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Chapter 42
To Repay You
"I find it somewhat amusing that we are leaving this Fellowship so soon despite the large effort we put into joining such Fellowship."
Novus chuckled as he, Terron, and Zekra walked out of the Fellowship base the next dawn. From what they had calculated, it would take the rest of the day to arrive at Erebus Woods. Flying thousands of miles, even when using Zekra's swiftest form, would take at least a dozen hours to reach. It was best if they left as early as possible.
"Well, our goal is to get information," Terron said with a shrug. "So it's just what we need to do. Honestly I'm just thankful we're moving so quickly. And hey, we might find ourselves back here after this is all over, if we don't get the answers we need. Hopefully that won't be the case."
"Yes, hopefully," Novus replied.
Stepping into the sunlight, the team paused to admire the morning sky. A thin blanket of clouds heralded the dawning sun, streaked with shades of orange and red as they fanned the rays of light upon the retreating darkness, chasing it away further with every passing moment. A speck of the sun peeked over the horizon, its light glinting upon the river's surface.
"I really hope this isn't the last sunrise we see," Zekra uttered to herself.
Terron looked over at Zekra to find that she wasn't watching the sunrise. Instead, she was glancing at her feet, wearing a troubled frown. It didn't take very long for Terron to understand what was going through her mind. It seemed that a night's rest had not cured her of her dread. Though his own unease crept its way through his heart as he thought, he refused to let it weaken the assuring smile he gave the Zorua.
"We'll be okay," he said. "And hey, maybe we won't even have to go into Erebus Woods. Maybe we can accomplish the mission from the outside."
"Yeah, right," Zekra bitterly replied. "The forest grabs you and pulls you in, remember? If we're going to be doing something to Erebus Woods, I'm sure we're going in. There's no other way it's gonna happen. And we're going to end up as monsters. Just like everyone else I ever knew. And I don't want to be a monster…"
"You'll be fine, Zekra," Terron said yet again. "I promise, you will. I won't let anything happen to you. That plagued part of you isn't going to get worse."
"Really?" Zekra replied flatly, staring straight at the ground and yanking a tuft of grass from the ground with her paws. "Is that what your voice of reason is telling you?"
Terron didn't quite know how to answer that. He grasped for a reply, but fell into silence instead.
"I wonder what is keeping that Greninja," Novus replied, breaking the awkward silence. "He's the only thing keeping us from leaving. Ah, it is rather tiresome to have to tolerate his disappearances in the morning, never knowing when he will return. Speaking of which, I have been thinking about his behavior yesterday. It was rather… disturbing, in all honesty. I am sure you know what I'm talking about."
"Yeah, it really was," Terron said reluctantly. "I mean, he pretty much snapped the second he saw those Sableye. I really thought he was going to attack us after he was done slaughtering those things."
Novus's frown grew deeper.
"The Sableye the mercenary insisted on killing… he was referring to the plagued Sableye, wasn't he?" he then asked.
"I think so," Terron nodded. "Can't think of any other Sableye he'd be talking about."
"Hmm, I wonder what the plagued Sableye did to him," Novus pondered. "I have seen many Pokémon who have held such powerful grudges against others, but it seemed the mercenary took one step above and beyond petty vengeance. When he was but reminded of the Sableye's existence, he seemed to completely lose all rationality and revert to some primal state. He demonstrated a bloodlust rivaling that of the Plagued Ones, even. I cannot help but wonder… what could have possibly happened that could cause someone to become like that? What could the Sableye have possibly done to trigger such a reaction?"
"I'm afraid you won't be finding the answer."
Terron, Novus, and Zekra jumped back at the sound of the familiar voice. They found a familiar Greninja standing nearby, his arms crossed over his chest and goggles over his eyes. He didn't seem the least bit concerned about their gossip, but that didn't stop Terron and Novus from shirking away from Blight. He paid them no mind and kept his eyes on Zekra.
"Oh hey Blight, you're back," Zekra said, her voice now somewhat more lively. "We were waiting for you so we can go on our mission."
"And you were also discussing that which I asked you never to mention again," Blight stated indifferently.
"Well, they were, yeah," she admitted awkwardly. "But I wasn't, so yeah…"
The Greninja glanced at the two remaining members of the team. They didn't say anything and averted their gazes from the Greninja. They couldn't tell whether he was angered or upset since his eyes were obscured behind the black lenses. Yet, that didn't stop them from turning away. They could feel his gaze boring into them and it sent a shudder down their spines.
"What is today's mission?" Blight asked as he looked back at Zekra.
Zekra's smile immediately became a frown. She too looked away from the Greninja.
"We're… going to Dusk Mines to get some information we need," she answered.
Blight became very still. Though his eyes were hidden behind his goggles, Zekra knew his eyes were frozen wide. He dug his fingers into his arms.
"Why… do you want to go there?" Blight asked.
"To get some information," Zekra answered, awkwardly repeating herself. "You know, the information we said we've been looking for. We heard it might be there."
"Whatever happened to simply investigating the Fellowship you're currently in?" he asked.
"We were going to do that, but Tear thinks that it's over at Dusk Mines," she replied. "And well, I trust him, so we're doing that. We're not doing too much, though. Just sort of doing a little errand there for the other Fellowship there and stuff."
"You're not going… inside the forest?" he then asked, shivering for a brief moment.
Terron bit his tongue, knowing exactly what forest Blight referred to. Some part of him had hoped the Greninja would have had no prior knowledge of the place.
"Hopefully no. Hopefully," Zekra said with some unease. "Why do you ask?"
Blight turned away from Zekra and glanced out at the horizon. The sun had almost completely risen into the sky. He stared at it for a while longer in silence before releasing a long sigh.
"I'm afraid… that is unacceptable," Blight said sternly.
The silence was deafening. Terron felt his heart stop for a moment.
"What?" he shot back, masking his own frailty. "What did you say?"
"Unacceptable," Blight said again, as though reluctant to speak the word. "I draw the line here. When I agreed to follow you, I set my condition very clearly that I would enter no dungeons. If Erebus Woods is your destination, the place you believe your answers exist, I hereby end my agreement to help you find said answers. I will have nothing else to do with you, or with that wretched place."
"But… we might not even go in," Zekra pleaded, horrified at the mercenary's sudden reaction. "And even if we do, we won't take you with us. Promise. You won't have to go in."
"I will have nothing do to with that wretched forest," he said forcefully, drawing nearer to Terron. "That, of all places, I will never lay eyes upon again. I will never stand within ten miles of that place."
"I thought your services were paid for, mercenary," Novus interjected coldly. "You said so yourself. You do not administer refunds, and you do not abandon your tasks. Whatever happened to your agreement to–"
"Speak the name of that place once more, and there are no agreements, no contracts," the ninja growled in a manner Terron had never heard before. "You can disregard anything I have ever said to you. You can expect no further loyalty or protection from me. You will never see me again. If that is where you truly wish to go, I will not follow."
Terron stared up into the Greninja's obscured eyes, gritting his teeth in frustration as he searched for something to say to the mercenary, or even to his own friends.
"Your call," Blight replied, speaking down to him. "Tell me your answer. Tell me if I will need to leave you and search for another client."
"I will," Terron replied with fake confidence. "But first I think I will need a word with my team."
The Greninja turned a blind eye as the startled team congregated on the opposite side of a nearby cocoon-house.
"We can't let him leave, Tear!" Zekra insisted immediately. "We've got to make him stay with us somehow."
"I know, he shouldn't be leaving," Terron growled, adjusting his skull. "I don't know why as soon as we mentioned Dusk Mines he completely forgot about his mercenary code."
"But at the same time, it is quite understandable he wouldn't desire to go see that place again, especially if he has been there before," Novus noted. "From just the descriptions you have given to me, I am fearful of even letting you back near that place. So perhaps, if we are moving forward, we might need to respect his decision and let it go. And besides, Zekra, we cannot merely keep him around just because you are jealous of his power. He is more than just a form for you to copy, remember. He is a Pokémon."
"I—what?!" Zekra shouted, appalled at the accusation. "That's not true at all! I don't just like him so I can copy him, I… It's… Look, he's the strongest one here… With him around, I haven't felt so protected in such a long time… And besides, there's just something about him… I just connect with him somehow, okay? There's just something about him…"
"Perhaps… that is it," Novus said flatly, his fire sparking to life for a moment as his eyes grew wide. "Zekra… perhaps that is true, that you share something in common with him. I cannot believe we have not considered this before."
"Yeah?" Terron replied hesitantly, shirking away from the Quilava's sudden change of mood.
"The Greninja is plagued," Novus said quietly, hoping the one whom they spoke of would not hear their words on the wind. "Consider the evidence we have. He slaughters, but doesn't eat everything which he kills. This is similar to the way you act, Zekra, when you are coping with the plague inside of you. He tries to hide such acts from us with his daily hunting trips.
"Consider his aversion to Mystery Dungeons, which is suspiciously similar to yours. You stay away from dungeons to keep the plague from spreading deeper into your mind, and so does he.
"And consider the outburst from the other day, the one we discussed earlier. Do you remember what I mentioned, that his wrath from that day rivaled that of a Plagued One? Does it not seem similar to the Instinct Infestation you suffer from as well, when your rage is triggered by something? Perhaps it just so happens that the mercenary's trigger… is the plagued Sableye, or a memory of something the Sableye once did."
As the truth dawned upon the Zorua, the admonishment and denial spread across her face.
"No, no…" she breathed. "No, it's… it's… it's all true. It's all true, isn't it? Blight…"
"This, we can safely assume," Novus spoke. "Blight once visited Erebus Woods, thus triggering his transformation to a Plagued One, a trait he shares with you, Zekra, and you, Terron, as well as the Sableye. We may even assume that the Sableye was the cause of his misery, perhaps by sending him to the cursed forest on purpose to silence him or assassinate him. Thus… he cannot, and should not go to Erebus Woods with us, lest he allow the darkness to eat him completely and fulfill his transformation, and possibly destroy us as well.
"Zekra, Terron… the grim truth of the matter is that we must leave him behind as he wishes. Of course, I am not the one to make the final decision, but I would not enjoy the prospect of watching him suck out my soul as one of those foul creatures, should the transformation become complete. Ah… and to think I always distrusted him for some unspecific reason, some reason I could not have placed… It seems I was correct to trust my instinct yet again."
Terron and Zekra stood in stunned silence, both digesting the truth of the matter.
"Blight…" Zekra said sadly, nearly beginning to cry. "This entire time, you were plagued like we were… But… but no, we can't leave him…!"
"Zekra," Terron said firmly, yet reluctantly, as he also had grown used to the powerful Greninja's protection. "You keep saying that everyone you ever knew has become one of the Plagued Ones. If we take him with us to Erebus Woods, we'll just be letting it happen to him, too. Maybe we should spare him that fate."
"No, no, you're right, you're right," Zekra sighed, holding back the sobs. "I'm just… it's hard for me to accept, okay? Having him around made me feel safe and powerful and made me think that maybe we could actually do this together. And I guess maybe… I was looking for some way to pay him back. We'd still be on the island if it wasn't for him and I never got to do anything for him in return."
"Let us pay him back, then," Novus said, nodding to his team leader. "Let us spare him the fate of a Plagued One, and let him go. And let us do so quickly; the daylight wanes. We should have been in the air by now."
"Alright…" Zekra said, pawing at the ground remorsefully. "But… ahh… Alright, fine…"
"Your answer...?" Blight spoke when Terron encountered him once more after the impromptu team meeting. "I will warn you. Do not attempt to deceive me into coming with you. It will not end well for you."
Terron was about to announce the decision which his team had come to, but instead he unexpectedly blurted something else.
"You're plagued," Terron said, much to his own surprise.
The Greninja narrowed his eyes in anger, making Terron wish the ninja had kept his goggles on and kept hidden the soul-piercing reactions of his eyes. In fact, he wondered why he had even made the accusation in the first place.
But the dark Pokémon, too, replied in a way that Team Vendetta could not have expected.
"So it is with you," he said softly.
"Wha-" Terron mouthed. "Wait, you knew? Were you listening in on us…?"
"Don't insult me," the Greninja grumbled. "It is only because you accuse me of such a thing. You would have no basis to accuse me, unless the same was also true of you."
Terron shrugged.
"Maybe that's true," he replied. "But you've been to Erebus Woods before."
"So it is with you," Blight replied coldly.
"And… you've fought with Yimtri before."
The Greninja seemed to stagger in place at the sound of the name, as though preparing for battle. Terron instantly regretted letting himself become so overconfident again, remembering that the sound of the name could trigger another violent episode from the dark one.
"It seems we share much in common, Cubone," he uttered darkly, the words giving chills to Terron.
And then, with a swell of overconfidence bursting through his chest, he adjusted his skull helmet, reveled in the security of his persona and his position of leadership for the team, and decided to push his luck one step further.
"And in spite of all this," Terron returned, attempting to sound just as dark and threatening, "we're going back to do it all over again, if that's what needs to happen. Whereas you…"
"I warned you not to try a game of deception," the Greninja grunted, cutting off Terron's well-crafted insult. "You cannot deceive me into going with you. This is your final warning, Cubone. With your next breath, make your call."
"My call," Terron spoke firmly, "is that we're going north, and you aren't apparently. So I suppose this means goodbye."
Blight crossed his arms, looking perhaps satisfied with the decision. But there was a hint of something else in his unshielded eyes, something like remorse.
"And you believe I am a coward," Blight replied simply.
"No, you're not a coward," Terron said. "After all you've done, I can't call you a coward. But I will say that I trusted you. When you told us about the code you followed, the way you never give up on a client after you've been paid, I thought you were telling the truth. I thought you'd keep your word."
"Do not insult me, or the code of morals I choose to follow," Blight shot back.
With a deft move of his left hand, the Greninja pulled something from within his scarf and slung it to Terron's feet.
"And do not accuse me of such things as not keeping my word," he added. "Take these funds with you. They will be my final measure of assistance to you. Use them to purchase supplies and protect yourself in my stead."
Terron opened the tiny pouch, which housed a cluster of sparkling gems inside.
"This jewelry will sell for about twelve hundred Poké each," he explained. "And there are nine pieces. They are the payment given to me by your caretakers who commissioned me to follow you. Take it."
Terron tied up the bag and nodded at the mercenary. Though it pained him to part ways as he was doing, especially for Zekra's sake, he understood that the Greninja had his own safety to worry about. He knew that not even the greatest warrior could fight the Plagued Ones alone, especially if said Plagued Ones were attacking within his mind. It was something he knew too well.
"Alright, fair," he decided grimly. "Fine, then. Guess you don't have anything more to do with us, then."
"Wait."
Terron looked over his shoulder to see that Zekra towered over him in the form of a Zoroark.
The false Zoroark turned to the Greninja.
"Thank you for doing everything you did for us, Blight," Zekra said with deep earnest. "I just wanted to say I… I admired you, a lot. I didn't want you to leave, but I understand why you're leaving. So I'm going to go and be strong and remember everything you showed me. I know you said we mean nothing to you without the payment, but… to us, you meant a lot more than that. And without you, we would still be on the island. So thank you, Blight."
And she held out her Zoroark claw to shake hands with the Greninja.
The Greninja hesitated for a moment, as though deeply shocked someone would be offering him this sort of gesture at all. For a moment, he only stared into Zekra's eyes, as though frightened by them, unfamiliar with the emotion they conveyed.
In a moment of tension, Team Vendetta waited to see if the departing warrior would return the gesture. For what seemed like an eternity, he did not, simply standing in indecision and seemingly appalled at Zekra's words and actions.
Then, he thrust his webbed hand forward and touched the palm of Zekra's claw. But upon making contact, Blight seemed to forget about clutching her hand in return, and quickly withdrew, jerking his hand back as though Zekra's palm was covered in poisonous barbs.
Then, with no further comment, the mercenary coiled his powerful legs and leaped away, retreating behind the cocoon-like structures of Nestati City.
And he was gone.
Team Vendetta took to the air, beginning their day-long flight across Shiron. In her Skarmory form, Zekra didn't seem too eager to fly quickly, and somehow Terron didn't raise any objections, seeing as though they were headed back to the worst place in the world; a place where the sun couldn't shine and the darkness became so thick that it came to life. Terron appreciated the sunlight as long as he could, considering there was a chance he might never see it again if the forest were to swallow him alive.
Novus, however, noticed the delay and raised the objection.
"If we don't move faster than this, we will arrive much past nightfall," he warned. "Are you sure you want to brush against this terrible sentient forest at night? Worse still, you might lose your way and fly past. Do you remember the way?"
"I remember the way," Zekra answered grumpily. "I looked at a map yesterday. And plus… I really think it'll be hard to miss the place if we pass by it. I'm pretty sure that something inside me will know."
Terron didn't have to ponder much to understand what she was vaguely talking about: her plagued self. When she mentioned this, Terron started to wonder what really would happen to him and Zekra if they came near to the dungeon. Would their plagued selves become more vocal and influence them or remain stifled within their minds? Or worse, would Erebus sense them outside of its domain and then take control of him and Zekra?
Many anxious thoughts raced through his mind. But, Terron knew he couldn't turn back now. He had made a choice and if he wanted answers, he would have to take risks. There wasn't another way.
The false Skarmory reluctantly quickened in pace as Terron closed his eyes and tried to shut out the worries that consumed him.
By the late afternoon, Zekra's wings had gotten so tired that she insisted upon taking a rest at the nearest city possible. Even Novus seemed fine with the idea, confessing that his stomach was rumbling.
They rested in a very lively city, one which almost made Terron sad to see. It resembled Aurora Town, or at least, what Aurora town used to be. There were flourishing trees, colorful buildings, and streets lined with happy, bustling villagers and shopkeepers, all without a care in the world and untouched by the terror of the Plagued Ones. Terron thought to comment on how happy the place looked as they walked through town, but he held his tongue, and noticed that Novus looked uncomfortable as well.
Zekra only stared at the ground as they walked through the streets, nearly walking into villagers more than once.
"I do not mean to be one to impede our progress," Novus remarked, "but we should consider resting in this town for a time. We might arrive to Dusk Mines in the day, rather than dusk, as well as pace ourselves."
"Yeah, that sounds good," Terron said absently, too worried about Zekra's behavior.
This is what our life was like before the Plagued Ones took it from us, Terron thought to himself. I'm really starting to understand what Zekra feels like, I think. She's had so much just taken away from her… It must be getting hard for her to see other Pokémon happy like this, without feeling jealous. Even I feel a little jealous, maybe.
…But that's why we're going to get rid of the Plagued Ones, he reminded himself. That's why we're going back. We're doing whatever it takes… So maybe the rest of these Pokémon can live their lives without losing things the way we did.
"Hey! Look!" Zekra shouted, her mood instantly brightening up. "Let's look at the shops, Tear. Adventuring supplies over here!"
"I suppose I won't lecture you again about what I think of investing too much in items," Novus told the Zorua. "But could we, perhaps, first spend some money on food?"
Zekra completely ignored the Quilava and bolted forward towards one of the street vendors. She trotted from shop to shop, dragging Terron along behind her, until she stopped at one which displayed a variety of colorful cloths hanging from hooks.
"Anything I can help you look for?" the Delcatty vendor spoke.
"These are enchanted, right?" Zekra asked, peering past the feline at the cloths.
"Of course," the Delcatty said, already looking exasperated with the Zorua's enthusiasm. "All are available in various colors and their functions are clearly marked. And, of course, waterproof, fireproof, poison-resistant, all up to standard specifications for exploration teams."
"Look!" Zekra gasped, running straight past the Delcatty and pawing at a particular piece of fabric. "This isn't what I think it is, is it?"
"That is a Reunion Cape," the Delcatty said plainly. "Two-thousand Poké."
"We really need these!" Zekra begged. "You have no idea. If we even get close to that place, we won't have to worry about getting separated again. Tear, we need to buy one for all three of us. I'm serious."
"That will clear out half of our wallet," Novus retorted in place of Terron. "I don't think…"
"We need these things, Novus. Trust me," Zekra said, actually wagging her tail in excitement. "We want three of these."
Sighing in defeat, Novus gave Terron a low nod. Terron bartered with the vendor and parted with four of Blight's gemstones in exchange for three of the reunion capes: one in purple, one in black, and one in white.
The rest of the afternoon didn't go much differently, and the shopping didn't stop until every last gem in Terron's pouch was gone. But for their effort, they now had a few varieties of Wonder Orbs, strange seeds that could cure any and all conditions that only one berry could cure before, several Oran berries, many apples and dried meat, and a new messenger bag that held all of their new supplies. The funds had gone a long way after all, and Terron hoped that this last gesture of kindness from the Greninja would be the determining factor in keeping them alive if the worst were to happen and they were to find themselves swallowed by the darkness of Erebus Woods again.
After the supplies were purchased, Team Vendetta took a rest in a park near the city's capital, lounging in the shade beneath some trees. They shared some berries and dried meat for lunch, although only Zekra seemed interested in the meat. Novus tried not to scarf down his food so quickly as to seem impolite. While she ate, Zekra set out her new equipment on the ground, nudging some of the scarves with her nose.
"What do these capes do?" Novus asked, noticing how distracted she seemed by the new items. "They were the most expensive item we purchased other than the new bag. I'm afraid I haven't seen these types of items before."
"I'll show you," Zekra said, grinning. "You'll love this, Novus. Just watch. Tear, help me put this on."
Terron moved to do as he was asked, but the moment he picked up one of the purple capes, it unfolded itself to a ridiculous length, revealing itself to be almost four times as long as Zekra's body.
"Wow, I forgot how big these things were when we got one for Impetus," Terron commented, fumbling with the fabric. "Wonder if we can roll it up and use like a scarf anyway."
Giving it a try, he found it wasn't very difficult to do so. Folding the cape with wrapping triangles, it became a snug band, or perhaps a scarf, and with some effort he tied the ends comfortably around Zekra's neck.
She hastily shoved another chunk of meat into her maw as she rose to her feet. Then, she shook her head to situate the cloth, then shot off through the trees in the forest, quickly becoming a black dot in the distance. Terron and Novus only watched her from afar, wondering what she was doing.
The next thing they knew, Zekra was right beside them, having appeared out of thin air. She grinned as she sat back in the spot she had rested in earlier.
"Well, it works," she announced. "Just feels really weird to get teleported like that. So this is how Impetus felt…"
"The scarf did that?" Novus cried, nearly choking on a berry. "It warped you back?"
"Yeah! That's what they do," Zekra said with great satisfaction. "And they work really well too! If we all wear these, even Erebus won't be able to separate us like it did last time! That was how it played most of the mind games with us. So if we take away its worst weapon, I think I'll feel much better about. …But not too much."
"Impressive," Novus said, picking up the white cape for himself. "Normally, I would insist upon not wearing an enhanced item. But judging from your descriptions of how terrible this forest really is, I believe I can make an exception with these. Sometimes the greatest strength truly is in numbers."
Terron fitted the black cape to himself much in the same way, shaping it as a scarf and securing it around his neck. Novus did the same, taking care not to block the spaces where his fiery quills would jump out, despite the fact that the cape was supposedly fireproof.
"Now all we gotta do is make sure that we get actually get teleported back to each other and not someone else," Zekra instructed. "The one you get brought back to is the one who touched your cape last. I think that's how it works. So if Tear touches all of our capes, he's the leader!"
Zekra pounced without warning, tackling Terron backward as he secured the last of the knot. She reached over and poked at Terron's cape, nuzzling him under the neck so that her own cape would make contact with him as well. Spooked by the sudden attack, Terron cringed and swatted her away in reflex.
"There, now you'll come right back to me," Zekra giggled. "And I'll come back right to you. Now we're inseparable. Literally. And we can't do anything about it."
"Great," Terron said blankly. "When you put it like that, it sounds creepy."
"How is that creepy?" she replied teasingly. "Besides, we never leave each other's side anyway. We're practically attached to each other already!"
"You're not helping," he said with a shake of his head.
Zekra shrugged dismissively and resumed with eating her meal, but not before making sure that Terron prodded Novus's cape as well.
They ate the rest of their lunch together in contented silence, going through most of the food they had purchased from the marketplace. Once everyone had eaten their fill, they took a brief nap, then enjoyed an evening of recreation in the city. Terron was sure to savor every moment, knowing that it was perhaps the last time they could pretend to be normal Pokémon in a world that wasn't tainted by war and plagued by demons. He wished all of Shiron could be that simple and carefree again.
But as soon as the first stars cracked the sky, they took off again to the north on the wings of a Skarmory.
And there it was, late the next afternoon: the Dusk Mines Fellowship.
Zekra easily spotted the familiar sight from above. She grimaced as she slowed herself to halt and hovered in the air, peering down at the base with her friends. Though they had been told that the Fellowship was abandoned weeks ago, the three could clearly see dozens of Pokémon roaming about the area. Yet, they couldn't make out specifically what kinds of Pokémon were below them. Everyone appeared to be nothing but a blur.
"I assume those must be the Oracion Fellowship Pokémon," Novus stated. "Hmm, there quite a number of them here."
"Well they've got a pretty big job to do, so I'm not surprised," Terron said. "Guess we'd better go down there and find the leader and tell them that we're here."
Zekra carefully descended into a vacant area near the base, where everyone quietly slid off her once she touched the ground. She changed back into a Zorua and looked off into the far distance.
Terron thought her eyes looked eerily empty.
Unbeknownst to Team Vendetta, a pair of ghostly Pokémon watched the newcomers from behind the base walls.
"Is that… who I think it is?" a Mismagius whispered, peering out from inside of a solid wall to glimpse at the Cubone's team. "Oh my, this is a strange turn of events."
"What, the visitors?" his Chandelure companion wondered. "Aren't those who we were watching for?"
"Yes, but don't you recognize them?"
The Mismagius swooped back, drawing close to the Chandelure.
"They are the Pokémon the liege wants dead."
"The Cubone and the Zorua?" the Chandelure said, stunned. "How highly improbable. How could they have been at the Nestati Fellowship? That was the only place the job posting was listed."
"Does Mistress Shade even know about that job post yet?" the Mismagius wondered, growing worried. "I do not believe she agreed to have it sent in the first place. At any rate, these are not the Pokémon we needed to answer the job request. The liege needed Pokémon that could help us destroy Erebus, not… these Pokémon. Anyone but these Pokémon."
"What do you think we'll tell him?"
"Well…" the Mismagius considered, thinking for a moment. "We could tell him that the job posting failed to lure anyone useful, but as a side effect, the Cubone and the Zorua are soon to die."
"How do you suppose?"
"I'm thinking we could put them on patrol duty," the Mismagius said evilly. "Because you know what happens to those who get too close to the woods…"
"Where do you think the leader is?" Zekra asked, still wearing a blank, faraway gaze.
"Probably by Dusk Mines," Terron answered. "Or maybe inside. Or maybe even nearby Erebus Woods."
Zekra nodded slowly. Her claws slid out of her paws and dug them into the dirt. She took in a deep breath and hastily turned away.
"Let's try the base first," she said. "We're closer to it."
Without waiting for a response, she went forward and walked right past Terron without even exchanging a glance. He watched her continue to wander, showing no signs of stopping. He cast a quick glance to Novus, exchanging with him a puzzled stare.
"Um, guess we follow her," Terron said. "Let's go to Dusk Mines first. Let's… do that."
He hastily went after his friend, the Quilava following behind him. It wasn't long before the three found themselves among the base, full of the Pokémon they had seen earlier. None of the Pokémon appeared familiar in the slightest, but they knew that they were all from the Fellowship thanks to the mark each of them wore. There was exactly one type of mark on each of the Pokémon, all being a clawed paw print with three lines intersecting it. They were no doubt the Oracion Village marks.
The group only walked for a short distance before Zekra stopped a Braixen in its path.
"Where's the Oracion Fellowship leader?" she asked.
"She's inside Dusk Mines," the Braixen replied. "Think inside the old office of the other leader who used to be here."
"Thanks."
Zekra snapped her gaze away from the upstanding Pokémon and made her way toward the Fellowship base, her companions struggling to keep up with her.
The second the three entered the base, they quickly noticed just how different the atmosphere was compared to the last time they visited. The dreadful air about the hallways still lingered, but it wasn't nearly as strong as it had been before. It wasn't overpowering and didn't fill their hearts with such intense paranoia, instead only making them slightly at unease.
"Why is it like this?" Terron wondered. "What happened?"
"What are you talking about?" Novus asked.
"The last time we came here, I could literally feel Erebus's influence," Terron answered quietly. "It was everywhere. Like a thick fog that you couldn't see. And it kept… making me think I was hearing things and stuff like that. But now, I don't feel any of that. This place only feels mildly unpleasant now. Like Erebus isn't here anymore…"
Sometime later, the three came to the hallway that held Yimtri's former office. They were surprised to find that his metal door was now completely gone and was now nothing but a gaping hole in the wall. No one stood guard over the room. With a deep breath, the team entered and found that the inside had also changed. None of the previous decorations and furniture were in sight, all presumably having been decommissioned by the Oracion Fellowship. Now, there was hardly anything within the room, save for the pile of jewels towards the back of the room. Standing beside the gems, inspecting a large sapphire in its claws hands, was a burly Tyranitar.
"Surprised you didn't take these with you, little Sableye," it spoke in a husky, distinctly feminine voice. "Then again, I'm sure these would have hardly help you anyway."
She made a tight fist around the gem, where it shattered it into hundreds of tiny pieces. She carelessly tossed the shards and glanced over at the four visitors she now had. She narrowed her eyes and took a step forward. The ground trembled briefly.
"I don't think I recognize you," she stated.
"We're Team Vendetta," Terron answered as he showed her his Nestati Fellowship mark. "We came from the Nestati Fellowship to help you with the Erebus Woods mission. You're the leader, right?"
"One of the leaders," the Tyranitar said with a huff. "My partner is back at our Fellowship, but you probably already knew that. Well, welcome to Dusk Mines. I'm rather glad there's more Pokémon who are willing to volunteer against this menace in the forest, once we finally learned of its existence. There haven't been enough Pokémon to my liking, particularly since I cannot afford to pay any recompense to the volunteers who come here."
"No… pay?" Zekra echoed. "Wait, I thought there was—"
"We can discuss pay once you prove your worth," she decided as she grinned and tented her claws together. "But seeing your stature, your strength… I already know what I'm going to do with you three just by looking at you. I'm certain there's a role I can fit you into, and I think you will like it."
"Before you do, I wanted to ask you a question," Terron said tersely.
The Tyranitar paused. She crossed her arms and a frown soon replaced her zealous smile. But, she gave a nod and waited for the Cubone's words.
"You got this Erebus Woods assignment from the Pledge Mountain Fellowship, right?" he asked. "That's why you're all here, right?"
"Yes, my partner and I did, yes," she confirmed.
"Do you know who told them about what was going on in those woods?" he asked with a low tone.
The Tyranitar put one paw under her elbow and propped it closer to her face. She rested her cheek against her raised hand, strumming her claws against her temple.
"A very strange question for you to ask," she responded. "But, to tell you the truth, I'm not really sure. My superiors simply told all of the leaders about this Erebus one day and that was it. They never said anything about how they got that information. It was just a sudden announcement and then after that, they told me and my partner to destroy Erebus Woods. And then it was never really brought up again. But no, I don't know the answer to that question. Why do you ask?"
"Chrysalis told us to ask you," Terron answered, hiding his true intention. "She was very curious for some reason."
"Chrysalis wanted to know, hm?" the leader asked, sounding thoughtful. "Hmm, interesting. Well you're just going to have to tell her that I don't have any answers. She's just as clueless as me."
The Tyranitar grinned once more as she swung her tail side-to-side, as if amused by the thought. As she did so, Terron noticed a short, blue ribbon tied near the end of her tail. He glanced at it, curious to know why she had attached the ribbon there and not along the spines of her back. But, he didn't have much longer to ponder, for the Tyranitar made her way towards him, the ground quaking with each step.
"I think I've stalled long enough," the Tyranitar said as she walked past the team and headed out of the room. "Come with me. I'm going to give you three your job."
Before the leader could reach the exit, Zekra suddenly stood in front of the gaping hole, blocking the path. The Zorua stood strong before the mighty Tyranitar, her feet planted firmly onto the ground. Yet, it was clear that she wasn't filled with bravado. Her legs wobbled and her expression wavered between a grimace and a nervous frown.
"You're not sending us inside Erebus Woods, right?" Zekra asked, struggling to keep her voice from faltering.
"Why do you care?" the Tyranitar asked with a scowl.
"Because I don't wanna get plagued!" Zekra cried desperately. "I just can't! You don't know what I've seen and done and just… please! Please don't send me there! I'll take any other job other than that! Just don't send me into those woods with Erebus! I don't wanna be a Plagued One like all of my friends! Please!"
The Oracion Fellowship leader watched as Zekra's trembling only seemed to increase. The Zorua's eyes darted around frantically and her breath shortened. Water filled up her eyes and nearly coursed down her face. But despite her ensuing hysteria, Zekra remained rooted on the spot and fought to keep her gaze glued to the Tyranitar.
The leader continued to stare at the Zorua for a moment longer in solemn silence. Then, she burst into a loud, boisterous laughter. It echoed off the walls of the room, giving it an almost eerie tone.
"Pfffft, you should see the look on your face!" the Tyranitar said as she put her claws over her mouth. "I haven't seen something so amusing in years! Bwahahah! HAHA!"
"Shut up!" Zekra snapped, her body no longer shaking. "Just shut up! It's not funny! Say that one more time and I swear I'll claw out your eyeballs! Do it! I DARE YOU, YOU OVERSIZED ROCK!"
"Quite spunky, aren't we?" the Tyranitar grinned. "I like that attitude of yours. You remind me of myself when I was a Larvitar. Well, don't get yourself all worked up; you're not going to Erebus Woods."
Zekra blinked.
"Wait, what?" she asked oddly.
"You're not going to Erebus Woods," the Tyranitar said again. "You're clearly not up to the task. You probably wouldn't make it out of the place anyway. No, I've got a better job for you. And if you'll get out of my way, I'll be sure to show you what that will be."
Zekra quickly nodded as she stepped aside, allowing the Tyranitar to pass. The Zorua glanced back at Terron once the leader had left the room.
"Looks like we're not going to Erebus Woods," she said with a sheepish laugh. "Eheh, guess there's nothing to be worried about now."
"Yeah, but we still haven't figured out who told the Fellowship about Erebus," Terron said. "Hmm, looks like we might have to try something else to get our answers…"
"Hey! I'm not going to wait around for you!" the Tyranitar called from a distance. "Get over here or else I'll actually make you go inside Erebus Woods!"
The three flinched and then scampered after the Tyranitar and were swift to follow her out of the base. They stayed close behind her, making sure to avoid her swinging tail that they feared would smack them down instantly. The mine fell into the distance as they tread west.
Only a few minutes had passed when Terron noticed a change in the air. A certain, familiar change that sucked out all warmth from his being and replaced it with a cold, suffocating dread. He knew what this change in the air was. It was a feeling that wasn't forgotten so easily despite how much he wished he could do so.
It was Erebus's influence.
The moment Terron realized this, the Tyranitar came to a halt, the team doing the same.
"Hey, you two! Yeah, you two! Get over here!" the Tyranitar hollered.
Terron peered around the Tyranitar's large form to find a Chandelure and Mismagius drifting toward them. The two ghosts stopped before the leader and bowed their heads.
"Yes, Mistress Shade?" the Mismagius asked humbly.
"You were just saying earlier that you needed some more help on guard duty," the great Tyranitar said to the ghosts.
"Ah, help. Yes, we'd really like that," the Mismagius said with a gleam in his eyes. "Thank you."
Shade, as the Mismagius had called her, snorted as she glanced back at Team Vendetta.
"You will take orders from these two. Your mission is to make sure nobody accidentally wanders into the woods. Hopefully this will not be too much of a problem, even at your level of strength."
"As long as we're not going in, that's fine by me," Zekra responded nervously. "We can do this."
"Very well," she said. "Have fun. You shouldn't have any trouble, but you never know. Someone might be stupid enough to wander into those woods."
"Yes. And to begin with, why don't we set up your post just within the woods?" the Chandelure suggested. "Let's go to Erebus Woods, shall we? We have a certain duty to fulfill, do we not?"
"Ummm shouldn't we keep a distance away from the woods?" Zekra asked, pawing at the ground. "So that the dungeon doesn't suck you inside and trap you in it…?"
"So you know. Good, that means we don't have to tell you that," the Mismagius smirked deviously. "But, don't worry, we have that taken care of. Come along, come along."
Though Terron expected the grand Tyranitar to turn and leave them at any moment, she seemed content to watch over them until they were positioned at their proper posts. Perhaps, he thought, the great Shade was fascinated with the sight and feel of the shadowy woods, wishing to take a closer look before returning to the mines and continuing her raid of Yimtri's treasures.
Tearing his gaze from her, Terron looked back at the two ghost-types to find that they were watching him and Zekra with unsettling curiosity. The moment they saw Terron glance at them, they were quick to stop and smiled pleasantly.
The two ghosts slowly glided forward, the Mismagius beckoning for the rest to follow. Taking in a deep breath, the team did as asked and traversed through the area, making their way near to the dreaded woods. With each step they took, the oppressive atmosphere became stronger and stronger. Terron shuddered as his insides became colder the further he tread. He anticipated the malicious, corrupted thoughts from his "voice of reason" to emerge in his mind at any time, but they never seemed to come. His mind was only filled with the consuming terror Erebus drove into him.
He looked back to find that his teammates were also feeling Erebus's influence come over them. Novus grimaced with every step he took. Zekra's eyes flickered and her fur stood on end, as if ready to bolt at any moment.
"Guys…?" Terron asked hesitantly. "Are you going to be okay?"
"Oh, look!" the Chandelure interrupted.
Everyone abruptly came to a stop. The Mismagius swooped behind Terron and wrapped his wispy appendages around his head and with a grin, turned him slightly to the side.
Terron's heart stopped at what he saw. It was quite a distance from him, at least a hundred feet away, but he knew what he was now faced with. He recognized its gnarled, twisted trees and the abyss that was known as its entrance. He recognized the dread that oozed out of the woods and seeped into his soul.
He could never forget such a place. No, such a thing was impossible. Not after everything that had happened to him in such a nightmarish world.
"Erebus Woods…" he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"The greatest danger known to the Fellowship, perhaps in all of history," Shade commented. "In some twisted way, it is beautiful."
"Yes, this is that very place," the Mismagius said as he released his hold on the Cubone. "To think that when you go inside, you can turn into Plagued Ones…"
Terron made no comment to the remark. His mind was too preoccupied with the many memories he held about the dungeon.
"It's a rather troubling sight, isn't it?" the Chandelure asked. "To think that if we go anywhere near it, we might be ensnared by Erebus and dragged down into its home's depths. Quite frightening, wouldn't you say? But alas, we won't have to worry. We're safe where we are."
"Are you sure?" Zekra asked hesitantly.
"Why yes!" the Chandelure replied with a smile. "Quite sure. And if anything happens, I'll be sure to burn away the tree branches and vines that attempt to ensnare you! So please, don't fret. There's-"
"This cannot be right."
Terron, Zekra, and the two ghost-types brought their eyes over to Novus, finding that he was staring out into the dungeon. His pupils were dilated to the extremes, nearly filling up both of his irises with a deep black. Terron had never seen the Quilava so terrified before and it sent an icy feeling into his chest.
"What's the matter?" the Mismagius asked, coming to Novus's side.
Novus backed away, slowly shaking his head to himself.
"Novus, what's wrong?" Terron asked edgily.
The Quilava abruptly stopped moving. He swiveled his head at Terron. His eyes still shined so clearly with terror, but now there was something more.
It was recognition.
"This is the place…" Novus said in a subdued voice. "I will admit, there were times when I… I… suspected as such, judging from your descriptions, but I thought it could not have possibly… No… this is the place. Listen. I know what this place is. It fits the description… Erebus Woods is… the Blight Forest."
"Wait… what are you talking about…?" Terron asked with worry.
"Do you remember the story I told to you and Zekra after we had escaped from the island?" Novus asked gravely. "The story about how the legendary guardians of Shiron had been swallowed, one by one, by an otherworldly plague… it was not only a story, but an account of the truth… and this is the place where they disappeared. Terron… Erebus Woods is far more terrible than even you could have known!"
Terron's heart sank deep inside him. His voice became frozen and his breath became shallow. He wanted to demand an explanation from the Quilava. How could he know something like this? Had he seen it before?
How could Novus have known about something that he said, with his own words, happened centuries ago?
But Novus gave no opportunity for a reply. He dashed to Zekra's side, nearly tackling her in his desperation.
"Zekra…" Novus gasped, his quills lighting in his frenzied panic. "Become Skarmory. Take us away from here. Go. Please! GO!"
"Do not obey him."
Mistress Shade addressed Zekra directly, her voice growing dark.
"May I now remind you that you are bound by Fellowship law to obey me," Shade told her. "You have freely volunteered yourself and you have been given your duty. Failure to uphold your duty, and the abandonment of your post will be considered a treasonous act. And I don't think I need remind you how the Fellowship deals with traitors."
"Yes! You cannot simply abandon your assignment!" the Chandelure cut in, swooping over to the two Pokémon. "You must stay here! Please stifle your dread! All of us don't want to be near this wretched forest! You are not any different!"
"That does not matter, mortal ghost!" Novus spat at the ghost, the crown of his head now aflame. "You will not keep us here! Zekra, hear me—"
"No! You have a duty to fulfill!" the Chandelure argued, her own flames growing tremendously. "You will not leave simply because you cannot control your own fear, you cowardly Quilava! You need to complete your assignment you willingly volunteered to do!"
"I already failed my duty long ago," Novus hissed. "It haunts me every day. Every waking moment of every waking day. So if you really think that excuse will prevent me from leaving, then you're sorely mistaken, mortal ghost."
Novus and the Chandelure locked glares, both refusing to flinch as their respective fires burned brightly, as if they were a testament to the conviction they each harbored. Terron backed away from the two fire-types, finding himself at a loss of what to do. He glanced at Zekra, finding that she,too, was completely speechless and unable to decide between obeying the Oracion Fellowship leader, or her friend.
Then he decided to speak up.
"You're just throwing us in there," Terron realized, peering at the woods. "You're just feeding us to Erebus!"
"You are deluded, if you think you can slander me with such an accusation!" Shade growled in reply. "If I had such an intention to feed you to the woods, I would have ordered you to enter the woods, don't you think? You're creating delusions for yourself to support your cowardice. You are even more incompetent than I expected."
"I didn't say you were doing it on purpose," Terron shot back.
The towering beast said nothing in reply.
"Yimtri sent prisoners into Erebus Woods," Terron remembered. "That's why the rest of the Fellowships sent their prisoners here. Because he was executing them by feeding them to Erebus. But he didn't do it on purpose either. He was driven to do it by the influence coming from the forest. Tell me, how many other Pokémon have had this guard post before? HOW MANY?"
Shade looked appalled and offended, and obviously had no intention of replying to the question.
"HOW MANY POKÉMON HAVE DISAPPEARED FROM THIS GUARD POST?!" Terron screamed at her, yanking his club out from his coat pocket. "HOW MANY POKÉMON HAVE YOU FED TO EREBUS?!"
"That's enough," Shade said. "Detain them."
Before Zekra could transform, the Mismagius drifted toward the Zorua and ensnared her in some type of electric energy. She levitated into the air, trapped in the dark bubble, as she struggled and cried for freedom.
And to Terron's horror, more ghosts appeared from behind Shade's form out of thin air. It wasn't difficult to understand what they were: they were the Tyranitar's bodyguards, hidden ghosts which must have trailed the Tyranitar everywhere, unbeknownst to most onlookers. A Banette jumped at Terron and overpowered him after he missed his first and only opportunity to fight back.
"GAAH! GET OFF!" he ordered the ghost.
But he couldn't even move his arms. The ghost had held them tight from behind, letting the chilling, cold touch of its hands seep into the Cubone's nerves and numb his fervor.
A Dusclops appeared behind Novus and picked him up by the neck with a single hand, letting him dangle helplessly in the air. It seemed unfazed by the Quilava's bursts of fire.
"I told you, I would throw you into Erebus Woods if you did not obey my word," Shade said sternly. "And with Fellowship members who so disobey the orders they're given, I'm afraid I don't have much of a choice at this point."
Terron knew what was coming next. He knew he should have seen it coming. All of his instincts told him that he shouldn't have ever set foot near the accursed forest again. Yet, he thought he was doing the right thing, finding answers. He thought that's where his answers would lie.
And he had done nothing but return those he loved into the worst nightmare of their lives.
He struggled with his greatest might, but the Banette wouldn't let him move. At his side, he saw Zekra having a complete breakdown, screaming and thrashing from within the bubble of disablement, clawing at the air in the hopes of breaking free. The sound of her voice was bringing Terron to tears.
Several more ghosts formed behind her, floating in the air, keeping watch over the pesky Team Vendetta who insisted on resisting orders.
Finally, an Aegislash materialized next to the great Shade, guarding her formidably.
"It is a shame," Shade spoke darkly. "I wished for stronger Pokémon for this job. Really, I did. But it seems that the Fellowship has become so full of the weak of heart. They cannot handle the simplest orders anymore. Strip them of their–"
"GREEEEEYYYYYHHHH!"
The loud, ungodly screech filled the air, forcing the Oracion members to cover their ears.
An object moved through the air, fast as a swooping Skarmory. The Aegislash deftly moved to block the attack from striking the great Shade, and tumbled to the ground, locked in a tense death-grip with the mysterious assailant.
Terron couldn't believe what he was seeing. The Pokémon who had tackled the great metallic ghost was…
Blight.
"Greeyh… I… feel it," Blight cried, pressing his claw against the shield of the Aegislash. "Greeeyyyh… Rrrrawwwrrr… But not today… not today… "
"Blight!" Zekra cried in a mixture of horror and joy.
The Oracion followers were frozen in hesitance as Blight struggled in his stalemate with the Aegislash, his claw buried into its shield as the ghost pushed forward with all its might. Blight only continued to snarl as he returned the same force.
"What are you waiting for?!" the Aegislash cried. "Don't just stand there! Kill that Greninja! Kill him before-"
Blight ripped his claws from the shield and swung a hand forward. Sharp stars of water flew out his palm and cut through the metal with ease, effectively severing the object into pieces. The Aegislash wasn't even allowed to scream before yet another wave of Water Shuriken came its way. The stars hit, and then the Aegislash fell to the ground in small fragments.
"GREEEEEYYYYYHHHH!"
The crazed Greninja wasted no time after finishing off the steely ghost to avoid a powerful attack from the Oracion leader, leaping over her tail and turning his gaze at the hostage Team Vendetta.
Just when it seemed that the Greninja would strike again, suddenly Blight was on his knees, his forehead pressed into the ground, his hands covering his head. He writhed and let out low croaks and growls that did not match his voice.
"He is becoming corrupted," Novus said gravely. "With his proximity to the woods… Erebus is tightening its grasp upon him."
"BLIGHT!" Zekra could only cry, trying to warn him of the Tyranitar claw which was about to smash him into the ground.
"He is doing this for us," Novus said. "He is trying to prove he is not a coward. Even as Erebus consumes him… he has come to save us."
Blight's eyes snapped open just as the finishing blow struck him. Terron saw them and was afraid; they were soulless and demonic, burning with a fiery, malicious light. For one second, he only glared the foes which surrounded him, the horrible noise still emitting from his throat.
"Wait! Stop! STOP!" Zekra cried out.
But no one heard her. The great Shade's claw slammed down onto the motionless Greninja.
Blight let out a screech as his form seemed to ripple with a strange, white light. Then, just as the Tyranitar was about to retract her claw from the crushed Greninja, she noticed something very odd.
There were now twenty Blights surrounding her, all of them perfectly healthy. All of them snarled in unison as they drove forward at the Oracion Fellowship leader.
But Terron blinked in surprise as three of the Blights landed attacks on the Tyranitar's bodyguard ghosts, slicing them in unison and causing them to dematerialize.
"I recognize that ability," Novus said grimly. "That's Double Team. But…"
"But what?" Terron asked.
"Double Team isn't supposed to work like that," Novus explained. "You're not supposed to be able to use the clones to attack others. They are only meant to act as decoys. They're not supposed to actually inflict damage…"
Terron grimaced as he watched each of the Blight copies disappear. Now only one Greninja stood among the Pokémon, once again holding his head. He shook it violently, snarling fiercely at seemingly no one.
"NO! I CAN'T… RAAWR!"
There was a bright light as the Greninja stumbled and fell onto the ground, landing not so far from where Terron and Zekra still hung helpless in the air.
The light grew to rival the sun.
When it cleared, Terron blinked the glow from his pupils to see if the Greninja was alright. But, there was no Greninja collapsed on the ground where Blight once was.
There was a Zoroark.
A tired, agonized Zoroark with a worn backpack strapped to his body.
Everyone's eyes widened at the sight, but it was a certain Zorua who was the most stunned.
"No…" Zekra croaked. "No… No! … NO!"
The Zoroark's eyes opened, his blue eyes empty and blank as they had been when he been a Greninja. And then, in an instant, the malevolence returned and the Zoroark sprang onto all fours. He dug his claws deep into the soil and bared his teeth. Thick, black wisps streamed from his body like smoke.
It didn't take long for everything to click.
"Erebus is controlling him right now…" Terron realized. "He's a puppet now… he's not himself anymore…"
"I think that's enough, Zoroark," Shade spoke with power. "You've killed enough Pokémon already."
She stopped a few feet away from the plagued Zoroark, taking on a stance as she swished her tail and back and forth. An eager grin broke out on her face.
"Go ahead, see if you can kill me too," she challenged. "Go on, do it."
"RAAWWWWRR!" the Zoroark roared.
His irises seemed to become electric blue flames as he held his claws close together. A sphere of orange light quickly formed in the empty space and amplified to the size of his head a second later. He tossed the ball forward and without wasting another moment, dashed after the Tyranitar.
But, just as the light was to impact Shade, she swiftly turned on her heel and swung her tail it. When her tail smashed into the sphere, it was sent flying back at the Zoroark. He hastily maneuvered out of the way, just barely avoiding the sphere by a hair. It continued to sail past him, where it flew into a tree and tore right through it, knocking it over.
"You really thought that would work, didn't you?" Shade asked with a sneer. "Well maybe on any other Tyranitar, but not me. Oh no, not me."
The Tyranitar stomped her foot into the ground. Fissures formed beneath her as sharp rocks erupted from the cracks and circled about her rapidly.
"As much as I would enjoy to keep playing with you, I do think I should probably put an end to this," Shade then said. "It's probably best."
She let out a loud roar and then threw her arms forward. The pieces of rock immediately left her and sailed toward the Zoroark at lightning speeds, barely even visible as they became grey blurs. The Zoroark leapt to the side, but it did little good. He hadn't reacted fast enough.
Dozens of sharp stones pierced him, ripping apart his fur and flesh without hesitation. He let out a horrifying wail as he desperately held out his arms to block the stones, but to no avail.
When the attack ceased, the Zoroark fell upon the ground, landing in a puddle of his own blood.
The Zoroark's eyes fluttered. He wearily looked back at Team Vendetta, the illusion light in his eyes dimming. He stared directly at the trembling Zorua and gave a pitiful frown.
"Ze… kra…" he croaked.
Then, his eyes closed and his head slumped against the ground.
"Zev…" she responded, her voice equally as hoarse.
"Good riddance," the great Shade scoffed, shaking her head at the mess before her. "Throw him into the woods with the rest. Let us stop any more tragedies from happening today."
"Zev," Zekra said again, her body limply hanging from the energy bubble which still contained her.
"Zev… you survived."
"All this time, you… survived."
"You're the only one…"
"You're the only one left I have…"
"YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE!"
"NO! YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DIE!"
"RAAAAAAAAHHHH!"
And then, Zekra snapped.
Much to the surprise of the Mismagius, Zekra's body erupted in light, just the same way the Zoroark's had. The strength of the bubble could not hold it any longer; she let her energy erupt from inside of her, her pent-up darkness, her despair, her will to survive and her hatred for the demons who had taken everything away from her.
Everything except for her brother.
And she burst out of the bubble as a mighty Greninja, roaring with the most pure, passionate voice of desperation and hatred that Terron had ever heard. She leaped straight into the air with the coiled power of the ninja's legs, just as she had learned from her brother…
"STOP HER!" Shade shouted indignantly.
She jumped again and she spun her body, releasing several shuriken of water at the fallen form of the Zoroark, as though to put him out of his misery.
However, one of the watery blades held a payload: a cloth which Zekra had torn from her own neck.
The Zoroark flinched as the attack hit him, his eyes blinking open dreamily. With what little strength he had left, he noticed the object in front of him: the crumpled, violet cape lazily covering his claw.
He closed the claw, gripping onto the object.
The false Greninja twisted in the air and landed away from all her captors, and she bolted for the horizon.
"That's a Reunion Cape!" the Chandelure noticed too late. "Those weren't scarves! Those were Reunion Capes! They folded them to look like scarves…"
But Terron couldn't hear the rest of what the ghost was saying, because he soon found himself teleported far away from his captors, along with Zekra, Novus, and the weary, bloody, fallen form of a Zoroark.
"Zev!" Zekra gasped, nudging his face as she became a Zorua. "Zev! Zev, they're coming! Zev, you've got to wake up! Zev, please!"
"Not… dead…" the Zoroark grunted. "I'm… strong… enough..."
The Zoroark's body shined with illusion light and soon stood before them as a huge creature: a healthy, unharmed Arcanine.
The false Arcanine dashed into them, bumping them onto his back.
"Hold on," he ordered. "We're going to survive."
"Zev…" Zekra said breathlessly, her body almost too weak to cling to his back. "You're… plagued…"
"Fighting the plague is difficult, isn't it?" Zeverous said with heavy breaths as they ran away from Dusk Mines. "But I won't let it take you… not today."
As they galloped away on the Arcanine's back into the empty wilderness, Terron couldn't quite grasp what had happened. He was just beginning to realize that Blight was not, in fact, a Greninja, and that Zekra was very happy about that for some reason. He barely even realized they had almost been betrayed by the Oracion Fellowship themselves, thrown into Erebus Woods, and left for dead.
But what he knew most keenly was that he could no longer call himself a Fellowship member.
He cast his gaze into the distance and saw the tiny, disappearing specks on the horizon against the edge of Erebus Woods and the Dusk Mines Fellowship: the Pokémon which he knew were watching them flee.
The Pokémon he had defied a direct order from.
Terron realized that he was now an enemy of the Fellowship. They all were.
Team Vendetta were traitors.
Special thanks to ScytheRider for writing out at least half of this chapter for me.