"This is...this is impossible!" Addison exclaimed.
"Nothing is impossible, Addy" Ryan replied to her coldly. "In fact, you might say that everything is as it's always been meant to go." He held his hand to his heart. "You left me. You abandoned me. And for the only person I'd be hurt by you choosing over me." He looked up at her in anguish. "Tell me. Did it make you feel proud to tell Matthew that you loved him?!"
"Ryan?" she cried. "How? Why? What happened to you?"
"I already told you. You left me behind! Treated me like I didn't exist, even though Chris definitely said to everyone that I was like Avery. I was going to do everything I could to see you again. And what did you do? You cast me aside like an Old Rod and picked up a newer flashier one! Didn't it occur to you what kind of a mistake you were making by telling my brother you loved him?"
Addison put her hands to her head. "This cannot be happening! This just can't be! Why? WHY WOULD YOU TURN YOUR BACKS ON US?!"
It's clear that someone hasn't been listening, a voice echoed from all around her. A bolt of lightning struck down just behind Ryan. From the smoke that came from the impact, Mewtwo floated out and stood proudly behind his newest minion. All of this was because of you, Miss Tenton. All of the rage, fear, doubt and confusion inside of him. It doesn't stem from feelings of remorse for what has become or of an inadequacy towards the King. Nor does it come from his desire to see all evil in the world come to nothing. All of it comes from the very person he swore to the ends of the earth would be his true love. You. Mewtwo placed his stubby fingers on Ryan's shoulders and grinned at her coldly. Your weakness has given me my victory, Addison.
"What have you done with Ryan?!" she demanded.
I simply did him a favor and allowed him to see just what you were. You were part of who he viewed himself as a person and you cast him aside as if it were nothing to you. Now your precious beau has discovered something else inside of him. Hate. Hate of constantly being considered weaker than his brother. Hate of everything being a competition between them. Hate of how far he had fallen from grace. And now, hatred of the only part of his soul he has left: you. He patted Ryan's shoulder like he was a son to him. My greatest victory achieved without little input from myself.
Addison grunted in anger as the scepter shook in her fingers. "You had better let him go if you know what's good for you!"
Mewtwo shook his head. I do not keep him here against his will. He chose to serve me.
"Why would Ryan ever choose to serve you?! He hates you and you hate him!"
Hate him? Perish the thought. I could never hate him. He is, in many ways, like me. Cast out by the people he thought he could depend on, filled with nothing but pain and anguish in his heart, how could I not pity him? Courtney and I did enjoy making him suffer, I will admit that. But we succeeded in allowing his true power to be unleashed. Never again will he be shackled by his insecurities and doubts. Do you see him, Miss Tenton? The perfect being to serve as a lieutenant to me now that I believe Courtney has outlived her usefulness. He grinned evilly as Addison's eyes looked his pupil over. When he was ready for my tutelage as well as a taste of the Singularity, I knew I needed to make him the perfect counterbalance to the White Mage. When Courtney discovered that you and Rosemary Kingston were trying to exact the Bond Phenomenon, I knew that was how I would destroy you.
"Using my own trick?"
No you simpleton! Using the Bond Phenomenon against you. I perfected it. See for yourself. He gestured towards Ryan. I trust you saw everything he could do in combat? The powers of Ice, Fire, Electricity, Ground, Fighting...all of them stemming from the Pokemon I reunited him with. The only friends and loved ones he had in his moments of doubt. He possesses the unrivaled courage of Achilles, the fierce determination of Simba, the playful dominance of Tusker, the protective will of Terra and the pride of Sparks. All of his Pokemon working with him in ways that humans could not, letting him become the truly superb version of himself. While you only allowed the Bond to take form out of a fear of what would happen if you didn't, my Knight took it up because he knew it would give him the power to avenge his broken heart.
"Why, Addy?" Ryan asked her. "Why did you tell Matt that you loved him?"
A simple question with a simple answer, My Minion. She never loved you.
"That's not true, Ryan!" she argued angrily. "If I never loved you, how did you break through to me when I was under the influence of the Fury? Or why would I-"
"All out of pity" Ryan replied sadly. "All my life, I loved you. All of the time we spent together, you were the meaning behind so much of who I am. Everything I did, all of the things I achieved, the entirety of my existence was because of you. But you gave all of that up for my brother." His face twisted into one of pure, unadulterated hatred. "I'll deal with him, soon enough."
"Ryan" she wept. "I love you. Please! Don't do this!"
I'm afraid it's a bit too late for 'please'. All that is left for you two is to clash. The ultimate confrontation between Light and Dark. Bond Phenomenon. Two beings who hold Pokemon so highly above themselves. For the fate of the entire world! He looked down at Ryan. Destroy her, Knight.
"As you wish, Master" Ryan replied. He then let out an angry cry and lunged forward.
Addison was in a daze. Suddenly, everything made sense. The tonfas he battled with, the cries of the Pokemon she heard echoing in the distance. They were his Pokemon. Forcibly made to join in a state of Bond Phenomenon with him. And despite her words, Ryan was twisted into serving Mewtwo. He would fight to destroy her, even as her urge to do anything but reconcile with him vanished. She lost the will to keep going. She blocked the first blow, but took a strong punch in the face before falling to the ground. She did not recover and remained on her side.
"Get up!" he demanded. "Get up and fight!"
She shook her head. "No. I will not fight you."
"WHY NOT?!"
"Because I love you, Ryan. No matter what this monster may have said to you. I love you with every fiber of my being!" She pushed herself up onto her side. "And I can't fight you while my heart breaks. IF you truly have chosen to serve Mewtwo...then go ahead and destroy me."
Hahahahahahaha! Do you honestly think that will stop him? Mewtwo bobbed his head towards Ryan. Make her see the truth!
Ryan grabbed her by her throat. As she was brought to eye level with him, she could see just how deep inside of his mind the hatred was. And all of it was angled directly at her. She looked away as he threw her onto the ground beside him. Addison turned away from him as she regained her breath. "Finish me."
"Don't tempt me!" Ryan replied bitterly.
She squeezed her eyes shut as tears fell from them. "I don't know what I did to earn this hate from you, but you are and always have been the one for me. And I cannot live in a world where you and I hate each other. Just let me die." Ryan's shadow fell over her and she braced herself for the end.
So be it, child, Mewtwo snarled at her. If you will not fight, I will give you every reason to!
"Mewtwo!" two voices called out in unison above her. Addison looked up and saw Mark and Lizzie, atop their Pokemon, soaring at great speeds to protect her.
Mewtwo easily used his Psychic powers to block their incoming attacks, causing the two to almost freeze in the air above her. With one gesture, both Mark and Lizzie were engulfed in a mysterious light. Addison shielded her eyes until she heard two loud thuds beside her. She looked over in horror. Both of them had been turned into stone statues, just like her father and Daniel had been.
"NO!" she screamed. "MARK! LIZZIE!"
Weak and intrusive. Just like your father, Addison. But surely they won't be the dividing point for you. You must be punished far more than that!
Addison looked over to her side and saw Holly Queensbury leading Billy and Jon Kingston over to their location. She begged for them to run, but Mewtwo intercepted them. With one movement of his hand, the trio were struck down next, turning into statues. Holly's face wore a look of terror and shock, while Billy and Jon's statues fell onto their backs. She barely had enough time to react as Mewtwo pointed his stubby fingers in another direction. Addison blinked in horror as she watched Piper Pines and Dawn freeze in place, standing as statues defiantly opposing their opponent.
"Stop this!" she begged.
You have the power to stop this, Mewtwo told her callously. Destroy Ryan and fight me!
Addison pushed herself to her feet and rushed over towards the fallen forms of Mark and Lizzie. "No! No! NO! Please!"
What are you waiting for, my dear?!
Addison spun around and saw both Madeline and Byron Kingston joining Jon and Billy as glorified stone gargoyles. Christopher Kingston landed by their sides and inspected his cousin and uncle. Losing his cool, he turned and sent his Blazekin in for the kill, but Mewtwo easily tossed the Pokemon aside before allowing Chris to share the same fate as so many others had.
The Knight folded his arms in disgust. "She doesn't care if these people die. She's already alive. Why care?"
Addison rushed over to Ryan's side and grabbed at his armor. "Ryan! PLEASE! You can stop this! Just help me! PLEASE!"
But her love coldly kicked her off of him. "Unless you want to fight me, stay on the ground and wallow in pity!"
She was about to retort, when she heard Mewtwo fossilize someone else. In one shot, he succeeded in snaring Victoria, Greg and Garret Fiveroux. Addison tried to push herself up to help them anyway she could, but knew she could hear another person being fossilized right behind her. She spun around and gasped. Her Aunt Caitlin had also been turned to stone, joining Olivia Novren, Elmont Queensbury and Renee Kingston. She began to hyperventilate, falling onto her knees. "This isn't happening. This can't be happening! No! PLEASE NO!"
"MEWTWO!" another voice roared.
Addison leaped to her feet immediately. She knew all too well who was about to clash with Mewtwo. "NO! MICHAEL RUN!"
Michael's Dragonite sent an incredibly powerful Draco Meteor directly at Mewtwo. The mighty Pokemon took the blast like it was nothing before his tail slammed the Dragonite into the ground and he grabbed Michael with his telekinetic powers. He then launched Michael into the air before making him turn to stone alongside the others who had fallen. Addison raced over to do anything she could to cushion the blow, but the statue landed on the hard ground, shattering into pieces.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" she screamed. She fell onto the ground, pounding it incredulously as she realized it was indeed happening. All of these people who had stood by her and supported her were being fossilized as she refused to fight Ryan. Michael, for all intents and purposes, was dead. How would she explain it to her mother? To Julia? To their children?
Rhaegar, upon seeing the death of his trainer, lunged at Mewtwo in a frenzy. The Pokemon battled relentlessly, with the Dragonite even getting an edge briefly. But Mewtwo simply turned him to stone before sending the statue sliding several feet backwards.
Addison rose to her feet and slammed her scepter on the ground. "ENOUGH!"
The Knight's focus on her intensified as Mewtwo turned to face her as well. Has the coward grown a sense of courage? Will she finally fight us?
"Why? What did we ever do to you? WHAT DID WE DO TO GET YOUR HATRED?!" Addison fell onto her knees, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Do you really need an answer after all of this?" the Knight asked mockingly.
Mewtwo shook his head. Even when you have nothing to lose, you are weak. And I have no business quarreling with a weakling like you, Miss Tenton! Prepare to embrace oblivion!
Addison closed her eyes to embrace the end of her entire world. But one last voice shouted out to her from the distance that made her recoil in horror. She did have one last person she was mortified to lose and he was coming right for her. "ADDY!" She did not react in time for Matthew to make his moves. His Marowak slammed the ground near Mewtwo and the Knight, causing a tremendous earthquake to rock the battlefield. The Knight was knocked backwards and Mewtwo was flung into the air. Matthew's Noivern then sent a wickedly powerful Dragon Pulse that throttled Mewtwo into the ground again.
Matthew was by her side in a second. "Come on, Addy. You have to keep fighting!" When she was slow to respond, he took her hands and pulled her to her feet. "Come on, Addy! Let's teach these punks not to mess with Arcan-" He paused when his eyes fell upon all of those who had fallen in battle. The statues that adorned the the field like memorials and tombs for the fallen. He shook his head and remained focused. "No. We're going to keep fighting. You and I. As a team! Now where is that Knight?"
"Matt, you need to run! NOW!"
Her friend shook his head. "Not a chance. If we lose, I'm going down fighting!"
Another bolt of lightning fell nearby. The two turned to see a portal ripping open. The Arcana Police Force, Cameron and Cynthia went to confront whoever was inside of it. But they drew back in horror as a stampede of Cloned Pokemon overtook them. Addison and Matthew could only look on in horror as dozens of good, honorable people were trampled to death. Seeing the terror in her eyes, Matthew took Addison's face into his hands and smiled at her. "Listen to me, Addy. We've got this. We can do this together!"
"YOU!" Ryan's voice bellowed around them.
"Ryan?!" Matthew asked in shock. He spun around and saw his twin brother glaring down on him, his tonfas glowing with the power of fire.
"Run!" Addison begged. "Please! I can't lose you too!"
Matthew stood his ground, eager to go toe to toe with Ryan. "I don't know if you really are him or not, but I won't let you near Addy!" Matthew raised his hands to guard from any incoming attack, with Addison unable to compel him to stop this.
The Kingston Family's greatest disappointment, Mewtwo growled. Before Matthew could react, Mewtwo levitated Matthew's body directly in front of him. There was a time I envisioned you being my great minion to dominate the world. You possessed it all. Hatred, vengeance and a desire for a place in the sun. But that wicked little shrew Jocelyn made you the pathetic young man I see before me! I do not condone betrayals, and yours outstrips every one that has happened to me so far! And so, do you have any final words to say to your superior?
Matthew spat in Mewtwo's face. "You were never my superior! And Jocelyn was twice the being you could ever be, you genetic freak!"
Mewtwo chucked at this. So reverential for her, are we? Perhaps you didn't just love Miss Tenton, here. I was intent on letting you join Jocelyn as a trophy of war, but your punishment will be that of all my traitors! Mewtwo made a jerking motion with his hand. Matthew's neck twisted sharply. Addison let out a scream of terror. Matthew's limp body fell just a few inches in front of her.
The well of Fury which she was sure she had drained out suddenly refilled itself. All of these people who's lives had been destroyed and ruined by this monster, including the entire Kingston Family and their friends. Their unnecessary ends fueled the rage deep down inside of her. The will to fight restored to her. No longer did she see it as pointless or was paralyzed by Ryan's seduction to serving Mewtwo's side. She lost all control. And she was hellbent on making Mewtwo suffer. She raised her scepter and sent a Moonblast at him. Fueled by both the Bond Phenomenon and the Crimson Fury, the attack was too much for Mewtwo to deflect. And she had no intention of stopping. She kept the outpouring of hate blistering the monster who had caused all of this.
Mewtwo tried to counter the attack with one of his own, but he was struggling to gain the energy to use that as well as block the blow. The Knight shielded his eyes from the blow. What is...what is this power?! WHERE IS THIS STRENGTH COMING FROM?!
"YOU'RE GOING TO DIE, MEWTWO!" she snarled, only intensifying the blows.
Gathering all of his strength to him, Mewtwo finally managed to deflect the blow and sent it away. But the damage had been done. Addison saw that the blast had already incinerated a part of Mewtwo's arm. Drawing back in utter horror, Mewtwo vanished into the smoke, ordering a temporary retreat. She finally calmed down after Mewtwo vanished, recalling his Cloned Pokemon army as he did. But with her fury leaving her, the pain of her failure continued to return to her in droves. Desperately, she looked to Ryan and held out a hand to him. "Ryan. Please. Just come back to us!"
The Knight lurched away from her and turned away. "We will meet again, Mage. Hopefully next time, you'll have grown your spine back!" He turned on his heel and vanished into the same smoke that his master had.
When she was finally alone, surrounded by nothing but the statues of her friends and loved ones, Addison finally broke down. She fell onto her knees, pounding the ground maliciously and screaming bloody murder. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" She staggered to her feet and found her eyes landing on all of those she had failed. To Holly and Dawn. To Jon, Chris and Billy Kingston. To Mark and Lizzie. To her Aunt Caitlin.
When her eyes fell upon the shattered remnants of her idol, she found herself nearly floating over to them and picking up the pieces in her arms. Her hand shook so violently when she held the King's fossilized head that she had to lower it on the ground. She curled up into a ball and shed soft tears. Then she wept. And finally sobbed. They were gone. All of them. And there wasn't a thing she could possibly do to fix it. Not even her presence on the battlefield had been enough. She had still failed. They were gone. And Mewtwo would overrun the world in a matter of days.
The last person she saw was Matthew. She crawled her way over to him and rested her head on his chest. They were both gone. Ryan had become Mewtwo's newest minion, warped into viewing her as his enemy. And Matthew was dead, his neck having been snapped by Mewtwo's hate. She was breathing heavily, her body quivering and the tears falling down relentlessly onto Matthew's body. She took her friend up into her arms and hugged him, trying to will any life at all into him. But the results were as predictable as her own failure had been. Rosemary had been wrong. The White Mage wasn't strong enough to prevent Mewtwo's victory. And all of Arcana had paid a terrible price for it. She looked to Matthew's side and saw he had his Poke Gear on him. She took the device into her hands and knew she would have to tell those at the castle what had happened. She slowly and painstakingly pressed each button to dial to the Queen.
{}
Lucas was not surprised when the Queen decided to take everyone who wasn't participating in the battle and hide them deep in the bowels of Kingston Castle in the Cellar. He welcomed the people inside with him. In fact, given how much his nerves shook relentlessly at the mere idea of something happening to Cynthia or Dawn during all of this, he was jubilant to not be alone in this hour. He simply sat at the table with his Pachirisu nibbling on some berries as the rest of the group waited with baited breath for word from the battlefield. He sat in his usual chair, with Amber and the rest of the ArcNet team to his left and Queen Julia, Vizier Annie and Mark's friend Greta to his right. Across the table from him sat Eusine and Justin Jacques. Lucas noticed Eusine would occasionally glance at the Time Flute in the corner of the room, but they both agreed to keep their discoveries with it a secret. Even from the King and Queen.
"Is no word a good thing?" Greta inquired to the group. "I mean, it has to be. Right?"
Eusine gulped nervously. "I mean, it is important to keep faith in trying times. But a word would be a bit relieving."
"We haven't heard anything from the battlefield since the battle began" Annie stressed worriedly. She rose to her feet. "I'm calling Jenna! She has to know something!"
Julia was silent, her hand holding her heart. "Is the silence just the deep breath before our nightmare begins?" Her face slowly began to tighten as if she was seeing what was unfolding for her family right before her eyes. Lucas was crushed at how much resolve and strength had been ebbed away from someone like Julia so quickly.
"We can't look at things so negatively" Lucas insisted. "We have to have faith that they will drive off Mewtwo at the very least. Because I don't want to know the other results."
"Jenna!" Annie cursed angrily. "WHY WON'T YOU EFFING ANSWER?!"!
Julia reached into her pocket at the sound of her own Poke Gear going off. "It's Matthew." She accepted the call and put it on speaker. "Matty. You're on the line."
"Your Majesty?" a broken girl's voice called out from the other line.
"Addy?" Lucas gasped, leaping up at the sound of her voice. "You came back!"
"What's going on over there?" Annie begged. "Jon! Is Jon alright?"
"How many people are there?" Addison asked.
"Myself, the ArcNet Team, Greta, Annie, Lucas, Justin and Eusine" Julia answered. "If there's news, Addy, we need to know it."
Addison was silent on the other end for a good, long moment before answering. "It's over. We lost."
Lucas felt something constrict his throat as he sat back down. "You...you lost?"
"I thought the White Mage was supposed to win" Greta whispered nervously.
"Countess Rosemary was wrong" Addison replied, as if all the emotion in her had died. "We-we didn't stand a chance." She sniffled on the other line before beginning her recollection. "We fought as hard as we could and everyone deserves some kind of credit. But we got picked off, one by one. I think Tommy Queensbury lost an eye. Then I got to fight the Black Knight. I had him down and then-then-then I found out who it was under that mask."
"Who was it?" Amber asked inquisitively.
"Ryan."
Lucas nearly fell out of his chair. "But that's impossible. Ryan's dead."
"What about everyone else?" Julia asked. Lucas looked at the Queen and could sense her strength was hanging on the precipice of this one answer.
"Mewtwo turned them all to stone!" Addison wept. "But...but...but Matt and the King are dead!"
The table was silenced in shock. Greta's eyes became watery. Annie's hand flew to her mouth in shock. Lucas saw Julia's face pale. The once proud Queen stared blankly into space. A woman Lucas had revered for her inner strength only rolled her eyes back into her head and collapsed out of her chair, twitching violently. Annie and Greta shook themselves out of it and assisted Julia back up to her feet and began to lead her towards the elevator to see April the head nurse. The look on her face as the elevator doors closed was one of a woman who had literally heard that her world was in flames.
Lucas knew they needed more answers. "What about Mark and Lizzie?"
"Turned to stone right before my eyes."
Amber gulped. "What about Queen Piper?"
"Stone."
"Lord Christopher and Lady Cameron?" Justin asked.
"Chris is a stone statue. I haven't seen Cameron, yet. Cynthia either."
Lucas could feel his heart about to explode. "What about Dawn?"
"SHE'S GONE, LUCAS! GONE! GONE! GONE! GONE! GONE!" Addison broke down on the other line. "I'm sorry" was all she could sputter out in her grief.
Eusine lowered his head in mourning. "Then it was all for nothing. Everything we hoped to achieve. All of this, tossed aside like it was nothing."
Lucas lowered his head onto the table and cried. His Pachirisu leaped onto his head and tried to comfort him, patting him gently with his tail. The ArcNet trio huddled together and mourned. Justin Jacques pounded his fist into the table and found himself shedding tears over the losses.
"And when I tried to fight Mewtwo, he just retreated" Addison concluded. "I can't even get revenge for them. I'm sorry...I failed you all." Without warning, Addison ended the call.
The entire Cellar was silent. They had lost, many of their friends and loved ones were gone and Addison was broken emotionally, mentally and likely physically because of this. There was nothing to look forward to. No hope for this to be a bad dream. No prayers that Mewtwo would still be in a Master Ball tucked deep somewhere on the Ranch property. Nothing. Just oblivion.
"What happens now?" Dylan asked. "You think Mewtwo is going to come back for us?"
"After all we've done to ruin his plans, I wouldn't be shocked" Corey commented.
"What about the Queen?" Amber worried. "She looked like she just had a heart attack."
Lucas allowed the others to argue around him and debate the future of the world. All he could see was Dawn in his mind's eye. From the moment they met when he and Professor Rowan prevented her and Barry from rushing headlong into the tall grasses around Twinleaf Town without Pokemon of their own. He saw her as if she stood right beside him as she had when they went on their 'kinda sorta' date through Jubilife City. The first time she had comforted him when his Pokedex was stolen by Team Galactic, the first time he had received a hug from her when she rescued him from the bowels of Team Galactic's base in Veilstone City. the first time he had held her hand when she reemerged with Cynthia from the Distortion World. The moment she told him how much he truly meant to her on Mirage Island. The first time she kissed him after waking up from the Dark Void. Every smile she had ever given him, every frown he had been determined to wipe off her beautiful face. Her long, gorgeous blue hair. Her carefree personality gelled so strangely well with his almost 'stick in the mud' mood most days. The only girl he was sure would ever be out there for him in his life. The only girl he would ever love.
He would never get to do the things he wanted with her ever again. Never hold her in his arms, never have her hand close around his. Never have a feeling like he had the first time they kissed. To have lost her forever was fracturing his entire world. And there was nothing he could do about it but mourn the life he could have led with her. He should have tried to make her stay, tried to convince her that she was better off hiding in Kingston Castle with him instead of going there to die. But it was too late for that. It was too late for everything. He should have spent more time with her than working on that stupid, worthless failure of a...
Time...time? Time? TIME! That's it!
He rose from his seat abruptly, terrifying the group around him. His Pachirisu leaped onto the table and cocked his head at him, chirping in confusion., All of the eyes fell on him as he walked around the table and picked up the chest containing the Time Flute.
"What are you doing, Lucas?" Amber asked.
"Yeah, bud" Corey said sadly. "I doubt music will help us feel better."
"For once, it might" Lucas argued.
He opened the chest and took the Time Flute out before marching over to where Eusine sat and thrusting it into his hands. The eccentric man looked to Lucas in shock, but seemed to grasp what his plan was. "Lucas, I understand what you want to try and accomplish, but..."
"But nothing!" Lucas snapped. "There's no way I thought of my theory working by chance! I wouldn't have tampered with time if there wasn't something inside of me saying it was the right thing to do. We proved we can make time go backwards. THIS is what it was for! It has to be!"
"You're feeling really emotional, now" Amber told him gently. "I understand how much Dawn meant to you. But this is tampering with the laws of nature."
"Besides, we already agreed not to do anything with it" Dylan pointed out. "Remember what happened to that seed?"
"I think we have to try" Justin pointed out.
"WHAT?!" the others besides Lucas cried out.
"Think about it" the young gentleman spoke. "Of all the things these people have done for us. Saving your lives, helping expand ArcNet's business, taking us in when no one else would. Helping us get doctorates, making us better people. We owe it to these friends of ours to give it at least one go. I cannot and will not abandon Lizzie to a future of being little more than a lawn ornament. The King can be saved and so can everyone else who has risked so much to keep Arcana alive in times of peril and darkness."
"But how are we going to concentrate the music enough for Addison to hear it and for it to impact the whole world?" Corey inquired. "I get the sentiment, but I think there's nothing we can do."
Lucas's eyes widened. "I've got an idea. Get Addy back on the horn."
{}
"I'm not hungry." Addison spoke softly to Jenna Kingston as the young nurse and last of the Kingston Cousins besides Kayleigh came to her side with a tray of cookies as they checked on all of the wounded in battle. Still shaken by what she had witnessed and knowing how many people she cared for were gone had caused her to become empty feeling and know that she didn't deserve to be here while they all did.
"Please eat something, Addy" she begged, herself clearly shell-shocked at the idea of her brother being turned to stone. "You have to at least take a bite. For me. Please."
"Worry about everyone else" Addison grumbled. "I'm not hurt. But the others definitely are."
Jenna took up the tray and sighed. "Oh, Addy. There are some wounds that don't show on the surface." Realizing the White Mage wanted to be alone, Jenna slowly walked away to tend to some of the others who had taken injuries or worse during the battle.
With herself finally alone, she laid back in the scorched earth near her and looked into the red skies above her. Whether it was from the flames or the morning sun, she didn't know, nor did she care. She just let the pain pour out of her. The loss of friends, family, people that meant more to her than she had ever admitted. Losing Holly, Dawn, Piper, Matthew and Michael was crushing enough. But to lose Ryan as well, that stung harder than all.
She could still see the same hate in his face as if it had only been a moment ago. His asking why she chose Matthew over him, when no such choice was ever made. She always loved Ryan. She would always love him. She knew that despite his anger and rage that Mewtwo was exploiting, that there was a sliver of her soulmate inside of him. The boy who made her laugh when she felt down, who saved her from every evil they encountered and whose love for her had been undying. If she could just reach that part of him, she knew things would change. But now, it might be too late.
Matthew's Poke Gear began to buzz beside her. She took it into her hands and saw it was Lucas calling her back. She was hesitant to answer, but Galatea urged her to.
They may be the only friends we have left, Addison.
"I know" she grumbled. "I just wish we could be left in peace." She took up the call. "Lucas?"
"Addy" he cried out to her in an excited yet worried voice. "Listen. It may be a long shot, but I think we can help each other."
"No one can help me, Lucas" she replied solemnly.
"Can I trust you to keep this a total secret?" he asked her. "I'm serious. Like, no one can know!"
She rolled her eyes. "No one will know. Now come and tell me what pipe dream there might be."
"Addy, we've been experimenting with something called the Time Flute. Remember when you helped me figure out what Multiverse Theory was? Well, I've been trying to see if it was possible to see if time didn't just flow forwards, but in all directions, including backwards. And guess what? We got it to work for a bit."
Addison was intrigued by this. Even if it was for a short spell, the pain inside of her seemed to be dissipating. "You mean...you found out how to change the past?"
"There may be a chance for us to make this right" another voice called to her from over the line. "My name is Eusine. And I am the one who can play the Time Flute to it's fullest. Miss Tenton, we're going to need your help to make this work, though. You are the White Mage, correct?"
"Yes?" Addison replied.
"Then you need to concentrate, Addy" Amber mentioned. "With everything that Countess Rosemary taught you."
"Concentrate on what?"
"Let me handle this, guys" Lucas told the others. "I think it's on the most important thing. Something we overlooked. Something that we may have missed on setting up this whole thing." He took a deep breath. "Addy, at every decision we make, it branches off in different directions at the many choices we take. Some can be good or better than real life. Others can be far, far worse than what actually happened."
"Okay? I'm not really sure where you're going with this."
"I'm trying to tell you to concentrate" he said gently. "Focus on the one mistake you might have made. Anything you might do this time to make sure this doesn't happen. Please. I can't lose Dawn over this!"
Addison scratched the back of her head. "But how? I mean, I don't really think I made any mistakes." Apart from the whole refusing to fight Ryan thing. I mean, but how is that supposed to be a...wait a minute. "Hey, Lucas. Will I be affected by this thing? Will I forget what happened?"
"We didn't forget when we experimented on a flower" Lucas assured her. "But this is something bigger than that. This is reversing time back to the moment in question you think of. I don't think you will forget anything, but it may be too tough to know with one hundred percent clarity for the rest of us. But if anyone can do this and make things go the way they need to, Addy, it has to be you. I know its you."
"We believe in you" Justin's voice echoed.
"Just see if you can think of that one moment you could fix things" Lucas explained. "Then hold onto it and listen while Eusine plays."
"I'll try" she assured them.
"We'll be the only ones who will know what's happened" Eusine warned. "No one else will know. And no one else can know. We're already breaking the laws of nature by doing this. But our friends deserve a chance at some kind of happiness."
"Let me know when you have it" Lucas requested.
Addison, with her other thoughts squarely on the identity of the Black Knight, knew all too well the one moment in time she would change. She nodded, both to herself and Galatea, as well as her friends who could never see it. "I'm ready."
"Concentrate on that moment and Eusine's music" her friend coached. "Nothing more. Get ready, Eusine. Play the song."
"What's the song's name?" Addison asked.
"Ode to the Light" Eusine responded. "Good luck, Miss Tenton."
Addison closed her eyes and looked to Galatea's mind within hers. "You got that?"
Concentrate on the moment and Eusine's music, Galatea repeated. I just hope whatever it is you're planning works. We cannot make another mistake.
Addison finally cracked a smile after what felt like an eternity of sorrow. "I hope so, too." The two silenced their conversation as Eusine's enchanting playing echoed from the Poke Gear. The song itself was bewitching enough, but the heart with which Eusine played was captivating to Addison. Nothing else mattered to her. Not the grim situation she was leaving or the aftermath of the most horrifying experience she had ever endured. Not losing Michael, Matthew or any of her friends and loved ones. All she could see in her mind's eye was the scene she needed to make it back to. All she could hear was Eusine's playing. And the only thing she could feel inside of her was Galatea's heart and hers intertwining. Both of them were focused on the same things. And nothing would hinder them from doing what they needed to. They listened intently as Eusine's song concluded as it had been written ages ago.
When it ended, they felt a warm light surrounding them. She felt herself connected to Galatea and her confidence returned to her in droves. "Are you ready for this, Galatea?"
I am. Let's set things right this time! Let us open our eyes!