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Chapter 45
Pulling the Strings
"Rise and shine. Erebus awaits us."
Terron's wearily opened his eyes. He found himself resting near the tree he had fallen asleep by the previous night, the morning sun casting its rays down upon him. He sluggishly took pulled his mask off as he rubbed his eyes and looked around him. He found that his friends that surrounded him were also stirring from their sleep. The Reunion Capes they wore were tucked away into the bag that they had retrieved from the hideout before going to sleep. It rested near Zekra's side along with Zeverous's own backpack.
"You're all awake now. Good."
The Cubone brought his gaze away from his friends and toward the source of the voice. His blank expression didn't falter when he found Yimtri standing at a distance, a bag strapped to his person and Chloe near his side.
"Hey, where are those two ghosts that were with you yesterday?" Terron asked.
"They're not coming," Yimtri answered blandly.
"Not coming?" Terron wondered. "What do you mean?"
"They're not coming with you to Erebus Woods," Yimtri answered. "It's only you four, Chloe, and myself that will go to see Erebus."
"Why aren't they coming?" Terron asked cautiously.
"Because they have other tasks to accomplish," Chloe answered in place of the Sableye. "Bringing them to Erebus's domain would only prevent them from doing such. Besides, they're more plagued than you, your friends, and myself. It will be able to manipulate them with much more ease than it could with all of you. If they come, they will kill you. We are not taking that chance."
Terron didn't know how he wanted to react to such a statement. He could only gaze at the two with a blank solemnness.
"So, you wish to leave for the dungeon now, do you?" Novus then asked.
"Seeing as how it's fairly early in the morning and knowing that no one would want to travel through the woods at night, I'd say so," Yimtri replied. "However, I'll give you a few minutes to have your breakfast. Can't have you four famished when we clash with Erebus now, can I?"
Yimtri reached inside his bag and pulled out four apples. He tossed each of them at the four and watched as Terron, Zekra, and Novus clumsily caught the fruits in their paws. Zeverous, on the other hand, let his apple collapse to the ground in front of him and gave the Sableye a dark glare. He crossed his arms over his chest as he flexed his claws.
"Where's that other pin you were talking about?" Zeverous hissed. "You'd better give it to me right now if you don't want to get slaughtered by my inner Plagued One."
"Still clinging to your grudge, is it?" Yimtri asked indifferently. "I do think it's best if you let that grudge go; clearly it's being a detriment to you and is making speaking to me quite a taxing experience."
"If you really expect me to forgive you for the fact that you've basically ruined my life, then you're an idiot," Zeverous said. "And for your information, I also want that pin so that I don't have to kill anything today. I'd kind of like to break that routine that you've forced me to develop."
"Or you could simply learn to ignore the voice rather than stifle it with violence it like I did. Far less gruesome way to live with its presence in my opinion."
Zeverous's eyes narrowed as they burned with an eerie light. Chloe cast him a glare of her own from where she stood, but remained beside the Sableye and said nothing. Yimtri sighed as he shook his head.
"To answer your original question, I'm afraid there's something I didn't tell you last night," Yimtri said. "As much as I loathe having to say this, I'm afraid that I left the other pendent in my Fellowship. I was unable to grab it when I was forced to leave so abruptly when the wretched Fellowship members came and now it remains in my office, hidden in a pocket of space within the walls."
Team Vendetta stopped eating and looked over at the Sableye. But before they could say anything, Zeverous bared his teeth and growled.
"You left it in your Fellowship?!" Zeverous spat. "How do you forget something as important as an anti-plaguing pin? How?!"
"Do not accuse me of being forgetful, Zeverous," Yimtri scoffed. "I simply could not grab it time. You must realize how much haste I was in when I was forced to leave Dusk Mines so quickly. It was already miraculous enough that mostly everyone managed to evacuate and avoid the eyes of those Fellowship members. I surely thought that at least half of my poor followers would perish in our plight."
"You can try to justify it all you want, but that doesn't make up for the fact that you don't have the pin you said you'd give to me. I'm not going with you when you don't have that second pin on you."
"Who said we were going to go to Erebus Woods without the pin I left behind?"
Zeverous's eyes ceased to give off their glow. Terron and his friends felt a strange stupor come over them as the tension around Zeverous seemed to fade.
"Zeverous, you and Zekra are going to infiltrate Dusk Mines and retrieve the pendent," Yimtri said solemnly. "It's in the upper-right section of my office, about my height above the cornerstone. Use your illusions to sneak past the Fellowship members and obtain that pin."
Terron glanced at Zeverous to find the Zoroark's eyes glazed over, filled with the emptiness he had always worn when he pretended to be Blight. Then, he glanced over at Zekra. Much unlike her brother, her eyes were frozen wide and her body seemed completely paralyzed.
"Wha-What?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"It's exactly as you heard it," Yimtri replied. "You two are illusionists; you can easily fool the ones taking over my Fellowship with your abilities. Therefore, I'm sending you two to go. You have a much better chance at succeeding than the rest of us could. And if I send both of you, there's a higher chance that you'll succeed even more."
"But I've… I've never done a stealth mission like this before," Zekra said as she twiddled her paws. "I mean, I've turned into other Pokémon before for a while but not-"
"Everything will be fine, Zekra."
Everyone turned to find Zeverous looking back at the Zorua, his frown gone and now replaced with a wry smile across his face. He went over to her and bent down to her eye level.
"I've done these kinds of things before," he assured. "I know what to do. And I can teach you and make sure that nothing happens to us. Alright? We'll be fine. We're going to get that pin without any problems."
"But…" Zekra tried to say.
Zeverous released a sigh and put a clawed hand on her head.
"I won't let anything happen to you, I promise. I know what I'm doing. You trust your big brother, right?"
Zekra looked up into the Zoroark's eyes. She saw the confidence shining so clearly, but she saw something else: a tension. Zekra didn't know what this tension was and why it was there, but the moment she detected it, her answer came.
"Yeah, I do. Let's go," she said with a nod.
The strange emotion went away as Zeverous's smile became more of a smirk. He gently picked up the Zorua in his clawed hand and stood up before facing the Sableye.
"We'll see you in three hours," Zeverous stated. "That's how long it'll take to get the pin."
"Fair enough," Yimtri shrugged. "Well then, succeed in your mission. Don't let yourself get caught."
Zeverous snorted at the remark. He carefully raised Zekra to his head and loosened his grip on her, allowing her to leap from his claws and bury herself into his large mane as he hefted his backpack onto his shoulders. Then, without a moment's hesitance, Zeverous dropped on all fours and ran for the Fellowship.
Terron continued to watch the siblings until they disappeared into the distance and then glanced back at Yimtri. He found that the Sableye was already staring back at him, his Turtwig companion doing the same. Terron thought Yimtri's jeweled eyes seemed brighter than usual.
"So what do we do while we wait for them?" Terron asked.
"We wait here," Yimtri said. "Simply wait here until they return. There's nothing else that needs to be done."
"So you want us to simply remain idle the entire time?" Novus then asked. "Surely we could make much better use of our time."
"Perhaps you can train then to prepare yourselves for Erebus," Yimtri suggested. "Go out and gather more bones for your arsenal. Practice your battle tactics on one another. Do whatever you want. Just make sure that you don't wander too far; wouldn't want the Fellowship to find you."
Zekra poked her head out of Zeverous's mane as he sprinted through the cluster of trees. Despite how quickly he ran, never once did she feel she would tumble off him. She didn't even need to cling to him to stay enclosed within the mane.
"It's been a while since I've given you a ride like this, hasn't it?" Zeverous asked with a smirk as he glanced back at her.
"Yeah, it has," Zekra realized. "I always liked to do this with how fast you'd be able to go. Was always so much fun. And I always liked it when you turned into some kind of flying-type and flew around everywhere too."
"Heh, maybe later I'll do that, like when we get out of here," Zeverous chuckled. "But, not now. Right now, we've got a pin to collect."
Zekra curled her claws around her brother's fur as a discomfort settled into her stomach.
"You sure everything will go alright?" she asked. "I mean, if they catch us..."
"We'll be fine," he assured. "I swear that nothing's going to happen. Don't you worry about a thing. We're going to get that pin no problem and nothing's going to stop us. No one."
Zekra grimaced, but gave a nod in return. Zeverous, satisfied with this, turned away and brought his gaze back to what lay ahead of him. Dusk Mines slowly appeared in the distance along with various colored blurs that the two knew were Fellowship members. Zeverous picked up his speed.
When the two came close to the Fellowship, the Zoroark leapt onto a tree overlooking the organization and latched onto the trunk with his sharp claws. Zekra buried her own claws in his mane as he climbed up to a branch that provided a clear view of the Pokémon below. There were not as many Pokémon as there had been the previous day, but that was to be expected. They were no doubt looking for Team Vendetta. Even still, there were at least a couple dozen Pokémon roaming about.
Zeverous pulled Zekra from out of his mane and set her beside him on the branch. He pointed at a Smeargle and Wartortle walking away from the base and toward the forest.
"See those two?" Zeverous asked with a grin.
"Yeah, I do," Zekra nodded.
"We're going to infiltrate the base as them."
"You mean we're going to steal their forms and stuff? But, what if they come back while we're going through the base? Everybody's going to figure out something's not right and then we'll get caught."
"Oh, I have that taken care of. Just wait a moment."
Zekra watched with her brother as the two Fellowship Pokémon wandered past the tree they stayed in, completely oblivious to their presence.
"When do you think Mistress Shade will finally let us go back to our Fellowship?" the Wartortle asked his companion.
"I don't know, but hopefully soon," the Smeargle sighed. "I'm getting really tired of staying next to that creepy forest…"
Zeverous's grin seemed to grow.
"There we go,"he said with delight. "Voices."
Quick as a flash, Zeverous sprang from the branch. Zekra watched as the Zoroark silently descended upon the unsuspecting Pokémon, claws drawn. The eager smile upon his face didn't fade.
"Yeah, but hey, maybe we'll leave soon since Master Zephyr and that one Fellowship leader came over today. So you know, maybe they're planning something diff-"
The Wartortle couldn't finish its sentence, for Zeverous had landed directly behind it and its Smeargle companion and pierced his claws into the back of their scalps using the momentum of his fall.
Zekra cringed as the two Fellowship Pokémon fell forward, their eyes frozen open. Zeverous instantly caught the two seconds before they hit the ground in one arm and hastily scampered up the tree. He carefully draped the corpses over a nearby branch so that they would not fall and then reunited with his sister. She only continued to grimace.
"You killed them…" she stated quietly.
She glanced over at the bodies and saw the blood trickling out of their puncture wounds.
"Why did you kill them when you could have just knocked them out? They were innocent."
"Because I didn't really want to risk them waking up and ruining everything," Zeverous explained. "If they're dead, we don't have to worry about that. And also, well… I needed to kill something. I need to keep my inner Plagued One in check and I didn't get any time to go on my hunting trip this morning."
"Oh, I see."
Zekra continued to keep her gaze off her brother, though she couldn't resist glancing at him every few seconds. She thought she saw him shake his head.
"Look, I don't exactly enjoy killing Pokémon," Zeverous said. "I mean, killing wild Pokémon is okay sometimes, but even I don't like killing them unless I have to since you know, they're still living Pokémon. And I especially don't like killing civil Pokémon. But I kind of have to because for one, I'm a mercenary and sometimes I get hired to take on the role of an assassin. And then two, because it's literally the only way to keep my inner Plagued One quiet. I've tried everything else and sadly it's the only thing that works. But, I'm alright now. I'm not going to kill anyone else unless I absolutely have to."
"You sure?" Zekra asked as she looked back at her brother.
"Positive," he grinned. "Especially when I get that pin. I won't have to go on those killing sprees anymore once I get it… but enough about that. Let's get going. You can take the Smeargle."
Zekra nodded and then once again glanced over at the corpses. A pink light covered her body and within seconds, she morphed into the Smeargle and twirled the tail around with her fingers. Zeverous smiled as he became the Wartortle.
"Perfect," Zeverous beamed. "Now let's get going. You can follow my lead. And remember: use that Smeargle's voice. Do not use your real voice. Ever. Because someone will hear it and you will get caught. Don't ever do it, even if you think there's no one around."
"Don't worry, I got it," Zekra grinned, her voice now the form's voice. "I've used other voices before."
Zeverous, satisfied with this, leapt from the tree branch with Zekra following suit. The two touched the ground with grace and then looked toward the Fellowship base. Zeverous's smirk grew for just a brief moment before he changed into that of a more alarmed one. He ran toward the various Pokémon roaming about the area.
"Guys! Guys!" he cried with the Wartortle's voice. "Listen you guys!"
Everyone within shouting range stopped and glanced over at the false Wartortle with puzzled expressions.
"I just spotted those Pokémon we're supposed to be looking out for!" he said as he skidded to a halt. "You know, the Cubone, Zorua, Quilava, and that random Zoroark that was with them! They're just south of here! They're still asleep in these trees!"
"Seriously?" a Braixen asked, baffled.
"Yeah! I was just walking around with my friend when I saw them all napping in a tree!" Zeverous insisted. "You can even ask her!"
He pointed back at Zekra with a finger. Everyone slowly turned to her, evoking a flinch out of the false Smeargle. Zeverous narrowed his eyes as they shined with a dark glimmer.
"Go on, tell them what happened," Zeverous stated.
"Oh umm, yeah, I saw them," Zekra answered, fidgeting in place. "They were just in a tree and somehow… they didn't wake up when we came by."
Everyone kept their gaze on the Smeargle, no doubt wondering about her strange behavior.
"There, she agrees with me," Zeverous interjected. "Now hurry! They're like twenty minutes away from here! Get them before they wake up!"
This instantly got their attention. With hasty nods, the Pokémon in the vicinity bolted into the woods. The fake Smeargle watched each of the Pokémon run past her until all were completely gone from sight. She released a relieved sigh and glanced back at her brother… only to find that he was staring directly at her, wearing a sharp glare.
He drew close to her and after giving his surroundings a quick glance, pulled her away into the forest. He dragged her behind a large tree and grit his teeth.
"Zekra, you could have blown our cover just now. Those Pokémon were getting suspicious about why you were acting so strange."
"Sorry," Zekra said sheepishly. "I'm just… nervous is all. I've never done anything like this before."
Zeverous looked upon his anxious sister for a moment longer and then shook his head.
"Look, you can't just look and sound like the Pokémon you're trying to be," he began, softening his voice. "You have to act like them too. You have to think like them. Right now, you need to pretend that you're a confident member of the Fellowship, not some Zorua who's pretending to do all this so she can steal something. You have to actually become the form you're taking on right now. Does that make sense?"
"Yeah, I think it does," Zekra said slowly. "Don't think about it… just do it. Just be the Pokémon I am. Don't worry about it."
"There you go. That's it. Heh, you're catching on pretty quickly. You'll be as good of a spy as me in no time."
He pat Zekra on the head, evoking a small chuckle from her. But the happy moment was short-lived, for the Zeverous withdrew his paw from her and looked back toward the Fellowship. A determined scowl etched its way onto his muzzle.
"We should get inside while we have the chance," he said. "Those Pokémon we just got rid of will probably only be gone for about an hour at most. We can't waste any time. And this time, when we go inside the Fellowship, we're not going to clear everyone out. They'll get suspicious as to why these two random members are sending out nearly the whole base when a couple dozen are already sufficient enough for the job."
"So then we're just going to walk past everybody without doing anything?" Zekra asked. "Just go on by them and raid Yimtri's office when no one's looking?"
"Well, depends on if there's anybody in the office or not. But for now, yeah, that's the plan. Just do as I said earlier and you'll be fine. Be the Pokémon you're pretending to be. You're not Zekra anymore. You're just some random Smeargle who's working for the Fellowship."
"Heh don't worry Zev; I've got it."
The two made their way back to the Fellowship and upon entering its grounds, saw a small cluster of Pokémon exit the base. The group was quick to notice the sudden lack of Pokémon and immediately shot their glances to the only two Pokémon still in the area.
"Hey, where'd everybody go?" a Charmeleon asked the two illusionists.
"They heard that those fugitives we're looking for were in the area," Zekra answered, remaining collected. "So they all went to go do that. There's twenty of them so-"
The team of Pokémon was quick to flee into the forest, presumably to aid in the quest to find Terron and the others. Zekra and Zeverous glanced back at where they last saw the group disappear, blinking a couple of times.
"Well… I guess we won't have to worry about them," Zekra said. "Wow, they really do want to kill us, don't they?"
"Unfortunately, yes," Zeverous grumbled. "Also, don't refer to yourself as 'you' or 'us' when you're being a spy right now. Somebody's going to notice that. You have to talk about yourself as if you're not actually Zekra. Like, for what you just said, say 'Wow, they really do want to kill those traitors.' Alright?"
Zekra nodded as she and Zeverous quietly entered the Fellowship. As somewhat expected, there were not many Pokémon roaming about the inside of the base. Yet, there were still quite a few less than what the two illusionists had anticipated. Shade must have truly wanted Team Vendetta to be found as quickly as possible. Zekra wasn't sure whether she found the lack of numbers comforting once she realized this.
Nevertheless, she and Zeverous went forward and navigated through the mine's dark corridors. They remained silent the entire time, choosing only to look forward with blank gazes. No one within the Fellowship stopped to talk to them. Whether it was because they were too occupied with whatever errands they had to run or because the forms the siblings took on were unremarkable Pokémon, the two weren't sure. However, that hardly mattered. Their mission was running smoothly; that was all that the two were concerned about.
Sometime later, the two came to the hallway that held Yimtri's office. There was no one loitering within the long hall, much to their relief. Zeverous grinned as he eagerly went forward to the office entrance. Zekra followed after him, but before she could get very far, Zeverous abruptly brought himself to a halt, prompting Zekra to do the same.
"What's the matter?" she asked, lowering her voice.
"There's Pokémon inside the office," Zeverous answered. "Ugh, we were so close to getting that pin. Of course there's something that'll get in our way. Looks like it's time for a change of plans. Turn into a ghost-type and follow me."
There was a flash of light and then the false Wartortle became a Mismagius. He drifted into the ceiling, his wispy form disappearing into the rock in an instant. Zekra nodded as she became a Chandelure and also phased into the wall. When all of her form went completely through the rock, she found that everything had changed. Though she knew she was still within a solid object, everything around her seemed to ripple with a strange, opaque coloring that almost reminded her of an aurora. Yet, the streams of ethereal colors were quite transparent and allowed her to see the corridor below.
"So this is what ghosts see when they're in walls and stuff…" Zekra remarked, astounded by the discovery.
"Heh, never tried this before?"
The false Chandelure turned to find Zeverous floating close by, shooting her an amused grin. She gave a chuckle of her own.
"Nah, never really thought about doing it despite how awesome this is. Which I really should have, since I can think of so many things I can do with this…"
"Startling others with it, maybe? That's something that was always enjoyable for me when I was your age."
"Oh really?"
"Oh yeah. I abused my illusions a lot as a kid. I think I was hardly ever a Zorua unless I was asleep or just eating, in fact. How did you think I got so talented with my powers? Did you just think I was born a prodigy?"
"Hah, I guess that's true. You always were really good at turning into other Pokémon so quickly and stuff whenever you visited. You were always so awesome. But hey, I'm awesome too now!"
Zeverous laughed at the remark, making Zekra beam at her brother. The false Mismagius let out a few more chuckles before he turning his gaze away.
"Ah, I wish we could keep talking like this, but I'm afraid we've got a little mission to do," he said, growing serious. "This way."
Zekra and Zeverous drifted through the stone until they found themselves hovering above the office. From their hidden position, they could see that there truly were a number of Pokémon standing together in the room. Three Pokémon to be precise; a Tyranitar, Dragonite, and Volcarona. Zekra's eyes widened at the sight.
"Chrysalis?" she muttered. "What's she doing here with Shade? And who's that Dragonite?"
"Shhh, quiet," Zeverous hissed. "They'll hear you. Just listen to what they're saying and maybe you'll get an answer."
Zekra anxiously curled her ghostly appendages together, but did as instructed. She and Zeverous watched as Shade crossed her arms and let out a loud snort. Chrysalis shook her head in disapproval while the Dragonite continued to keep a strange, almost eerie grin upon his face as he adjusted a red band bound to his left arm.
"So that is the current situation?" Chrysalis asked.
"Afraid so," Shade verified. "Your newest members, the ones called Team Vendetta, are now traitors."
"Of course my members decide to turn traitor," Chrysalis grumbled. "Of course. Why did I allow such fools to be my members? Tch, what a mess. I can only imagine the backlash this will cause my prestigious Fellowship."
"I must admit that they put up a fair amount of resistance for seemingly cowardly and incompetent Pokémon," Shade admitted. "And that Zoroark that came to save them as a Greninja… he was rather talented in the arts of combat."
"Yes, the Zoroark," Chrysalis then said. "He no doubt has more connections to them than simply being a mercenary when I ponder, but even still. You are right in regards to his capability."
"They all had potential. I almost feel bad for having to kill them now. Truly they would have made fine members at some point in time. But I suppose that's the way things are. They defied orders and now they need to be eliminated. Especially when that Zoroark is plagued. We can't afford to have him around…"
Shade scowled as she swung her tail back and forth irritably. The Dragonite in the group beamed at the Tyranitar and lightly punched her in the arm. Shade's scowl only seemed to grow.
"You know we're going to be able to find those four though, right?" the Dragonite chuckled heartily. "Ain't nothing stopping us and our Fellowships! We'll find those kids and Yimtri and all of his diseased little followers too!"
"I'm not worried that we won't find them," Shade stated. "We'll find them one way or another. Question is… can we find them before they do something?"
"Oh Shady, you worry too much," the Dragonite said merrily, punching her yet again. "Those kids can't do anything!"
*THWACK!*
The Tyranitar's tail slammed into the Dragonite, flooring him in an instant. Shade shot him a murderous glance as he picked himself off the floor, laughing uncontrollably. He didn't seem to notice the giant red mark on his side.
"How many times do I have to tell you never to call me Shady?" Shade growled. "You're such a child sometimes."
"Aw, but you know you like the teasing, Shady-Wady."
*THWACK!*
The Dragonite toppled to the floor once more with a loud crash. Chrysalis shook her head as her icy blue eyes gleamed.
"As much as I would like to make a comment about the loving care you and Zephyr obviously have for one another," Chrysalis said, her words dripping with sarcasm, "I do believe he brings up a fair point; those children cannot do anything of harm. You saw with your own eyes how incompetent they are compared to us. They cannot possibly be a detriment to anything. I see no reason behind your concern."
"Perhaps not on their own, no," Shade said. "But, they do have that Zoroark with them. And they were rather knowledgeable about Erebus and its ways. More so than our typical members do…"
"And what does that matter?" Chrysalis asked. "You must realize that such knowledge will not help anyone. And even if it did, I doubt that it will provide much aid. There are other obstacles that stand-"
Zekra cringed as her vision suddenly became blurry. Zeverous immediately shot her a glance as her arms drooped.
"I feel… tired," Zekra slurred. "What's… happening?"
"It's a side effect of those who borrow ghost type's phasing powers; you get tired really fast," Zeverous grimaced as his own eyes drooped. "I'm starting to feel it too. Not to mention that you're wearing that Deception Amulet that's sapping away your health… Looks like we'll need to hide in a room until we get our strength back. Ugh, if only we could be like true ghosts where they can remain intangible all day without feeling the least bit exhausted…"
The false Mismagius wrapped his ghostly tassel around Zekra and brought her out of the ceiling and into a nearby room that remained unoccupied. The moment they entered, the two changed back into their true forms. Zeverous went to the door and secured the lock.
"Five minutes," he breathed. "That ought to be good enough for resting. And then maybe those Fellowship leaders will finally go away."
He pressed his back to the door and slid to the ground, releasing a tired sigh. Zekra crept over to the older Zoroark and lazily slumped herself against his side. Zeverous smiled softly at her, making Zekra do the same.
"So tell me; how did you like being in the Fellowship?" Zeverous asked her. "I've been wondering that for a while."
"Oh, it was fun," Zekra replied. "Tear and I got to do a lot of awesome missions together. I mean, it was kind of exhausting and stuff, but it was pretty fun and I made a few friends. We always had so many jobs, but they were always really fun to do. It was kind of like being a mercenary."
"Heh, well I guess being in the Fellowship is kind of like being a mercenary. Though, when you're a mercenary, you don't really have to give anyone your money when you're done. It's all for you. And also, you don't really get free meals or rooms or support from your Fellowship leaders. You're pretty much on your own as a mercenary. But that's not exactly a bad thing. Being on your own can be awesome in its own way."
"But you can still have your friends with you even if you're on your own, right?"
"Well yes, of course you can. I didn't mean 'on your own' as 'completely by yourself to support you'. I mean, I really was all alone, but you don't have to. You can have a small group of friends follow you around."
"Alright, cool."
Zekra nodded to herself, smiling pleasantly at the thought. She wasn't quite sure if she'd follow the path of a mercenary after her current role in life was fulfilled, but the thought was entertaining at the very least. She could already imagine herself a certain Cubone, Quilava, and Zoroark walking alongside her as they roamed the vast plains of Shiron. Their happy faces shined so clearly in her mind.
"Hey, if you don't me if you don't mind me asking, who were your old Fellowship friends and what happened to them?"
The daydream abruptly shattered in her mind as a more melancholy one took its place. Zekra grimaced at the memories, but was quick to shut it out of her mind. She could feel a stinging in her eyes, but she ignored it the best she could.
"There were two of them," she answered quietly. "Their names were Impetus and Syn. Impetus was this feral we befriended and Syn was just this kid that we sort of adopted. They were our team members for a while before we met Novus… but then, the Plagued Ones attacked Aurora Town. Syn… Syn was taken by Plagued Ones and Impetus ran away to go find him. At least, that's what Tear told me. I… never got to see it because my Instinct Infestation kicked in and the plagued me took over and… yeah. I don't know if I'm glad I didn't see anything."
"Oh, I see," Zeverous said awkwardly. "So that's what happened. That's how your inner Plagued One controls you. But your friends… I'm sorry to hear that happened. I really am."
Zekra extended her claws and curled them into the flooring.
"Why… why does Erebus have to exist?" she whispered. "Why did Erebus have to make Plagued Ones and tell them to take away all of my friends? Why did it have to plague everyone I love? Why? Why?! Why does such an awful thing have to exist and ruin my life?! Why?! What does it get out of making me suffer?!"
Bitter tears flowed down the Zorua's eyes. She quickly buried her head into Zeverous's fur, muffling her cries.
"Erebus… why do you do this?" Zekra asked. "Why do you have to ruin everything? Why do you do this to me?"
"Erebus has ruined everyone's life. It's a disgusting creature that probably feds off the misery of others. But don't worry; it's not going to ruin yourlife anymore. Because I won't let it."
Zekra lifted up her head to look at her brother only to find that he was giving her a gentle yet solemn gaze.
"What?" she choked out.
"Everything I'm doing right now is for you," Zeverous answered. "Getting this pin, putting up with that Sableye, staying with your friends… I'm doing all of it for your sake. To keep you safe and protect you from Erebus and the Plagued Ones and anyone else who's out to get you. Including that Sableye and his suicidal plan. If something goes horribly wrong, I want you to know that I will get you out of it and keep you safe. I swear that as long as I'm around, nothing's ever going to happen to you again. I want you to know that, Zekra."
Zeverous sighed as he tenderly brushed Zekra's head with his claws.
"You've been through so much. First me getting plagued and running away from your life like a coward… and then everyone back home getting plagued or dying… and then getting dragged into Erebus Woods by that wretched Sableye and getting plagued by Erebus… and then having Aurora Town destroyed and getting kicked out of the Fellowship… you've gone through so much torment. I'm going to make sure things like that never happen again."
Zekra found herself at a loss for words. She tried to say something, but something seemed to hold back her tongue. All she could do was stare up into her brother's eyes, her mouth slightly ajar.
Zeverous removed his paw from his sister and glanced at the wall. He took the X-Ray Specs that hung around his neck and pulled them over his eyes.
"We've rested long enough," he announced. "Those leaders are gone now. I don't see them anymore."
"Hey wait a minute; how come we spied on those Fellowship leaders as ghosts when we could have just waited in here this whole time since you've got those goggles?" Zekra wondered. "Wouldn't that have been easier?"
"It might of, but I didn't do that because I'm trying to teach you to be a good spy. I'm trying to improve your illusion powers so you can use them as well as I can and don't need that amulet to do so. And I can't do that if I'm doing all the work, now can I?"
Zekra shrugged as the two rose to their feet.
"Yeah, but enough about that," Zeverous then said. "Let's get going."
The illusionists changed back into their ghostly forms once more and drifted through the wall. When they came out of the other side, they found that it truly was completely vacant. Zeverous gave a wide grin to his sister before immediately rushing toward the corner in the right side of the room. He came to a halt as he plunged both of his appendages into the wall, his grin seemingly growing with each second.
"AH HA!"
He swiftly yanked his tassels from the corner and turned around to face his sister. Wrapped up tightly in his grasp was a silver pin; the exact pin that Yimtri showed the team the previous night. Zekra giddily spun around in circles and let out a triumphant laugh.
"We got it!" she cried joyously. "Yaaaay!"
"And now I don't have to worry about that awful inner Plagued One," Zeverous said. "Or that Sableye and his little pet. No, not anymore… Let's get out of here Zekra. We're done here."
He drifted toward the exit, but before he could reach it, Shade appeared and stepped into the room. Zeverous stopped while Zekra immediately wiped the happy expression off her face.
"Hello, Mistress Shade," Zekra spoke in a calm demeanor.
"Hello, Lume," Shade said. "Why are you and Noc in my office? I thought you two were supposed to be looking for the fugitives called Team Vendetta."
"We are going to do that, rest assured," Zekra replied. "We simply came here because Noc thought he forgot something in your office. But, it seems he has found it and now we will leave your office. We're sorry for intruding upon it. It won't happen again."
Both she and Zeverous bowed their heads. Shade cast them a long stare, a stranger glimmer in her eyes.
Zeverous suddenly rammed his body into Zekra, flinging the two of them across the room. Before Zekra could retort to the sudden hostility, a beam of ice shot out of Shade's maw and just barely missed where the two hovered a second ago. Floating just behind Shade now were the true Lume and Noc, both wearing grim expressions.
"You were foolish to think you could trick me, Zoroark and Zorua," Shade growled at the still-disguised illusionists.
"How do you know that the two Pokémon beside you aren't the fakes?" Zeverous demanded, still using the false voice. "Zoroark and Zorua are very sneaky like that you know."
Shade paused, as if stumped by the question. Then, in an instant, she snapped her head back at the ghosts behind her and fired an Ice Beam. The two ghosts let out a loud scream as the ice impacted them and stuck them to the wall.
"Does that answer your question?" Shade taunted.
Zeverous snarled as he immediately wrapped an arm around Zekra's. He swiftly dragged her to the wall and was about to phase into it, but then, a powerful gale knocked the two of them back. They slammed into the pile of gems that still remained into the office, where their fake forms diminished instantly. As the two pulled themselves up, they found Zephyr standing next to Shade, his grin somehow more menacing.
"Oh, think you're going to leave so soon, are you?" Zephyr asked. "Nope! We don't let traitors leave so soon!"
"You're going to regret that," Zeverous hissed.
"Hah! Looks who's so confident! Didn't I hear that you were knocked out by Shady just yesterday? With just a little Stone Edge?"
Zeverous grit his teeth as his claws glistened with a malicious, red power. He grabbed the Zorua beside him and shoved the anti-plaguing pin in her paws. Then, before she could object, he stuffed her into his mane and completely buried her in it.
"Oh, still going to try and fight anyway? Well I bet that will-"
A massive fireball flew into the Dragonite's back, cutting off the rest of his words as the flames ate away at his scaly hide. Zephyr let out a low whine as he turned to face his assailant… only to have a shadowy blob smash into his face. The force of the attack instantly dazed him, his eyes hazy as he attempted to right himself up.
Before anything could be done, a barrage of leaves shining with ethereal light sliced into Shade's body. A piercing roar escaped her maw as she glanced back to find Lume and Noc hovering not far from where she stood, glaring daggers at her. The wall they had been frozen to was completely devoid of ice and now, only a large puddle on the ground near it.
Lume spun around, tossing a dozen wisps of fire at the Tyranitar's eyes, blinding the leader.
The Mismagius shot his glance to the Zoroark.
"What are you waiting for? Get out of here!" the ghost cried.
Zekra poked her head out of Zeverous's mane.
"Wait! What about you two?" Zekra cried.
"Heh, we'll be fine," the Mismagius chuckled. "We've had far worse happen than this. We'll make it out alive. Kind of sick of this place anyway."
"But please, go!" Lume then said. "We can only hold them off for so long! Go to the liege and stop Erebus! End this nightmare! End it and stop the Plagued Ones!"
"But-"
Zeverous pushed Zekra back into his mane, silencing anything else she had to say. He looked back at the ghosts for just a moment before giving a quick nod.
"Thank you."
There was a flash of light and then Zeverous became a Mismagius, Zekra curled up in his tassels. He tightened his grip on her as he rushed into the wall of the room, hastily bursting through each and every room as fast as he could fly. The moment they made it outside, he tossed the Zorua onto his back and instantly changed into a Skarmory. She clung to his neck as he flapped his wings and flew into the forest with the speed of a bullet. The Fellowship disappeared far behind them.
"We made it," Zekra sighed.
"You've still got the pin, right?" Zeverous asked.
"Yeah, I do," Zekra said as she clutched the pin still grasped in her paw.
"Good, good. We've got the pin. We did it. Mission accomplished."
Zekra released yet another sigh as she rested her head against Zeverous's neck. The relief flooded into her so quickly upon hearing this, but a certain thought was very quick to eradicate the peace.
"Now we have to go face Erebus," Zekra whispered. "We have to go kill that thing now that we've got the pin…"
Her heart raced at the thought. She could see the creature in her mind so clearly. She could see it gazing down upon her from deep within its ghastly home, its cold, malicious eyes piercing deep into her soul as it sucked out every bit of her livelihood. A deep dread flooded into her heart, stiffening all of her muscles.
"We're… we're really going to kill Erebus now," she whimpered. "We're going to see it and we're… we're… oh by Yveltal…"
She shivered as she clung to Zeverous tighter, digging the pin into his metallic form.
We're going to see Erebus. We're going to see Erebus. It's going to try and plague us.
I can't get plagued. I can't. I can't! I don't want to be a Plagued One! No! Anything… anything but that…
Tear… Tear why…
Why are you and Yimtri being so stupid right now? Why can't you see what's so wrong with this plan?
"We're not going to go see Erebus, Zekra."
Zekra stopped shaking. She looked up into her brother's Skarmory eyes, only to find that he was still looking ahead of him with a vacant stare.
"What?" she asked.
"We're not going with that Sableye to go kill Erebus," Zeverous said again. "There's no way we're actually going to do something that idiotic."
Zekra's eyes froze open. It took her a few moments to collect her thoughts.
"But Tear said that we're-"
"Forget what your friend said," Zeverous stated with a low growl. "We are not going to see that abomination in that misery dungeon. We're all going to follow Novus's plan and I'm going to keep you safe the entire time with my own plan. There is no way you guys I'm letting you guys get plagued even more. Especially not you."
He turned his head so that he could look at her with one narrowed eye.
"The second we get back to your friends, we're going to grab them and get out of here. We'll get as far away from that Sableye as possible and he'll never be able to catch us. Even if he goes hunting down for us, he'll never be able to find us. No one will. And do you want to know why? Because I'm going to use my illusion powers to disguise all of us. When we're walking around, I'm going to cast an illusion on all of us so that nobody will be able to recognize us. That way, we can get away from everything and nothing will ever have to bother us ever again. We'll be free to do whatever we want. And thanks to that pin, I'll never feel like I'm plagued anymore and nothing can ever control me again.
"Nobody's ever going to find us after this. Not the Fellowship, not Yimtri, not even Erebus and the Plagued Ones. Nothing is ever going to hurt you again."
"R-really?" she whispered. "What about Tear, though?"
"We'll drag him along whether he likes it or not. He'll understand how insane his plan sounds after we get him away from Yimtri. I swear, I think that Sableye is brainwashing him."
Zekra wasn't sure if she wanted to cry or smile at the remark. So, she said all that she could say.
"Thanks, Zev."
The false Skarmory smiled softly. The two continued to soar through the air in silence, Zekra reveling in the thought that she would not have to face the horrific abomination known as Erebus while Zeverous seemed to have his thoughts elsewhere. After moments of this, the two finally spotted their group sitting among the trees. Terron was meticulously stuffing various bones scattered around him into his pockets while Novus was drawing something along the barren soil before him, seemingly a crude map of sorts. Both had grim expressions across their faces as they sat near one another with their bag between them. Yimtri and Chloe somehow seemed rather composed, the Sableye resting the back of his head against the Turtwig's shell, appearing to be napping.
Tied around each of the four's necks as makeshift scarves were the Reunions Capes. From what could be seen, Terron and Novus had torn their capes into two and allowed the Dusk Mines Pokémon the other half of the fabric. Yimtri's black scarf blended well with his own cape while Chloe wore the more contrasting white one.
The moment that Zeverous landed in front of the team, the glow in the Sableye's gemstones returned and he stood up. Everyone did the same.
"Did you succeed?" Yimtri asked.
"Yes, yes we did," Zeverous stated.
"Perfect," Yimtri grinned. "Well then, I do believe it's time to get going to Erebus then. We mustn't waste any more time. So, take your Reunion Cape from your bag and-"
Zeverous shot forward, and without wasting a single moment, snatched up Terron and Novus. They dangled from his beak by the back of their capes as he pushed off the ground and prepared to launch into the sky for his swift escape.
"You treacherous Zoroark."
Terron and Novus were abruptly ripped from the false Skarmory's mouth and tossed onto the ground. A black tendril wrapped around each of their bodies, rendering them completely immobile. Zeverous hastily sprang into the air, but not without turning his head back to see what had happened. He and Zekra were quick to find that the tendrils binding their friends were actually a part of Yimtri's shadow, which loomed close to where they lay. Its owner glared up at the Zoroark.
"Trying to escape, are you?" Yimtri hissed. "Too much of a coward to face Erebus?"
"No one is going with you!" Zeverous spat. "No one here is going to die because of you and your insane decision! You can say what you want, but I will not go with you! I will not let anyone suffer because of you, Yimtri! Can't you see that your plan is so insanely suicidal?! You want to see Erebus right now without a proper plan? How is that not completely absurd?!"
"It's not suicidal, Zeverous. What does it matter that I want to see Erebus at this very moment? I know precisely what I am doing. Stop being so stubborn and come with me."
"You don't hear the words coming out of your mouth right now?! Tch, whatever. There's no point reasoning with you. Nobody is going with you and that's final!"
"So... you choose to be that way."
Yimtri's eyes flashed.
"Well then, maybe I can't make you come with me, but I can certainly make these two come with."
The tentacles' grips tightened around the Cubone and Quilava, making them let out a pained choking sound. Zeverous snarled at the sight, but remained in the air.
"It's your choice, Zeverous," Yimtri said. "You're free to go. You're free to leave me right now along with your sister."
"My liege, I do not think that's a good idea," Chloe interjected, her voice lowering. "We need the Zoroark and Zorua to come with us."
Yimtri held up a claw to the Turtwig and slowly shook his head. She frowned at the gesture, but understood its meaning and said no more.
"However," the Sableye went on, "if you do leave, you'll also leave behind Terron and Novus. They are coming with me to Erebus Woods, one way or another. So, can you truly abandon them to save yourself and your sister? Can you honestly tell me that you can do that?"
Zeverous scowled as he locked gazes with the Sableye. Both of their eyes burned with a solemn conviction, neither breaking to the other's. Terron and Novus struggled against the shadowy binds, but found that they held firm. They opened their mouths to scream something at the Zoroark, but their muzzles were immediately closed shut by more tendrils.
Chloe remained where she was, keeping her eyes glued to the airborne Pokémon. A strange glimmer of what appeared to be desperation seemed to shine in her eyes.
Zekra remained frozen on Zeverous's back, torn. The anti-plaguing pin fell out of her trembling paws and settled onto the ground.
I don't want to go back to Erebus Woods. she thought. I don't want to see Erebus. But… I can't just have Tear and Novus go there by themselves. They're going to get plagued… or they'll die… and they'll end up like all of my friends...
But if we do go, I'll get plagued and I… I just…
Whatever happened to saving your friends?
Zekra cringed at the voice. A deep panic settled into her heart as the words rang through her mind.
Not you… not you! I thought you were gone!
I told you before that you can't just get rid of me. I only kept quiet, which I told you before last time we talked.
Get out of my head! GET OUT! I DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH YOU! NOT AT A TIME LIKE THIS!
Zekra, you already know what to do. You already know that you need to save your friends. Don't you care about your friends? Don't they mean the world to you? If you leave them right now, they'll be stuck with that Sableye and you might not ever see them again. If you go with them, you won't have to worry about that.
But I'll get plagued! You'll completely take over me! Shut up! Stop talking to me! You're just saying all of this so that Erebus can plague me! You're trying to trick me! Stop it!
So you'd rather have your friends suffer from such a fate by themselves? You would rather abandon them and let them suffer like your old friends did rather than stay with them and try and protect them?
Zekra stopped. She thought she could see an obscured figure in her mind smile to itself.
If you go with them, so will your brother. You two can protect your friends from getting further plagued, and your brother will protect you from that as well. You will keep each other safe.
And besides… hasn't it always been your goal to destroy the Plagued Ones? Erebus is the one who creates them. If you kill it, you will be closer to ending everything. You will get closure. Are you really going to pass up this opportunity to avenge your friends when your chances of succeeding are so great? Just because you are scared?
Well, Zekra? Make your choice.
And then, the presence in her mind faded and the voice left.
Despite her thoughts being in a daze, Zekra's answer came to her quickly.
"We'll go with you, Yimtri."
Everyone around shot their glances to her, all surprised that she was the one to speak. But, despite their stunned gazes made her insides turn into liquid, she forced herself to keep talking.
She looked over at her brother.
"Zev, we're going to Erebus Woods," she said.
"But… I can't let you go inside those woods, Zekra," Zeverous said, baffled. "I just can't let you get plagued even more."
"But we can't just let Tear and Novus go on their own!" Zekra insisted. "They're my friends and we can't just abandon them! We need to protect them! They mean everything to me! We're not leaving them!"
Zeverous seemed at a loss. He looked upon his sister for a moment, pained and trembling, before looking back at the ones who were now Yimtri's hostages. They were both looking up at him, trying their best to remain strong. Yet, it was easy to see the begging in their eyes.
For just a moment, he did nothing.
Then, with a long and exasperated sigh, the fake Skarmory lowered himself to the ground and reverted into his true form. He looked directly at the Sableye, whose gaze was completely blank.
"Fine," he grumbled. "Zekra and I will go to Erebus Woods with you. Release those two."
The Sableye gave a slow nod of his head. His shadows released their hold on Terron and Novus, allowing the two of them to gasp as they got back to their feet. Novus hurriedly rushed over to Zekra and Zeverous, taking their bag with him while Terron remained where he was, not sure what to make of the entire spectacle.
Zekra rested her chin on Zeverous's head as Zeverous reached down and grabbed the fallen pin. He then absently reached into the bag Novus brought and pulled out the purple Reunion Cape. He carefully tore it in half before he tied one half around his own neck and gave the other to Zekra while making sure she touched his cape in the process. As she slid off his back and allowed Novus to knot it around her own neck, Zeverous fastened the pin to the inside of his scarf, making it invisible to all.
"Don't you dare pull another trick like that again, Zeverous," the Sableye said with such venom in his voice. "In fact… give me your bag right now. I want to make sure that I'm the only one who has an Escape Orb so that you won't try to leave the second we get inside Erebus Woods."
"You can't be serious," Zeverous growled.
"What's the matter? Are you actually thinking about abandoning me?"
Zeverous scowled at the remark. But before he could respond, he felt a sudden presence around him. And it wasn't just him who noticed the presence; everyone around him did.
A deathly silence fell over the group as they all turned to a certain part of the forest. Though very faint, they could hear footsteps coming their way. Several pairs of footsteps and muffled voices.
It was Chloe who was the first to bolt.
"Wait!" Yimtri screamed. "Chloe!"
The Turtwig ignored his yelling and continued to run. She ran unnaturally fast for a Turtwig, moving almost like a blur as she sped into the empty forest. It wasn't long before everyone ran after her.
A jet of water fired at the group, whizzing just over Novus's head and crashing into a nearby tree. The five turned to see a Wooper and Braixen sitting on a Noivern that pursued them through the clusters of trees. Each of the three Pokémon cast a murderous glare at the group.
"Oh look, it's that plagued Fellowship leader!" the Braixen shouted, a malicious grin spreading across its face. "This is perfect! Now we can get both the fugitives and him in one go! Won't Mistress Shade and Master Zephyr be so proud!"
The Braixen took the wand in its hand and flicked it forward. A burst of flame flew from its end and sailed at the group, specifically Yimtri. He grimaced as he phased into the ground, becoming a shadow as he sped away from the group, leaving them far behind.
"What a coward," the Noivern scoffed. "He can't even stick around to fight. No wonder why he was able to escape from the base so quickly when so many others died."
The Noivern flung itself at the group, latching onto Zeverous with its sharp claws. He screamed as he abruptly changed into a Nidoking and dug the spikes covering his back into the creature's underbelly. The Noivern screeched as blood leaked from the wounds, its grip around him loosening.
But before more could be done, there was a sudden blur, and the team found themselves standing just near the entrance of the horrific forest they sought. Yimtri stood close by, holding back an Absol's scythe-like horn with his claws as it struggled to bring it down upon him. Chloe herself was pressed into the dirt underneath the foot of a huge, hulking Abomasnow. No matter how much she struggled, she could not break free.
"These Pokémon want to get to Erebus!" the Absol said. "They're being brainwashed by it! Don't let them into the forest! Not even one of them since they've got those Reunion Capes! Kill them before they turn into Plagued Ones!"
"You don't have to tell me that twice!" the Braixen grinned.
It leapt off its injured companion before smacking Zekra with its flaming wand, setting her fur ablaze. She skidded to a halt and tumbled along the ground, setting the grass around her on fire. The Braixen's smile only seemed to grow as it bolted after her, twirling the stick in its paws.
Zeverous bucked off the Noivern and instantly bolted after the Braixen in his Zoroark form and the two instantly clashed. Terron and Novus did the same, but were immediately met with a geyser of water slamming into their backs. An icy cold spread through their veins, a loud wail escaping each of their throats as they too fell to the ground, drenched and shivering.
Yimtri, no longer able to hold back the Absol, used his shadows to ensnare the Absol. But the Absol seemed to anticipate this and abruptly jumped back from the Sableye. Then, quick as a flash, it sprang forward, its horn glistening with a white energy.
Chloe, the only one not being attacked, could take it no longer.
She squeezed her eyes shut and raised her head.
"Hear me, Erebus. Take us to you. I beg of you, take us into your cold grasp!"
"As you wish."
There was a flash of light, and then an endless number of black, wispy tendrils shot out of the forest entrance and snaked their way along the ground. An icy sensation came over each of the Pokémon, numbing their fervor completely. Their hearts stopped dead in their chests.
"My dear puppets, I will shelter you from these ones who threaten to kill you."
The tentacles wrapped around Terron, Novus, Zekra, Zeverous, Yimtri, and Chloe's bodies in an instant. A suffocating, horrific chill coursed through each one of them as Erebus tightened its grip around their shuddering forms. Any will to struggle was instantly eradicated by the all-consuming dread that wormed deep into their minds and souls. They could only remain motionless.
The remaining tentacles swatted the assailants away, flinging them across the ground and leaving deep cuts along their bodies.
"I will save you."
Then, with a swift pull, the six ensnared Pokémon were dragged into Erebus Woods.