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Chapter 86
Out of Time
Terron and Zekra closely followed behind Venri as she led them to the Fellowship base in her illusionary Sableye form. They raced briskly along the cobblestone roads as they rounded buildings, ignoring their throbbing hearts that beat painfully in their chests. Terron considered asking Zekra to change into a flying-type instead of remaining in her Zoroark form so that they could reach their destination much more quickly, but before he could muster up the words, a conversation started up in front of him.
"Venri, what do you mean Novus found Len?" Zekra tried to ask, trying to stifle the shock in her voice. "I thought he was with his team back in the Fellowship or wherever they went after the Plagued Ones ruined Aurora Town!"
"Look, I don't know what's going on either," Venri said with a shrug. "I mean, Yimtri and I were just murdering ea… I mean, hanging out, and then next thing we know, Reshiram's with us and he's got Len all passed out and everything! And then Yimtri started yelling at me to go get you guys while Reshiram went to go find Impetus or whatever he said."
"Well, does Len look okay?" Zekra then asked.
"Well I don't know. I mean, it's kind of hard to tell with him being asleep," Venri replied. "Look, you'll see when you get there, alright? We're almost there."
Zekra shot Venri a glare and seemed ready to make a retort at her, but kept herself silent and simply continued to follow behind the Sableye. However, Terron didn't put it past her to instead resort yelling at Venri in her mind so that Terron couldn't continue to hear their conversation.
Minutes later, the three finally arrived at the old Aurora Town Fellowship. Just as Venri had described, Reshiram and Yimtri were before the giant tree's entrance, gazing down at what appeared to be a slumbering Luxray at Reshiram's feet. However, they weren't the only ones to be attending to the Luxray. Standing at the Luxray's sides were an Audino and Mienshao, the Audino lightly stroking Len's mane with one paw while holding one the feelers around its ears with the other paw, while the Mienshao stood silently by. Terron didn't have to look long to realize that Mienshao was Impetus, crossing her arms over her chest and doing her best not to move.
Terron, Venri, and Zekra were only able to take all of this in before Yimtri abruptly turned toward them. His eyes flashed momentarily as his thoughtful scowl deepened.
"What took you so long, Venri?" he asked in exasperation. "It should have taken you five minutes to bring them here with how you can literally appear right in front of Zekra in the amount of time it takes me to snap my claws. In the amount of time it took you to bring those two here, Reshiram already brought Impetus here and my healer is nearly done assessing the damage Len's sustained."
"Well I'm sorry I didn't get here faster than Reshiram!" Venri shot back. "Maybe Tear and Zekra were in the middle of something and I didn't want to interrupt!"
Yimtri shifted his glare to Terron and Zekra, which made Terron gulp even though he knew there was no reason to fear the Sableye. It seemed to be a reaction he could never get over after their history together.
So that's what they were doing. Should have figured that. Looks like Zekra finally got the nerve to talk to him, though amazingly Terron was more reluctant than I expected. Seems he is no longer as short-sighted as he used to be. Good. I can't afford for him to be that way anymore. I can't have liabilities on my side. Not anymore.
Terron knew those were Yimtri's thoughts. The thoughts were in Terron's voice, but Terron knew that they belonged to Yimtri. There was no other explanation for why those strange thoughts were in Terron's mind and why they were directed at Terron himself. Yimtri must have somehow seen Terron's memories from not too long ago and was making mental remarks about them.
Terron saw Yimtri remove his glare from him and Zekra and cast it back on Venri. He let out a short sigh as he motioned for the three to come toward him with his claws. Venri promptly disappeared, resuming her rightful place within Zekra's mind as Terron and Zekra joined Yimtri's side. They then looked down at the Luxray to find that indeed, it was Len, and all of their doubts were alleviated. They would have recognized their former Fellowship leader anywhere. From their closer view to him, they could see that he was covered in a number of scars all throughout his body, all of them appearing to be remnants of deep scratches. Some of the scars even seemed rather fresh, dried blood stained to his fur with sticky scabs just barely covering the large slashes.
But worst of all, the left half of his face was covered with three large lines, highly reminiscent of marks left after being struck by fearsome claws. They stretched down from the top of his ear to his chin, the worst and deepest part of the mark gouging into his eye. Terron had to resist cringing.
Did he… is he going to be able to see any more out of that eye? Terron wondered.
"He's not blind in his scarred eye," Yimtri assured. "I know it might appear that way, but he's not. Joy here says that his eye function is still normal."
"Uh… thanks," Terron said awkwardly, unsure of what he thought of Yimtri responding directly to his thoughts. "So um, why's he here? What happened to him?"
"I was surveying the lands surrounding the town when I came across Len in a field not far from here," Reshiram explained, making everyone except Joy gaze up at him. "I am not sure exactly how he got there, but when I found him, he was just like this. I presume that he fainted from exhaustion, though why exactly he was running I do not know. All I can say is that he is most certainly alive. He still breathes and is not close to death. I do not sense any blight within his soul either."
"I can verify that," the Audino said, smiling softly. "Apparently he was very tired to begin with and very weak from his injuries. He also seemed to be running a long ways as well based on how much strain his leg muscles are in. Combine those two things together, his body gave up on him. But, if you give me some time, I can restore some of his energy and he'll be awake soon enough. He'll still be very tired and fatigued, but he'll at least be able to tell us how he fell into this condition."
"That would very much be appreciated, Joy," Yimtri said. "I do believe he'll have quite a story to tell us."
Terron said nothing as he continued to gaze down upon Len. Never in his wildest dreams would Terron have thought that he would reunite with Len like this. He knew that at one point they would meet again, given that Len was a part of the Fellowship, but certainly not with Len badly injured and so far away from the Fellowship. He couldn't imagine what could have caused Len to be in this condition. But most of all, Terron wondered what Len would think of him when he would wake up. Len had specifically dismissed him, Novus, Zekra from the Fellowship to protect them from the dangers of Fellowship life. Now all three of them were rebelling against the very organization that they were thrown out of with Yimtri's entire base of fugitive members to support them.
If Len was still on the Fellowship's side, then that would mean that they would be forced to eliminate him. And though Terron had absolutely no desire to kill his former leader from what seemed to be an eternity ago, he knew he would have no choice. The Fellowship had to fall, one way or another, and no one could get in their way. They couldn't have Len run back to the Fellowship to tell them where Terron and his group were or how large their army was.
"Reshiram, did you find Syn?" Impetus then asked. "I know he's supposed to be back sometime soon."
"I'm afraid not," Reshiram with a solemn bow of his head. "He was nowhere in sight."
"I see," Impetus said simply.
The Mienshao appeared to want to say something more, but kept her peace and only put her gaze back onto the slumbering Luxray. And though she tried to hide it, Terron could see the anxious glimmer in her eyes. When he saw that, Terron wanted to hold her hand and reassure her that Syn would be back any day now. He was a strong Pokémon. He would succeed in completing his mission.
"However, I did find someone else when I was returning here with Len," Reshiram then said.
It was then that the great, white dragon lowered his head so that it almost touched the ground. It was when this happened did Terron realize just how large Reshiram truly was. Though he was always quite mighty in size once he was reunited with his body, Terron had never realized that the crown of head was large enough for two members of the group to sit upon it. Even his eyes were quite large, being about the size of Terron's head.
Terron would have marveled at the ferocity of his friend in his true form, but then he saw a Pokémon climb off Reshiram's back and settle itself upon the ground before the great dragon. Once it had settled itself on the ground, Reshiram straightened himself and stood imposingly over the group once more, keeping his keen and watchful gaze upon the new Pokémon.
It was an Umbreon.
"Wait, what?" Zekra cried out, closing in on the Umbreon so quickly that she nearly bumped into her. "Crystelle? What are you doing here?!"
"Hi again, Zekra," Crystelle said, smiling to herself awkwardly. "Bet you didn't expect me again, did you?"
"No, of course not!" Zekra said, shaking her head vigorously. "Why are you even here? I told you I was going to go do some real dangerous stuff!"
"Well yeah, of course I know that," Crystelle answered calmly, swishing her tail behind her. "I remember everything you told me and my parents about how you were going to make amends with your friends and then fight off the Plagued Ones. There's no way I'd be able to forget about any of that. And you know, mom and dad were perfectly fine with leaving you alone so that you could go about it in peace… but I wasn't. Especially when you said you were going to kill some giant monster that no one's been able to take down for fifty years."
"Okay… maybe I shouldn't have described it like that," Zekra said, flattening her ears against her head. "But I'll be fine! As you can see, I've got Reshiram to help me, and all my friends too! So please don't beg me to change my mind and go home with you guys. Really, it'll be okay. I know what I'm doing and-"
"Zekra, calm down," Crystelle cut in with the shake of her head. "I'm not here to tell you to come back to the island with me."
For a moment, Zekra seemed at a loss. Terron could see how much her eyes would tremble and realized how much she must have been thinking up a response, but no words seemed to come out of her mouth. When he saw that, a powerful impulse struck him, and before he knew it, he was in front of Zekra and casting the Umbreon a cautious glare.
"So then why are you here then?" Terron asked.
"Because I decided that I'm going to help you with what you need to do," Crystelle answered with a soft smile.
Terron felt his heart stop. He shot the Umbreon a befuddled glare, waiting to see if she would say anything else, but she only continued to keep smiling.
However, it was not him to respond to Crystelle's answer.
"No, you don't understand," Zekra said, frowning uncomfortably. "We're going to raid this place, and there's tons of Pokémon up there that'll kill us the second they see us. If they see you helping us, they'll kill you too. It doesn't matter if you're normal or not; they will kill you because you're siding with us."
"Zekra, I know the risks," Crystelle said pointedly. "What, you really thought that I'd ask to help you without realizing that?"
"Well no… but that still doesn't mean you should come with us," Zekra argued. "I don't want you to die… your parents took care of me when I was at my worst. Your parents kept me safe and supported me no matter what I did, no matter how crazy or dangerous it sounded. And before too when we got kicked out of the Fellowship. Me, Tear, and Novus. If I let you come with me and you die… I can't do that. I don't want your parents to hate me, and I don't want you to die either. Maybe the two of us never got to talk much or anything, even though I really thought you were with me for quite a while… but I don't want you to get involved in this, You don't have to risk your life for me... Just go back to Shirra where it's safe. I'll be fine without you, I promise."
Crystelle continued to cast Zekra a saddened smile, the resolution in her eyes not breaking. Crystelle stepped forward and went closer to Zekra. Terron moved out of the way as the Umbreon slowly closed the distance between them.
"Zekra… it's okay, really," Crystelle said tenderly. "I know you're trying to keep me safe, but I'm stronger than I ever was as an Eevee. I've learned so much thanks to evolving. I always used to think you were crazy with how you were always going on about killing things really easily, but then I saw how you were able to keep moving forward and fight for what you believed in. You looked so strong after I got past all of the disturbing things you said. And when I turned into an Umbreon... I figured out why. All of my fears and doubts… they just stopped existing. Everything… literally everything around and inside of me changed.
"So let me come with you, Zekra. Let me show you how much I've grown. Let me show you exactly how much your words affected me on that day long ago, when I was still a wimpy little Eevee."
"Alright… fine," Zekra sighed. "You can come with me. Show me how strong you are now."
The Umbreon grinned as she nuzzled Zekra, but was unable to do so for very long, for Yimtri then stepped toward her. Crystelle stopped as she peered down at the Sableye, watching him unsurely as he glared at her.
"Very well then. Welcome to our resistance group," Yimtri told her. "I could always use an Umbreon, and you seem as competent as some of the Umbreon I already command."
"Wait, who are you?" Crystelle asked.
"I'm one of the ones leading the raid that Zekra speaks of. I am also the leader of the corrupted Fellowship that I'm fairly certain Zekra has told you about at one point," Yimtri stated dismissively. "Now go wait in that tree behind us and await instructions. I need to continue speaking with Zekra and Terron about something."
"Do you think you can tell me what's going on?" Crystelle then asked. "I just got here and I get you guys are stopping some monster, but I don't know much than that…"
"Tomorrow morning either I or will Zekra will inform you," Yimtri said firmly. "Now go."
Though the Umbreon cast Yimtri dubious stare, she did as instructed and departed from the group, disappearing into the massive tree that was the Fellowship base. Yimtri silently watched her go before he directed his attention back at Len. He frowned as he went to the Luxray's side and watched his chest rise and fall.
The Cubone took in a deep breath as he looked around at the ones surrounding him now that Crystelle was gone. Reshiram was watching the sky with his keen eyes, occasionally glancing down at Len before resuming his watch of the heavens above. Impetus stood still, eyeing Len as well, though her eyes seemed hazier than before. Then there was Joy, whose paw was now glowing a soft hue as she held it over Len's head. And though the Luxray did not seem to wake, his breathing became softer and Terron thought he saw him twitch his tail occasionally.
Terron wondered if that meant Len would be waking soon.
Tell Reshiram and Impetus to leave us, Terron.
The Cubone nearly jumped at the sudden command in his mind.
You heard me, Terron. Get them out of here. Tell them to find my members and gather them in the mess hall for a meeting at sundown.
So he can actually direct his thoughts to me on purpose now. Terron sighed within his mind. Great.
Terron, stop dwelling in that. Just get them out of here.
Oh, and now you and I can have a conversation in our heads! That's even better.
Terron I swear, if you don't listen to me, I'm going to hurt you.
Well why can't you tell them to go? You're standing right here with me.
Because they'll listen to you more than they'll listen to me. I want to talk to Len with the least amount of Pokémon as possible. It'll be less overwhelming for him.
But what if he wakes up and attacks us? He's from the Fellowship you know. He could be working with the Primogenitor…
I doubt it. He would have been plagued if he was. And even if this is all an elaborate ruse, we can easily kill him. Zekra will still be with us obviously and you know how strong she is. Now stop wasting our time and get your friends to leave.
Terron sighed, but knew there was no point in arguing with Yimtri any further.
"Hey um, Reshiram, Impetus," the Cubone said, causing the two to draw their attention to him. "Can you guys go find Yimtri's members and tell them to meet us here in the mess hall at sundown? I have a feeling we're going to be a little busy with Len here when he wakes up."
Reshiram and Impetus cast the Cubone odd stares and seemed to want to say more, but then they both shrugged. Impetus scampered away from the building and retreated far into town while Reshiram spread his wings and took off. Terron, Zekra, Yimtri, and Joy had to crouch to avoid falling over as a shockwave rumbled through the ground thanks to Reshiram's takeoff.
The trembling was so great, that not long after it settled, Len began to stir. Terron, Zekra, Yimtri, and Joy stood back as they watched the Luxray shift along the ground and groan noisily. Then, after a few seconds of scrapping his dirtied fur against the stone ground, his eyes slowly opened. They were both terribly bloodshot, though his scarred eye had a darker sclera than the other.
His eyes lazily drifted toward the group as he blinked. Terron carefully reached into his robe and felt for a bone club, all the while ready to spring forward. He knew Len couldn't hurt him. Even if Terron couldn't redirect lightning to himself anymore thanks to losing his helmet, he could still take the brunt of the attack and remain unharmed.
"Len, can you hear me?" Yimtri asked.
The Luxray blinked a few more times before he finally focused his gaze on the Sableye before him. When the two locked gazes, the haze in Len's eyes finally seemed to clear.
"Yimtri?" he asked quietly. "You're still alive?"
"Somehow," Yimtri said curtly. "Sometimes I ask myself the same question."
"And Zekra and Terron… you're alive as well," Len then said, glancing over at the two. "You're both still alive and well…"
"Yeah… we sure are," Terron said edgily.
"Ah, good. Syn was telling the truth after all," Len said, sighing greatly. "You're all still alive. So then that means…"
The Luxray peered behind the Sableye to gaze upon his former Fellowship base. He gasped before he looked back at Yimtri and saw the others in the Sableye's company. He set his sights upon each of them momentarily, scanning through the small crowd they were before returning his attention back to the Fellowship. He grit his teeth as he struggled to his feet, but was only to stand upon his paws for a few seconds before he collapsed once more.
"Joy, get Len some Oran berries and whatever healing items we have," Yimtri said.
"Yes, my liege," Joy said with a bow of her head.
Then, she hurried away from the group, disappearing further into the city. Yimtri watched her leave momentarily before bringing his stare back to Len. The Luxray was already trying to get up again.
"Rest Len, you need it," Yimtri directed. "Wait until you eat some berries and then you can stand."
The Luxray sighed, but resigned himself to remaining on the ground before the three. But even from his lowered position, he was still a great amount taller than Yimtri by about a head.
"So I truly did make it back here again," Len said, smiling to himself. "I made it in one piece."
"Reshiram found you and brought you here," Yimtri verified. "You were actually passed out in a field not far from here. But that's beside the point. Why did you come here? And why do you not seem the slightest bit surprised that we're here?"
Len paused for a moment and stared down at his claws.
"Because Syn told me you were here," Len answered quietly. "He found me at Pledge Mountain when my former masters had me locked up in the dungeon. He told me that all of you were here… and he told me to come find you."
"Wait you saw Syn?" Zekra cut in. "Where is he?"
Len seemed ready to answer, but Yimtri abruptly snapped his claws, prompting everyone to bring their gazes to him.
"We'll get to that later," Yimtri said firmly. "Len, why did Syn want you to come here?"
"Because he wanted me to show you how to get to that thing's realm," Len answered solemnly. "The Primogenitor, I think he was calling it."
That was when Yimtri's composed façade broke. His gemstones glimmered briefly as his frown grew, and for a moment, he didn't say anything. He only remained in front of Len, watching him in stunned silence.
Terron couldn't blame him for the reaction. He too found himself speechless at Len's statement. He knew very well that the answer to gaining access were probably in Pledge Mountain, but he never would have guessed that Len was the one to hold that answer. He never expected Len to reappear in his life at all, especially after he had dismissed him, Zekra, and Reshiram so long ago. He never thought their paths would have crossed again. And here Len was, amongst them once more, holding the very key that they had all been searching for…
"Where exactly is Syn?" Yimtri finally asked in a dark tone. "Why are you here to deliver this information and not him?"
"Not here," Len answered hollowly.
"Not here? What do you mean, not here?" Yimtri asked, stepping closer to the Luxray. "Are you telling me that he's dead?"
"My former teammate, Vantis, found him when Syn was freeing me from the dungeon," Len explained somberly. "The last I saw of them before I fled the Fellowship was the two of them battling each other. I didn't see the aftermath, but knowing how strong Vantis is and the fact that you're saying he's not here… I'm not going to say that he's still alive."
A deafening silence fell over the group once again. At first, Terron couldn't believe what he was hearing. He thought it had to be some sort of vivid dream. Syn couldn't have died. Syn was one of the most powerful Pokémon he had known. He was the Shadow Hunter and had killed so many Plagued Ones a blink of an eye. There was no reason that Syn was dead.
But the more he thought about it, the more Terron realized how odd it was that Syn still wasn't back from Pledge Mountain yet. He should have returned already. He seemed so nimble in his new form. If what Len was saying was true, then everything made complete sense.
Syn… one of Terron's original teammates and friend… was dead.
He had returned after thought being dead before, and now he was dead once again. Terron had barely spent any time with him.
He remembered the last time he had seen Syn. He had just been reunited with them, and then he had volunteered to go to the mountain when Zekra was supposed to go. He had taken the task upon himself, proclaiming he could do so with ease because he was the almighty Shadow Hunter.
Syn had died because Yimtri wanted someone to search for a way to the Primogenitor. Yimtri had been the one to send Syn to his death.
Terron's mind swarmed with malicious thoughts, but before he could cry them out at the Sableye, he realized something. He realized that Syn's death was not Yimtri's fault. Though the Sableye had been infuriated with Syn, it had been because he didn't want Syn to go on the mission in the first place. He had wanted Zekra to go instead. He had never wanted anybody to die.
It wasn't Yimtri's fault that Syn had died. It had only been an unfortunate fate that had befallen Syn during his journey that no one could have planned for.
Terron couldn't blame anyone for the loss of his friend. He could only accept that he would no longer have Syn by his side.
Terron felt the throbbing in his heart and the tears in his eyes as the information dawned upon him. But most of all, he noticed Zekra still standing next to him. He saw how easily the tears were beginning to flow down her cheeks. Terron didn't hesitate to grab her hand and hold it tight. He could feel her shaking as he held her. The Zoroark sniffled as she rubbed her eyes with the back of her free arm, refusing to make eye contact with Terron or anyone in the vicinity. However, Terron did feel Zekra squeeze his hand in return, if only momentarily.
You can't break over this. You have to move forward. You can't dwell on this. His sacrifice wasn't meaningless, Terron.
Terron glanced over at Yimtri, expecting the Sableye to be glaring at him disapprovingly for being sensitive, but was surprised to find that Yimtri had his gaze fixated on something in the distance. It soon became apparent that it was Joy, having returned with numerous Oran and Sitrus berries in her paws. When she was amongst the four once again, Yimtri took the berries from her and told her to leave, prompting her to give him yet another bow before heading on her way. The Sableye then set the berries on the ground before Len before turning to Terron and Zekra.
"Len and I are going to be discussing some things while he heals," Yimtri told them. "I want you two back here the moment the sun begins to set. I want you two to assist me with the meeting that will be happening and will give you your roles when the time comes. Until then, do as you please. I have no need for you right now."
Go somewhere far away and rid yourselves of the grief that fills you. Cry as much as you need to. Hold each other until your tears run dry. Do whatever you must to rid yourselves of your grief. I cannot afford for it to weaken you. Both of you are too important right now.
Alright… thanks. See you soon, Yimtri.
And Terron…
Yeah?
… Thank you for not blaming me for what has happened. Thank you for being mature about this and not causing even more contention.
You're welcome…
And with that, Terron lead Zekra away from the two Fellowship leaders, and before long, they were nothing but mere dots in the distance. The two walked in silence as the traversed through the town, trying to find a remotely isolated area where no one could potentially find them. It took some time, but eventually, the two found a secluded place that took the form of a little rundown shack in the more rural part of the city. Terron and Zekra crept inside of it and after checking to make sure that there were no wild Rattata or Zubat making nests within the vacant cabin, settled themselves into a corner.
For a few minutes, the two didn't do anything. They only sat in silence against the wall, staring blankly in front of them, their sides brushing against each other. Terron listened outside, keeping his ears open to the sounds of footsteps, but no one was near. Not even Venri was appearing as Terron was half-expecting. She was staying within Zekra's mind, perhaps only talking to Zekra herself. Terron wasn't entirely sure. Zekra's faraway gaze seemed to indicate she wasn't all there, but with the news they had just received, he knew his own eyes were emitting the same dim glimmer.
"We're going to end up just like Syn soon," Zekra finally said, breaking the silence with her hollow voice.
Terron glanced back at Zekra to find that her eyes were no longer hazy. However, the radiance and life that was usually in her gaze was still snuffed out, leaving an empty shell of the Zoroark he knew.
"When you told me we were going to die after I saw you again after so long, I thought I was okay with it," Zekra went on. "I thought that it'd be fine to die if we stopped the Primogenitor in the process. All of the suffering would stop. But now that Syn's dead… I don't feel that way anymore."
"Yeah… I know what you mean," Terron confessed. "I thought I was ready too, but then after hearing Syn died… it just made me realize how real this all is. Before, it kind of felt like something that was going to happen way into the future, like something that might not actually happen. But now that we actually know where the portal is and that Syn died just to get that information…"
"We're going to die," Zekra said quietly, her voice growing hoarse. "No matter what we do, we're going to die. We're going to end up like Syn… who we barely even got to see again…"
Zekra squeezed her eyes shut. Terron leaned over and held her in an embrace around the waist, resting his head against her side. The Zoroark gingerly reached over and picked up Terron before holding her close to her chest, where the two of them then held each other. Tears flowed down their cheeks and splattered onto the ground, their grief welling up inside of them. With every drop, it seemed the darkness in their hearts only grew heavier, but they only continued crying, not knowing what else they could do.
"Is there really no other way we can defeat the Primogenitor and live?" Zekra then asked, her voice hoarse. "Do we… do we really have to die to stop all of this?"
"I don't know," Terron answered. "I want there to be another way… but I can't think of any. We have to get rid of the Plagued Ones, and I don't know how else we're supposed to do that besides killing the Primogenitor. I mean, this could all be a lie and we really won't die when the Primogenitor does… but I don't know. We're pretty much Plagued Ones now with how the plague is so connected to us…"
"You don't think there's some way we can disconnect the plague from us or something right after we kill the Primogenitor?"
"No… they're really attached to us. Especially you and Impetus. They're synchronized with you guys. There's no way you can just take the plague out of you after you've done that."
"And you don't think we can just get the Primogenitor to stop? I mean, we know that it's just trying to bring everyone's shadows to life and make the whole world be covered with everyone's shadows. It's not going to stop until that happens. But… is there maybe something we can do to make it stop? Besides killing it?"
"I wish there was Zekra… I really do. But there isn't anything. I've seen that thing. I know it's not going to stop no matter what. We have to kill it. We… we can't back out of this. We've gone too far to back out now."
"I know… I know we can't. We're running out of time. I just wish that things didn't have to be this way…"
"Me too."
Terron wanted to say something that would comfort Zekra or at least give her more strength to carry out their mission. However, when he grasped for the words, he found he couldn't find any. He knew nothing that could make their situation seem less grim than it already was. There were no supportive or kind words that could be said. There were no motivating and captivating speeches that could be spoken. There was nothing that could be done to pull anyone's heartstrings and fill their hearts with burning resolve.
All that could be done was to simply accept that their time was finally going to end.
When the sun began its descent over the horizon and the sky blue of the sky became dyed a darker shade, Terron and Zekra made their way back to the Fellowship base. Both of them felt that their eyes were dry and that the darkness in the hearts had lifted, but they still felt a bitter sting within themselves as they walked. However, they knew there was nothing they could do to erase that feeling from within them. They knew they had to tolerate it and instead focus on more important matters.
Eventually, they found themselves within the mess hall. Many tables and chairs had been set up around the place, neatly organized into rows with many more chairs along the walls. The floor was swept clean and without a leaf to be seen, and though the walls in some places held decaying, rotting wood, they were without vermin and did not jut out with the intention of giving anyone who passed by a nasty splinter. The door that led to the kitchen standing not far from the hall was shut tight, and the window that once served the food to the Fellowship's numerous members was cut off from the world with a metal plate.
In some ways, the Fellowship mess hall hadn't changed at all. Terron imagined this was exactly what the room looked like when the Fellowship was still in operation.
However, all he had to do was see Len and Yimtri at the front of the room, the both of them discussing something too far out of earshot to understand, in order to know the truth.
Terron had only barely noticed Yimtri's presence when the Sableye's eyes flickered. He ceased his conversation with Len and turned toward Terron and Zekra.
"There you two are," Yimtri said simply. "Good. I just finished speaking with Len about the meeting we are about to hold, as well as your two friends."
"Oh… you saw Impetus and Reshiram?" Terron asked before an uncomfortable feeling came over him. "Uh… do they know that…"
"Yes," Yimtri answered without hesitation. "I told them about Syn. They know everything."
Terron shot the Sableye a disbelieving stare, but before he could speak his mind, Yimtri held up his hand, forcing him to stop.
"You didn't have the strength to do it yourself," Yimtri stated. "You can attempt to deny it all you want, but you didn't. But that's to be expected when he was a close friend of yours. So I did you a favor and took the burden of informing your friends of his demise from you. They took the information rather well, even Impetus. They simply needed some alone time, just as you two did. But I expect that they'll be back soon in time for the meeting. Their presence is required and they're aware of that."
Terron wasn't sure how he wanted to respond to any of this. On one hand, he was rather relieved that Yimtri had taken it upon himself to tell Reshiram and Impetus about Syn. Terron knew he might have relapsed if he spoke of Syn's death to them, something that he knew had happened the last time he had tried to explain to a friend that another friend was gone from their lives. But on the other hand, Terron felt it was his job to tell his friends that Syn had met his end. It didn't feel right to have someone take that responsibility amongst themselves, especially without his permission. He couldn't help but feel partially resentful, especially when he knew Yimtri sometimes had a difficult time being empathetic about the loss of others' lives.
"Regardless of how you feel," Yimtri then said, "I need you and Zekra to come here now. I need to tell both of you your roles in this meeting."
The Cubone wasn't sure he was willing to let the subject go, but after seeing the solemnness in Yimtri's eyes, as well as Len's, he knew there was no point in stalling. With a sigh, he and Zekra made their way over to the two Fellowship leaders and stopped before them at the very front of the room.
"Terron… Zekra…" Len began to say, his voice lowering. "I wanted you two to know something. Even though I know you must hate me right now for dismissing you from the Fellowship all those months ago, I want you to know that I didn't do it because I thought you two were incompetent and weak. In all honesty, I knew you two were very strong. Perhaps not as strong as my other members, but you had potential."
"We need to discuss the meeting, Len," Yimtri cut in. "You can have a heart-to-heart with these two later."
"I'm talking to them right now," Len shot back, glaring at the Sableye. "They deserve to know the truth after all this time. It's the least I owe them that after everything's that happened. Be patient, Yimtri. It will only take a few moments."
The Sableye scowled at the Luxray, but said nothing more. Instead, he took a few steps back, allowing the three more room to themselves as he simply watched them from afar. Len exhaled deeply as he stepped closer to Terron and Zekra, his somber gaze soon returning.
"The real reason I dismissed you was because I didn't want you becoming a part of the Fellowship's sinister plot," Len went on. "After that day when the Plagued Ones attacked our Fellowship, I knew there was something evil brewing within the Fellowship in general. There were many times I questioned the organization I was working for… whether it was because my masters were three legendary beasts when no other legendary creatures existed in the world, the strange atmosphere my members would report about Dusk Mines, or the fact that there was something decidedly off about Shade, Zephyr, Chrysalis, Yimtri, and even Vantis at times… there were many things that bothered me. But it was that day when the Plagued Ones attacked us did I realize something was not right. I didn't understand how Yimtri knew about the attack or why this had never happened before. Yimtri made the claim that a member of his received a premonition but nothing about that seemed plausible. It was all such a strange, sinister coincidence…
"I didn't know what to think, but I knew the Fellowship wasn't safe for you. And though I knew that you two would hate me, I had to dismiss you. I had to under the guise that you were too incompetent and couldn't handle being in the Fellowship. I wanted to keep you safe. Of course, it seems that my efforts were in vain, as you are now a part of the resistance against the Fellowship itself and all of you are plagued…"
Len laughed bitterly to himself. Terron and Zekra looked at each other, not sure what to think, but then Len ceased his laughter and looked at them once again.
"I'm sorry, Terron. Zekra. I'm sorry for the grief that you suffered thanks to your dismissal. You don't have to forgive me, but I wanted you to at least know why I did what I had to."
The Luxray then gave them a wry smile and became silent, waiting for them to speak with the patience of a dragon. Terron watched the large Luxray before him, feeling at a loss. He hadn't expected Len to say any of that. It was true that at one point, Terron had resented Len for casting him and his friends out of the Fellowship, but that feeling had passed after he escaped Shirra and became entangled in the Fellowship's complicated conspiracy plans. He had not thought of Len much since he arrived unconscious in Reshiram's company.
But Terron did know how he wanted to respond to Len. There was no question of how he wanted to respond to Len's apology.
"It's okay Len," Terron said with a small smile. "I don't hate you. You had a good reason for what you did. You just wanted to protect us, and really, that's nothing I can hate you for."
"Yeah, don't feel bad, Len," Zekra then said. "I mean, we were mad at your for a while… but it's all good now. Because you're going to help us now and everything, right?"
"Yes, most certainly," Len said as a warm smile made its way onto his muzzle. "Yimtri told me everything that you two have done to stop the Primogenitor, and I will do everything in my power to match the strength that you two have demonstrated all this time. Perhaps I might not have the actual power to kill that thing, but I can at least bring you to its home so you can deal the lethal strike."
"Sounds wonderful," Terron said, beaming pleasantly.
Before the Cubone could continue to revel in Len's words, Yimtri then came back to the group, though his gaze was no longer as cold as earlier. Terron wasn't sure if it was because Yimtri was feeling the Cubone's joy within his own heart, or because Len was done talking and he was finally allowed to speak.
"Alright, well now that that's out of the way…" Yimtri then said, clasping his hands together. "It's time to discuss our upcoming meeting. We have quite an announcement to make to my members and Zekra's Umbreon friend…"
Before Yimtri could go onward, Terron then saw the Sableye's thought process flow before him, allowing him to see the entire meeting exactly as Yimtri envisioned it. The second Terron saw it play out before him, he couldn't help but drop his jaw open.
"Yimtri… what kind of a meeting is that?" Terron gasped. "That's not a meeting. That's… that's a spectacle, and I think even calling it that would be an understatement."
"Hmph. Call it what you want, but it's what we're going to do, no matter how frivolous you might think it appears to be," Yimtri said with a dejected scoff. "Do you know why we are, Terron? Do you know why we're not simply going to announce that we're off to raid Pledge Mountain and kill the Primogenitor?"
The Sableye stared directly at Terron, making his gemstones flicker as he did so.
"Why don't you see for yourself," Yimtri then said ominously.
Before Terron could ask Yimtri what he meant by that, he was suddenly bombarded with a plethora of images within his mind. He was whisked away from his friends as he became fully submerged within his mind. And from within there, he saw many of Yimtri's memories flash before him through the Sableye's perspective. He watched a team of Ghastly and Duskull weeping in the dark corner of their Dusk Mines room, lamenting over the loss of their teammate stolen away by Erebus. He watched a Leafeon crawl out of the exit of Erebus Woods before collapsing shortly after, her body soon trailing with sinister Plagued One wisps. He watched a Prinplup and Clefable sitting in Yimitri's office, both of them staring down at their paws with petrified gazes after hearing that they were slowly becoming Plagued Ones thanks to being in Erebus Woods. He watched hundreds of Yimtri's followers flee from Dusk Mines as Yimtri stood atop the structure, seeing the Oracion Fellowship members rushing toward Dusk Mines to kill everyone on sight. He could hear Yimtri yelling at them never to look back as they ran with all the strength they had, warning that they would perish if they allowed themselves even a moment to hesitate.
Terron saw all of these things, these dreadful, terrifying things, some of which he had seen in his nightmares before. In all of these memories, Yimtri's members were frightened, scared, or despairing. Sometimes they were all three at once. Yimtri's members could not escape from them. Their lives were brimming with all of these horrendous events that never seemed to cease, despite everything.
But then, the memories began to change. Terron saw the same members from the chilling memories, but now they were no longer frightened. Now they were cheerful and confident. They walked with power in their steps, standing tall and mightily as if each of them were a legendary being in disguise. They exited Dusk Mines to fulfill their missions with smiles upon their faces. They spoke amongst one another in the dining halls during meals, engaged in pleasant chatter that would not be unseen in a town restaurant. Before Terron could question why the previously terrified Pokémon were now so strong and without weakness, he found himself watching a new memory.
In this memory, he stood before all of his members in Dusk Mines within their version of an auditorium. He stood upon a raised stage as the Sableye, surrounded by glimmering crystals that glowed the same intensity as Yimtri's eyes. And as he stood upon that stage, he spoke to Yimtri's members with the Sableye's tongue. He spoke with grandeur that Terron had never heard Yimtri speak with before, perfectly capturing the very essence of a showman. He strode across the platform, pacing left and right as he kept his eyes upon his members, making a variety of exaggerated gestures whenever he reached an important point in his speech.
And his speech… it sounded absolutely nothing like Yimtri's usual manner of speaking. Gone away were his calculated and solemn words. Gone away was the bitterness and darkness that was his tone. Now Yimtri spoke with the fluency and eloquence of a storyteller, captivating his entire audience with mystified gazes. Any unease or dread that might have been present amongst some of his followers before the meeting began were gone, leaving nothing but a crowd of high-spirited Pokémon, able to move the very mountains.
The speech was abruptly cut off as Terron was brought back to reality, allowing him to see Yimtri shooting him a determined glare.
"My members have suffered greatly," Yimtri told him. "Ever since we discovered Erebus Woods, our lives have been a nightmare. Every day despair strikes upon is, taunting us and reminding us of our endless plights. We hide our secrets from the world. We're forced to remain near Erebus Woods and become monsters all in the name of keeping our secret quiet and obtaining the evolving stones. We become fugitives once our secret does get out. We have the entire world hunt us down. Every day we hear our plagues talking to us within our minds. Every day we know that we're losing ourselves.
"And though we know better now… even though my members know that they are not becoming monsters and that we are finally safe from the Fellowships… they know the end is upon us. I see it in them. They know that something big will happen and that soon, their days will end. And thus, despair threatens to drown them once more.
"I refuse to let that happen. I will not allow Pokémon to wallow in darkness because of the mistake I made long ago. I will not allow the Primogenitor to ruin more lives than it already has. And thus, I inspire them. I vanquish the despair that threatens to swallow them by giving them encouragement and assuring that the trials we face will be overcome. That is why the meeting must go the way I want it to go. I must inspire hope within my members. I must make it so that in these last days, they will shine far brighter than they ever have before, and lead us to victory."
For a moment, Terron had no idea what he wanted to say. He saw the confused glances on everyone's faces around him, indicating they too felt the same, but they didn't bother saying anything. They only remained silent and waited for Terron to speak.
The Cubone realized, after a moment, that Yimtri truly did care about his members. The act he put on and the words he spoke even though he himself didn't believe them at times… it was something Terron would have never imagined Yimtri to do. He had never would have thought Yimtri had it in him to be one to perform such extravagant shows to strengthen his members. And yet… there in his memories… he seemed to become an entirely different person for the sake of his followers.
"Alright… fine, let's do this," Terron said after a while. "Even though it's really, really bombastic and maybe kind of unnecessary."
"Bombastic performances are required when the end is so soon," Yimtri said dismissively. "Now then. Here is what I have in mind…"
About an hour later, everyone from the Dusk Mines Fellowship was gathered within the Aurora Town Fellowship's mess hall. Lanterns and candles lit the inside of the dark Fellowship now that the sun had set, flickering occasionally as Pokémon passed by them and took their seats. No one stumbled or tripped over objects in the dim lighting, for they had grown far used to the glimmering gemstones that used to light Dusk Mines. The numerous ghost-types flying about also helped, their ethereal energy radiating out of their eyes that were just as powerful, if not more, than the fires that burned throughout the room.
All of the members chatted amongst each other, wondering the meaning of this impromptu meeting. Their leader had been making quite a number of them ever since Terron had been in Yimtri's company, and yet, never could they predict what was on their leader's mind. The last time there had been a meeting, some had predicted that their leader was going to let them leave Aurora Town and begin the assault on the Primogenitor he seemed so eager to carry out. However, in the end, he had only wanted all of them to leave him be as he went about a vague errand, claiming that he needed to eliminate a problem and needed no one's help. Even now, though many considered that Yimtri would finally announce their attack on the Primogenitor, but no one was entirely sure.
He was such an enigma to them, a paradox whose mind they could not delve.
And yet, they trusted him. He knew what he was doing. He would keep them safe as he always had. He would lead them to victory against whatever battles they might fight.
Yimtri knew all of this.
The Sableye was hiding underground beneath all of his followers, watching them silently. He could hear all of them speaking and watching how restless they were becoming. He could also see Terron, Zekra, Impetus, and Len in the kitchen, waiting for their cue to come out. He could even feel Reshiram's presence in the vicinity, flying somewhere nearby. Everyone was in place. All of the preparations had been done. All of his members were gathered, even the Umbreon, who sat amongst Lume and Noc.
It was finally time.
There was no more time for stalling.
Yimtri rose very close to the surface of the ground before stopping himself, and then made his shadow appear alongside the ground. Once he saw it manifested itself, he had it inflate ten times its size before making it rise out of the ground. He saw everyone cease their idle chatter as they brought their attention to the shadow, straightening themselves up in their seats in the process. Yimtri steeled his jittery nerves as he had his shadow burst into a wave of darkness, covering all of the candles and torches so that not even a tiny ember of light still lived. Even the numerous ghost-type's lights were snuffed out, rendering the entire room in the blackness of his shadow. And yet, no one screamed. Everyone remained where they were, keeping their eyes on where the shadow once was. In this moment of blindness and vulnerability, Yimtri then shot out of the ground and settled himself before his members. He made his eyes radiate with an otherworldly blue light for a few seconds, and then withdrew his shadow's grasp from all of the lights of the room. It retreated back toward him before it settled itself into the ground behind him, returning to its normal form once more.
When all of the darkness was gone, all of Yimtri's members cheered, clapping their paws vigorously and shouting praises.
Yimtri smiled smugly as he bowed to his members, dimming the lights in his eyes before he looked upon the sea of his members once more. They had stopped clapping and were now watching him with intent gazes, a number of them even fidgeting in their seats.
"Welcome, my followers, to a very special night for all of us," Yimtri announced, making himself wear a composed persona. "Tonight marks the very last night that we spend here in Aurora Town. For my members, at dawn tomorrow, we will finally do the deed that we have all long awaited for far too many years. Tomorrow, we set off to eliminate the Plagued Ones. Tomorrow, we depart and make our way to the Primogenitor's impenetrable fortress!"
Another loud cheer rang through the audience. However, Yimtri only had to make the glow in his eyes brighter to make silence fall over the room once more.
"Yes, I know all of you are quite excited," Yimtri said. "Ever since we became plagued and held within our souls the very life force of the entity we have always wanted to kill since we became Fellowship members, we have prayed for this day to come. It took far too many years of hiding from the Fellowships and living in fear that we would die when anyone exposed us for who we are. We lied to every Fellowship member that was not one of us. We had to tolerate our plagues as they grew stronger within us and fear them as actively as Eevee fear the Houndoom that roam the night. We were hunted by the other Fellowships and discovered what they really are. We even had our goal set upon the wrong target for the longest time. But no longer! We are finally ready to destroy the source that has polluted all of Shiron and taken your friends and family away from you in the past fifty years! Finally, the power and resources we needed are finally at our disposal! Many of you have met them before, perhaps you even saw them this morning, but you do not understand them and only seem them superficially. Thus allow me you to introduce to you the keys that will lead us to victory and the power that invigorates their souls!"
Yimtri snapped his claws, and within moments, he heard someone scurrying toward him, using the darkness of the room to move undetected. Within a matter of seconds, they were by his side, standing tall before his followers.
"The first of our keys!" Yimtri announced holding out his hand to them. "I give you Impetus, Mienshao and Plagued One at once!"
The crowd cheered loudly, though some with confusion, for they couldn't understand why that made her any different than any of them. Nonetheless, Impetus bowed her head and smiled at the crowd before Yimtri silenced the crowd once more.
"And why exactly is she a key, you must wonder?" Yimtri asked rhetorically. "Ah, well allow me to elaborate. She holds within her the same plague we each have, given to her through Erebus. However, she has synchronized with it, merging her soul with its power, allowing her power that we could only dream of. She is perfectly in control of herself, not like those Plagued Ones that have devoured so many cities we have seen with our own eyes. Behold, a demonstration of the power that is within a synchronized one!"
Yimtri reached within his body and pulled out a diamond the size of his fist. He glanced over at Impetus and waited for her to nod approvingly before tossing high into the air. Impetus immediately locked her eyes onto it before bounding toward it. She closed in on it, and then brought one of her clawed hands down upon it. The hand immediately shifted into that of a shadowy, lance-like object just as it sliced into the diamond, cutting it cleanly in two. But Impetus wasn't done. As she and the diamond continued to plummet, she continued attacking it with her paws, slicing it into smaller pieces with each swipe.
By the time Impetus hit the ground, the diamond had been reduced to dust, having dissipated into the air and was now settling itself amongst her and Yimtri. Everyone clapped and made loud whooping sounds, prompting Impetus to smile and give another bow of her head before exiting the scene.
"She is quite strong, yes, I know," Yimtri said in a bemused tone. "She will be the key to getting to where we need to be safely. She will survey the area far sooner than we will thanks to her agility and strength. However, what if I were to tell you that we have yet another synchronized one amongst us? One that's even stronger than Impetus? One that could wipe out an entire army with nothing but a single attack?"
Yimtri watched as tornado of darkness formed in front of him, brewing up a tempest that shook the interior with the tree with its violent winds. The Sableye held his ground as he watched his members struggle to do the same while the tornado only seemed to churn more rapidly. Plagued Ones erupted from the vortex, flinging themselves into the crowd with ghastly smiles and chilling laughter. Many of Yimtri's members instantly screamed as they shot beams of energy at the demented beings, but their attacks did nothing. They only made the Plagued Ones disappear for two seconds before reappearing once more, twice as big as before.
Everyone in the mess hall was about to bolt out of the room, when they saw a red light emitting from the deadly tornado. It grew stronger and stronger, filling the room with its potent light before it abruptly exploded, sending a large wave of crimson energy throughout the room. All of the Plagued Ones shrieked as it hit them before they promptly melted, dripping to the floor as grotesque puddles.
"I give you our second key, Zekra!" Yimtri announced.
The tornado of black and red dissipated, as well as the remains of the Plagued Ones, revealing a Zoroark standing where it once stood, grinning gleefully with an almost evil glimmer to her eyes. She continued to stand there as a Sableye popped out of her mane before settling itself onto the floor besides Zekra, waving vigorously to the crowd with both claws while she pranced about, shifting between many different forms.
Yimtri found his thoughts temporarily stumped as soon as he saw Venri. He hadn't expected her to appear. She hadn't been a part of the meeting, and yet here she was, acting as though she were. Nonetheless, the crowd cheered for her, even when she became a monstrous abomination that towered so high that she nearly touched the ceiling.
"You must be wondering who the shifting entity is," Yimtri said, quickly improvising. "Well then, this is what makes Zekra so special. Not only has her plague merged with her, but also, through her illusionary abilities, it gives itself form! Zekra is two Pokémon at once! Imagine the armies she could destroy! Imagine the creatures that they can pretend to be! She could be a legendary god herself if she so wanted to! Which brings me to our next key…"
Yimtri signaled Zekra with his claws, prompting her to change into a Skarmory. She glanced at Venri, who quickly changed into a Sableye and leapt onto her back before Zekra shot up, disappearing into the darkness of the Fellowship high above.
"Everyone, the next Pokémon I have to show you… well, they can't quite fit into such a tiny room as this," Yimtri stated, gesturing to the space around him. "Buildings are nothing but prisons and limitations to their stature."
Everyone shot him quizzical expressions, but then their attention was diverted when they heard a loud, earth-shattering roar outside. Everyone got up from their seats and hurried out to see what was making such a mighty cry, all to Yimtri's amusement. He calmly followed behind them as they all rushed outside until they were all gathered in a loose circle in front of the Fellowship base. They all glanced around, trying to spot the source of this roar, but could find no one.
That was when a fireball the size of a Graveler came crashing down upon a cauldron in front of the Fellowship, instantly setting aflame the wood that had filled the metal pot. Everyone jumped as a mighty bonfire rose high above them before yet another fireball rained down from the heavens and lit another cauldron close by. Then, there was a flash of white, and a white and majestic dragon landed between the two burning cauldrons, sending shockwaves through the ground that knocked a number of Pokémon down. The heavenly being gazed down upon the hundreds of members before letting out another roar, making the ground tremble even more.
"I'm quite sure that he's very familiar to some of you," Yimtri said as he strode his way through the crowd and made his way toward the dragon until he was standing right before it. "I'm sure that many of you remember the fables and legends that your mothers and fathers told you of the legendary beings. You probably know of the great power they hold within them, such as Groudon being able to create the very land we stand upon, or the death and destruction that could result from a simple beam fired from Yveltal's beak. You know how much power you could hold if you had one amongst your company. You might have even wished to find one of the legendary beings when you were but a child so that you could wield such power. Wish no more, my followers! Here we have Reshiram, the god of fire and protector of Shiron! He agrees to grace us with his presence, all too gleeful to set ablaze our very enemies and any obstacles in our path so that we might succeed! Who can possibly hope to stand up to a very god that vows with all his heart to protect his land?!"
A collective of voices agreed with Yimtri. The Sableye smiled as he paced about before Reshiram, keeping his gemstones upon his members. He could see the confidence in their eyes. He could see their spirits burning brighter than the flames of Reshiram. It was all coming along together perfectly.
But he wasn't done.
"But of course, we must first reach the Primogenitor, and he resides within a dimension that none know how to reach," Yimtri then said. "After all, how can we possibly purge the Plagued Ones from Shiron if we do not know how to reach their creator? There is supposedly a way to reach it according to rumors, deep within a castle some of you might have known called the Pledge Mountain Fellowship. But how will we find such portal in a place so large, teeming with ignorant Fellowship members that will kill us on sight? How can we possibly find what we seek in a place such as that?"
Yimtri inflated his shadow so that it took up all of the room between him and his members. Seconds later, a powerful bolt of lightning struck the spot where his shadow lay. It made a loud cracking sound as a blinding light went off, turning the darkness of the night white and making everyone's ears ring.
But as soon as the white faded, everyone saw that there was a new Pokémon amongst them, standing in the spot where the ground was charred a deep black. It was a Luxray, growling as his fur buzzed with static, ready to discharge into the air in a second's notice. Standing behind him, on either side of Reshiram, were Zekra and Impetus, both of them crossing their arms and watching on in silence. Much of the audience gasped as soon as they saw the Luxray, quickly recognizing the one amongst them.
"Do any of you remember Len?" Yimtri asked as he gestured toward the Luxray. "He was the leader of the Fellowship we were in just now. On a tragic day, his Fellowship was destroyed by Plagued Ones, and he and his team members were forced to go to the dreaded Pledge Mountain. And while there… the Primogenitor tried to make him one of its minions. It tried to make him one of those monsters that we have always been fighting. It used the Pledge Mountain leaders to do its bidding. They slowly killed his team members, one by one, in the most gruesome ways your imaginations could possibly conjure up. Skinned alive, eaten from the inside out, tossed off the side of the mountain, drowned before his eyes… all of these things. How much that should have broken Len and made him give up on his resolution to end the Plagued Ones. He should have become one from all of the despair that was consuming him. And yet, here is he! Here he stands among us, as strong and resolute as ever, ready to fight! Ready to show us the way to the Primogenitor's realm! He knows the way and will do everything in his to show us the way to victory!"
Len stood mightily before the audience as they gave him a standing ovation. Yimtri could even hear some of his members congratulating him for being so strong and how welcoming it was to have someone as strong as him leading them to the Primogenitor.
Yimtri let them cheer for a while, letting them think that this was the end of his speech. He let Len have his moment, let Len have the praise he deserved for being the unyielding and valiant leader the Fellowship should have had.
And then, when his followers' loud voices simmered down and seemed ready to be dismissed, Yimtri cast them a somber stare. He knew what he was going to say next might tarnish the reverence they held for him, but he knew he had to say it. They deserved to know. They were all going to die, and they at least deserved to know what he had been keeping secret from them for so long.
Yimtri strengthened his stance as he took a step forward, catching his members' attention and prompting a hush amongst the group.
"I will not lie to you, my followers," Yimtri started to say, struggling to keep his voice composed. "I have heard the rumors that circle throughout our Fellowship. I hear some of you worry that you will die because of this mission. You worry that we all might die because we are plagued and by killing the source of our power, we will also die. And I am here to say… yes, you will die. Whether it is because you are killed by someone on the mountain, or because we have succeeded in our mission, you will die. You will depart from this mortal plane of existence and disappear to the Spirit Realm where Giratina once watched over. I can think of no reason to hide that from any of you. You deserve to know what the fruit of your labors will reap. You will stop the Primogenitor and you will save the lives that have not been plagued… but you will be lost in the process, and you must watch your victory from the spirit world. You do not have to fight if you are too distraught by this information, but you will die regardless. And for that, I'm truly sorry."
No one said anything to him. Yimtri had anticipated that reaction. And yet, he saw no wavering dedication amongst his members' eyes. Though some of them were now frightened, none of them seemed ready to turn tail and run far away from Yimtri. For that, Yimtri, felt a swelling of pride within his chest. He could not be more proud to have such determined members that were willing to fight for him, even when they knew they would perish in the process.
Unfortunately, this was not the news that he was reluctant to share with them. There was something else to be said to them.
He could feel it in his mind, pestering him and telling him to speak his words. However, Yimtri hesitated. He had anticipated speaking what he was about to say next for quite some time, but now that the time had come, he could not find the bravado within him to speak.
You have to tell them. You said you would. Come on, Yimtri.
I know. I know. But… I'm worried how they will take it.
Well you were willing to tell them that they're going to tell.
That was different, Terron. They already knew thanks to rumors. This though… they don't know about this.
You still have to tell them. Look, do you want me to just tell them? I'll do it right now.
No, you stay where you are until it's time for you to show up. I'll… I'll do it. Just watch me and wait for the signal.
The Sableye curled his claws into his palms, and waited for his fluttering heart to slow. When it had slowed enough so that it no longer seemed ready to pound out of his chest, the Sableye looked on at his members, all of them anxiously awaiting his words.
"But… that is not the only news I need to share with you before we depart," Yimtri said. "I have something I need to share with you, my members. Seeing as how this will be one of the last times I talk to each of you… there is something I feel all of you deserve to know about me. Something that I have hid from you for twenty long years."
Yimtri would have closed his eyes and exhaled deeply if doing that even helped him calm down anymore.
"I'm not actually a Sableye," he finally said after a pause. "In truth… I'm a shadow. I'm a shadow brought to life by the plague after something went horribly wrong twenty-five years ago. I am just like the plagues within your bodies that speak with you. And this… this here, is the host that I came out of."
Everyone watched as someone donning a black robe emerged from behind Reshiram, their face obscured by a black hood. They made their way over to Yimtri before stopping by his side. Then, after looking over the crowd, the hooded one threw back his hood, allowing everyone to see it was Terron. Yimtri could hear some of his members gasping.
"Yes, you remember Terron," Yimtri said, almost spitefully. "The one that threatened to expose our secret to the Fellowship? One of the Pokémon I told you to kill after we were forced to be fugitives for a time? I am this Cubone's shadow. I am his shadow brought to life thanks to the plague, and what's more… he's not even a Cubone. He only appears as one, just as I only appear as a Sableye. In truth… he's half of a human being who was once named Dimitri, before the one we call Erebus accidentally stole him out of another dimension. Then he was torn in two by the Primogenitor once it found him, creating me and him. We are the shadow and true self of a human being.
"And it is with that… I make yet another announcement. In due time, perhaps before we ever reach Pledge Mountain, I will no longer exist."
Yimtri watched everyone give him frightened gazes, but Yimtri refused to let that waver him. He had to continue. He couldn't stop now.
"Just as Impetus and Zekra have done, I am synchronizing with Terron as we speak," Yimtri said quietly. "Already, we can communicate telepathically and create the same plans without speaking to one another. It won't be long before I one day disappear and merge back with him. And if that day should come and we have not yet killed the Primogenitor… I ask you to listen to him instead. He will be the closest thing you have to me, and I want you to trust in him as you do with me. I will always be with you if you can do so. Perhaps I will be entirely different and you can no longer hear my voice as you can now… but that is an oath I want each of you to vow. When I am a shadow once more and he is all that remains, follow his orders. Let him lead you to victory. He will not let you down. Do all of you swear to me to do as I ask?"
Yimtri's members didn't say anything for a moment, instead keeping their gazes fixated between him and Terron. Yimtri felt his insides curling uncomfortably at the sight, but he forced himself to remain calm before his followers. He could not afford to look weak in front of them. He needed them to support his decisions and he had to remain sure-footed before them in order for that to happen.
Eventually, he finally saw his members' nervous expressions change. Though none of them appeared quite happy, they were all casting him reluctant smiles.
"We'll keep following you no matter what you look like!" a Sneasel vowed.
"We promise that we'll listen to every word Terron says!" a Charizard chimed in.
"We won't let you down!" a Jigglypuff then said.
His other members said similar things, and soon, Yimtri's ears were filled with nothing but the sounds of his members promising their allegiance to him. Yimtri couldn't help but smile as the crowd grew louder and louder, their words bringing back the vigor that had been suppressed by this dreadful information. No longer did he feel so scared about anything, whether it was dying or becoming one with Terron. He was ready.
He felt that he could move the very Fellowship before him with the power that now filled him.
Yimtri stood tall as he signaled Reshiram, causing the mighty dragon to lower his head to ground level. Yimtri climbed onto it, taking Terron with him as Reshiram raised his head once more so that Yimtri and Terron were now towering over everyone. Yimtri grabbed Terron's wrist and held it up before making his eyes shine with the radiance of a thousand suns.
"Very well then. At dawn, we make our way to Pledge Mountain!" Yimtri bellowed in the strongest voice he could muster up. "At dawn, we march our way toward the fated mountains, to where it all began! We will storm the mountain with the strength of the gods! We will besiege the plagued fortress atop the mountain! We trample and crush anyone who dares to stand in our paths! We will set ablaze the very foundation that the Fellowship established its lies upon! AND NO MATTER WHAT ABOMIABLE AND TERRORSOME THINGS AWAIT US, WHETHER THEY ARE DEMONS FROM THE UNDERWORLD ITSELF OR TWISTED CORRUPTIONS OF OUR FORMER ALLIES, WE WILL NOT STOP! WE WILL NOT SURRENDER! WE WILL NOT FALL! WE WILL FIGHT UNTIL WE REACH THE PORTAL AND BRING SHIRON'S SUFFERING TO AN END!
"MY FELLOW POKÉMON, WE ARE THE TRUE FELLOWSHIP OF SHIRON!"