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Chapter 43

From Shadows

Zeverous, in his false Arcanine form, sprinted out of the empty woods surrounding Dusk Mines and into an open field. Every bound sent a jolt of searing pain into his muscles, nearly breaking his illusion every time. Yet, he pressed on. He had to leave Shade and the other Fellowship members far behind him. He couldn't afford to have the captors catch him and the ones in his company.

He glanced back to find Terron, Zekra, and Novus still clinging to him, but just barely.

"Zev, we need to find somewhere to hide," Zekra said weakly. "You can't keep running…"

"I know… I know," he said between pants. "I'll find something…"

Zeverous hastily looked about the vicinity, desperately searching for something that could provide shelter. Surely, even among the seemingly endless fields that were lined with nothing but grass, there had to be a place where they could hide. Somewhere that the Fellowship could not find them, even if only for a short time.

He managed to spot several hills sprouting out of the ground not too far in the distance. Seeing his chance, the false Arcanine picked up his speed and bolted for the sight. When he came to one of the hills moments later, he brought himself to a halt. He bent down and gently rolled onto his side, his passengers landing in a heap beside him.

"Don't worry; we're here."

A bright light washed over him and turned him into a Sandslash. He quickly plunged his claws into the side of the slope with haste, cutting into the dirt with ease. Seconds later, a makeshift cave stood before him, tunneling deep into the hill. He ceased his illusion and became a Zoroark before he scooped up the team in his arms and carried them inside.

Then, he sealed the entrance shut with an illusion.

Just as the hill's gaping hole was covered with a false, grassy slope, a Mismagius and Chandelure seeped out of the ground where the team stood seconds ago.

"What a clever tactic," the Chandelure said. "Then again, I shouldn't have suspected anything less from a Zoroark. Their illusion capabilities can be quite astounding, especially if one has become plagued."

"Well then, I believe it's time we find Mistress Shade and report our finding to her," the Mismagius said eagerly.

He swooped back to the base, the Chandelure swiftly following behind him. The many groups of Pokémon searching about the area paid the two no mind. When the ghosts came to Dusk Mines, they found Shade leaning against the outer wall, wearing a long, unpleasant scowl.

"Mistress Shade," the Mismagius said as he and the Chandelure stopped before the Tyranitar. "We-"

"We could not find the team or their plagued Zoroark," the Chandelure abruptly cut in. "And from how things seem, I do not believe anyone else has found them yet either. The entire plain is deserted. I strongly suspect that they fled into the skies."

The Mismagius shot the Chandelure a glance, but she subtly flared up one of her flames for just a second, forcing him to stifle his disbelief with a grim frown. The Tyranitar's scowl seemed to deepen as she glanced off into the direction where Team Vendetta had escaped.

"So I see," she replied. "Well then, seems I have a new order to give those here as well as have someone bring my partner and Chrysalis here. There's a situation that I need to discuss face-to-face with them…"

And with that, the mighty Tyranitar walked away and disappeared into the empty forest. The Mismagius and Chandelure watched her leave until she was completely gone from sight.

"Why didn't you tell her where those pests were?" the Mismagius hissed at the Chandelure. "We could have killed them right there while they are weak!"

"Because you underestimate the situation," the Chandelure answered. "For one, those children are not alone anymore; they have the Zoroark. Despite how battered he was, he could still use his illusion abilities. If we tried to attack now, he or even the Zorua may simply become a ghost-type like us and escape through the hill they enclose themselves in. They also have the Reunion Capes they so cleverly disguised as scarves, which will allow all of them to escape if one of the illusion users breaks free. Also, consider their supplies. I did not see what they carried, but I can safely assume that they hold Oran berries that will no doubt heal them sufficiently enough by the time we return to such place. They will slaughter us if they are given back their strength or even be able to fly away."

"Hm, you're right," the Mismagius said thoughtfully. "I don't know how I overlooked those things. And not only that, but we do not know if Mistress Shade is very talented at strategizing. She didn't seem to implement any sort of strategy when trying to defeat that Zoroark. She could very well ruin this opportunity and my trust in her is practically non-existent…"

"Exactly. We need someone who we know has such talent in strategy if we want to kill such Pokémon. We cannot do this with brute force alone. A carefully devised plan is the only way to accomplish this."

"And I know just the one who can craft such a plan," he said with a devilish grin.

A flame rose from Novus's crown, bringing light to the dark burrow. Terron found that he, Zekra, and Novus were resting against a wall, Zeverous sitting opposite of them. The Zoroark reached into the backpack that sat beside him and pulled out an Oran berry. He ripped off a large chunk with his teeth and watched the children with an uneasy frown.

"You should eat some Oran berries, if you happen to have any on you," Zeverous suggested. "You didn't fight much, but you're obviously rather tired."

Terron gave a slow nod. He wanted to say something to this Zoroark, the one that Zekra thought was dead for so long, but he found he couldn't say anything. The events of the day had ravaged his mind, making it difficult to even have a coherent thought. All he could do was take out three of the berries and hand one to each of his companions.

He and Novus took a bite out of the fruit, but Zekra seemed to completely ignore the fruit in her paw. Her blank eyes were set on the Zoroark before her.

"Zev… you're alive…" Zekra whispered.

She rose to her feet. Zeverous averted his gaze from her, his frown becoming increasingly uncomfortable with each step she took. Soon, she stood right in front of him.

"All this time… you were alive," she said. "Even after everyone thought you were dead… Even after I thought you were dead…"

Zeverous didn't respond, still refusing to make eye contact with the Zorua.

"… Yes, I'm still alive… somewhat."

"What happened to you, Zev?" Zekra asked, her voice hoarse. "Where have you been for two years? Why were you pretending to be a Greninja? And why are you plagued?"

The Zoroark closed his eyes as he released a low sigh and shook his head.

"It's a very long story," Zeverous said, dropping his arms by his sides. "But, I'll tell it to you. Better get comfortable."

The team gave a slow, reluctant nod. Zekra carefully took a seat next to her friends and crammed the Oran berry into her mouth. The Zoroark smiled for just a brief moment before slumping his back against the wall.

"Like I said when I was Blight, I'm a mercenary," Zeverous began, his voice low and quiet. "I do everything and anything that someone pays me to do. Want me to kill the one you loathe? Done. Want me to get rid of the wild Beedrill that are infesting the tree you live in? Done. Want me to get into the mind of some explorer who knows where this ancient cavern filled with treasure is since he won't let anyone else know? Done. Now, you might ask why I chose to take on a profession. Well, I'll tell you why; because being able to create these powerful illusions lets me do just about everything and anything."

A bright light washed over the Zoroark, forcing Team Vendetta to cover their eyes. When they lowered their arms, they found they were no longer with a Zoroark. Zeverous was now a mighty Pidgeot, its wings raised high into the air with a proud gleam in its eyes.

"I could fly using the swift wings of a flying-type. Perhaps to be a messenger for someone who needed a package delivered by a certain time."

There was another flash, and then the Pidgeot's body became encased in the light. The blob shifted in shape, shrinking down as its structure changed and seemed to grow fins all throughout its body. When the light faded seconds later, there stood a Vaporeon before the team, its black eyes shining with a deep serenity.

"I could dive into the deep depths of the ocean as a water-type. Maybe in this form I can fetch a sunken treasure that no one else could ever attempt to reach."

The Vaporeon once again changed. Its form became bipedal and an extra tail sprouted beside the original, both becoming more curved and lined with blue fur: a Meowstic.

"I could even enter the minds of any Pokémon who wasn't a dark-type if I took on the form of a psychic-type. I could easily steal information from your thoughts that someone else desperately wants. The endless possibilities I could do with my illusions."

Zeverous cast the team a smirk before returning to his true form. The form he no longer had to hide from the three.

"I wanted to use these powers for something useful, so I decided that being a mercenary was a rather good way of doing so," he went on. "So one day, when you were just a year old, Zekra, I went out into the world and became a mercenary to do just that. I needed to leave home anyway soon, so Mom and Dad didn't mind so much when I told them that I found something I wanted to do with my life. Of course, I never told them I was going to be a mercenary. I always figured they'd question my ethics if I told them that. And, they would have been right to assume that becoming a mercenary would cause me to do many questionable things."

The Zoroark chuckled to himself. It wasn't a happy laugh.

"For a while, I was pretty happy with myself. Found a large number of forms that proved rather useful, made a rather decent living off the pay I received, and saw much of the world that I don't think I would have been able to see if I wasn't a mercenary."

Zeverous's eyes gave off a blinding flash. Terron, Zekra, and Novus flinched and hurriedly blinked. But, when all of the fuzzy lights faded from their vision, they were baffled to find that they were no longer in a burrow with Zeverous. They were now in a strange cavern, the walls and flooring lined in crystals of all shapes and colors. Each crystal gave off a strange, otherworldly glow that illuminated the entire room.

"Such as here," Zeverous said wistfully. "I had to come here because someone thought that there were evolution stones deep within this cave, yet they were too scared to go themselves. There weren't any of the stones, but still, this cavern was truly a sight to see. A complete marvel."

Terron glanced over a rather large crystal extending out of the ground beside him. With a curious gaze, he reached out to touch the glistening stone and much to his surprise, found that he could actually feel its smooth surface. The light within the crystal seemed to flicker for just a moment.

"It feels real, doesn't it?" Zeverous asked, his eyes radiating a blue light.

"Yeah, it does…" Terron said, mesmerized.

"Well, that's how powerful my illusions can be," Zeverous chuckled. "Reality is a very easy thing to obscure for me. Do you want to know why this reality I've put you in feels so real?"

Terron nodded slowly, still keeping his gaze on the crystal before him.

"Because you think it's real."

The Cubone snapped his gaze back to the Zoroark, his jaw dropped open. He didn't need to look at his teammates to know that they shared a similar expression on their own faces. Zeverous held back a laugh.

"Illusions are powered by your thoughts, to explain it as simply as I can," the Zoroark explained. "My illusions are so powerful because you believe that the reality I've put you in is real. The more you believe that you're in the 'real' reality, the easier it is for me to manipulate that reality. It's a mind game that you never realize that you're in."

"So if I just stop believing this is real, then I can get out of the illusion?" Terron then asked.

"Theoretically, yes," Zeverous shrugged. "However, convincing yourself that the fake reality isn't real is a bit difficult. You're still going to subconsciously think that everything going on around you is real. That's why it's incredibly difficult to break out of illusions through willpower alone. The only reliable way to escape the fake reality is to have an illusion user who can dispel the illusion. Typically, illusionists can tell if they're in a false reality. We just get this… feeling after a few minutes or so. But ah, I'm simply rambling now. I still need to finish the story I'm telling you."

The cavern quickly faded away and the four once again found themselves in the burrow. The light in Zeverous's eyes faded.

"Anyway, that was my life for a while," he continued. "Everything was quite fine and every summer, I could take a break from my profession and visit you, Zekra. I had to… lie to you and our parents about what I was doing sadly, but I tried to make it up to you guys bringing you gifts I found on my travels.

"And then, two years ago, that's when life decided to turn against me."

A snarl escaped Zeverous's throat. Team Vendetta cringed and backed up against the wall. Terron dug a paw into his coat to take out a bone club, but stopped when he saw the Zoroark's scowl fade into a grimace.

"Ngh, just the mere thought is quite crippling," Zeverous groaned as he pressed a set of three claws into his temple.

"You sure you can keep talking?" Terron asked cautiously. "I mean, I don't want you to snap like you did all those other times…"

"I should be fine," Zeverous replied. "I should be strong enough to fight off my inner Plagued One."

Terron nodded, but still kept a paw hovering close to his pocket just in case.

"Two years ago, I received a request for my services from the Dusk Mines Fellowship," Zeverous went on. "The… leader had apparently heard about me from one of his members and wanted to ask if I could become one of his members. I rejected his offer, since I wasn't very interested in working with the Fellowship, but he insisted I stay, offering me a large payment in exchange for being his unofficial member for three months. Looking back, I really should have been suspicious about that. He was so… desperate to keep me in Dusk Mines. I even felt Erebus's influence filling the place. But, I was an idiot and accepted his deal without thinking much of his behavior or the strange atmosphere about the place. Ugh, if only I had, for once, listened to my fear when it screamed to get out of that Fellowship."

The Zoroark shoved his claws into his scalp further, cringing.

"I worked for that wretched Sableye for two months, acting as though I were one of his members. I served as a messenger, slaughtered countless wild Pokémon living near the base for their pantry, acted as night-watcher on the days the typical ghosts couldn't do so, and other small tasks. None of the jobs he gave me were anything troublesome. It really made me wonder exactly why he chose to hire me, this Zoroark with the abilities of about a hundred Pokémon. And then… he sent me on that mission. The mission to enter Erebus Woods and collect the evolution stones the place supposedly produced.

"I knew about Erebus Woods for most of my stay at Dusk Mines. I had seen several members come back from the forest and had even seen it from a distance. And while I could see that there was something very, very wrong with that forest, I didn't ask anyone about it. I was too frightened to ask. So, I didn't say anything when I was asked to go into that horrifying nightmare with a few other members and the aid of that Deception Amulet you wear around your neck. I simply went with them… unquestioningly."

He squeezed his eyes shut and sank his claws even deeper into his skull. The claws resting near his side began to leak of crimson streams. Terron grimaced as he curled his paw around a club from within his coat.

"We only wandered in that horrible forest for a few minutes before it happened. I'm sorry for the gruesome things you're about to see, but… I think it's best if I show you just what happened. There are no words I can use to describe this particular part of my memory…"

Zeverous's eyes became alight with the aqua color once more. The world around the team blurred as his power seeped into their minds and rapidly created the false reality. Within seconds, the four found themselves in a forest that reeked of a foreboding, chilling aura…

Not too far away from where the four sat were a Slowking, Swampert, Dusknoir, Zoroark, and Roserade, all staying close together as they treaded through the dungeon, occasionally letting their eyes wander about. Despite how stoic each of them appeared to be, the dread upon their faces was very clear.

The team immediately recognized the Zoroark to be Zeverous.

"How many of those stones do we need to collect?" the false Zeverous asked.

"He said about ten," the Slowking answered. "So as soon as we collect that much, we can get out of here."

"Yeah, alright," Zeverous replied. "How long does it normally take to get that many stones?"

"Depends really," the Roserade in the front said. "Sometimes we find a whole stash of them in one area. Other times, it takes thirty sectors just to get five of them."

"I see."

The fake Zeverous nervously tapped his claws together. Moving forward seemed to become taxing for him. Yet, he carried on with his companions, keeping as close to them as possible.

"My puppets, you've brought a visitor with you."

Terron and Zekra's breath caught in their throats. They were all too familiar with the cold, unsettling voice that echoed all throughout the dungeon. The two sprang to their feet and prepared to bolt from the forest.

But before they could, they saw the glow in Zeverous's eyes. Once they noticed that, they were immediately reminded that everything they were seeing was nothing but an illusion and that they had no reason to fear. They couldn't be plagued further in a false reality. With a grimace, they sat down and brought their focus back to the memory.

The traveling Pokémon abruptly came to a halt as their fur stood on end. Their eyes darted around the forest in a frenzy as they tried to find the origin of the voice.

A shadow swept past the group from under their feet. They hastily leapt from the spot and glanced back to see where the shadow had gone, but it had already faded back into the darkness.

"What was that just now?!" false Zeverous demanded.

"Someone activate an Escape Orb!" the Roserade cried. "We're aborting this mission right now! I don't care what the liege says! We can't stay here with that thing right here with us!"

"What are you talking about?" false Zeverous asked yet again, growling under his breath. "What is that 'thing' that just went by us? Answer me!"

"No one's going to answer you, Zeverous. None of these Pokémon ever answer the questions outsiders ask."

Zeverous flinched. In the corner of his eye, he saw the shadow along the wall. Though it didn't have a definite shape, he could clearly see wisps rising from various parts of its form like smoke. The streams danced along the walls.

The Pokémon around Zeverous searched through their bags with a greater sense of urgency while Zeverous could only watch the shadow, his body too stiff to even move.

"I don't normally visit those who decide to enter my home so directly, but you're a special exception, Zeverous. I can't afford for you to be here the way you are now."

Black tendrils shot up from beneath the Zoroark and wrapped themselves around him, rendering him immobile within seconds. He let out a loud scream as he attempted to muster up an illusion, but the light was quick to fade. The tentacles dug into his fur as the shadow's own tendrils seemed to lengthen.

Then, the tendrils holding Zeverous suddenly released him and sank back into the ground. He staggered and then fell, landing in a heap. His eyes closed and his own fur became tainted with black smoke.

"I've got the Escape Orb!" the Swampert exclaimed.

"Only took you forever to find it!" the Roserade shouted in exasperation. "Ugh, we really need to put those at the top of the bag. Now get us out of he-"

There was a blur of movement, and then everyone found the false Zeverous standing over the Swampert, a set of claws sunk deep into the creature's chest. His eyes burned with a malevolent, eerie glow that resembled that of a monster.

The last thing Team Vendetta saw was the absolute terror upon the illusionary Pokémon's faces before everything changed. The corrupted woods faded away and soon, they found themselves sitting far away from dungeon, Dusk Mines also in the far distance. But, their company had changed. The illusionary Zoroark was still among them, but he was collapsed once more, gasping and trembling as his pupils pinpointed and dilated rapidly. The dark wisps that once covered him were no longer present. Standing in front of him was Chloe, who seemed unmoved by the spectacle.

"Where are the others that were with you?" she asked.

Zeverous didn't respond. The Turtwig glanced down at his claws to find that they dripped of fresh blood. Set right beside him was a shredded bag that seemed ready to fall apart at any second. It was a wonder that it still managed to hold its contents.

"So that's what happened," she stated blandly.

She stared at the Zoroark for just a moment longer before turning away.

"Stay here. Let me get my liege. He needs to be informed of what's happened."

Then, without even waiting for a reply, she headed for the Fellowship. Zeverous remained where he was, eyes frozen open as his claws curled around the grass beneath him.

Minutes of silence passed and the false Zeverous had still not moved from his spot.

"The Zoroark you hired has returned from Erebus Woods. However, it seems that Erebus managed to gain control of him and forced him to kill your members. I found him right here, just like this, when I was going out for fresh air."

Zeverous looked up to find Chloe standing over him, but now she had Yimtri by her side. The real Zeverous let out a low growl and bared his teeth. Team Vendetta gave him an uneasy glance before they slowly scooted away from the Zoroark. Yet, even as Zeverous continued to make the guttural noises, the memory continued.

"Zeverous… did you encounter a strange creature in Erebus Woods?" Yimtri asked cautiously. "A creature that seemed to fill your being with a consuming cold when you felt its presence?"

"Yes…" the false Zeverous muttered.

"And what exactly did that creature do to you?"

"It… spoke to me and then wrapped me in these tentacles that were so cold… then something took over my body. Something made me kill those Pokémon and all I could do was watch myself do it. I couldn't stop until they were all dead… I don't even know how I managed to get myself to stop and grab that Escape Orb…"

Yimtri looked upon the Zoroark, his expression blank.

"What happened to me?" Zeverous asked, pleading to the Sableye. "What was that shadow? What did it do to me…?"

The Sableye glanced off in the direction where the woods lay. Then, he looked down at the Turtwig beside him. She returned his empty stare.

"Perhaps you should tell him," she said. "We cannot hide the truth when he so clearly saw it. He might also be problematic if we do not tell him what has happened, as he could spread the truth to the world."

"I suppose those are valid points…" Yimtri confessed unwillingly. "Perhaps just one Pokémon outside of Dusk Mines can know of what's truly happening…"

Yimtri brought his gaze to the weary and desperate Zoroark. He opened his mouth to say something, but cut himself short and looked away. He grimaced and curled his claws into his palms.

Chloe moved closer to the Sableye and leaned her head into his side. Somehow, she didn't fade through his intangible form, mostly likely because the ghost was forcing himself to remain tangible. He gave a deep sigh and looked back at Zeverous.

"That creature you saw… is a creature I call Erebus," Yimtri started to say. "It has the ability to... manipulate Pokémon into doing whatever it says by infecting them with its influence. That's exactly what it did to you from what I can tell."

"I'm… infected?" Zeverous whimpered.

"Yes, you are," Yimtri sighed. "Though, it seems that you have been infected far worse than any other Pokémon I know for some reason. Erebus doesn't typically infect you that much the first time you enter the forest… it normally takes quite a few visits to become as tainted as you are… Why would it do that to you, I-"

"You knew."

Yimtri stopped. Zeverous's horrified expression was now replaced with a malicious glare. His irises were ablaze. Black streams escaped his fur.

"You… knew," Zeverous said, his voice now a snarl. "You knew about Erebus this whole time and everything it could do to me… yet you sent me to it. You were feeding me to it."

The Sableye staggered. Chloe immediately took on a hostile stance as the fire in the Zoroark's eyes seemed to grow.

"You… you purposely sent me there!" Zeverous hissed. "You planned this! You knew! You knew all along and you sent me there to become fodder for that abomination! YOU KNEW!"

The Zoroark lunged at the Sableye, his claws covered in a crimson light as he grabbed the ghost and pinned him to the ground. Yimtri struggled, but found he was unable to escape from Zeverous's grasp. The Night Slash prevented Yimtri from phasing out of the claws.

Zeverous released one clawed hand from the ghost and brought it upon the Sableye. But before the attack could connect, something slammed into the Zoroark's side, releasing Yimtri from his grasp and knocking him over. As he hit the ground, a barrage of sharp leaves cut into his abdomen. He screeched as he swiveled his head in the direction of the attack to find Chloe standing at a distance, wearing a cold scowl.

"You will not kill him, Zoroark," Chloe growled.

The false Zeverous roared in response. Chloe kept her eyes glued to the Zoroark as Yimtri got back to his feet. A dark energy surrounded each of his claws.

"Zeverous, do not make Chloe and myself fight you," the Sableye said in a subdued voice. "Stifle the grudge you hold against me for your own sake. Otherwise, we will be forced to bring you back to reason the only way we can. Don't make us resort to that."

"RAAWWWR!"

There was a loud cry and then, the plagued Zoroark sprang at the Sableye. Yimtri almost seemed saddened as Zeverous closed the gap between them.

The memory abruptly ended and Team Vendetta immediately found themselves in their burrow once more. The Zoroark with them clutched his scalp with both sets of claws as he violently bashed his forehead into the wall beside him.

"Zev…?" Zekra asked as she hesitantly stood up.

Zeverous slammed his head one last time before keeping it slumped against the wall. He released a tired, exasperated sigh as the wisps escaping his claws vanished.

"I'm fine," he said, the bright glow in his eyes gone. "But, at least that went better than I anticipated it would. I thought my inner Plagued One would take full advantage of the situation… guess I got lucky."

Zekra gave a reluctant nod as she sat back down.

"Where was I?" Zeverous wondered. "Oh, right. I ended up attacking the… Sableye and his companion and thankfully for them, they managed to knock me out. When I woke up again, I found out that they put me in the medical wing and was supposed to stay there for a week. Tch, it was much longer than I think was necessary, but they probably did that to make sure I didn't snap again or something. But after that week, I continued working in that Fellowship for the rest of my agreed time. You don't know how much I wanted to bolt out of that Fellowship, but I forced myself to stay because I had a mercenary code to follow. Even if it meant staying near that twisted forest, I remained until the third month past. I was such an idiot and filled with so much pride by doing that, but thank the gods, nothing catastrophic happened in that last month.

"Still, you can know that the second that third month ended, I was quick to leave. Didn't want to stand another minute in that wretched Fellowship with that Sableye and Erebus looming so close by. The Sableye had his Turtwig companion try to give me that amulet as a poor attempt of an apology for all that happened to me, but I refused to have it. I didn't want to become invincible when I had become a monster.

"After that, I went back to my typical life, telling no one about the horror I had witnessed because truthfully, I wanted to pretend nothing had happened to me. Of course, I was never allowed to forget. No, I wasn't allowed to be that fortunate. I was forced to stay away from the misery dungeons that infested the region, for I was warned of what would happen if I dared to enter another one again. I was also quick to discover that I was not simply 'infected' like I was told; I was plagued. I noticed how the wisps that drifted off my body whenever I became infuriated heavily resembled the wisps of the Plagued Ones, as well as how my overall behavior seemed to match theirs. Then, two things more things in my life had to take a turn for the worse. For one, I had to dedicate every morning to slaughtering anything I could find. My inner Plagued One, despite being so far away from Erebus, would still arise in my mind, whispering strange things to me, and the only way I found I could silence its voice was by killing others. It's… awful, but it's the only thing I can do right now that works. Every morning… waking up… leaving dozens of corpses in my wake… day after day… if I wasn't a dark-type, I'm fairly certain I would have gone insane from the mass amount of killing I've had to do.

"The other thing that went into a downward spiral is one that you're all too familiar with, Zekra; that I couldn't visit you, Mom, and Dad anymore."

Zekra frowned and lowered her gaze.

"I couldn't come back to you guys because I feared that I would snap and possibly kill you," Zeverous grimaced. "I just couldn't bear the thought of that… so I didn't come back. It hurt so much, knowing that all of you were wondering where I was, but I just couldn't come. And, I didn't have the heart to have a messenger tell you I wouldn't come back. I... took the coward's way out. And even when I finally decided to face you after learning the fate of our home, I still couldn't do it. If you knew who I really was, you would have had questions for me. And I wasn't sure that you were ready to hear the answers."

"How did you find us again?" Zekra asked hollowly.

The Zoroark reached into the bag beside him and shuffled through its contents. After a few moments, he pulled out a pale blue container that seemed to be crafted out of ice; Zekra's Frism.

"I went back to Blackoak Town after I finally convinced myself to at least check up on you," Zeverous answered. "But, I found that no one was there and eventually came across the Frism you left me. Your message explained everything to me that I needed to know. I hurried to Aurora Town as fast as I could… but also found that town had been abandoned as well. I had to spend the next few weeks tirelessly prying through the Fellowship in order to figure out what had happened to you and where you had gone, but I did find out you were on Shirra. I came to the island and watched you from afar, and then you found me, asking to retrieve the very item that I rejected years ago. Then after you left the island, your caretakers found me just as was about to go after you once more and they pleaded that I watch over you. And then, you know what happened afterwards."

Zekra nodded absently. Zeverous placed the Frism next to her as he looked into her dejected eyes. He reached over to her and gently placed a paw over her head.

"I'm sorry for all the pain I've caused you," he said ruefully. "I really should have told you what happened to me. You didn't deserve to remain in the dark. And now, when I finally see you again, I find you plagued, just like me. I'm so sorry, Zekra. I'm sorry I couldn't be strong enough to come back until it was too late."

Zekra stared up at the Zoroark, eyes glazed over.

And then, something pounced into Zeverous's chest. He flinched at the sudden movement, anticipating claws to slice into him, but was quick to see that no harm had come. Instead, he found Zekra clinging to him, tears running down her eyes as she buried her face deep into his fur.

"I don't care if you were being a coward… you're back. That's all that I care about," she whimpered, her voice muffled. "I'm just so happy to have my brother back. But please… promise me you won't leave again. You're all the family that I have left. I don't want to lose you again."

He remained still, unable to react for a moment. Then, he released a sigh and held her close.

"I promise," he breathed. "I'll keep you safe and fight what corrupts us both. I won't abandon you."

Zekra smiled weakly. The two held their embrace for a moment longer before the Zoroark set the Zorua by her friends. Zekra wiped away the tears that still coursed down her face, still smiling. Zeverous returned the smile as he reached for the purple cape resting by his side; the Reunion Cape Zekra had used to save him. He folded it and gently, but securely knotted it around her neck.

Terron watched the happy moment in silence before a troubling thought came to his mind.

"Your story… it's a little different than the story Yimtri told us about you," Terron stated quietly.

Zeverous's smile abruptly became a scowl. His eyes darkened.

"You make it sound as though you anticipated he'd tell you the truth," Zeverous growled. "How different is his version of my story?"

"He said that you were a treasure hunter and that he found you near Dusk Mines because you were looking for something," Terron answered cautiously. "That's the only detail that I remember that was different from your story."

"So for once, he told a mostly whole truth? What a surprise," Zeverous scoffed. "Well, I have no idea why he'd change that detail. Perhaps because he's so used to telling so many lies, he can't say anything without inserting at least one lie into everything he says. Tch."

The Zoroark eyed the three before him.

"Speaking of which, what did the Sableye do to you that made you plagued?" he asked.

"When we were still in the Fellowship, we found a mission to go collect evolution stones in Erebus Woods," Terron explained. "We went there with two other friends who… aren't with us anymore, one of our leaders, and Yimtri. We got separated in the dungeon, and then Erebus made Yimtri go crazy and he started attacking all of us."

"So Erebus originally plagued you," Zeverous replied. "I see… and how badly plagued are you three?"

"I'm not too bad I guess," Terron shrugged, trying his best to remain stoic. "I just sometimes hear my plagued self's voice in my mind sometimes. It… likes to pretend to be my voice of reason. But it never tries to control me or make me want to kill things."

The Zoroark nodded and looked over at his sister. An uncomfortable frown came across his face.

"And you, Zekra?" he asked.

"I have it… kind of bad," Zekra answered sheepishly. "I mean, not as bad as you Zev, but it's worse than Tear's. I don't really hear the voice in my head, but every time I see wild Pokémon, I get these… urges to kill them. And sometimes, it feels really addicting and good to kill. Like I won't want to stop. And then whenever I see Plagued Ones… the plagued me… it… well… it takes complete control of me and attacks anyone who gets in my way. And, I don't remember anything it does whenever that happens."

"So that's how it is," Zeverous said quietly. "Well… at least you are not plagued as much as I feared. You're still yourself and I'm very happy to see that. Perhaps we'll be able to keep it that way… hopefully. And what about you, Novus?"

Everyone turned toward the Quilava, who had been completely silent for most of the conversation. They found he had his attention toward the entrance of the burrow, his eyes void and glassy.

"Novus?" Zeverous asked again.

There was still no response. Terron tapped on the Quilava's shoulder, causing Novus's fire to flare up. He flinched as he snapped his attention back to the group.

"Oh, you were speaking to me," Novus said, calming his flames. "What were you asking?"

"How badly plagued are you?" Zeverous asked more impatiently this time.

"I am not plagued," Novus answered. "I did not join this team until after Terron and Zekra got back from the Blight Forest. Sorry for not answering you earlier."

"I see," the Zoroark replied simply. "You're the fortunate one of the four of us."

Novus nodded, but his eyes seemed to wander elsewhere. Terron continued to watch the Quilava with a glare, wondering what could be causing Novus's focus to waver so easily.

"So, the four of us are traitors to the Fellowship now," Zeverous announced.

Hearing those words immediately reminded Terron of the reality he had temporarily forgotten. He had been so stunned by everything that happened earlier that day, that he somehow managed to not think about what impacted his life the most now. It almost baffled him how easily he was able to forget the grim situation he was now in.

"Yeah… Shade's probably telling the other Fellowships what happened right now," Terron said in a low, hesitant voice. "Ugh, we weren't even in the Fellowship for a day and now we're traitors. This wasn't supposed to happen. We were supposed to find information inside the Fellowship and now we can't even go inside a base without someone probably wanting to kill us. Why does the Fellowship have to be so rigid with following their orders? Or is it just Shade who's like that? I mean, I don't remember Len being this strict. Then again, we never disobeyed orders from him… Ugggggh."

He pressed his paws into his helmet, groaning loudly.

And I thought it was bad enough that Yimtri wanted to kill us. Terron thought irritably. But no! Now we've got all the factions of the Fellowship after us now! Tch, just my luck that this is happening. It's like what happened with Aurora Town all over again…

"So what do we do now?" Zekra asked. "Where do we go?"

"Well, what is your overall goal?" Zeverous asked. "I realize that you were trying to get information, but you had another one, right?"

"Yeah, it's to defeat the Plagued Ones," she replied.

"Well then, hmm. Your options seem rather few right now. You can't go back to the Fellowship, and you can't simply go to Erebus and hope to defeat it in your current state… that's basically suicide. Hmmm…"

"Hey Tear, what do you think we should do now?"

Terron found that everyone was now staring directly at him. All of them remained silent, awaiting the Cubone's direction. Even Novus, who had seemed so absent earlier, now had his full attention on Terron. Terron grit his teeth as he felt a cold chill wash over him.

They're counting on me to say something. he realized. Whatever I say next, they're going to do. But… what do we do? What is there left to do?

He clenched his paws as he desperately searched his mind for an idea. A hint of what to make of their situation. But, there was nothing. His mind could not offer even a shred of a suggestion despite how desperately he tried to find one.

What do we do when the one place there's answers isn't open to us anymore? Where do we go? We can't just wander around Shiron for the rest of our lives. We have to do something! But what?! What can we possibly do to-

"Tear?" Zekra asked, shaking his arm with a paw.

"I'm thinking!" Terron suddenly shouted.

Zekra shirked away, ears folded back. Terron felt the regret pierce through his chest when he realized what he had done.

"Sorry," he sighed, releasing some of the burning tension from his heart. "I just really need to think. Our options are really limited right now."

"Well, we could go find those pins," Zekra suggested meekly. "I mean, not like we have anything to lose by doing that. Or we could always try to sneak into the Fellowship and raid their paperwork or something to find that information you're looking for."

"We could…" Terron considered. "But I don't know where to start looking for those pins and I don't know if I want to risk raiding the Fellowship. You saw what happened last time we tried to take a big risk… I don't want it happening again. I just can't bear the thought of losing you guys."

"Then perhaps you should consider my idea for just a moment."

Everyone turned to the older Quilava. It was somewhat of a surprise to hear him speaking when he seemed to be gone from the conversations.

"What's your idea?" Terron asked.

Novus raised a paw into the air as he began to speak, but then cut himself short. He paused and soon, a grim frown spread across his face. He set his paw down and looked away from the group. The flames blazing from his head flickered, as if struggling against an unseen wind.

"Novus, what is it?" Terron asked again. "We're open to anything right now. We don't care what it is."

"I know that," Novus answered, returning his reluctant gaze to the Cubone. "I truly do. But..."

"Then say it," Terron said, his voice becoming a quiet hiss. "Tell me what's on your mind. Tell me so that you can help us."

The Quilava gave a long sigh. Yet, he nodded and his eyes burned with a newfound resolve.

"Allow me to explain something to you; I have been withholding some information from all of you," Novus spoke solemnly, refusing to lower his gaze.

Terron frowned. He could feel the burning in his heart, telling him to give the Quilava a lashing, but he stifled the thought. There was more to be heard.

"You see, I did not join your team nor the Fellowship because I wanted to contribute to a resistance against the foul, plaguing creatures. I joined because I was searching for allies to help me find two Pokémon. Two Pokémon… who I believe might be the only true ones capable of ending this nightmare."

"Who?" Terron asked.

The tension in the Quilava returned. He glanced away, the resolution he once held simply gone.

"Who?" Terron seethed. "Who do you want to find?"

"… Reshiram and Zekrom."

Terron continued to stare at the Quilava, waiting to see if anything else would be said. Waiting to see if he had heard the two names correctly.

Nothing else left Novus's tongue. He only returned the Cubone's stare with his own grave, hesitant one.

"You want to find two legendaries that no one's seen for centuries," Terron stated dully.

"Yes," Novus answered. "I know you are doubtful, but let me assure you that I know where to search. There are actually several places to search, but I know with all certainty that one of the Great Beings is in one of those locations. Trust me; I know they are there. I know where to look. We could use their power to defeat the Plagued Ones. I have seen a Great Being's power; it is unmatched by any except for the Ethereal Beings' own power. And as we search, we can also find the pins you seek. We could follow both ideas at once.

"That is what we should truly do, in my opinion; abandon any hopes of trying to gain more knowledge from the Fellowship and instead search out Reshiram and Zekrom, as well as the pins. I'm sorry that I could not tell you of this intention of mine sooner. I simply did not trust you and Zekra enough when I first joined your team and your emotional and physical conditions were not adequate enough to me. But now, it seems times have become desperate and the time to find the dragons has come. We must find at least one of them to aid us in our fight against the filthy abominations. They are the only ones who can help. The other legendary beings do not exist in the mortal realm anymore. It is only Reshiram and Zekrom that are among us mortals."

Any trace of exasperation faded in Terron's heart, only to be replaced by a maelstrom of many other emotions. He thought for a moment, unsure of what to make of this information Novus presented so suddenly. On one hand, he was rather upset that Novus had such a hidden motive and had no intentions of telling him and Zekra of such a plan for what could have been months. Yet on the other hand, he was intrigued by the prospect of having a legendary at his side, fighting alongside him. He reveled in the thought of having such divine protection sheltering him from the relentless assaults of his enemies.

He couldn't decide which of these two clashing thoughts he should voice.

So instead, he chose to do something else.

"Novus… how do you know where to find Reshiram and Zekrom?"

The Quilava cringed. Terron twisted his mouth into a dark scowl, his patience running dangerously low. He already knew of the agony and frustration that came from someone purposefully obfuscating information from him; he refused to have Novus act on the behavior he grew to loathe.

But thankfully for the Cubone, he did not need to lash out at Novus, for the Quilava spoke.

"I know because I am actually much older than you think I am," he answered, each of his words making him cringe. "I have been alive for a very long time. I have actually seen the ones you call legendaries, when they still used to roam the land. I was there when they discovered the Blight Forest and had five of their kind trapped within its grasp. I was there when they disappeared from the world for to protect themselves from the blight that they feared still might exist. I was there when Reshiram and Zekrom stayed behind because they refused to neglect their duty in protecting the world. I was there when they fell into a deep slumber, preventing them from carrying out their duties. I saw all of it."

Terron froze. He tried to wrap his mind around what he had just been told, but found he couldn't.

"That story you told us on the beach… it was a real story, wasn't it?" Zekra managed to ask, just as stunned as Terron. "Is that why you were so scared to see Erebus Woods?"

"Yes," Novus said, his eyes wandering to the ground. "Blight Forest disappeared from the world a long time ago from what I recall. I don't understand why it would have returned. It has the exact same appearance as it did so many centuries ago…"

"Just… how old are you, Novus?" Zekra then asked.

"Longer than you can imagine," the Quilava uttered. "Longer than the lifespan of the Ninetales…"

"How are you even alive still?" Zekra wondered. "I mean, I don't think your kind live that long."

"I… would rather not explain that at the moment," Novus stated. "It's a very complicated detail. But, I will in time. I promise I will. Just not now. Believe me when I tell you that."

Though clearly wanting to know more, Zekra gave a reluctant nod. Terron eyed Novus with a dark glimmer, but otherwise said nothing.

The Quilava offered a paw to the three petrified Pokémon before him.

"Now, returning back to the matter at hand. I ask if we turn our full attention to finding Reshiram and Zekrom," Novus then said. "We have nowhere else to turn to in this world. We have very few options if we wish to destroy the Blight Demons. Finding those two will offer us not only a new path, but also power and protection. Having the aide of any of those two would grant you insured hope that this war will end. Their divine powers will purge the world of the plagued creatures. I promise you that they will. I have witnessed their godly power sweep the lands, ravaging all that oppose them.

"Do you agree with this plan?"

Terron, Zekra, and Zeverous each kept their gazes locked onto the Quilava's, his own gaze steadfast in his conviction. Silence filled the burrow. All that could be heard were the low whispers of a light gale brewing outside.

It was Zekra who broke the long, tense silence.

"Well, I don't know what else we could do," she said as she played with her paws. "I mean, we can find the pins while we're doing what you're suggesting, but yeah, I think your idea is probably the best we can come up with right now. And, I do trust you. You've helped us before in the past, even if you never told us anything weird like the fact that you're apparently ancient…"

Novus made no reply to the remark.

"Though I haven't known you as long as these two have, I do see that you are trustworthy and that your plan is reasonable," Zeverous then said to the Quilava. "Then of course, I promised to keep Zekra safe and by extension, her friends as well. But, I also have a plan we can follow that I know for a fact will work and keep all of you safe. And I do think it will work well with your own."

"Is that so?" Novus asked, intrigued.

Zeverous opened his mouth to say more, but before he could speak his mind, his eyes became wide and alight.

A low snarl escaped his throat.

"Oh? Did we come at a bad time? Sorry, we didn't bother to eavesdrop on your conversation before we entered. I'm so sorry about that. I should have been more considerate."

Swift as lightning, the four fugitives turned toward the entrance of the hideout to find that they were not alone. There, standing at a distance from the group, were a familiar Mismagius and Chandelure. Both held a gleeful, malicious gleam in their eyes.

But, it wasn't their presence that instantly turned Terron's heart into ice.

It was the Pokémon standing just behind the two ghosts.

The Pokémon wearing a vicious scowl as its eyes gave off a sinister glow.

The Pokémon whose drawn claws could easily slit the Cubone's throat.

The Pokémon that Terron prayed he would never see again.

Yimtri.