Chapter Twenty-Seven: Righting Wrongs

When Aaron and Sofia returned to the campsite, they immediately let out their teams and began going to work. Though the pokémon center had been able to help with their healing stations, more advanced medical supplies were becoming scarce and were only spared for the most serious of injuries. Luckily the two of them had various items on hand as trainers, but eventually those would run out. Aaron tried not to think of that as he bandaged a gash on his serperior's frontside. Aster winced but tried to make it look like it wasn't that big of a deal.

"Sorry bud."

"I'm fine." The bleeding had stopped; that much was good. Taking a hammer arm attack from a metagross surely could have been a lot worse. Once he had finished with Aster, Brooke impatiently plopped down by Aaron.

"Ugh," she groaned. "Those guys meant business…" The trainer looked over her back where a little bit of blood had matted her fur – the result of being sent flying by some sort of amalgamation of a pokémon. It had looked like it was composed of hundreds of brick-like creatures.

"Which is why they've taken over sixty percent of the world," Aaron murmured. "And we're only three months into this bullshit." That was something else he preferred not to think about too much. If their gains throughout Northern Unova hadn't been concerning enough, the fact that Orre had willingly surrendered from the very beginning gave them a massive base of operations relatively nearby.

"Ouch! Be careful!"

"Sorry." He did his best to clean the gravel and dirt from the cut before using another spray of disinfectant.

"Ya know, you could've helped me out a bit. Could've called Marcus over here..."

"I really doubt that would've helped." The lucario was tending to the food along with Nora. His ear flicked up and his eyes darted around, scanning the area.

"Something wrong?" Aaron said aloud.

"…I don't think so…"

"Boy, you're lookin' more anxious than a watchog in season. You sure there ain't nothing wrong?" Pierce asked. The lucario remained kneeling and prodded the fire as Nora stirred the pot every so often.

"I guess I'm just tired." He certainly wasn't alone in that regard. Seth had all but collapsed onto the ground after getting back to camp, laying on his stomach. The ampharos hadn't moved since then.

Once he had finished, Aaron joined them by the fire. Nora gave him a quick side hug without taking her attention off the rice pot, lest it boil over. The saffron Aiden had gifted them had worked wonders for what would otherwise be bland MREs.

It wasn't long before everyone was seated around the fire, wordlessly eating their food as the flames died out. Aaron had to admit, despite everything that was going on throughout the world, this was something he had missed. True, he had decided in favor of practicality by going to college, but a stationary, average life hardly compared to adventuring through nature with one's pokémon. He was snatched away from his thoughts when Marcus abruptly stood up.

"What's wrong?" Brooke asked. It was then that he said some of the most unnerving words imaginable.

"We aren't alone…" That got everyone's attention.

"What do you mean?" Krista's eyes went wide. Seth leaped from his seated position with an agility unbefitting for his species, his tail glowing vibrantly as he readied himself for a fight along with several others.

"I mean just that!" he hissed. "Someone's watching us!"

"How did you just now figure that out?" Aster asked.

"I thought I felt someone's presence – I didn't know for sure. But there's definitely someone nearby!" Aaron glanced at Nora who was equally shocked.

"Well, there's ten of you guys. I doubt whoever's out there can take you all," the male trainer said.

"Yeah!" Seth cried. "Let's kick their ass!" They cautiously walked outside. Aaron and his team quietly circled the campsite, eyes wandering all over the darkening woods, the dying coals being the only sources of light. They looped around the campsite, checking every spot they could think of before meeting back up front.

"You're getting warmer," a voice called from above.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Marcus murmured. "What the hell are you doing here?" A zoroark reclined on a tree limb as though he were sunbathing at the beach, wearing a pair of aviators.

"You look like a douchebag wearing those at night," Wynette barked.

"Nah, there's never not a good time to wear sunglasses." Aaron elbowed Marcus, who released a low, rumbling growl.

'Knock it off. Don't let him annoy you. He wouldn't be stupid enough to try and take everyone.'

'I don't give a shit. That asshole made a fool out of me in front of everyone.'

'And you knocked him out. Now shut up. Let's see what he's here for.' Taking the initiative, Aaron spoke up. "How did you find us?"

"Oh, that wasn't hard at all. We know everything, you see. Tracking down a couple of nosy kids and their pets wasn't all that difficult, especially when they carry, you know, cell phones." Most of the pokémon were ready to fight at that statement. The zoroark only grinned victoriously. "Come on, you all make it too easy."

"How about I come up there and slit your fucking throat?" the weavile said.

"Well that's not very ladylike…"

"I'll show you ladylike!"

"Wynette!" Sofia snapped. The weavile averted her gaze, mumbling something to herself.

"What does Omega's biggest clown want?" Marcus asked.

"Clown?" Zak replied. "You might be the jester in this deck, pup, but I'm like… at least a jack."

"Yeah – a jackass!" the lucario retorted.

"I take that back – the joker's useful in a lot of games," Zak said. "You're more like a two of clubs. Oooh, now there's a nickname! How about it, Two?"

"Alright, both of you shut up." Aaron was already tired of their exchange. "What do you want? You're out of your mind if you think you can take all of us."

"Did I come here with soldiers?" A few eyes glanced around. None that they could see. "If I had hostile intentions, I'd have come with a squad, waited for y'all to fall asleep and snatched you out of your tents. And I probably would've brought a muzzle for the puppy. But alas, I come as a friend today."

"That is the last word that comes to mind when we think of you." Aaron rolled his eyes at Marcus' remark.

"Aww, that's not very nice," Zak said, pursing his lips. "Anyways, I figured you all like sticking your noses where they don't belong – so I thought we might just be able to work out a little deal." The trainers looked at each other questioningly, then back at the dark-type.

"A deal?" That wasn't what any of them had expected to hear. Aaron folded his arms. "What kind of deal?"

"Hmm… how should I put this. Let's say that there's a little bit of info out there that my friends and I would love to get our hands on."

"Forget it," Sofia answered. "We aren't helping you or Omega."

"At this very moment, we'll be working against Omega," Zak said. What he meant by that was beyond Aaron. There was no doubt as to what side he was fighting for back at the Tao Creek incident. So why would he turn his back on them now?

"How stupid do you think we are?" Sofia balled up her fist. "Why should we trust you? Who's to say you wouldn't just lead us into a trap?"

"Oh, come on. Do you really think a zoroark would pull such a deceptive stunt?" Everyone immediately nodded. "How rude. But fortunately for you, I have a few incentives - something that a few pesky dissenters such as yourselves would be very interested in." While nobody trusted him, that much piqued their curiosity.

"Like what?" the krookodile asked.

"Have you ever wondered why our trainers happen to be so good at taking down yours?" Zak asked. "You two might be doing well – for now – but for every one of us you defeat, five of yours are taken in. How much longer do you think that can last? I do wonder…"

"Alright, point taken. Get on with it." Aaron knew there was truth to his words, though.

"Actually, maybe a demonstration might help." Zak hopped up, doing a theatric flip from the branch and slowing his descent telepathically. "Pull out your phone and open your trainer app," he said. Aaron furrowed his brow but did as he was told. "You too, Blondie." If looks could kill, Zak would have been blown to pieces. But she did so as well. "Good, now point them at each other – like you're about to battle." They'd been through this process countless times; why he had asked them to do something that was almost second nature was beyond Aaron.

"What's the point of this?"

"What do you see?"

"Her wins, a few losses from a couple of years ago, a ridiculous number of badges and her team roster," Aaron replied.

"Anything else?"

"Uh… no?"

"Ah… that's a shame, isn't it?" Zak asked. He reached into his mane and retrieved a small, rectangular device – one that almost resembled their smart phones but looked far more advanced all the same. He pointed his PDA at Aaron. "Hmm… let's check your stats, pup. About a six-to-one win-loss rate, estimated level is seventy-four…" A frown set on his face. "I got knocked out by a level seventy-four? That's annoying…" He seemed to find something else of interest, though, and tilted his head. "Ah… looks like somebody learned the move steel beam not too long ago. That's a rather strong attack…" Everyone's eyes went wide.

"What the hell…" Aaron muttered. He had input that attack right before the invasion had started. Nobody outside of their direct team even knew of it.

"It wasn't all that hard," the zoroark continued. "Your governments required you to report every single detail, didn't they? It was only a matter of hijacking the very system they used to keep tabs on you and claiming it for ourselves. This little baby tells me every little detail about your pokémon I need to know. I can glance over every single one of your losses in a moment and use that information to counter you. It's how we win so often against your trainers. Isn't that neat?"

"…Go on." Sofia was clearly interested. Aaron would be lying if he said that he wasn't.

"The funny thing is, we use these for our own training, too. It has all the information you could want about Omega's pokémon. Doesn't that sound useful?" Something like that could turn the tide on their battles. Wynette stepped forth.

"What's stopping us from kicking your ass and taking them anyways?" she asked. He grinned.

"A little thing called a passcode."

"Yeah, that'd do it," Krista mumbled.

"Alright," Sofia said. "What exactly do you want us to do?" Aaron wasn't alone in shooting her a bewildered expression. She was willing to go through with whatever Zak was asking – just like that? All for some advantage that she might not even need?

"Well I'm glad you asked! You're going to help me sneak into an Omega camp tomorrow night and grab some data."

"Like hell we are. That sounds like a great way to get captured." Wynette had a point. Incentives or not, going right into the midst of one of their bases wouldn't end any other way aside from them being taken in.

"Do keep in mind that I can hide you. I just need you two to slip a teeny, tiny little extraction drive into some suits and help me keep a lookout."

"And why can't you do that on your own?" asked Pierce.

"Because there are quite a few people there, and as good as I may be – and I am pretty good – things get a bit tricky when trying to hold an illusion and mess around with computers at the same time."

"So you want us to download whatever data it is you want while you keep everyone covered?" Sofia asked.

"Precisely!"

"What about the mission tomorrow?" Aster had made a point. Their entire purpose here was to fight Omega and keep them from taking Mistralton.

"Eh, if I were you, I wouldn't worry about this division too much. They might just be… out of commission soon enough."

"What exactly is going on here?" Sofia asked. For Omega to be turning on its own, there had to be a problem.

"Let's just say that there have been a few rumors floating about. A certain somebody might have stepped out of line, and it's time to see who's really on our side. So what do you say?" Zak asked. "Do we have a deal?"

"Calling them for help with the bridge was one thing – actually helping them is another." Pierce, having addressed the others, was right about that much.

"Hmm, tell ya what – I'll even give you kids the points you'd have gotten had you participated in the mission. How does that sound?"

"You can do that?" Sofia looked at him skeptically.

"Of course. I carry some heavy weight within Omega, after all. Heck, I even recruited your former buddies to fight for us, pup."

"What?"

"The southern tribe, right?" Zak folded his arms with a triumphant grin. "They've been quite helpful. Your former chief has taught me quite a bit."

"No! There's… there's no way they'd do something like that! I don't believe you."

"Aww, even without being able to feel auras, I can tell that's not true. It didn't take a lot of convincing. They, like most pokémon, are quite annoyed with how humans are running this little show. They want some new ringleaders in charge. But I digress – that's a topic for another day. Tomorrow, you can either fight Omega on your own… or with me. Whaddya say?"

"Give us a minute." Aaron motioned for everyone to gather around well out of hearing range of the zoroark. He was the first to state the obvious. "This is fucking nuts."

"Agreed," Marcus said. "There's no chance in hell I'm trusting that guy. I bet he's waiting for us to drop our guard so he can throw us to the wolves."

"To be fair, your opinion isn't really worth much." The lucario glared at Krista, but she only shrugged him off. "What? You hate the guy. I think your judgement is clouded."

"But he's right about one thing," Chloe added. "He could have easily captured us tonight had he wanted to. We're exhausted; had he stormed the campsite while we were asleep, I doubt there would have been much we could've done about it. I think he's telling the truth." Sofia spoke up.

"Whatever the case, what he's asking us to do is really risky. But if he gives us those PDAs, we'll have a much better chance than any of these other trainers." She wasn't wrong, but the idea of working with one enemy against another still didn't sit right. Marcus wasn't the only one with that in mind.

"Okay, so let's assume he's legit – and I'm not saying he is, necessarily – what would be the harm in it? Hell, if we lose, we get captured anyways, and he said we're going at night. Everyone will be tired – that's a huge advantage."

"I don't like this," Seth mumbled. "But I guess you guys have some good points."

"I'm pretty sure none of us like this…"

When they returned to the campfire, they found the dark-type kicked back in one of their foldable chairs, obnoxiously sipping at a juice box as if there were anything left inside. "…Where did you even get that?" Aaron asked. Zak tossed it into the burning coals.

"You'd be surprised what all a zoroark can carry in his mane."

"Huh…"

"So?" Aaron closed his eyes, releasing a heavy sigh. "Alright! Glad y'all could see it my way."

"You double cross us, I'll kill you," Marcus said.

"Aww, does someone have a prejudice against dark-types?"

"Just against idiots."

"Fortunately, there are none of those here." Zak sprung to his feet. "Meet me tomorrow night by the old baseball field north of McCray Park – right in front of the old church. Understood?"

"Yeah…"

"Alrighty then. See y'all there… partners." A purple mist spread around him as his blue eyes were the last thing to fade from vision. Everyone remained quiet for a moment. It was only then that it dawned on Aaron what they had done.

They had agreed to invade a camp of armored soldiers for a couple of hijacked pokdéxes – all because an overly enthusiastic zoroark had asked them to. An enemy zoroark.

What the hell had they gotten themselves into? Marcus was finally the one to break the silence.

"…I really don't like that guy…"

There were only a handful of times in Alexander's life that he remembered legitimate fear. Sheer terror. Despite the fact that he had an entire planet's resources at his disposal – and over half of his own, for that matter – this was one of those times. Powdered snow froze over the cameras on his visor as the world stood ahead of his view. A world that would soon be subdued.

And yet despite all that, he was scared of what was within this very mountain.

How exactly Necrozma had managed to evade notice all this time was beyond him. The crater left in the middle of Mount Lanakila, not too far from the main path taken to get towards the Alolan League, made it obvious that something had crashed awhile ago. But there was no denying the crater buried beneath the snow, nor the telltale energy signature from within these caves. He wondered if Necrozma knew of his presence – or how he would react to being found, for that matter.

For that, he had done something risky. Maybe even suicidal. He had come with no military support. No soldiers, no weapons – only the four legendaries that first joined him, two of which Necrozma would undoubtedly be familiar with. While they were more than lethal forces, he was still a fragile ant compared to any of them, and even the weakest attack from someone like Necrozma would blow him to pieces, even in the exosuit.

But he had to try. This wasn't just about him trying to keep the legendary from fighting them. There was a history to set straight.

With dread, Alexander followed Solgaleo and Lunala. They somehow instinctively knew where to go, leading him into the massive cave system that composed Alola's victory road. If there was one good thing in all of this, it was that there would be no trainers. Not even the Elite Four remained; they were alone on this mountain. Well, aside from the local pokémon, of course. Better that nobody witnessed what happened here.

His thermal visor activated as the natural light died down. Solgaleo's eyes remained unmoving as he and the others moved towards the creature that had once subdued him. 'You are scared,' Zekrom said within his mind.

'I feel like I have a right to be.'

'We will protect you.' At least, they would try. He wasn't sure if they were fast enough to outrun light itself. This was a being that had absorbed the full force of a supernova, saving a planet in the process and showering them with his own light for millenia. Even in whatever state he was likely in, that was more than enough to disintegrate him in the blink of an eye. But this had to be done. Necrozma was not a threat that could be ignored; this needed to be dealt with.

And others who were seeing to another particular concern…

But that was then. Now, he needed to focus on this. Solgaleo stopped in front of a section of the wall that had caved in. It looked natural enough, but it seemed as though their destination was on the other side. Either something had been sealed in… or something had sealed everything else out. With a mighty crash, the lion charged through, shattering stone into gravel. As the gravel cleared, a slimmer tunnel led into the darkness.

His breathing became short and irregular. His visor picked up a strange black fluid that had seemed to crystalize on the ground. 'We are getting close,' Lunala said. Though his suit kept him warm in the frigid atmosphere, he shivered. The rest of the way proceeded in silence as the walls closed inward.

What would happen if he didn't come back? There were many loved ones he would leave behind. The thought of these very legendaries having to explain to Genesis why he had not returned was nearly enough to make him turn back here. But there was no other way – this had to be done. And as Omega's leader, that responsibility fell on him.

The cave opened up into a large room littered with stalactites. Moisture dripped from the ceiling every so often into frozen pools on the ground. Ice mingled with rocks, forming a crystalline blanket on the floor that crunched with each step. And it was in that corner of the room they found what they were looking for.

Necrozma lifted his head to face the visitors. Alexander had heard the descriptions of the Blinding One. What he was looking at now fit none of those. He was black and prismatic, jagged and disproportional. The crystals his body was composed of seemed to glint along innumerable cracks, and from them, a black fluid had long since dried. His right arm grasped a stalagmite; his left was on the floor, separate from his body.

Despite the fact that he was standing before a creature once deemed a deity by many, the fear he had felt was gone. Now it was pity.

The four legendaries each took a different position around him. Though he might not have been from this universe, he was still a legendary, and as such, Alexander bowed before him. It was then that he heard a voice within him – one that, even telepathic, seemed strained and raspy.

'You… bear the marks of my betrayers.' Those weren't the first words he'd hoped to hear. 'And I see you have aligned yourself with the one born of my suffering…' His eyes focused on Solgaleo. 'Tell me, why side with them? Have you not seen what became of me for trusting them?'

"I have come to make things right," Alexander said.

'I find that unlikely. What do you really want? What more can you possibly take from me? I gave your people everything. A second chance at life – my own life. And they turned against me for their greed.'

"They are not my people," Alexander said. Standing up – and against his better judgement – he removed his helmet, dropping it onto the floor.

'Then why do you bear their markings?'

"Because I have gained their allegiance. They are under my command now," Alexander replied.

'So it is you who stirs the world right now,' Necrozma said. 'Do you seek to finish what your predecessors started? For that, only one of you would have sufficed.'

"I want nothing of the sort. Please, I only ask that you hear me out. I have no intention of bringing harm to you."

'Those who I once served spoke similarly. You see how much their word counted for.'

"Those people didn't bring restitution." Necrozma slowly moved his head, facing Alexander directly. That same black fluid had long dried over his face.

'Restitution? Clarify yourself, human.'

"I have come to restore that which was taken from you. I had my troops confiscate the fragments of your body from every corner of the world over the past several months. I know I don't have all of them – yet – but I do have the majority, and we can restore you to your true form. At least, partially."

'Save your lies. What is it that you really seek? Should you try to return me to their world, you will be sorely disappointed. I have nothing left for you to take.'

"It is no lie," Reshiram said, earning a stoic glare from the broken legendary.

'You… are you one of the Sacred Ones of this universe?' He seemed to study the white dragon. 'Your soul is bound by truth. Then answer me this: what other motives does this human possess?'

"I would be lying if I said I had no hopes with this offering… but regardless of anything that you do – or don't do – my restitution for their betrayal remains the same. Even if you stretch forth your hand against us, what I now possess is rightfully yours. Even if you use it to strike me down." Of course, Alex hoped that wasn't the case, but Necrozma needed to know that he was legitimate – to the point of death, if that was what it took.

'Who are you?' he asked, seeming almost curious at this point. 'What are your goals?' The human relaxed a little; if there was malice, it felt as though it weren't directed towards him.

"I aim to conquer this world. Not for humans, but from them. We aren't fit to run this planet – or any other, for that matter. But you all are. When the legendaries have been exalted back to their rightful places above all else, then this world will finally see an end to its pointless suffering and wrongdoings."

'What a peculiar creature you are…' With his one connected arm, Necrozma pulled himself upright, though the motion seemed almost pathetic for a creature that had formerly possessed as much power and respect as him. The thought that this broken legendary had saved and nurtured an entire planet for generations was unthinkable given what Alexander was currently looking at. 'What you propose is insane by human standards.' Alexander folded his arms.

"Humans, for the most part, have no standards." He was sure that Necrozma could agree with that.

'What is it that you would ask of me in exchange for your proposal?'

"To forgive those who wronged you. To not exact the vengeance that you are rightfully owed on them."

'Fear not,' the crystalline pokémon stated. 'I would not punish those who played no part in my imprisonment or destruction. Only those who took direct action against me.' He nodded; that much was understandable. He had come to expect that response, and three of those four remaining people had as well.

"I beg you to forgive them as well. I cannot excuse their actions against you. They kept you locked away, and when you broke free, sought to bring you back. But I have seen their regret – saw the pain that they felt upon fearing the death of their planet for over thirty years. I know they wronged you, and I know I may not have played a role in your feud, but I ask that you overlook their trespass against you." Alex looked up finally, making eye contact with Necrozma. "I watched them change. They aren't the same people from before."

There was a deafening silence in the cave. Though he had the four legendaries with him, at that moment, Alex wouldn't have been able to tell. It felt as though it were just him and Necrozma in that icy cavern. Finally, he looked towards Solgaleo and spoke up. 'I see now why you trust him.' Addressing the human, Necrozma continued. 'If your words are true, and I no longer doubt that they are, then neither will I hold their sins against me, nor will I oppose you in this conflict.' Alexander bowed his head again.

"You have my gratitude." Finally, he felt like he could relax. Though what she had done was wrong, Soliera had been following orders. Her actions weren't excusable, but they were understandable, especially if their planet would have died otherwise.

'No, human, you have mine.'

"No – I'm just doing what should have been done. What anyone should have done. I'm owed nothing for that." He grabbed his helmet and finally stood up. "Are you able to move? I doubt that after spending centuries in confinement you would favor the idea of going into a pokéball."

'You imagine correctly,' Necrozma answered. 'But I have remained in this position for over a decade. I doubt I have the strength to move on my own anymore. Use your device if you must.'

"We will assist you," Zekrom said. Like clockwork, everyone sprung to action. Lunala formed the portal to the designated spot while the two Unovan dragons carefully helped Necrozma up. Alexander looked to the side, feeling his heart drop at the sight, and walked towards the spot where he had been, picking up his left arm with the help of his exosuit. They all gradually made their way through the portal, which closed behind them and left the frozen cave in silence.

Where they now stood was no warmer, though there was no heavy snowfall today. Despite the cold, the sun beamed through clear skies on Mount Coronet. Stone brick was underneath their feet and massive pillars stretched to the sides. Though they may have been crumbling, they were still an impressive sight.

Though not nearly so impressive as that of hundreds of legendaries around them. Necrozma looked around at the innumerable creatures, spread throughout the air or on Spear Pillar itself. Cynthia and Soliera briskly walked towards Alexander, with the latter averting her gaze from Necrozma. "Everything is ready," Soliera murmured quietly. The stones plucked from the z-rings of thousands upon thousands of trainers were deposited in a large pile. All three humans wore their suits, but there were no airships. Alex had made it abundantly clear that there were to be no even minor signs of aggression. That was the last thing they needed in trying to mend a bond long broken.

"What we are about to see will be spoken of for as long as mortals draw breath," Alexander said to the other two humans. Zekrom and Reshiram stopped before the pile of golden stones, shimmering as though they had some preserved life of their own. Looking to his side, Alex noticed that the snow underfoot began to melt. He kneeled before the scene, followed by the two women.

A gentle breeze turned violent and the world seemed to shake. Alex knew that the sight would invoke awe within him, but there was no preparing for what he was seeing now. The legendaries gathered near Necrozma, forming a nearly perfect dome around and above him with the greater legendaries being the highest, and a great light began to emanate from all of them. The crystals began to levitate in the air; the arm which had fallen off joined them in circling their owner. All of a sudden the entire mountain shook.

Despite clear skies, lightning and fire were called down from the heavens. He did not know what to expect, but the legendaries released beams of energy, followed by three that came from above. The fragments of Necrozma's body crashed into him and a light more intense than anything their sun was capable of spread over Coronet. Alexander had to shield his eyes despite the visor. The light seemed to penetrate his suit with a gentle warmth. A fire that both burned and healed.

When he was finally able to look up, what he saw could not have been more different than the Necrozma he had seen in the cave. He spread four massive wings, each which floated a small distance from his body and looked up towards the sky. The crystalline portions of his unique body looked to be composed of the purest gold, clothing the rest of him like a rigid armor. The remainder was like solidified light, though he knew not how such a thing was even possible, and radiated a powerful, holy essence.

The world fell silent again. The golden dragon levitated in air, the wings remaining completely still. He looked downwards towards the humans and drew closer to them, dimming his light to do so. Prismatic eyes focused on Alexander. He smiled. 'I had forgotten what it had felt like not to be in pain. To breathe.' He glanced over towards Soliera, who, despite being in her suit, Necrozma seemed to recognize. There was a pause; she expected the worst. To be vaporized. But his voice was gentle despite what she and her ancestors had done to him. 'I have forgiven you.' Those four simple words brought tears to her eyes as she uttered nothing but the quietest 'thank you.'

He turned his focus back towards Alexander. 'Despite our agreement, I cannot thank you enough for this. What you have done for me is beyond repaying in your mortal life. But I will try. Ask anything of me; there is little I would withhold from you.' Alexander shook his head.

"You've already done everything I could ask for. You've spared my friends. That is enough for me." It still had not dawned on him exactly he was looking at. "What are you?" he asked respectfully. "I had seen the pictures, but it's nothing like… seeing it in person."

'Their people called this ultra-evolution, though this is my true form. As for what I am, I knew of no being higher than myself in their universe, though I am aware that the same is not true of this one. I found their planet near the death of their star and shielded them from its supernova, nurturing them and protecting them as my own. I will now do the same for the people in the new world you are creating.' He reached out one of his four wings towards Alex, who hesitantly took it. 'I can now see into your soul more clearly. You are curious by nature. There are many questions you would ask of me.'

"Maybe," he admitted. "But I don't wish to be a bother. Just to do what's right and complete my mission."

'Then I shall help you. What would you like to learn?' Alexander got back to his feet. He thought it over for a moment before answering.

"Tell me about ultra-evolution."

A/N: Special thanks to FuryWrites for beta reading this chapter.