stomp careened missed, over Robin's head. He detached it so Bewear wouldn't yank him in.

Robin stood up and darted between his legs. She backflipped over him and grabbed his head, and slammed it to the dirt. His head raised. She jumped and slammed her fist on his forehead. His limbs sprawled out. Robin held her arm and shook her hand out.

Another red comet swooped down. Light fell back, half a mistake, half exhaustion. A blue paw reached for his neck.

It stopped short. A Lucario with pegasi wings boosted right for him, but ended up suspended in mid-air, despite a mass of fire and pressure propelling him forward. Lucario looked behind himself for an answer.

Meowstic Markus floated in the air over him. He clutched both of his paws on invisible, psychic strings holding Lucario back. He lost his grip.

Light stood up, walked to the right, and curled his arm back.

Lucario charged into a slug to the face. His face imprinted its shape on the outside of his fist. Light ignored the cracks and pain, for now. Lucario slid and crumpled against the ground with his pegasi wings. He tumbled so far away, Light turned back around.

Mienfoo Robin breathed heavily with her hands on her knees. Zangoose Fernand clutched his claws against his chest.

Roserade Storm had collapsed to the ground.

Light ran over to him. He laid face side up, still conscious. His glazed red eyes honed in on Light.

"Keep going," he grumbled.

"Not without-"

Light's back warmed. He turned around.

Mienfoo Robin threw herself in front of a harsh lightning strike. The Manectric that threw it eyeballed him.

It wouldn't stop. He'd be whisked away and dead in moments. And after that, there wouldn't be a free world for anyone left behind.

He had to go.

Light bit his lip and ran away. Fernand stayed behind.

Ahead on the left, by a spike of wood, a Golurk punched Arcanine Zhen in his gut. As Zhen collapsed, their eyes locked onto him. On the right, a Heracross punched Krookodile Ibo with various timings. Ibo struggled to guess correctly. His legs staggered.

Something snagged the back of Light's mane. All at once, his feet lifted off the ground.

"Hold on!" a familiar voice ordered.

Light strained his neck to look up. Sky Shaymin Mei carried him with one arm.

From the air, Light saw Galarian Ponyta Nadia and Drizzile Kenta running from a growing horde. A few carriage wreckages later, he saw Diancie Jasmine, alone, surrounded by ten pokemon on all sides. She held her ground with tall, spiky glass barriers. Attacks from all directions smacked against her shields. They cracked and shattered over and over.

Leafeon Charlotte had fallen over. An Aggron dragged her by her leg. Light stared.

"We've gotta get my auntie!" he yelled.

Golurk flew in between him and his view of the Aggron. They had retracted their legs and blasted off after them from the ground.

"We'll be fine," Mei said. "Understand?"

"No! We've got to go back!"

Light flailed his arms and twisted his waist.

"Shut up and listen," said Mei. "Jonathan told me the Angels operate by a code. They won't kill anyone but you. We'll be alright. You need to go. Now keep," she heaved, "moving!"

Mei threw him. Golurk tackled her from behind.

Light landed hard on his feet. He stumbled, unsure if he'd trip and faceplant, but he didn't. He translated it into a run.

Mei got him past the last of it. Nothing but open space sat between him and a stark treeline. He made a break for it with the hopes no one would see him in time.

As his feet hit the ground, they vibrated from the force of the fighting behind him. He sighed in exhaustion with every breath. The yellow grass poked uncomfortably at his chin, while the Abujan sunlight roasted his forehead. He glanced back every few seconds.

On one of those glances, he saw the blood red comet coming his way, fast. It swooped low.

He couldn't dodge, or run. He turned around and braced.

The howl of wind shattered his hearing. A metal claw gripped his mane. A long figure, clad in smooth, black armor, with two long arms and short feet, looked down on him. He struggled for air as they rose to the sky. The Acuitan blessing made the tips of his digits tingle.

They slowed to a stop. The pegasi wings' jets turned their blaze into constant, steady streams. Light breathed out of his mouth. A pair of eyes, some bright color, stared at him through a round, metallic helmet.

"Sorry about all the noise," they said. They spun their paw in a circle on the side of their head. "I'm getting close to the speed of sound. Congrats on being one of the first surface rats to hear a sonic boom."

They turned their head back.

The airship continued to drift in the sky, above a now distant horde of scattered flames. They stared at Light again.

"We got time," they said. "Your bones will just heal themselves anyway."

They threw Light up.

Before he reached the apex of his ascent, two metal fists slammed his chest. Pain seared his eyes shut.

Metal claws dug into his right leg. They hooked him and threw him away. He shouted out. It burned. Wind pressure threatened to crush whatever bones in his chest weren't broken.

More blows, more pain, pierced his sides. They struck him from below and sent him up higher again. They repeated the same slam on his chest. As he flew towards the green blur below, they zipped under him, stopped and held up their fist. Light landed on it, right on his stomach. He shuddered. He couldn't breathe.

Their claws dug into the sides of his back. Light's limbs didn't respond.

Energy shot through his entire body.

"Stop!" he cried. "Stop!"

The pulse stopped. Light gasped.

They turned him around and held him up by his mane. They looked him up and down.

"I guess you wouldn't know since you didn't have a dad," they said. "An Acuitan warlord never accepts defeat, never asks for help…" They growled. "But most of all… Never asks for mercy."

A flame broke out under their right foot. Their foot boosted up and hit Light in the side. The claws tore through more as he flew out of his grip.

"I need… help… I just need glass on my claws…"

They flew up towards him. Light pretended to go limp. He couldn't actually position himself in the air. He had to grab on and not let go, through the pain. He focused through it. He saw them extend their arm with a punch, aimed at his gut. He'd just have to take it.

Light braced and took the hit. He dug his claws into the sides of their armor. He tore his claws down.

They were whipped into a tailspin. Light dugs his glass-coated claws into their side and over their helmet. As more metal tore, the flames holding them airborne flickered. Light's brain rattled in his skull as he held on.

They shot up, left, right, and down. Light's claws slipped out from the deep gashes. He flew in an arc, down towards a wall of green.


A green butterfly made out of sparkling emerald light floated away.

"Today, you must overcome your destiny, by your own strength."

"You must see Ariel again."

Flareon Light's leg burned from three long, dark red gashes. His claws were chipped. A dull pain flooded his chest when he breathed in too deeply. Over his head, strange, brown fruit, shaped like potatoes, hung from vines attached to dark, messy branches. The clear sky poked through swaths of tiny, ovular leaves.

Light rolled around and stood up. He had to move, to get away.

He scrambled for a hiding spot. Dense foliage covered everywhere, except the dent he made with his fall. He had to get far away from it. He pushed his way through a prickly green barrier. As he muscled through, his paws got dirty, and twigs and the like got stuck in his tail. He ignored it, for now.

The Acuitan blessing got closer.

As the hum of pegasi wings closed in, Lights stayed in place. He didn't have a choice. The plants made too much noise.

A weight pounded to the ground. Dirt showered the plants Light hid under.

"!?"

The hell?

A red eye shone through a claw-made tear. Another black armor-clad figure, taller, landed next to him.

He recognized it.

"What am I looking at?" Light asked. "Reshiram!?"

"Light, stay down..."

"Seriously screwed that?" the large figure asked.

"I'm not good in the air," the first said. "You know that. Where were you?"

"Not good in the air? Please."

"Can we move this shit along?"

"Yah… Can't see in this damn thing, though. Too dark here."

Both of their helmets unlatched. They raised their helmets and lifted them up.

A Quilava and Floatzel stood back-to-back.

"This is the first and only time he's been separated from Chingyang. This is the one shot we get."

Yellow veins sprouted across their bodies, like Ariel's.

Floatzel raised his head and took a deep breath. His sharp, deep blue eyes contrasted his white smile. He smacked his lips and turned in Light's direction.

"Uh huh," Zen said. "Smells like fear."

"How!?" Light asked.

"Scions with enough experience have such an innate control over their abilities that they can control whether or not others can sense them. You need to run."

No.

The Veritan and Acuitan blessings couldn't detect his exact location. They'd know his general area. He can't panic. They would outspeed and overrun him. But to sneak around, he needed distance. They were six or seven steps away, maximum.

A distraction; that's what he needed.

Light hovered his paw over the dirt for a rock. He found one. He threw it. It arced high over their heads, through the trees, in the opposite direction. It hit the ground.

Water blasted from Zen. A miniature ocean wave erupted. It lowered and vanished as it traveled. As the noise played out, Light moved. He kept low in the foliage.

How could he escape if they could sense him? Was it really pointless?

"Antsy much?" Gawain asked.

"He's a skilled thief," Zen said. "He could slip away."

Why did his enemies think he could?

Because there had to be a way. What was it? How could he win? Prey had to do this all the time in the jungle to survive. They were predators. They could smell him. No more emotions.

As for the Acuitan blessing, Gawain could tell what direction he'd be in if he went further away. If he left the area fast enough, he'd just suddenly vanish from their radar, like how the Acuitan blessing shocked him when Gawain blitzed into range the first time. He needed some extraordinary speed to emulate that. He couldn't get their pegasi wings, much less use them. He looked around the environment for an answer.

He saw fruits and plants he'd never seen before, along with others, even a full bushel of bananas. On the ground, he saw little of interest, except for those plants that eat flies and other bugs. He checked the jungle floor.

He saw a red dot of a seed, an orange core surrounded by a flame-like pattern: a blast seed.

"Your bones will just heal themselves anyway."

Gawain was right. His bones had healed, but his sugar supply got low. He needed more if he wanted any chance to survive blowing himself sky-high. He needed those bananas.

Neither looked in his direction. He yanked the blast seed out of the ground and stuffed it in his tail. He moved towards the tree.

Gawain and Zen sauntered around. Both of them kept quiet, probably to hear him better. He carefully placed every step, went around the banana tree, and dug his chipped claws into its green yellow brown surface. He prowled up towards the bushel. Two or three would go miles.

Once Flareon Light reached their height, he poked the corner of his eye out.

Floatzel Zen and Quilava Gawain looked where he had been, but not up. He reached out and yanked a banana out and stuffed it in his tail. No response. He did it again. None again. A third time.

Success.

A hairy spider crawled down. Light's claw scraped down against the tree.

Pegasi wings ignited. Gawain flew up. Light leaped off the tree. He snatched him right in the air and threw him to the ground. He landed with a thud.

Gawain hovered over him with a blank face. All four of Light's limbs howled in pain. He gasped. Fire seared through his body. Four spikes, made of solid rock and tipped with red, rose into his vision.

"Sticky fingers, huh?" Gawain asked. "You know there's an old cure for that."

Gawain's cold, metal claw grabbed his arm and pulled. His bones creaked.

"Wait! No! Stop! Stop!"


"Not this way."

Light was back on the tree.

Gawain and Zen hadn't looked up yet. He saw the spider crawling down. A green butterfly, made out of light, floated in front of it.

"Defy that fate."

The butterfly vanished.

Light didn't react to the spider. He shoved down any fear or other emotion. Step by step, he crawled down.

"You still sense it?" Zen asked.

"Yah," Gawain said.

"I'm not picking up anything anymore."

"Could be unconscious, or out of it. He's here."

Light pulled out a banana. He found it easy to peel and chew without making a sound. Now, he needed blast seeds. They didn't do much on their own, so he'd need a bunch; twenty, give or take. He'd also need a launch pad of some sort, one that wouldn't give away which direction he flew in.

As Light thought about it, he pulled up another blast seed. He crawled towards a third one. He yanked it up. Good.

His supply went dry. He needed to find more. Blast seeds tended not to grow close to each other, otherwise one blowing up would cause the rest to go and so on… He had to find more.

Light stalked off away from them. After a while, they'd follow and stay close. He needed blast seeds, fast.

"This plan isn't going to work," Reshiram said.

"I know," he said. "I'll just blow myself in five different directions. That's still way better than what's about to happen."

"Explorers always use items in a bind, right? You looked up recipes for those items on your phone before. Scions aren't invulnerable, especially taken by surprise. They don't even think you're conscious."

Light used Candor on himself.

He didn't have the materials for almost everything. Orbs took too long to make, as did wands.

"Not necessarily," Reshiram said. "My glass can function like Orb fluid, as a container. It can work with both Wands and Orbs."

Options opened up. Blast Seeds could be used for Blast Wand. What else did he see…

A blue, crystalline seed with a green vine encircling it; a Warp Seed, inches in front of his face. He pulled it out of the dirt. He didn't even notice it till now.

With three of these, he could make a Pounce Orb. It'd teleport him to wherever he threw it. It'd drop him off their radar. He could make it.

"Joy," Zen spoke

Light turned.

Cold water blasted at him. It encased his body in a huge bubble. The water pressure forced his limbs in place. It floated up in the air and forced him out of the growth.

Floatzel Zen kept his right hand raised, as if holding the bubble. A soft smile graced his face, covered in yellow-orange veins, as Light's lungs started to complain.

"You Angels are so weird with your emotions," Zen said. "I mean, joy? Here? Now? Really?" He shook his head. His black-clad fingers tightened his fist. The water pressure cracked the glass on his leg.

Bubbles leaked from Light's mouth. The edges of his vision turned black.

"Sorry. Not personal."


"I can't help you anymore beyond this."

Light stared down at the jungle floor. He held the warp seed in his paw.

"Hey," Gawain said. "Reality shift just happened."

"Dialga's Scion is screwing with us. The next time we find him, do the thing. Can finally off her," he sighed. "And he's definitely awake."

"Adrian should deal with his own problems next time…"

Two more seeds. He needed two more seeds.

No emotions, none at all. He'd survive. That'd be it. He'd see Ariel again.

He sniffed the Warp Seed for its scent and stuffed it in his tail. He traded it out for another banana. The claw marks on his legs were half-covered with glass now. As he ate, it finished covering. As he finished, he had a bit of spare sugar to make some glass.

Quilava Gawain turned and walked in his direction. Light dipped behind a tree. He held his breath.

Gawain groaned and turned away, mere steps before he rounded the tree. Light released the air he held.

He caught a bitter whiff of another warp seed. It came from a bush a few paces ahead of him. The path between him and there lacked any cover. He grabbed the last banana from his tail and ate it.

"I can't see through all these damn weeds," Gawain said.

"I don't think anything classifies as a weed here," said Zen. "It's a damn jungle."

"Could flood or burn the place to smoke him out."

"I wish. Dammit, this is taking too long for something this important."

They weren't looking. He broke for it.

Light made it to the bush without anything killing or hearing him. He sniffed the dirt of the scent and found the seed. He picked it out.

Just one more. He needed one more. Then again, how much time would it take to make the Orb?

"Thirty seconds," Reshiram said. "I should be able to draw in a smidge of my own power without any… corruption. How will you throw it far enough?"

He had no idea. The Acuitan blessing generally worked for about a quarter-mile. He could throw it that far, but probably needed to be at the top of a tree. That'd be a good sport to make the Orb, too.

Just one more seed.

Light poked his nose out to the edge of the bush. The shadow of a Warp Seed's scent wafted from the opposite direction, behind both Zen and Gawain as they stalked around the growth. He poked an eye out and picked out a path around them.

He moved when their backs were turned. He paused once he reached cover again. Neither of their heads turned in his direction. He stalked low to the ground. He paid attention to how louds his breaths were, the surfaces he planted his feet on, and other noises that might deter them. All of the details helped keep his mind busy. One emotion, and he was done for.

The Warp Seed's scent tickled his nose. It sat under a tree with an outbreak of branches to climb on. He crawled towards it.

"There!"

Light didn't change anything. He crawled for the seed. They hadn't seen him yet.

He plucked it out of the ground and climbed up the net of branches.

"Where?" Gawain asked.

Zen groaned.

Figures, Zen wanted him to get shocked enough so he could sense and locate him. It wouldn't happen this time. He was ready.

Light climbed high above the canopy. Once he found a spot on a branch to sit, he rounded his paws. Glass encroached into a globe, with the three Warp Seeds inside.

"You know," Zen said, "what are we going to do with Chingyang anyway?"

Zen looked around in different directions with a hunched back. Gawain didn't reply. He investigated other bushes.

"Your father has a lot of experiments planned for her," he continued. "He wants to use her powers to reinforce Olympus' defenses. Marciel has a lot more experience, and Sacred Treasure Gungnir. They've probably already taken her captive."

"Don't listen," Reshiram warned.

"I know."

The glass coating finished surrounding the Warp Seeds. Light's paws warmed as the inside lit up. From here, it'd take a minute or so to complete. He just had to wait.

"It wouldn't be necessary if he had Candor," Zen said. "It's a shame. Frankly, he only even needs one of them for what he wants, so… Maybe he'll just kill her. Or he'll have Galahad do it. Imagine how it'd feel to see the person you love's face as they just… Tear you apart. Limb from limb."

Thirty more seconds. He just had to wait.

Zen took in a deep breath of air.

"Mhm," he said. "I feel your heart quivering. You know, if you keep it up, Lancelot might decide the trouble's not worth it. He might just run over the planet with Chingyang's power instead. Thousands would die if he did that."

Fifteen more seconds. Almost done.

"I know you probably think there's a way out of this," Zen said. "Maybe there is today. Maybe I'm bluffing and we weren't able to capture Chingyang. But you're not our only win condition. We can still sic every last Angel on you. And if I'm not bluffing, I'll go tell Ariel about how you ran. And based on what you probably saw from Dialga's Scion, you have a pretty good idea of what'll happen. What I'll do."

It finished.

Light reached up and climbed to the very top of the tree. Once nothing obscured the sky, he winded his arm back.

He'd been practicing the move Superpower. He could use it reliably, in his right arm, at least. That was all he needed. Orange, fighting-type energy boiled in his arm. He chucked the Orb up in a random direction. Wind pressure shifted the leaves around him.

It'd land soon. Once that happened, he'd disappear from their radar in a blink. The logical thing to do would be to take out their pegasi wings. He still had the blast seeds.

Or… He could try and buy more time for later.

Light looked and dropped down from the tree.

Quilava Gawain and Floatzel Zen's heads snapped in his direction. Neither moved.

Light pulled out a Blast seed from his tail. He made sure the other two were visible. He held out a shaky paw and pointed at them.

Zne creased his eyes and shook his head. "What's that about?"

"I won't let you take me," Light said. "Ever. You hear me!?"

"The Orb will land in seven seconds," Reshiram reported. "Six, five, four."

Zen's eyes sharpened. "Oh please. What'll happen if you-"

Light slammed the Blast Seed down with his flaming paw.

He teleported right before the blast took his face off.

The environment around him didn't change much. He looked around only to find more sweltering hot jungle, empty. A few birds made strange, offbeat noises.

The Acuitan blessing vanished.

He slunk to the forest floor.

The fire on his paws would've started a small fire. It had a good chance to burn all of the Warp Seeds left in that patch and evidence for how he escaped, even if they called his bluff. They wouldn't likely believe it, but he added the doubt. That's what mattered: the lack of explanation and doubt.

He had to move. It didn't matter where. The opposite direction of where he came would do. He looked up.

He saw a clear hole, pierced by sunlight, through the leaves overhead where the Orb landed from. He turned in the opposite direction.


Flareon Light walked for miles. Exhaustion hit him out of nowhere. The weight forced him to the dirt.

Some time later, four hooves entered his vision. A voice faded away.