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Chapter 47
Always Here
Erebus Woods SX
Terron didn't know how long the six of them had traveled through the dungeon. He had thought that they had traveled for at least a dozen sectors, and yet, the landscape had not changed. They were still in the corpse forest with its seemingly endless amount of bodies. And in all of those sectors, not a single Pokémon had attacked them. Their travel had been, and was continuing to be, strangely quiet. Not even Erebus had visited them.
However, none of this brought anyone comfort. No matter how "peaceful" the dungeon appeared to be, nothing could change the fact that they knew what awaited them in due time. Nothing could change the fact that they would find Erebus and be forced to slay it.
Terron, Zekra, Novus, and Zeverous did their best not to think about that and pressed on in complete silence.
Sometime later, Terron felt his stomach rumble. It took him a moment to remember the toll dungeons took on him, but when he did, he was quick to reach into his bag and pull out an apple. He tore out a chunk of it with his teeth.
"Hey Terron, hand me something to eat from your bag," Zeverous said. "I'm getting hungry."
"And me too. My belly's starting to hurt," Zekra said.
"Same for me," Novus chimed in.
The Cubone once again dug into the bag and pulled out three more large apples. He handed one to each of his companions and watched as Zekra and Novus hastily devoured the fruit. Zeverous, on the other hand, turned it several times in his claws.
"Apples. It's been so long since I've had one of these," Zeverous chuckled. "Think it was like... five years ago when I had to explore this cave and there was nothing living inside of it. All I had were these apples to eat that I had bought earlier. They're not very sweet, but they're filling I suppose. Better than nothing."
"Well I've got some jerky if you want that instead," Terron shrugged.
"No, you can save that for later," Zeverous replied as he took a bite out of the apple. "This is fine. Though I am curious; what did you buy with the money I supplied you with?"
"Well, I bought this bag for one thing. And… a bunch of food, these seeds called Heal Seeds, lots of Oran Berries, these Reunion Capes, and a bunch of orbs I've never heard of before but sounded pretty useful. Like an Evasion Orb, a Rebound Orb, a Luminous Orb, a Mobile Orb, Transfer Orb, a Decoy Orb and a couple of other ones I can't quite remember the name of."
"Ah, you bought a lot of useful orbs I see," Zeverous nodded. "Though, that Mobile Orb will be incredibly useful for you I can say. And probably that Decoy one as well. And oh, you bought the Heal Seeds. Heh, you were quite lucky in getting those. Hardly anyone sells them these days; they're so difficult to harvest because they only grow under specific conditions like a special kind of soil that's made from a bunch of different berries."
"Yeah, they were kinda pricy. Sort of."
"Well I can imagine. It's such a pain to grow them. I wouldn't want to sell them for such a cheap price either."
Terron nodded. He watched as Zekra glanced over at the Sableye at the head of the group.
"Hey, Yimtri. What stuff did you pack?" she asked.
"A few items," he answered, not bothering to look back at her. "Mostly the same supplies as you carry."
"You don't have any cool stuff that only Fellowship leaders would have access to? Like even more magical seeds than Heal Seeds?"
"No, I do not."
"Aw what? Why not?"
"Because I did not have the time to grab everything with me when I left my Fellowship."
"But I'm pretty sure you managed to grab something cool before you left."
"Well I'm afraid I didn't. Stop asking me questions and focus on finding Erebus."
Zekra grimaced at the remark. Yimtri paid her no mind and picked up his pace, increasing the distance between him and the team. But even as he grew further away, the five could still feel a dark, potent aura flow out of him and slink through the air around them. Chloe followed close behind him while Zeverous scoffed and looked at his teammates.
"Well isn't he being just lovely right now," he muttered dryly. "I don't get how so many Pokémon in his Fellowship can look up to him if he's always so bitter and bent on one thing."
"Maybe it's because he was their leader for so long and they're so used to him that they don't really know who else to follow," Zekra said.
"Still a stupid reason to listen to someone," Zeverous snorted. "But whatever. At least after this is all over, we can go our separate ways from him. Because who knows what he plans on doing after Erebus is dead."
"Well he kept mentioning something about this other entity who could also control Plagued Ones," Terron said. "So he'll probably go find it and kill it too."
"There's another thing that can control Plagued Ones? Gah, great," Zeverous grumbled. "Well at least after we kill Erebus, we don't have to deal with that. He can just have his followers help him with that, because there's no way we're taking down two abominations. One is already too much. He's so idiotic for wanting to take down that thing with barely any planning. There's something really, really wrong with him I tell you."
"Yeah… Erebus," Zekra whispered anxiously. "We're taking down that shadow… yeah. That thing that can turn everyone into Plagued Ones and can make us worse and controls this dungeon… yeah…"
Zeverous reached up and brushed the Zorua's shuddering head with his claws.
"Nothing's going to happen to you, Zekra," he said solemnly. "Don't think that for a second. Nothing's going to happen to any of you guys."
A red blur flew out of the canopy of trees and launched itself at the group. Terron and Novus abruptly bolted out of the way as it careened into the spot they once stood, allowing them to see that it was a lone Scizor. It snapped its pincers as it seemed to give them a menacing grin. Novus set his quills on fire as Terron withdrew a bone club.
"Oh, of course there's Pokémon attacking us now," Terron scoffed. "Of course. Knew Erebus wasn't just going to be nice to us for the rest of the dungeon."
The Scizor shot forward at the two, claws glowing with a strange light. Terron had just enough time to hold up a club to block the Scizor's pincers. The two clashed, and Terron was nearly tossed back by the force of the strike. He dug his heels into the ground as he pushed back with all his might.
The bug-type grinned as it leapt back, causing Terron to stagger forward from the sudden lack of force. The Scizor rushed at the Cubone, closing the distance then in a flash. Its pincer was opened wide, allowing Terron to see the sharp points that could easily sever a limb.
"Terron!" Novus cried.
Just as Novus was to release a blast from his maw, a massive fireball from behind him crashed into the Scizor. Within seconds of making contact, the flames completely consumed the Scizor. Terron and Novus flinched back and watched as the creature shrieked with an almost demonic wail. It writhed as its metal plating melted away and sloshed to the ground. Within a matter of seconds, the mighty Scizor was nothing but a charred, mutilated mess. Terron and Novus resisted the urge to gag.
"Told you guys that I'd let nothing happen. I told you guys this after the Sylveon and Glaceon hired me. And no matter what happens, I will keep you safe, one way or another."
The two looked back to find that Zeverous stood near in a Braixen's form. In one hand he held Zekra tight, and with the other, he held a flaming stick. He grinned at the two for just a moment before he reverted back into a Zoroark. Terron felt a smile of his own grow from underneath his mask.
"And you're still not letting us do any of the fighting," Terron chuckled.
Zeverous dismissively waved away the Cubone as he placed Zekra back into his hair.
"Alright, let's get going," he said. "Don't really want to get randomly teleported back to the Sableye. Feels weird no matter how many times it seems to happen."
Team Vendetta laughed as they went after the rest of their group. Yimtri said nothing after they were reunited and only continued to walk forward, his eyes blank and glancing around frequently.
Erebus Woods SX
"Where are you Erebus? Where are you?"
Yimtri glanced around, his gemstones flickering eerily. He reached into his bag and ripped out what appeared to be a sapphire. He forcefully crammed the jewel into his maw, the loud crunching of the stone filling the air.
"Why do you retreat to your hiding place so quickly?" he wondered.
"You know we're not in any rush to face Erebus, right?" Terron asked. "I mean, isn't it better that we don't see Erebus right away? Means we get more practice with the ferals around here. Isn't it better that way?"
"I think not," Yimtri replied dryly. "Because the longer it takes to find Erebus, the more time it will have to plague. It is given more time to infect the world with its disgusting presence and turn everyone into the abominations I was tasked to destroy. That will happen no longer. Twenty years have passed and I have done nothing to stop it. Twenty years of time wasted. No more. No more waiting."
Yimtri turned around and looked directly at the Cubone with a resentful, almost malicious, glare.
"Do you understand why we must continue on? Do you understand why we can waste no more time? Do you understand why we must face Erebus now? Do you understand my words, Terron? Do you? Do you? Tell me your answer. Say it right now. Say it. Say it now. I don't want you to stall your answer. Tell me right now."
Terron hastily nodded. Yimtri kept his glare on the Cubone for a moment longer before turning away.
God, there really is something wrong with him. Terron thought with a shudder. There's wanting to get something done, and then there's this. But what? Erebus can't be controlling him right now. He's got that pin on him. And there's no way he can be this bent on getting to Erebus. It's like he's not even scared at all. There's no way he can be feeling that way. Even if he's suppressed all of his emotions, he'd at least feel something at the thought of going to stop a monster…
Chloe came to an abrupt halt, prompting everyone to do the same. She shot a glance into the wooded area to her right.
"Denizens. I can feel them come near," she reported. "It seems that there are three of them."
"Tch, eliminate the demons as quickly as possible," Yimtri ordered. "We will waste as little time as we can in this."
A powerful gale blew through the area, instantly flooring everyone. Two blurs shot from the trees and descended upon the fallen Pokémon. Zeverous instantly bolted to his feet as one of the assailants sped directly at him. He couldn't see what was before him, but it didn't matter. He leapt to the side and watched as the blur tumbled to the ground. He recognized the creature to be a Shiftry.
Zeverous reached into his mane and pulled out Zekra before gently setting her down behind him.
"I'll be right back," he told her. "I just can't really transform with you with me. But, this will only take a second."
A bright light came over the Zoroark, turning him into an Arcanine as he spat out a burst of fire. The Shiftry was quick to see this however and sprang away just as the fireball was to hit it. Zeverous growled as he continuously released a volley of flames at the grass-type, but the Shiftry managed to avoid each and every one of the attacks. It was simply moving too quickly.
But then, just as it avoided another one of Zeverous's fireballs, a stream of blue flames fired from a different direction and struck the Shiftry. The feral toppled to the ground as the fire quickly ate away at its body. Zeverous could only stare at the melting body of his former enemy as it repeatedly struggled to stand, only to collapse back to the ground.
"Well that Shiftry was a lot weaker than I thought! Just one hit and it's down!"
Zeverous turned to find a Chandelure floating nearby, wearing a smug smile that he immediately recognized.
"You didn't have to help me," Zeverous said. "I could have gotten it on my own. Besides, I didn't want you to get hurt."
"I figured I might as well," the Chandelure shrugged as she turned back into a Zorua. "I didn't want you to get hurt either. And, it wasn't expecting me to come in, so I think it worked out pretty well."
"You feel alright, though? You don't feel scared that something'll happen?"
"Well, a little," Zekra said, shifting in place uncomfortably. "But well, I wanted to help, so-"
"I hate to ruin your conversation, but do remember that we are in the middle of a battle. A battle I do hope to end as quickly as possible."
Zekra and Zeverous turned to find Yimtri casting them a glare from afar. Terron, Novus, and Chloe were even farther back, engaging a Raichu in combat that was proving to be a daunting challenge. They hadn't been able to land a single hit on the electric-type as far as the two could tell.
"You're going to help, are you not?" Yimtri asked. "Or will you sit idly by?"
"Look who's talking!" Zeverous spat. "You're not doing anything at all!"
Yimtri's eyes flickered.
"Don't ever accuse me of doing nothing. Don't you ever."
The Sableye suddenly tensed. He dove into the ground, but he had not moved quickly enough, for a Sceptile fell from above and brought a bladed arm down upon the spot where the Sableye stood. Yimtri deftly maneuvered out of the way, only resulting in his cape and makeshift scarf getting cut clean off his body. The two pieces of fabric drifted to the ground, but the Sableye paid them no mind and only sank deep into the grass and out of harm's way.
The Sceptile hissed as it struck the ground where Yimtri once was, but to no effect. The ghost was gone. When it realized this, it shot a murderous glance to the Zoroark and Zorua that stood near.
The false Arcanine spat out a pillar of fire at the Sceptile, but the creature hurried out of the way. The blades along its arms became bright as they seemed to lengthen before it charged at the two. Zeverous hastily changed into a Scizor and grabbed its blades between his pincers just as it swung them. He snarled as he tightened his grip around the appendages. The creature thrashed around, but Zeverous refused to relent his hold.
"Zekra, said you wanted to help me?" he grunted. "Well, now's a good time."
"But you might get hurt!"
"I'll be fine. Just hurry!"
Zekra nodded as she became a Chandelure once more and flew near the Sceptile's side. Then, with a flick of her arm, she sent a swarm of embers at the grass-type. The Sceptile squirmed and attempted to leap behind Zeverous, but the false Scizor held firm.
The fire crawled up the Sceptile's body the moment they made contact with his grassy flesh. Zeverous released the Sceptile just as it thrashed harder and leapt back. Just as he was to change, however, something very strange happened.
Dozens of black tendrils shot up from the ground and twisted around the Sceptile. They dragged the creature to the ground as it writhed violently, but to no avail. The tentacles held firm. They cut deep into the Sceptile's flesh, spilling blood and what appeared to be sap all over its body. The fire eating away at its flesh was quick to seep into those wounds.
Zeverous and Zekra watched in silence as the creature's anguished screams faded away as its body reduced to ash. The tendrils released their grip on the Sceptile and sank back into the ground.
"What a nuisance."
Yimtri burst out of the ground not far from where the mangled corpse lay. His shadow separated itself from him and drifted toward his torn fabrics that still lay out of harm's way. It poked its claw out of the ground and firmly grasped the two capes before it made its way back to Yimtri. It handed him the capes and then reconnected to his form.
"Yes, they're still intact," Yimtri muttered to himself as he ran his claws through the fabric. "They're still wearable and the pin is unharmed. I was hoping that they hadn't sustained too much damage. Then again, my precious cape has gone through much worse than a Sceptile cutting it off my body."
The Sableye tied the cape around his neck and flourished it with a quick motion of his claw. He smiled to himself as it billowed behind him for a brief moment before he folded up the Reunion Cape into a scarf and fastened it to his neck as well. Zekra and Zeverous reverted back to their true forms as the rest of the group joined them, presumably having defeated the Raichu.
"You just used your weird shadow powers without your cape," Terron stated.
Yimtri's smile disappeared as he cast the Cubone a glance.
"You saw that?" he asked indifferently.
"Yeah, I saw it right after we killed the Raichu. You made those weird shadow tendrils come out of the ground and separated your shadow from yourself. Didn't you say you needed that cape to do all of that since it enhances your ghost powers or something?"
Yimtri's stare became eerily blank. He paused for a moment as his eyes flashed lightly.
"That was a lie I told you," he replied. "A lie to cover up the fact that I am plagued and thus have abilities no one should have. You see, when you become plagued, sometimes your abilities become enhanced. It doesn't happen to everyone, but when it does, certain abilities of yours are amplified. For example, take my own shadow abilities. They're normally known as Shadow Sneak to most Pokémon. It's supposed to be nothing but an ability that allows me to stretch my shadow toward my opponent and strike them from behind. Nothing more than that."
Several clawed hands crawled out of the Sableye's shadow and snaked through the air, waving around softly. Everyone took a step back. Yimtri only continued to keep his stare fixed upon Terron.
"But then, after becoming plagued and receiving Erebus's gift, the ability becomes this: a living shadow. A shadow that can do all that I command it to do, limited only by my imagination. Do you see now, Terron? Do you see what terrors Erebus can give you when it makes you one of its own? Do you see why I lied to you?"
"Yeah…" Terron said with an uncomfortable grimace. "Can you stop talking like that, though?"
"Talking like what?"
"Just the way you're asking me all of those questions to make sure I get you. You don't have to ask like ten times. Just once will do. It's really starting to creep me out. It's like you're getting corrupted by Erebus all over again. But you can't be, right? I mean, you've got that pin on you."
Yimtri's gemstones darkened. His shadow melted back into the ground.
"Well I can assure you that I am not succumbing to the creature's influence," he grumbled. "No, never again. Never for as long as I exist and neither will anyone else. No longer will that happen."
Without another word, the Sableye wandered away from the group. No one said anything as they watched him disappear into the distance, his shadow being his only companion.
"Let's go," Chloe announced as she went forward. "This is the last sector of the corpse forest. The next sector will be somewhere different. It should be a somewhat nice change."
"Somehow I doubt that," Zeverous scoffed.
Chloe shrugged carelessly as she went after the Sableye. The remaining four Pokémon looked at one another in reluctance.
"I am highly questioning whether we should keep following the plagued Sableye," Novus stated. "Clearly something is very wrong with him."
"Yeah," Zekra said. "Tear, was he like this when he was going insane last time?"
"Sort of," Terron said, thinking over his last visit to the woods. "But he talked differently and would say really cryptic things. And he was always wearing… that smile. God, that smile."
"He's giving rather cryptic messages now, I must say," Novus pointed out.
"Yeah, but the ones from before were a different kind of cryptic," Terron stated. "Before, it was like he wanted me to know something, but couldn't quite say it. Like, he was speaking in riddles. Here, he's not trying to hide anything and he's just being really weird."
"Especially that bit where he said about how he said he can control his shadow like that," Zeverous then said. "I don't know. Just something about the way he was describing that was very wrong. Erebus can't make you more powerful, can it? I mean, why would it do that? There'd be a better chance of you defeating it if it did that."
"Maybe it's an unintentional side effect?" Terron suggested.
"I don't think so," Zeverous said quietly. "I don't think Erebus would allow that to happen. Giving you the power to do that to your shadow… why would it do that?"
There was a soft breeze, and then the four found themselves right behind Yimtri and Chloe. The Sableye stopped and stared back at them, unamused.
"Seems that your Reunion Capes did not want you to wander too far from me," he said dully. "Best if you stayed with me if you don't want them to activate again. Erebus might catch you if you don't."
He then turned away and resumed his walk. The four said nothing as they followed after the Sableye and his companion in silence.
Erebus Woods SX
There was a brief flash of light, and then the six found themselves in a new area of the dungeon, almost to their relief. Erebus Woods was no longer the corpse forest they had grown accustomed to. It was not even a place completely consumed with an ominous aura, twisted corruptions of nature, or filled to the brim with darkness.
It was now a large, sprawling field covered in a thick blanket of snow that went up to Terron's ankles. Not a tree or plant was in sight. The only thing to break the endless white was the few blades of grass that poked out from below. In the far distance stood a mountain, its hazy form blending well into the grey clouds that rolled above. Fog shrouded the plain in certain sections, dividing the area in several segments behind their thick walls.
Terron shuddered as the ice crept around him. He quickly ripped off his scarf, tore it in two, and wrapped both pieces around his feet. He could still feel the cold, but it was lessened greatly. He released a quiet sigh as he looked around at the barren plain.
"What is this place?" Terron wondered.
"Some kind of snowy area obviously," Zeverous noted. "Hmm, doesn't quite match the rest of the forest. In fact, this place is kinda peaceful. Weird…"
The Zoroark noticed Terron's makeshift shoes.
"You know that the snow won't really hurt you, right?" Zeverous asked.
"What are you talking about? Of course it will!" Terron cried. "Whenever that stuff touches me, it stings so bad. The same thing for water…"
"Umm, no it doesn't. It only hurts when it's used as an attack. You wanna know why? Because when someone fires an Ice Beam or Blizzard at you, the ice is sharper than it's supposed to be. They're like little thorns. It actually gets into your body and hurts you that way. You can only get hurt by ice if it pierces your scales. Snow can't do that since it's not all that sharp. Water's a little different though in that you've gotta build up a tolerance to that stuff, since it always seems to put Pokémon like you into shock the second they touch it. Or something. I don't know; never really paid attention to how that kind of stuff works."
"Well that is mostly correct," Novus interjected. "Pokémon with affinities like Terron and I are-"
"Why did you bring us here, Erebus?"
Everyone turned to the Sableye, only to find that he had wandered quite a ways from the group. He stood amidst the empty field, his back turned to the five and cape flowing in the breeze.
"Why did you have to bring us here?" he asked yet again in a subdued voice.
"You know this place?" Terron asked.
The Sableye glanced at the Cubone for just a moment before looking back into the far distance.
"Yes, I do. It's a part of Erebus Woods that most do not see. The very last sector."
"Really?" Terron wondered. "But it's so peaceful for it to be the last sector. It doesn't even feel like we're in Erebus Woods anymore…"
"It is," Yimtri snapped, shooting the Cubone a glare. "Don't fall for that trick. Keep moving. Don't you dare stay still. If you think you see something moving in the distance, don't look at it. Keep your eyes forward and nothing will happen to you. If you think you hear something, ignore it and cover your ears. Understand?"
"Why?" Terron asked weakly.
"Do not have me answer that question. You don't want to know. Just keep moving. Erebus should be around here somewhere."
The Sableye swiftly turned back around and walked away. For just a moment, the five remained where they stood, as if the ice had frozen them in place.
"What are you waiting for? Come along," Yimtri called. "You received your answer, so you no longer have a reason to be wary, so long as you follow my advice."
Chloe went after the Sableye, but Terron and his friends did not. They each glanced at one another, a grim expression overcoming each of them. Through some sort of miracle, the group had made it to the very end of Erebus Woods. The fiftieth sector had been reached and no harm had come to them. Yet, even as this information came to them, they couldn't feel any relief fill their hearts; there was only a deep dread.
"There's no way this can actually be the last sector," Terron stated. "There's no way we've gone through all of this place without anything happen to us… Erebus wouldn't be this nice. Something isn't right guys."
"I bet that Sableye's hiding something. Again," Zeverous snorted. "It's so obvious."
"Yeah, but why?" Terron pondered. "What's there to hide? What's so bad about this snow field? What, are there some kind of ice monsters that pop out of the ground that turn us into Plagued Ones instantly?"
"Maybe," Zeverous replied. "But, an ice field. How is there an ice field in this dungeon? Misery dungeons only corrupt the environment's they're around, don't they? So where's the ice field that this dungeon is corrupting? It's not even snowing around this part of Shiron that I know of…"
As Terron's teammates mulled over the troubling subject, the Cubone looked over their shoulders to find that Yimtri was quickly becoming nothing but a purple dot in the distance. Just as he took a step forward, something wrapped around his leg. Something that instantly made his heart stop.
Then, before he could scream, he was dragged down into the snow and everything went black.
When Terron awoke again, he found that he had not moved. He was still lying in the middle of the snow, the sprawling field still surrounding him for miles and miles. However, he found that his teammates were nowhere in sight. They were simply gone, without a trace. Not even their footprints remained in the sheet of white. It was only him.
"Guys?" Terron called out. "Where are you guys?"
Only the low sound of a soft breeze answered him. Panic settled into Terron's heart as he quickly got to his feet and checked to see if he still had the torn Reunion Cape. Both parts of it were still bound tightly to his feet, slightly damp from the snow.
Why isn't the cape working? It should! It worked before!
"Because I want to speak to you."
Terron spun around as he yanked out a club from his coat. Standing just a few feet away from him was a shadowy figure he knew to be Erebus. Unlike the other times he had seen it, it was not simply a shadow resting along the ground; it was now hovering a few inches above the snow. Yet, he could still not tell what it was. All he knew was that it was vaguely humanoid.
He pressed his persona deep into his head, drowning out the fear that was consuming him. He couldn't let it take over him; not now.
"What are you talking about?" Terron asked, pointing his weapon at the creature.
"Why your cape does not take you back to the others or why I want to speak to you?"
"Both."
"Your cape does not function like it should because I disabled it for just a moment, the reason for that being because I want to speak with you. As for why I want to speak, it's because I have not seen you in so long. You and I have been separated for quite some time."
"Well I'm sorry that's how things are. I just don't really like hanging around abominations that like to turn me into abominations. Very inconvenient for me."
Erebus remained stationary. Terron felt a confident grin grow from underneath his mask. The idea of battling the creature before him suddenly wasn't such a terrifying thought. Not when such creature seemed to take his clever remarks rather poorly.
"You are just like the other child who has no fear for me. Just as it is with him, much about you has changed as well. There is much about you that saddens me to see. Truly I should have found a way to keep you safe. Perhaps that would have prevented this from happening. Perhaps if I had done that, you wouldn't be stricken with amnesia and have to suffer through all that you've seen since your awakening."
The bravado in Terron's heart immediately shattered. Erebus only watched him stagger back, unmoving. It didn't seem to relish in watching the Cubone's fragility.
"How do you know about that?" Terron said weakly. "How do you know that I can't remember anything?"
"Because I know you. I've known about you for a very long time. Since the very moment you became a Cubone, I've been watching over you from afar just as I have been with my other child. I've been watching over you both."
"You don't know me! You've never even seen me until I came here and you plagued me!"
"Am I lying to you, my child? Tell me, if I wasn't speaking the truth, why would you deny it so passionately?"
Terron felt his resolution grow weaker and weaker with each word the creature spoke. He tried to keep a stoic expression, but his liquefying insides were making it difficult to do so.
"You don't know me…" he said feebly. "Stop calling me your child…"
"But you are. You truly are. I never forget my precious children. Especially not you."
There was a flash of darkness, and the next thing Terron knew, Erebus was right in front of him. Its claws dug deep into his skull, almost cracking it as its unseen eyes bored deep into his own. He found he couldn't move a muscle and could only stare into the darkness that was the creature. He couldn't even shiver.
"I cannot speak to you much longer; the blight will spread to you if I do and corrupt you completely. I can't have that happen. It seems that if you want to speak to me further, you will need to find me. But remember something my dear child."
Terron felt its hidden eyes stare deeper into his own.
"When you find me again, I will hold nothing back. You will be consumed by the blight the next time we meet unless you can somehow manage to stop me. Remember that."
The creature tackled Terron and the blackness of the shadow corrupted his vision before he hit the snow.
Terron's eyes snapped open. He panted rapidly as Erebus's darkness and cold left his body. To his great relief, he was untainted. His mind was clear of any abnormalities and not a single bit of his flesh streamed with the wisps seen among the Plagued Ones' forms. He was safe.
He found he was once again laying in the snow, but this time, Zekra, Novus, and Zeverous were with him. All of them encircled him with troubled gazes. There were limp bodies just behind them, presumably dungeon ferals that had attacked them while he was with Erebus.
"What happened to me?" Terron asked as he sat up.
"You just passed out for no reason," Zekra answered with her head peeking out of Zeverous's mane. "We tried to wake you up, but you just stayed asleep and wouldn't talk or anything. And then all these Pokémon attacked us and we had to fight them off. Did something else happen? Did you go see that Groudon?"
"Groudon?" Zeverous wondered.
"Yeah, Tear used to pass out and he'd see this Groudon or something that would always talk to him," Zekra replied. "But, it hasn't happened for a while…"
"Well, I can tell you that I didn't see Groudon," Terron answered with a shake of his head. "Erebus was talking to me. It separated me from you guys and brought me to somewhere that looks exactly like here."
"You were talking to Erebus and it took you away from us?" Zekra asked, baffled. "But, the cape… you were wearing it, weren't you?"
"Yeah, I was. But Erebus was saying that it disabled it somehow. I don't know how, but it did."
"So if it can disable our capes, does that mean it can separate all of us if it wanted to? Can it do that with the rest of our items?"
"Don't fret over that right now," Novus interjected. "Terron, what did Erebus say to you?"
"Something about how it knows me," Terron explained. "It didn't exactly say how it knew me, but it knew some things that it shouldn't know. And it was telling me that the next time I see it… it's going to plague me."
"It didn't try to turn you into a Blight Demon just now?" Novus asked.
Terron slowly shook his head. He clutched his club in both hands as Erebus's last words continued to ring in his mind. Even still, he kept a stoic persona, realizing that panicking would not make the situation better.
"Strange. Why would Erebus not do so if you were right in its presence?" the Quilava wondered. "Then again, it did not bother to do the same when we all saw it not so long ago. Hmmm."
"You were saying that it knew stuff about you, though?" Zekra then asked.
"Yeah, it did," Terron nodded. "It was almost like it was goading me to find it again really. Like it was saying if I found it again, it'd tell me what it knows about me…"
"Terron, you've been bribed once already by that Sableye with stuff you wanna know," Zeverous snarled. "You are not doing it a second time. You hear me? Because if you do, I swear I'm going to tie you to me so you can't go anywhere at all."
"I'm not going to do something that stupid," Terron shot back. "I'm not an idiot. But why was it acting like it wanted to communicate with me just now? It was like it was trying to tell me something, but then it said that this blight would spread to me if it kept talking. Like it didn't actually want to hurt me…"
Terron noticed a familiar purple figure walking in the distance. It looked back at him once, and then continued to wander away.
"Ugh, Yimtri's leaving us behind," Terron whined. "We'd better go after him. I'm surprised he didn't stay behind after I passed out."
"No, he wouldn't even stop after we got attacked," Zeverous stated distastefully. "He just kept going and completely ignored us. But yeah, guess we'd better get going."
The four treaded through the snow with some urgency, feeling the crunch of the ice beneath their feet. It seemed that the further they went, the deeper the snow became. But, they ignored this and continued on. It was not long before the group caught up with the Sableye. But, he was not with his constant companion.
"Hey, where's Chloe?" Terron asked him.
The Sableye didn't respond. He only cast the Cubone a glance before looking ahead of him with a vacant stare.
"Yimtri?"
The Sableye wandered into one of the shrouds obscuring the plain, completely disappearing from view.
"Hey!" Terron shouted. "Where are you going?"
There was no response. Terron released an agitated sigh, but saw there was nothing else that he could do. With a deep breath, he and his friends quickly followed suit and bounded into the thick fog.
When the four emerged from the haze, they found that they were no longer in a sprawling field of white. They were now just outside the entrance of Erebus Woods, just as how they had last seen it. Everything about it was exactly the same as the noon sun shined down upon it.
Yet, Yimtri was no longer leading them. He was nowhere in sight. The four stopped.
"Uhhhh, did we leave Erebus Woods?" Zekra asked.
"No, that's impossible," Novus said with a shake of his head. "We couldn't have left the dungeon already. I'm fairly certain Erebus would not have allowed that."
"Well Erebus knows we want to kill it, so maybe it's letting us get out so it doesn't have to worry about that," Zekra replied.
"I doubt it," Terron chimed in. "Erebus is obviously pulling a trick on us. Now seriously, where did Yimtri go?"
"There he is!"
Zekra pointed into the distance. Everyone turned to find the Sableye making his way out of the surround wilderness and toward the corrupted forest. Terron was about to shout at him, but then, he saw a Zangoose and Gabite follow close behind Yimtri. The second Terron saw them, he paused.
"Yimtri, aren't those the Pokémon we saw back in the woods earlier?" he asked. "Why are they…?"
The Sableye stopped a far distance away from the forest with a grim scowl. His companions did the same.
"That's the place," Yimtri said quietly. "That's the forest that took everyone who was here with me yesterday."
"The one that wrapped you guys up in branches and stuff?" the Zangoose asked timidly.
"Yes, the very one," Yimtri said.
"Yimtri! Stop ignoring us!" Terron shouted. "What's going on?"
But the Sableye didn't pay the Cubone any heed. He only continued to look at the forest with his new companions.
"Well I'm just standing next to this place and I can already tell the place is a real nightmare," the Gabite grimaced. "Geez, how did we not notice that this place was right next to our Fellowship? I mean, when you came back from that place, I could feel this place's aura all over you. It's like it got attached to you or something… and it's even worse when you're standing next to this forest."
"I still reek of it, Draven?" Yimtri asked as he glanced at his claws. "I thought it would have faded away by now…"
"Yeah, it's still pretty strong," the Zangoose answered. "In fact, I really think you should stay away from this forest because of how bad it feels. You didn't need to show us how bad this place was. We would have taken your word for it."
"But I did," Yimtri replied. "I just had to show you just how terrible it is. No words can describe this horrible place."
"Alright, well what do you wanna do then?" the Zangoose asked. "We moving Dusk Mines?"
"No, we can't do that," Yimtri said quickly. "We just got here not even a week ago. Besides, I don't think our members want to make another tiring journey to search for another place to make a new Fellowship. And plus… this dungeon has things we need; evolving stones. Those are invaluable to the other Fellowships. It's best to stay close to it so we can collect them."
"Still…" the Zangoose replied reluctantly.
"If we stay away from the dungeon, everything should be fine," Yimtri then said. "It's apparently a very powerful dungeon, but it can't infest our Fellowship at least. So let's stay a little while longer, but just not go anywhere near this place. But if something happens… we'll be sure to leave. Alright?"
The Gabite and Zangoose nodded.
"Now let's get out of here," the Zangoose said hastily. "This place gives me the creeps. Gah, feels like something's going to grab me any second or something."
The three scampered from the forest without another word. It was as they walked did Terron see that the Sableye's cape was not tattered as it always was. It was completely whole, not a single shred in it…
Terron and his companions were left lost and baffled.
"What just happened?" Terron asked.
"I don't know," Zeverous replied. "I really don't. I mean, first we're transported out of Erebus Woods, then we see that Sableye talking to some random Pokémon who were on trees earlier… I don't know what's going on. Something's not right. I can feel it. Something in the air…"
"Hurry after him. Hurry."
The four shot their gazes to Erebus Woods, only to find many black tendrils slowly crawling out of the black abyss that was the forest entrance and creeping toward them. They didn't waste a second in bolting after the Sableye and his companions. They managed to spot the three just before they disappeared inside a thick cloud of fog that spread throughout the forest. This did little in stopping them from doing the same.
When they emerged from the haze, they found they were back in the snowy field, Yimtri and Chloe not far ahead of them. The two turned around as the group came to an abrupt stop, panting as their hearts beat wildly in their chests.
"Why are you acting as though you have run across the entire landscape of Shiron?" Yimtri asked.
"Because Erebus just tried to get us!" Terron cried. "It took us to the entrance and… wait. Where's that Zangoose and Gabite you were with earlier? Where'd they go?"
Yimtri seemed to become stiff.
"What are you talking about?" he asked in an uncertain, almost reluctant voice.
"You were with a Zangoose and Gabite when we last saw you back where we just were," Terron explained. "You were talking to them and telling them about Erebus Woods. You weren't talking to us at all… and hey, your cape is all torn up again. It wasn't like that before when you were with those other Pokémon."
The Sableye flinched, but it was only for a moment, for a murderous glare was quick to come over him. His gemstones burned bright as his shadow seemed to dance along the ground.
"Don't you ever wander away from me again," he hissed. "I thought I told you why. Why are you being so empty-minded right now?"
Terron scowled. However, it was Zeverous who ended up speaking his thoughts.
"What's going on, Yimtri?" Zeverous snarled. "What aren't you telling us?"
"I told you, it is nothing to be concerned about," Yimtri countered.
"What's that supposed to imply?"
"I said it doesn't concern you. Do not ask me again."
Zeverous grit his teeth as his eyes became bright. Yimtri didn't waver from his position, only keeping his own glower fixed upon his face.
A Dark Pulse shot in the space between the conflicting Pokémon, making them cringe. They quickly looked toward the source of the attack to find Zekra standing near, her maw filled with the black energy.
"Zekra, what was that for?" Zeverous snarled.
"Look behind you guys!"
Yimtri and Zeverous turned, only to find a Froslass collapsed in the snow beside them, squirming as dark wisps rose from its body. Zeverous wasted no time and stabbed a set of glowing into the creature's body. It let out a loud, banshee-like wail as its body disintegrated instantly.
"Froslass. Such troublesome ghosts," Yimtri stated. "They are rather tiring to deal with. Especially so since they sometimes cast a type of spell that makes you faint when they do. It's rather fortunate that you defeated it before it could use such a power."
"What power is that?" Zekra asked curiously.
"A power called Destiny Bond," Yimtri answered. "Only a few Pokémon wield such a power and it may seem trivial at first glance, but let me assure you that when someone casts it on you, there is no chance that you will remain conscious. You will fall with the caster, one way or another."
Zekra stared at the spot where the Froslass once was, imagining the power that Yimtri spoke of. She prayed that she would never have to encounter it. It was a good way to have any mission end in failure. It was a good way to end up dead.
"But that is not a problem if you immediately eliminate the creature with your Dark Pulse, is it not?"
Zekra tensed. Her eyes frantically darted in every direction she could, trying to spot where the voice was coming from, but Erebus was nowhere in sight.
"You will never have that problem if you have Dark Pulse upon you. You will never have that problem if it is so incredibly powerful, can you?"
"What are you talking about?" Zekra cried to the sky. "What are you saying, Erebus?!"
In the corner of her eye, Zekra saw her shadow shift on its own. She screamed and bolted from the spot, rapidly changing into a Skarmory in the process. But just as she was to take off into the air, a black tendril shot out of the ground and wrapped itself around her leg.
"You want to be safe, don't you?"
The tentacle yanked her back and tossed her into the snow, forcing her back into her Zorua form. Five more of the tentacles sprouted around her and wrapped around her body. Zekra flailed and cried loudly in desperation, but the tentacles held firm.
"The blight will help you, little Zekra. It will protect you."
All at once, each of the tendril's sharp points pierced her fur and sank into her flesh. Zekra stopped struggling.
"Zekra!"
Zeverous sprang at his sister and with glowing claws, he slashed at her bindings. He grabbed her frail form and pried her free of Erebus's hold, ripping off small bits of her fur in the process. No blood spilled down her limbs as Zeverous ran away from the tendrils and held the little Zorua in his claws. Tears formed in his eyes as he looked down at her. Her eyes were frozen open and her entire body was limp and unmoving.
"Zekra…" he muttered, his voice broken.
Terron and Novus carefully came to Zeverous's side and looked at their friend in somber silence.
"She's not gone," Chloe said from afar. "She is simply deep within her mind with her plagued self. She will wake up soon. But, if you wish to speed up the process, give her an Oran berry. She will awaken the moment she eats it."
Zeverous wasted no time in ripping out an Oran berry from his backpack and stuffing it into her maw. The light in Zekra's eyes returned instantly. She coughed and spit out the berry.
"Zekra?" he asked tenderly.
The Zorua looked up at her brother. She grimaced as she immediately turned away and glanced down at her paws.
"I got plagued, didn't I?" she whispered. "Erebus did something to me, didn't it? Because I went to this nightmare world just now. I was in this forest and there was someone with me. Something else was standing in that weird forest with me and it… was talking to me."
"What was it telling you?" Zeverous asked.
Zekra shuddered and squeezed her eyes shut. She curled up into a small ball, whimpering.
"Zekra, what did it tell you?" Zeverous demanded.
"She doesn't want to answer your question, so leave it at that," Yimtri interjected. "Now, let's get moving."
The Zoroark growled as he shot the Sableye a malicious glare. Yimtri remained unfazed and only scowled.
"Zekra is safe, therefore we should continue our search once again," Yimtri stated. "We cannot waste any more time dwelling on a subject that is obviously not important right now. Erebus is near and we must find it."
"She just got plagued!" Zeverous cried furiously. "She's hurt and has got a little demon growing even stronger inside her now! We need to figure out how much damage Erebus has done to her so that we can see if there's anything we can do to help! Erebus can wait!"
"Erebus cannot wait. We have to find it now. Your sister is still in good condition. We have no reason to dwell over this."
Zeverous's eyes ignited. He shoved Zekra into Terron's paws, and then he lunged at the Sableye. Yimtri melted into the ground just as Zeverous's claws sank into the snow where his footsteps still lay.
"Do you not care about anyone?!" Zeverous shrieked. "Are we just meaningless slaves that you dragged into your suicidal plot?! Are we just tools to you?!"
"No, you are not my puppets," Yimtri's voice said from somewhere in the distance. "However, you are being puppets to your emotions. They are distracting you and making you commit such rash actions. This is what Erebus wants you to do. You are falling right into its trap. Stifle the emotions, Zeverous. Control them, or they will control you."
A wave of fog rolled into the area, separating the five from Yimtri. Zeverous's eyes flared as he ripped his claws from the cold ground.
"Yimtri! YIMTRI!" he screamed. "Get back here!"
There was no response. Zeverous dashed into the fog without a second thought, screaming madly as he disappeared. It was not long before Terron, Novus, Zekra, and Chloe found themselves by the Zoroark's side again thanks to the power of their capes.
They were at what appeared to be the exit of the twisted Mystery Dungeon known as Erebus Woods from what they could assume. The trees surrounding the gaping hole were somehow different than the ones that sprouted at the entrance, despite having the same overall twisted, deformed shape. Only the otherworldly light of the moon gave the five any visibility in the dead of the night they found themselves in. However, they were not sure if they wanted the normally comforting light anymore.
On his hands and knees, near the presumed exit, was Yimtri. His entire body had blood smeared all over it, and his eyes dimmed and brightened drastically with each raspy breath he took. Dark wisps streamed off him as he curled his claws into the soil.
"They're gone…" he panted.
"My liege?" Chloe asked reluctantly. "What happened to you?"
The Turtwig made her way toward the Sableye. Yimtri didn't pay her any mind. He brought his trembling claws close to his face, seeing the white fur and dark scales within the blood on his palms.
"My liege?"
"I killed them. I killed them. Heh. Heh. Heheh."
Chloe stopped. The number of wisps escaping Yimtri's body seemed to increase as he continued laughing quietly under his breath. Everyone cast him an unnerved stare, but he didn't seem to notice. He lowered his head, obscuring his glowing gemstones from the group's view.
"Oh Draven and Zar… you two just wouldn't listen to me. Heh. I almost want to say that you deserved your fate for not listening to me. Heh. Heheh. Well it really does look like you two can't leave Dusk Mines anymore. You're here forever. Your bodies are never going to leave."
The Sableye laughed some more as he sluggishly rose to his feet. Upon his face was the awful, horrific smile that Terron had hoped he would never see again. His teeth glimmered in the light of the moon as he turned around to face the forest.
"What do I call you?" Yimtri wondered aloud. "What do I call you, twisted dungeon? You deserve a name for all that you've done. Perhaps I should call you Yomi. World of Darkness… it would be so fitting. No, maybe not. Hmmm. What about Tartarus? No, that doesn't sound right despite it describing you so well."
The Sableye's smile widened.
"Ah, I know a name. I know a perfect name to give you. You will be Erebus Woods. Erebus… the primordial deity of darkness. Yes. Perfect. A fitting name for you and your master."
Yimtri chuckled to himself and shook his head. A thick fog soon covered the area, obscuring Yimtri and Erebus Woods from view and leaving the five unhinged and isolated in the lonely dark wilderness.
Chloe walked toward the fog. No one else followed her. A numbing, icy feeling was spreading through their veins and preventing them from moving even an inch.
"We need to leave," she stated. "We are not supposed to separate from the liege, even though the capes should have brought us to him already or him to us."
Zeverous snapped out of his stupor and shot the Turtwig a glare. She stopped moving and turned back to him, remaining composed.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" she asked.
"You want to go back to the Sableye after what you just saw?" Zeverous asked incredulously. "After whatever that was?"
"Yes. I see no reason not to reunite with him."
"You're joking, right? You just saw him covered in blood and having something really wrong with him. Why would you want to go find him like that?"
"What makes you think that all around you is as it seems?"
Zeverous flinched at the remark. Chloe's eyes glimmered with a strange light, yet her stoic expression remained firm.
"What's… that supposed to mean?" Terron then asked reluctantly.
"It means you should have listened to me when I said don't ever wander away from me."
Everyone snapped their glances toward the fog. A certain Sableye emerged from its murky depths and stopped beside Chloe, wearing a ferocious scowl. Every single one of his jagged teeth was visible and seemed to shine in the light of his gemstones that burned with an ethereal brightness.
"I told you never to wander away from me," Yimtri hissed, a cold aura rolling off him in waves. "Why are you continuously ignoring my words?"
Terron opened his mouth, but his words were cut by Zeverous's abrupt snarling.
"We didn't wander off, Yimtri," the Zoroark stated. "If anything, you wandered off and we were chasing after you."
"Only because that was entirely your fault," Yimtri stated bitterly. "You were trying to attack me, so I had no choice but to remain hidden so you would not kill me. And then you bounded into the fog, somewhere you should never go."
"And why's that?"
"That's not important right now," Yimtri replied maliciously, his eyes bright.
Zeverous drew his claws, filling them with a deep, crimson energy.
"Why were you covered in blood just now? Why were you laughing like that and talking to the misery dungeon? Why are we even in front of the dungeon right now?! What's going on?!"
"Something you aren't meant to see. Something you really should not see. I'm not going to explain it any further than that, because you honestly don't want to know. Don't make me explain it. You'll thank me for it later. Is that explanation satisfactory for you? Is it?"
Zeverous didn't move. No one did. Yimtri sighed and shook his head as he tugged as the scarf around his neck.
"Fine. I suppose I'll have to force you out of here, since you're obviously not going to listen. What a saddening sight to see. I continuously explain this concept, however painful it is, and you still refuse to listen. You constantly ignore my words. Why must you be like this?"
"Wait."
Yimtri stopped.
"Of course. I get it now. It all makes sense now."
Everyone turned to find Zeverous shooting Yimtri the most malicious glare they had ever seen. But it was not just malevolence that filled his eyes; it was recognition as well.
"I know what's going on. I should have seen it earlier," Zeverous growled. "It'd explain why you're making so little sense right now."
Yimtri's scowl deepened.
"What are you talking about, Zeverous?" he asked in a subdued voice.
Zeverous abruptly grabbed Terron, Novus, and Zekra from off the ground and pushed them deep into his mane. Then, with one more swift motion, he reached into his bag and pulled out a blue sphere that glinted in the light of his eyes.
Chloe backpedaled at the sight of the item.
"He has an Escape Orb, my liege," she warned. "When did he…?"
"He's a Zoroark, Chloe," Yimtri said darkly. "He created an illusion that I took the orb when in reality, it never left his bag. What a clever trick. I truly should have seen through that."
The Sableye returned his gaze to the Zoroark.
"Zeverous, why are you acting like this? Explain yourself."
The Zoroark clenched his grasp around the orb as his eyes became ever the brighter.
"You wanna know what's going on?" Zeverous asked fervidly. "Fine, I'll tell you. I'll tell you just so that everyone knows what's going on."
Team Vendetta poked their heads out of Zeverous's mane and glanced at him with anxious stares. Chloe had her gaze averted, wearing an agonized grimace. Yimtri kept his grave expression fixed upon Zeverous, merely awaiting the words that were to come.
"I know what you're trying to hide, Yimtri," Zeverous began. "It was so obvious, but I was too blind to see it. But now, now I can finally see it after looking at everything.
"First of all, whenever you get taken over by your inner Plagued One, you don't lose your rationality like everyone else. You're calculated and make strategies. You claim that it's because you suppressed all of your emotions, but even I know that's ridiculous. Your inner Plagued One would find a way to make you turn into a bloodthirsty monster somehow. But no, you stay rational, like you don't even have an inner Plagued One…
"Next, that shadow you have. That shadow that I know is supposed to be Shadow Sneak. It sure acts a lot like Erebus, doesn't it? The way it looks and moves sure does remind me of Erebus. You used to claim it was because of that stupid cape, but right after we saw you use those weird powers after it got ripped off, you changed it. You said it was because you're plagued and that when you're plagued, you get stronger powers or something like that. Thing is… I've never heard of that happening to me before. I don't have any weird powers like that and neither did any of your members.
"And then, the fact that you won't tell anyone about Erebus or anything it does. You give yourself the excuse that no one could kill it because it's so powerful, but you know what? Somebody probably could. I bet at least one group of Pokémon would be strong enough to kill it. But you wouldn't let anyone because of this supposed excuse that it's futile because Erebus is so powerful. And then you were so bent on having the four of us come with you to this suicidal misery dungeon when I know you absolutely loathe each of us and flat out said you had no strategy to combat the creature once we got to it. I bet you wouldn't be that way with just anyone. No, you were so absurdly persistent with us coming, like it had to be us and no one else…
"And now finally, the fact that you refuse to explain anything. The fact that you won't tell us anything going on here, no matter how important it is, and how much you demand we go find Erebus. Like you want to keep us ignorant of what's to come while you lure us somewhere…
"I know what's going on, Yimtri. I finally get it now. You brought us down here so you could finish us off where no one could attempt to save us.
"BECAUSE YOU'RE ONE OF THE COPIES OF EREBUS."