I apologize for the delay. I wanted this out last week, but I was bedridden from a stress ulcer. It's ready now, though. Enjoy!

Chapter 88: Looking Gift Horses in Their Mouths

~Road to Primeval Forest~

Gray trees surrounded an open field of dead, clammy grass. Fragments of leafless branches lay suspended in midair. The usual foggy cloud surrounding the Mystery Dungeon's entrance had darkened.

Void's chains slithered through the field. They stopped in front of the cloud and held up Void's small, spherical form. Its purple iris dilated.

"EvEn NOw… ShE'S sTiLl SitTinG tHErE. CoWeRInG BeHInD thAT bARrIeR."

Three of Void's chains reached toward the fog, only to yank right back. Void's eye throbbed. "YOu cOnTiNuE To BE… sUcH a NUiSaNcE. ThE MoRE yOU rEsiSt… ThE tOUgHeR yOU'Ll mAKe It FoR HeR."

The resisting chains fell to the ground, limp. Void looked up at the dark sky. Streaks of red and purple shot past, but that should've been impossible if the planet was paralyzed. Void lashed at the ground with two of his chains. "ThAt DuMb MoRTal… ShE ReAlLy inTeNdS tO BeND tIMe tO HeR wIlL."

An orange speck caught Void's attention. Its eye expanded. Its chains rattled about. Void backed up, giving room in front of the cloud for the neon butterfly to safely descend. She faced Void, slowly flapping her wings to stay level with it.

"ImPECCable TiMIng," Void said. "BuT HaVe YoU aNYtHInG tO ShOW fOR iT?"

In response, an emerald shimmer rippled through the butterfly's wings. A pink glow surrounded her antennae.

Void's chains coiled up tightly around its eye. "FaNtAStIc. WiTH tHe PRiMaL eNerGy YoU'Ve TaKEn, thE BarRIeR wIlL nO DOubT fAlL."

The butterfly's orange glow intensified. One of Void's chains shot toward her. "nO. NoT yEt. YoU mUSt uSe ThE EnERgY tO DisPElL ThAT barRieR." Void's iris constricted. "Do So… AnD I wIlL seE tO iT YoU ArE… adeQUAteLy cOMpEnSAtEd."

Void withdrew its chain. The butterfly's wings drooped, but she ultimately fluttered to Void's side. Void pointed a chain at the cloud. "OnWArD. We haVe a FoREsT tO GeT ThrOUgh." It drifted toward the cloud. The butterfly followed it, orange light trailing off her wings.

~Lake of Mysterious Light ~

Nicky had more than his fair share of forgetful moments in his human days. But without the burden of studying for classes, he could remember important things far more easily. Like the fact that Arceus spent all his time in a massive tower on a tiny landmass near the planet's northern pole.

On one of their dates, Xerneas had told him that the area was surrounded by a powerful forcefield meant to keep Pokémon from entering. Indeed, though Nicky couldn't see anything, he sensed a vibrant energy bubble as he descended toward marshlands surrounding a still lake. Hazy fog lay on the other side of the lake, but Nicky had to worry about the barrier first.

He paused, floating a couple of feet above where he believed the energy bubble was. Again, Void's comments echoed in his head. Could Arceus have made this barrier using the powers he couldn't properly control? What would happen if Nicky tried to destroy it? He reflexively glanced at the band on his leg. Surely, Golem would detect the energy spike. It was daytime in Horizon, after all.

Nicky shook his head. Golem wanted him to attack the gods. He was sure he could spin the energy spike as a good thing if Golem pressed him for details. Nicky took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He concentrated on the energy bubble. His body glowed. Golden light spread out below him. Then, like a piece of china dropped to the floor, the light shattered into fragments.

As Nicky opened his eyes, a green dome appeared underneath him, only to fall away in pieces that quickly dissolved into a fine mist. Nicky didn't stop to admire his handiwork, fearing the barrier could somehow repair itself. He dropped down into the marshlands and flew forward. Nicky used his ESP to push layer after layer of fog away, until at last a great tower stood before him. Stone arches lay interspersed between stone pillars. A single golden wheel, much like Arceus', sat in the center of the tower.

"Hey, Arceus. I know you can hear me in there. Open up! We need to talk!" Nicky called, flaring his body up as bright as he could. He floated there, staring up at the tower in silence. After a minute went by with no answer, Nicky shouted, "Don't ignore me, Arceus!" He paused, touching a wing-claw to his chin. "This is about the world's creation… and your role in it!"

Nicky wondered if it was really such a good idea to show his figurative hand so early, but he supposed it was the surest way to get Arceus to listen without resorting to blasting a hole in the tower. He hovered away from the tower and looked up, figuring Arceus was more likely to be toward the top floor.

Sure enough, after another minute of silence, Nicky sensed a strong lifeforce above him. Nicky flew up, the tower racing by him. A few seconds later, he found himself level with the tower's circular roof. Arceus stood in its center, staring Nicky down with an unreadable expression. Nicky attributed it to Arceus' lack of a proper mouth.

"You're the Guiding Light, yes? I think we've seen each other in passing once or twice," Arceus said, his voice flat and, if Nicky had to guess, disinterested. He walked toward the edge of the roof, his wheel turning a deeper black with every step. Nicky sensed dark energy billowing up in Arceus' body. He tried to present as relaxed a demeanor as possible, in the hopes it might diffuse any growing tension, but Arceus' posture did not change. "Why do you want to talk about the world's creation? Have you not gotten an explanation from some of the gods?"

"I have. But I'm not sure their explanation is very… accurate," Nicky replied. Colors swirled in his eyes. "That's why I wanted to hear it straight from your mouth." As soon as he finished speaking, he had a moment of panic over his choice of phrasing. However, Arceus' facial expression remained stoic.

"I see." Arceus sat down on his haunches. "You think the gods lied to you?"

"N-No. It's more like…" Nicky curled up his wings and tail. "I think you've lied to them." He tensed up, expecting some sort of attack.

Arceus sat still. He looked at the ground. "And this concerns you… why, exactly?"

Purple and orange pooled in Nicky's eyes and face. His mind scrambled to come up with an acceptable answer. Had Arceus learned about Nicky's origin? After all, Xerneas had convinced him to explain his situation to other immortals, but he hadn't met Arceus one-on-one until now.

Nicky shook his head. Lying wouldn't help him, here. If he wanted to get the truth from Arceus, he needed to tell the truth, too. "It's about my creator, Golem," Nicky said, looking down to avoid eye contact with Arceus. "Have you, uh, heard about that?"

Arceus nodded.

"Right. See, uh, I've told several gods that I'm worried about him. He's convinced that you're lying about how you created the world and all these other gods," Nicky explained. "I really don't want to hurt anyone, but I at least want to know if there's any basis to his claims."

"There is not. Everything you heard is the truth." Arceus stood up, his expression firm. "I emerged from an egg and used my thousand arms to mold the world into what you see. But the process was so taxing, I used the last of those powers to create gods that would keep the world stable in my stead."

Nicky stopped himself from sighing. He expected this answer. It sounded sincere. And yet, he doubted it. Nicky wondered if the doubt was really his or a result of Void trying to sway his mind. He needed to come up with a way to get more information. Luckily, it didn't take long for an idea to spring up.

"What about ley lines?" Nicky asked, keeping his expression neutral to avoid unnecessary tension. "Did you intend to make those?"

That did the trick. Arceus tensed up. It was only for a moment, but Nicky caught it. He frowned. "Xerneas has talked a bit about them. How her work with the Tree of Life is vital to keeping ley lines in check." Nicky floated closer to Arceus. "And she said that you told her she had to dedicate her life to keeping the ley lines in check, otherwise they could run rampant and threaten the world."

"That is… true. I did tell her that." Arceus' tail twitched. He pivoted to try and hide it from Nicky, but Nicky's taller stature made that a losing battle. "Ley lines are an… unfortunate blight placed upon our world. When my reality-shifting powers faded, the ley lines descended on the planet from outer space. I had to rally the other gods to control them."

"But you didn't get rid of them," Nicky pointed out. He curled his tail up to stop it from lashing at the air. Nicky took a deep breath. The red and orange in his eyes receded. "If the gods can reign the ley lines in, then why not get rid of them? I heard your efforts cause chaotic labyrinths to pop up and trap innocent Pokémon."

Arceus leaned in toward Nicky, his golden eyes flickering. "Are you accusing me of something?" He shook his head. "While I'm grateful for what you've done for us, I will not sit idly by while you slander me."

"I— no, that's not it." Nicky waved his upper wings in front of his face. "I just want to understand. Because there might be a lot of people out there like Golem. Ones who think you guys don't do enough to keep the world safe." He looked away. "I don't really know the true extent of your powers… or most of the other gods' powers, for that matter. But now that this world's my home, I want to make it the best place possible."

Blue and purple light filled Nicky's eyes and wings. "But that kind of change has to start with us. We're the ones your average person looks up to… or, in your case, reveres." He bowed his head. "Hiding away and being secretive about everything isn't going to help. I mean… Dark Matter was created for a reason, right?"

Arceus' brow furrowed. "P-Perhaps…"

"And then you have some of the gods fighting among each other… like Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza. You can't tell me that's goodfor people," Nicky continued, flicking his tail.

"What are you playing at, exactly?" Arceus asked.

"I'm saying that I think many of this world's problems stem from how it was created. Something that you're lying about," Nicky responded. "You popped into existence in the middle of Ultra Space, didn't you? Then, you were chased by a monstrous beast and fled into a portal. In the process of fighting it off, you destroyed the world that used to be here." Nicky's eyes narrowed. "I'm right, aren't I?"

Arceus' response only consisted of labored breathing. He staggered back. His gaze darted around. "That's… not true."

Nicky's eyes narrowed. "I wasn't born yesterday, you know. Just because you turned into a dark-type doesn't mean I can't tell when you're lying. You're hesitating!" He pointed an accusatory wing-claw at Arceus. "You didn't know how to use your powers properly, but instead of explaining that to the other gods, you've been lying to them the whole time!" Red and orange flared up on the edges of his tail and wings.

He shook his head. "Look, I know I sound upset, but that's because I'm trying to help the people that I care about… and who care about me. The way I see it, your method of supervision isn't working. After all, Dark Matter rose to power and you lost Solgaleo and Lunala. Don't you think that's a huge indication that you ought to change?" Nicky pointed his lower wings at the ground. "Why not start with the ley lines, then? They seem to be a major source of everyone's problems. If we could just get rid of them—"

"We can't get rid of them!" Arceus blurted out, lashing out at a chunk of stone with a forehoof. Nicky backed away, startled by the outburst. Arceus hung his head. "Fine, I admit it. You're correct. I'm not originally from this world. But when I was 'born,' this vicious demon assaulted me!" Golden light rippled across his wheel. "I tried to reason with it. To plead for it to stop. I didn't understand what was going on or why it was hurting me."

Arceus' eyes narrowed. "Everything spiraled out of control. I just wanted the pain to stop. So, I fled into the first portal I found. But that brute followed me. I was so angry…" His shoulders sagged.

"And the other gods were born as a result of that battle, right?" Nicky asked.

"Not all of them, no." Arceus looked away from Nicky. "But those that did emerge were completely under my control. Somehow, I was able to fend the demon off and force it to flee. From there, I used the gods that I had unwittingly created to try and salvage the world that I had ruined. But, well… it was far from a perfect fix."

"Because of the ley lines." It was more of a statement than a question.

"I tried to get rid of them. I had the other immortals help me. But…" Arceus' voice trailed off and he shook his head. "Every attempt threatened the very stability of our world. You are familiar with Temporal Tower and the Tree of Life, correct?"

"Yeah. What about them?"

"They are dangerous, unstable landmarks that resulted from my failed attempts to remove ley lines from our world. If either of those places were to be seriously damaged… it would likely spell the end for all of us," Arceus explained. "Likewise, lesser gods and immortals like Xerneas, Yveltal, and Zygarde emerged from my attempts to reign in ley lines that had run out of control." Arceus grimaced. "I had to lie to them. I was making the best of a bad situation… of a mistake."

Orange light expanded Nicky's eyes and spread across his body. His tail involuntarily lashed at the air. Arceus thought his mate was a mistake? No wonder Xerneas had felt so out of touch with the other immortals. Nicky wanted to pummel Arceus with the full force of his light-based powers, but forced himself to stay under control. Even if his opinion of Arceus grew lower with each minute, Nicky didn't think attacking would help.

"Well, you said it yourself… you never truly understood your powers." Nicky glanced at his chest spikes. "I was made using ley lines. Maybe with my help… you can finally get rid of them."

"It won't work." Arceus fully turned away from Nicky and looked up to the sky. "Ley lines are stitched into the very fabric of this planet. Even if you could remove them without initially endangering anyone, the world would fragment and collapse… as it did when I attacked it."

"How do you know that? You were convinced the sun and moon couldn't be restored, but I managed to do that." Nicky floated back into Arceus' line of sight. "At least let me try."

"No!" Arceus' wheel shimmered with gold energy. Nicky backed away, an uneasy look on his voice. "It's too late. The ley lines have burrowed so deep, they've cemented themselves as the core of our planet. The Voidlands lies in the center of the world. Any attempt to try and reverse that would end disastrously."

Nicky recalled the tail end of his dream vision, when he was falling deep into a molten crater. He shivered. "Well, maybe with a bit of time and careful planning—"

Arceus turned away again. "This is a problem that you can't fix no matter how bad you want to. So, drop it."

"Okay. Then if we can't fix it, we've got to better prepare ourselves to deal with the threat that these ley lines pose," Nicky said, again flying back in front of Arceus. "And that starts with making sure the gods know everything you've been hiding from them." He crossed his upper wings. "Otherwise, you can't expect them to do a good job keeping Pokémon safe."

"Fine. Are we done here?"

"No. I want your word that you'll tell all the gods the truth." Nicky looked up at the sky. "And while you do that, I'm going to help the gods out using my powers."

Arceus stiffened. "And what does that entail?"

"Bringing back Solgaleo and Lunala, for starters. And creating a means to save them should another crisis befall them," Nicky declared, glowing brightly. "After that, I'm not sure. Maybe I'll try sharing some of my life energy with the other gods. That ought to help them have an easier time reigning in ley lines. I think the Tapus would be perfect for that, since they're trying to keep Horizon from sinking into the ocean."

"You want to give my creations your life energy?" Arceus growled.

"Yes, I do. Is that a problem?" Nicky asked, red and orange pooling in his eyes.

Arceus didn't respond. He looked down at his hooves.

"It sounds like we're done here, then. I'm going back to my friends." Nicky rose higher in the air. "If they tell me you haven't contacted them, then I'll be paying you another visit." With a flap of his wings, he took off into the night sky.

Had Nicky looked back, he would have caught Arceus' wheel and eyes blazing red in anger.

~Celestial Isle~

Nicky regretted not taking time to figure out how late into the night he had left, because sunrise greeted his return. He sensed not only his friends' auras but Ho-Oh's, too. Gulping, Nicky flew toward the pond and statues in the center of the island. Sure enough, Ho-Oh stood in front of Solgaleo's statue, head bowed solemnly.

Xerneas trotted toward him, a worried look on her face. "There you are! What happened? Where did you go? I was so surprised when I woke up and you weren't here!" Her X-shaped pupils constricted.

"Sorry, Xern. I didn't mean to make you worry. I was having trouble sleeping, so I went for a fly." Nicky paused, cocking his head to the side. "Or is it 'went for a flight?' Ah, doesn't matter. You get the idea." He shrugged his upper wings.

"Okay." Xerneas looked down. "Just, um, try to leave some sort of indication… like tracing a note in the dirt or something. I thought…" She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head.

Nicky chose not to press her any further. "Right. I get it. My thoughts were scrambled and stuff, that's all. It won't happen again."

"Because of what we did?" Xerneas asked.

"N-No, no! Of course not! That was great!" Nicky said, voice cracking. He could feel Zekrom eyeing him. If he still had hair, he imagined it would be standing on end. "I woke up because I was having another one of those blasted nightmares. Y'know, about the void and ley lines and stuff."

Zekrom rushed over, tail turbine whirring. "But we're going to talk to Arceus today, right? Your nightmare problems will be over within a few hours." She grinned and thumped her chest.

"Y-Yeah, about that…" Blue and purple swirled in Nicky's eyes. "There's been a slight change of plans."

His friends exchanged concerned looks. "What does that mean? Don't tell me you're getting cold feet cause of your nightmares!" Zekrom scoffed.

"It's not that," Nicky said, tensing his tail to stop from slamming it into the ground. His comment drew Ho-Oh's attention. She studied the group silently out of the corner of her eye. Nicky paid her no mind. "I just… think that, rather than going to Arceus and blindly asking him to trust us… maybe I ought to do a few things first. That way I can, like, prove my dedication toward fixing things."

"But you already gave us back the sun and moon! If Arceus doesn't trust you after that, then he's got his head shoved up his ass!" Zekrom said.

"Actually, I disagree. Light brings up a good point." Latios tapped a claw against his chest. "We haven't interacted much with Arceus, Zek, but you've heard about how stubborn he is. If we want to try and sweet-talk him, so to speak, then maybe we ought to show him what our idea's about."

Humming in thought, Zekrom scratched her chin. "What exactly did you have in mind, Light?"

Nicky took a deep breath. "To start with… I want to bring back Solgaleo and Lunala."

"You what?!" Zekrom shouted so loud that Xerneas reared up on her hind legs, snorting in surprise.

Ho-Oh flared her wings out to the side. "Y-You want to…" She glanced over her shoulder. "Well, it would certainly be a welcome surprise. But how would you pull something like that off? I specialize in spiritual energy, but I haven't been able to find a trace of Solgaleo or Lunala."

"I know. When I say 'bring back,' I really mean, 'recreate using my light energy,'" Nicky elaborated. "Sure, they won't be the same. Doesn't mean you guys can't befriend them like you did the original Solgaleo and Lunala, right?"

"I suppose so." Ho-Oh rubbed her shoulder with her wing. "Still, don't you realize what you're proposing? You're saying you're going to create life from nothing which, last I checked, is something only Arceus has done. I fail to see the logic in appealing to him by essentially stepping on his hooves."

Nicky flinched. He hadn't considered that when crafting his white lie. Regardless, he didn't want to be the one to tell any of the gods that their creation was a complete accident. He needed to think of a reasonable explanation. "Well, Arceus can't use that power anymore because he lost his thousand arms, right?" Nicky said, drawing surprised looks from his friends. "So, I figured this would be a way to show him that there's someone with that power who's willing to help him. And what better way to help than by bringing back two of his creations?"

"True. It's just, like Latios said, Arceus is stubborn. He might view the gesture as an attempt to usurp his position." Ho-Oh hung her head. "I believe your intentions are good, but there's a chance Arceus will think that, because you created Solgaleo and Lunala, they will obey your word."

"Urk. That's, uh, a good point." Nicky gulped. Was he being too rash with all of this? He glanced down at his anklet. Maybe he needed to wait to try something this risky. At the same time, however, he knew he couldn't go back to Arceus after their conversation from earlier. And he really didn't want to tell his friends what he'd learned. Especially not Xerneas. She was finally feeling confident in herself and her powers.

"Yo, earth to Light! What's going on in that big, glowy head of yours?" Zekrom asked, tapping a foot on the ground impatiently. "We may as well go to Arceus, right?"

"Wait! I've got it!" Nicky blurted out. He turned to Ho-Oh. "You're worried about what Arceus will think, right? Well, since you can work with spirits, then you can shape them so that they won't blindly listen to me." Nicky grinned. "Then, if you come with us when we go to Arceus, you can back me up. How's that?"

Ho-Oh raised her brows. "Mmm. I suppose that could work, yeah." But then she looked away from the others. "Though, I must ask, do you have any idea exactly how you're going to recreate Solgaleo and Lunala?"

A red flush washed over Nicky from head to tell. "Aha ha… ha. It's, uh… you're going to hate me for saying this, but I don't have any ideas. It's more of an instinctual thing. When I brought the sun and moon back, I wasn't thinking, only following my gut." He rose into the air. "And that's exactly what I plan to do right now." Nicky flared his wings out. "Stand back, everyone! I'll give a signal when I need your help, Ho-Oh."

Xerneas rubbed her forelegs together anxiously. "J-Just be careful! Don't overdo it… please." She backed away, looking down at the grass.

"Relax, Xerny. Light's got this in the bag!" Zekrom said, grinning.

Nicky gulped. How he wished he could be as sure about everything as Zekrom was. He took a deep breath, then looked at the Solgaleo and Lunala statues. All he had to do was reproduce something like that. Nicky couldn't think. He had to act. And that all started with his life energy.

He closed his eyes, trying to block out any distractions. After a few seconds, he shot higher into the air. Nicky climbed upward until the bright-blue morning sky faded away to the dark, starry expanse of outer space. He opened his eyes. Nicky lined himself up so he had a view of both the sun and the moon. Then, he tapped deep into his light energy. His body grew hotter and brighter. Nicky focused on the sun and moon, drawing in their light from a distance and mixing it with his own energy.

The light swirled inside of him. As it festered, it began to take on a tangible form, like the wads of freshly-unwrapped molding clay he'd used in many art classes. Now that he had the energy, he had to focus on sculpting it properly. Pink and white expanded in his eyes. The energy appeared in front of him. Nicky cleaved it in two like it was nothing but a lump of dough. He levitated one closer to the moon and one closer to the sun.

Clenching his beak tightly shut, Nicky began to telekinetically knead the festering light energy blobs. He focused on his memories of the statues. However, as he molded the solid light to match the structures, he felt something crawling in the back of his mind. His vision went fuzzy. His grip on the energy masses began to slip. Shadowy wisps conjured up in front of him.

WHaT dO YoU ThINk YoU'Re DoINg wITh oUR pOWEr?

"Using it… to help," Nicky hissed. He squeezed his eyes shut and concentrated hard. The apparition dispelled. Nicky got the energy blobs under control and resumed sculpting them. Bit by bit, they expanded, taking the shapes of Solgaleo and Lunala. When Nicky felt confident he had replicated the originals' bodies, he took his fragile creations and dropped down from space, closing in on Celestial Isle.

"Get up here, Ho-Oh!" he shouted, stopping several yards above the island with the two spirits floating beside him. Nicky floated there, watching Ho-Oh climb toward him, her tailfeathers giving off a rainbow trail. "Here they are. Their forms are pretty much solidified. Just, y'know, modify them so they can think for themselves." His tail involuntarily curled up. It took a great deal of straining to maintain an energy hold on his creations.

"Hrm. All right." Ho-Oh looked between the two golden silhouettes. "I should be able to do this. Y-Yeah." She bobbed her head. "How are you holding up?"

"Fine! Just get to it. This is tiring," Nicky replied, voice cracking.

With a nod, Ho-Oh drifted toward Solgaleo's silhouette. She thrust her wings forward. Brilliant rainbow flames engulfed the spirit. Nicky found them surprisingly intense, given his body was made of light. Ho-Oh held the flames for a solid minute. Nicky stared into them, a multitude of colors swirling in his eyes. Different-colored stripes ran down his body without him even knowing.

Then, from within the flames, Nicky saw two bright-blue, starry eyes look out at Ho-Oh. A compass-like sigil flared to life between the eyes. Ho-Oh backed away nodding. "Okay. Now for Lunala." She glided to Nicky's left and repeated the process, until three sharp, red eyes looked back at her. Ho-Oh drifted away from the spirits, flapping her wings slowly and panting.

"It's done. Whatever you still… need to do… go ahead."

Nicky nodded. He shut his eyes again. His connections to the blossoming spirits felt like tethers linking up with his stomach. Nicky pushed more energy into each of the tethers. Ho-Oh backed away, throwing a wing over her face. In two blinding flashes of light, Solgaleo and Lunala appeared, looking much like the two statues on the island below. With a shuddering breath, Nicky imagined himself letting go of the tethers. In response, his connection to the new spirits faded.

His head tendrils, tail, and wings shrank. Nicky's golden color and rainbow eyes dimmed. "Th-there. Finished," he croaked. Nicky was too tired to examine his handiwork. "T-Take them… somewhere safe, please. A-And tell them… about the world… and what they have to do."

Ho-Oh looked between Solgaleo and Lunala. "H-Hello there," she said, astonished that Nicky's idea had actually worked. "Can you tell me your names?"

Solgaleo raised his head. His mane flared with light. "I am Solgaleo, emissary of the sun!" A warm glow spread through the sky surrounding him.

"And I am Lunala, the embodiment of the moon," Lunala said, curling her wings over her chest and bowing. The sky momentarily darkened around her. "We are… recreations of two gods that played an important role in keeping this world stable, correct?"

Nicky sighed in relief. It seemed that everything had turned out well. He wanted to thank Ho-Oh, but every ounce of his willpower was going toward making sure he didn't drop out of the sky.

"That's correct. I'm Ho-Oh. I'm here to help you two settle in." She smiled at them. "If you'll follow me, I'll take you somewhere we can talk privately."

"Sounds good. But what about our creator?" Solgaleo glanced at Nicky. "I would think he'd want to spend time with us, correct?"

"The Guiding Light is exhausted and needs his rest," Ho-Oh explained, picking up the cues in Nicky's slouched posture. "I'm sure that, once he's recovered, he will come to us." She beckoned Solgaleo and Lunala with her right wing. "Now then, we've much to discuss, so let us make haste."

"Very well." Lunala glided by Nicky and whispered, "Rest up, Guiding Light." Then, with a nod, she and Solgaleo followed Ho-Oh through the sky.

"Th-thank goodness," Nicky wheezed. He could feel what was left of his energy festering. It was like the stomach cramps he'd gotten as a human if he went too long without eating. He needed light. And he needed it badly. Nicky glanced down toward Celestial Isle, a guilty look on his face. Clenching his beak tightly, he forced his mental link with Xerneas open.

X-Xern? Can you hear me?

Yes. What is it? Xerneas replied, though her voice was as fuzzy as Nicky's old car radio when a station had bad reception.

I'm not doing so hot. That took a lot out of me. I have to go recharge. I'm gonna take in light from the sun, he explained. I don't know how long it'll take me, so if you need to go back to the Tree of Life, then you should go.

He waited a few seconds for a response. When he didn't hear anything, he sighed and forced himself to fly higher.

Xerneas opened her eyes and shook her head.

"Were you talking with Light? What did he say?" Latios wondered, gazing at the spot where Ho-Oh, Solgaleo, and Lunala had disappeared from.

"That he's exhausted. He's going closer to the sun to recuperate, but he's not sure how long he'll be gone." Sighing, Xerneas sat on her haunches. "I suppose I should return to the Tree of Life. I've been gone long enough. Yveltal will undoubtedly be upset."

"Well now, how convenient. You're all in one place."

The trio's heads snapped up in unison. Xerneas practically leaped to her feet. Her antler-gems flickered rapidly. "L-Lord Arceus." She clumsily bowed, nearly faceplanting in the process. "W-Whatever brings you up here?"

Arceus strode toward them, his black eyes and wheel crackling. "I hope you haven't been away from the Tree of Life for long, Xerneas," he said.

"I, uh…" Xerneas' eyes darted about.

Latios shrank toward Zekrom, a worried look on his face. "Is something wrong, sir?" he asked.

"You're the Guiding Light's friend circle, yes?" he asked, tone demanding an immediate answer.

Xerneas stiffened. She hunched lower to the ground, trying not to look at her belly. She couldn't tip Arceus off that she'd broken one of his biggest rules. "Err, y-yes. We are. W-Why do you ask?"

"No. You were his friend circle," Arceus said, narrowing his eyes at Latios and Zekrom.

"Wait… what?" Xerneas frowned. "I don't understand. We've been friends with Light for a while and nobody's batted an eye—"

"Circumstances have changed. None of you are to associate with him anymore," Arceus said, his tone much harsher.

Zekrom crossed her arms and raised a skeptical brow. "Beg your pardon, sir? What are these 'circumstances,' exactly? Light's been nothing but helpful to us. We've got no reason to give him the cold shoulder, especially now that he's given us Solgaleo and Lunala back." She beamed, completely unaware of the mortified look Latios gave her. Her smile faltered when she saw both Xerneas' astonished expression and the fierce glare in Arceus' eyes.

"He did what?" Arceus stomped a forehoof on the ground. A metallic gray color overtook his eyes, wheels, and chest fur. "You three… let him create life?" He stomped his forehoof down again. Sickly-purple toxins bubbled around it, dissolving the surrounding grass. "You… you fools!"

Sound waves buffeted an unprepared Latios and Zekrom. Both dropped to the ground, trying to shield their ears from Arceus' Hyper Voice. Arceus glared daggers at them. "What is the one thing… the one thing I've repeatedly told you all? Our world is fragile!" His gray eyes flashed gold. "The balance of power is too delicate for any of you to exercise powers outside of the jurisdictions I've given you!"

"But Light's not under your jurisdiction. He was just trying to help!" Xerneas blurted out, only to squeak when Arceus wheeled on her, metal dust swirling around his wheel. "P-Please, sir. H-Hear me out. We… we have—"

"The Guiding Light is growing progressively more unstable. And this farce confirms it," Arceus declared. "None of you are to make contact with him again. That's an order."

Xerneas heart hammered in her chest. She couldn't just turn away from Nicky. They shared a mental link. No, they shared more than that. He was her mate. Nicky actually paid attention to her and helped her when she was feeling down. All Arceus was doing was patronizing her decisions, like the other immortals. She had to stand up for Nicky… and herself.

"I… I refuse."

It was brief, but she saw Arceus' eye twitch.

"You… refuse?" Arceus' wheel glowed again. "Did you not hear me before? That beast grows more unstable by the minute. I know about the dark power festering inside of him. He cannot keep on grip on it for much longer. I will not have him taking advantage of you three."

"He's not a beast! He's a good person who wants to help!" Xerneas shouted back. Tears stung the corners of her eyes. "But you wouldn't understand that, being cooped up in that tower day in and day out, doing who knows what." She blinked the tears out of her eyes. "He's well aware of the void's influence… and he wants to get rid of it!" Xerneas looked at her friends. "We know about his creators. If we go to them directly, we can force them to remove the void from his spirit!"

Arceus stomped toward Xerneas. "Really now? He's a good person?" Xerneas backed away, only for her hind legs to lock up. A psychic force had hold of her, as evidenced by the pink embers smoldering in Arceus' eyes. "Tell me… would a 'good person' fly directly to my tower and threaten to erase me? Because that's exactly what your 'friend' did just a short time ago."

Xerneas tried to fight against Arceus' psychic grip, but it was fruitless. She shot a pleading look toward her friends. Zekrom's tail turbine revved up. "I'm not sure I believe you, sir. Light told us he had gone out for a flight."

"He was obviously lying!" Arceus scoffed. "Light broke through the special barriers I erected around Destiny Tower, demanded to speak to me, threw accusations around about how all of us handle our work and, when I voiced my discontent with his actions, he threatened me." He shook his head. "Clearly, he likes you three enough to where he didn't have the gall to tell you the truth."

"No. That doesn't make any sense. Light would never yell at anyone for no reason," Xerneas squeaked, unable to shake her head against her psychic restraints.

"Yeah! Hell, last night the three of us talked about coming to see you with a proposal to change how we all approach our responsibilities," Zekrom added. "Light seemed enamored with the idea. But then he had a nightmare, went out for a flight, and thought it best to show you that he's dedicated to helping us out. That's why he brought back Solgaleo and Lunala."

"And in doing so, he disrupted the delicate balance we worked so hard to reestablish with their deaths," Arceus hissed. He hefted Xerneas in the air. She couldn't even flail her legs about in a panic. Latios and Zekrom both prepared to attack, but Arceus turned and faced them. "Seriously? Are you really so dedicated to this liar and manipulator that you'd try to strike down your own creator?"

"Light's our friend! And so's Xern! Let her go!" Zekrom thundered.

"Then I want your words that you will avoid the Guiding Light until I can deal with him properly," Arceus said, levitating a mortified Xerneas around to face her friends.

Latios' wings drooped. "But—"

"If you refuse…" Arceus' expression darkened. He released Xerneas, who fell onto her rear with a startled whiney. "If you refuse, then I will replace you with gods who will listen to me."

The color practically drained from the trio's faces. "N-No… you wouldn't! Y-You can't!" Xerneas squeaked. "W-What about all that balance you're going on about?"

"The Guiding Light has already mucked it up. Now I'll need to see Zygarde about this ordeal. So, I don't see any problems with ironing out a few more faults," Arceus said. "Now then, do I have your words or not?"

Xerneas looked down, then back at her friends. Both of them had turned away. Xerneas bit her lip. She couldn't leave Nicky out to dry like this. Especially now that they were mates. At the same time, however, that wouldn't mean anything if Arceus could make good on his threat. And Xerneas certainly believed he could. Perhaps there was an alternative way around this? She figured she could just lie to Arceus, then tell Nicky about what happened. Then they could figure out a solution together.

Arceus stepped between her and her friends, brimming with psychic energy. "This isn't something you get to think about. I need an answer."

"A-All right." Xerneas tucked her head in. "I won't see him anymore."

Instead of a verbal response, Arceus levitated her into the air again. Her eyes bulged out. She tried to protest, but Arceus hovered into the air. "I'm taking you back to the Tree of Life. That way, I can be absolutely sure you're not lying to me."

"H-Hey! Put her down. She said she'd stay away. Now, drop it!" Zekrom said, though she made no physical attempt at blocking Arceus' path.

"She shouldn't be this far away from the Tree of Life to begin with. I'll 'drop it' when we get back there," Arceus said. Then, without another word, he galloped off through the air, levitating a struggling Xerneas alongside him.

~The Tree of Life~

The glow in Xerneas' antlers died down as she stepped back from the tree. Trying to settle the restless spirits and assure them their realm is safe proved a more exhausting task than she had anticipated. Xerneas wanted nothing more than to collapse and drift off to sleep. Yet, despite her fatigue, she forced herself to remain standing. Temporal Tower had fallen, despite having a barrier in place like the one shielding the Tree of Life. Whoever caused this — and she was fairly certain she knew the culprit — had a means to override primal energy. That meant she had to be on guard.

Xerneas stifled a yawn. If only she could properly reach out to the other immortals who had chosen not to take Hoopa's offer. Unfortunately, she was completely cut off. She looked back at the tree, only to shake her head. It wasn't the tree's fault this was happening. There was no point getting frustrated with it.

A flash of green light caught her attention. She had just enough time to look at the barrier and spot a gigantic, star-shaped crack before it shattered. A wave of emerald energy swept her up, drowning out her screams. It carried her back and slammed her against the base of the tree. Her ears rang so loudly, she didn't hear the sets of cracks that followed when she struck the tree. Inside, a shockwave of pain ran through her system.

Xerneas dropped to the ground, belting agonized cries out at the top of her lungs. Her heart rate picked up. Her head pounded. The corners of her vision grew fuzzy, then tears welled up in her eyes. Why did it feel like someone had stuck her head into Primal Groudon's molten stomach? She had to make it stop. Xerneas shakily reached out toward the tree, but that tiny bit of moment brought on a fresh surge of pain. Bile bubbled up in her throat. She blinked tears out of her eyes as best as she could.

Cold, steel chains wrapped themselves around her legs. Xerneas' heart leaped into her throat, but she could do nothing but squeak as the chains wove their way around her neck. A sudden upward tug lifted her off the ground, at which point the pain dulled. Her tears dried up, but she immediately wished they hadn't. Fragments of her horns lay scattered between Void's chains. Its eye hovered in front of her, crackling with shadowfire.

"I tOLd YoU…" Tiny veins pulsated within Void's glowing iris. "ThAT I wOUlD ReTuRN… AnD rIp ThOSe AnTLerS oF YoURs OfF… UnTiL yOu rEALizEd… eXAcTlY wHAt iT MeAnS… to BE hElPLeSs."

Xerneas audibly gagged. Her limbs failed to respond. And no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't avert her gaze from Void. Instead, its words echoed in the back of her head. A faint silhouette of Necrozma appeared around Void, a twisted and gleeful grin etched onto his face.

"ThIS iS… pREcISeLY WhAt… a USElESs MiSTaKe liKE yOu… TrULy dESErVeS."

Void's chains tightened around her. To Xerneas, it felt like Void was yanking her in a hundred different directions. She couldn't scream because her mouth wouldn't move. She couldn't conjure up an attack. Even her connect with the Tree of Life was blocked off. All she could do was stare at Void as tears welled up in her eyes again. Regret bubbled up deep inside of her. Fear of death had made her shun the most important person in her life. Now, in a sense of twisted irony, the one she had shunned was going to take her life.

'I'm sorry.'

She prayed with all her might that her thought could somehow reach the kind, loving soul she knew had to lie deep inside… whatever this grotesque form was.

"ThE GuIDinG LiGhT iS DeAD. yoU kIlLeD hIM. AnD NoW… yOU wIlL nEVeR gET HiM bAcK."

A tearing pain shot through Xerneas. Her vision grew darker and the ringing in her ears faded, like she was being pulled underwater. Xerneas struggled to take in a breath, only to fail as darkness swallowed up the entirety of vision, followed by the rest of her consciousness.

Have I broken any hearts yet?

SuperOmegaGuest: I wouldn't say that. They're not quite as petty as Ghaleem and Dharkon.

Anon Omega: as you can see, the butterfly works in mysterious ways. You'll have to stay tuned.

Sebastian: I'm not sure what you mean by "aura guardians." Is that like what Riley was in the Diamond/Pearl anime? Because I'm focusing on Pokémon, not humans. If you're here for Lucario stuff, stick around. There'll be some important revelations next episode.

Another guest: maybe, if I can finish the fic, I'll post some bad ending ideas as omakes either here or on the tumblr blog (or both). But right now, I think it's more important we get to the actual ending, right? You guys want to see that, don't you? I know I do.

Next time: the dichotomy of light and darkness.