A/N - For all who remember it, this particular part of The End had a major overhaul! You may notice some huge differences to the Fairy Garden's portrayal and story in this re-write. I felt the original was a little jarring, even cheesy, so I aimed to re-write it to flow much better. I hope you enjoy! I also introduced a new character, since there have been a lot of new pokemon introduced since Generation 6!

Thanks so much for all reads, reviews, faves and follows! =D

23 - The Fairy Garden

Cleo had no idea how long they were stood there, staring across an ocean of colour. The green grass was soft under her paws, and the sun caressed her with its warm rays. The jovial voices radiating across the garden were like a breath of fresh air, yet it was so bafflingly surreal. The pokemon that passed by were too far away to pay the Outcasts and their prisoner much heed. A few hatchlings rushed by, tumbling through the grass as they fought playfully with one another. A marill, snubbul and sandshrew, splashing through a muddy puddle that the trio had likely created.

Mischief looked up with a start and pointed a stubby paw. "Look! Right there!"

Cleo tipped her head back slightly. Drifting along on the breeze a good way away was a colony of cottonee. Their leafy appendages flapped like lazy wings as they stirred themselves along before vanishing beyond a low cloud.

"They're just like me!" Mischief gasped.

"Well, you've evolved since," said Spark bluntly.

"Maybe they're my family!" Mischief zipped away from Cleo. "I want to meet them!"

"Wait!" Cleo stretched out a paw, but caught only air as a voice caused her to stumble.

"Hello there!"

Mischief froze in his tracks and all eyes turned to their left. Trotting towards them were a mawile and gardevoir. The latter took Cleo by surprise and she took a step back from the tall psychic-type. But neither meant any threat. Not if the warm smiles each of them wore was anything to go by. The mawile ran on ahead of her friend, the huge pink bow around her horn bobbing up and down as she skipped towards Cleo.

"I don't believe we've met you before!" said the mawile with barely contained excitement. "I take it you've just found yourselves here?"

The gardevoir folded her paws neatly before her. "We've not had any new pokemon wandering in here for quite some time."

"Huh." Spark twitched her little nose. "That enchantment over the Endless Woods probably has something to do with that."

The gardevoir's eyes widened slightly and she looked up at Spark. "Enchantment?"

The mawile chuckled and shook her head. "Don't be so silly! Enchantments don't exist!"

"The gardevoir enchantment over the Endless Woods!" Spark explained. "The one that boggles the minds of all who enter it, confusing them and sending them nuts!"

The mawile's jaw dropped slightly as she appeared rendered speechless.

"You're right, Spark." Cleo took a step back from the two new pokemon. "The barrier… the woods have vanished. Maybe this is all caused by that strange enchantment. We should probably try and find our way back."

"What are you saying, Cleo?" Mischief's expression turned wounded and his shoulders sank. "This place… is this all a lie?"

"Of course it's not a lie!" the mawile gasped.

"Then how do you explain this?" Cleo asked, her breath coming in fitful bursts. "Where's the Endless Woods gone? We were lost in it, and so close to getting out, then this happened!"

The mawile raised her paws to calm the frantic meowstic. "This is the Fairy Garden. It's hidden."

Cleo shook her head. "Hidden?"

"Allow us to explain." The gardevoir took a step towards her and gave her an apologetic smile. "This place is protected. It can only be found by those who are genuinely seeking it. Over time, pokemon find their way here, either by hearing about it or stumbling through the woods looking for sanctuary."

"Sanctuary…" It was Harlequin who'd spoken, still trembling but their panting had calmed somewhat.

The mawile turned her attention onto the assassin. "Exactly! Although you're the first dark-type to find your way here in quite some time."

"I'm Hope," said the gardevoir. She gestured to the mawile beside her. "And this is Faith. We want to welcome you here. And if you have any questions, we'll do our best to answer them."

Questions. Well, Cleo had a lot of them. But where did she even start? She found herself surveying the garden again, trying to take it all in. Was this place actually real? Or had the Endless Woods actually got to them?

"It looks like those tapestries…" Harlequin's voice wavered, and was more aimed at themselves than Cleo or the other pokemon. "What's going on…?"

Faith inclined her head on one side. "Tapestries?"

Cleo didn't get the chance to explain. A soft music reached her ears and the two pokemon before her perked up and swivelled towards the hills on their left. Cleo turned her head to see where the music was coming from. Circling in the air were three altaria, humming a jovial melody. Below them was a pokemon that caused Cleo's breath to freeze in her throat.

A colourful stag strolled towards them, his antlers radiating a soft light. Wherever his hooves touched, small flowers erupted from the ground like a rainbow river. He looked at each of Cleo and her companions in turn before his eyes fell on the quaking zorua beside her.

"I'm dreaming," Harlequin choked. "I have to be dreaming…"

"Xerneas!" Faith clapped her paws together.

As the stag drew closer, Hope and Faith dropped to their knees in a bow. Despite her confusion, Cleo found herself mimicking them. Mischief dropped beside her, and Spark left her shoulder to kneel on the soft grass. A little away from her, Harlequin, still shaking so much they struggled to remain upright, lowered their head so their nose was brushing the grass.

"You can stand." Xerneas voice was warm, calming Cleo's nerves.

The meowstic looked up to meet his warm smile. His eyes were friendly with a warmth Cleo found welcoming, and he gave off a regal air that made her feel he could tip Hydreigon straight off his throne. She recalled those tapestries once more. That black bird, easily defeated by this very pokemon.

"Welcome to the Fairy Garden," he said. "You are safe here. You can leave all your fears and worries behind."

He turned to Harlequin again. The zorua stood away from Cleo, head lowered and ears back. Their blue eyes remained fixed on Xerneas, glistening with tears that trailed salty streaks over their black fur.

"I have been watching your progress, young zorua." Xerneas nodded at Harlequin. "Come with me."

Harlequin's eyes widened, watching after Xerneas as he turned to lead them back towards the hills. The zorua began to follow after him, slowly at first, then picking up pace as they tried to catch up.

Cleo took a few steps after them. "Wait! Harlequin is chained to me, she can't-"

There was no tug at the bracelet. Harlequin left the boundary, following Xerneas as he vanished over the crest of the hillside. The altaria's song faded out as they continued their joyful dance through the sky after Xerneas. Cleo stared at the bracelet, aghast.

"Is it broken?" Spark suggested.

"It was working in the woods just before," Cleo mused. "Maybe it doesn't work here?"

"I don't believe it." Mischief's eyes sparkled as he stared at the spot the stag had vanished. "That was Xerneas? He's real?"

"Yup!" Faith clapped her paws together. "That's Xerneas! He's definitely real!"

Mischief's mouth formed a perfect 'o'. "Amazing."

Faith beamed and bounced from foot to foot. "So! Shall I show you around? There's so much I want to show you! You should see the abbey! And the lake! Oh, the evening Dazzle Dance is spectacular, you simply must see it! And-"

Cleo raised her paws, and Hope placed a paw on Faith's shoulder.

"Too much too fast," Hope explained. "Please forgive her," she told Cleo. "She gets very excited."

Faith's cheeks were dusted pink and she glanced aside. "There are good things to be excited about! How often do we get new pokemon here these days?"

"Listen," said Cleo. "I'm still not sure what's going on. If this place is truly real, and is some amazing hidden garden, how on earth have you not been attacked by Hydreigon? Does he even know about it?"

"It's protected," said Faith. "You heard Xerneas. You're safe here."

"And you just live here?" Cleo asked. "Not fighting? Not standing up for those who are out there, struggling?"

Faith's jaw went slack and Hope looked between the mawile and the Outcasts.

"We do go out there," Hope explained. "There are many of us. We go out and tell pokemon about the Fairy Garden, offering aide where it's needed. Right now, there are many of our warriors out there helping pokemon in need. We put our lives on the line for this place."

"And this place? How long has it been here?" Cleo asked.

"Since the beginning." Faith shrugged. "It's always been here."

"Really?" Spark placed her paws on her hips. "Then how have we not heard about it since two days ago?"

"Two days?" Faith's violet eyes widened and she shook her head slowly. "That doesn't make any sense."

"To use the term 'hearing about it' isn't quite right," Cleo explained. "We saw some tapestries. Inside the ruins of an abbey not far from here… the Endless Woods, I mean." She waved a paw at the garden, but Faith was staring at her, no longer smiling. "They showed a location like this, and a war with some black bird and Xerneas."

"Ruins?" Faith asked.

"We'd also never heard of Xerneas until we encountered that abbey," Cleo went on. "Which is why I keep wondering if this is all just some hallucination or illusion caused by that enchantment."

Spark turned her head towards her. "If it's a hallucination, Cleo, then how are we all seeing the same thing?"

Faith looked up at the gardevoir beside her. "I don't like this. There are pokemon who have never heard of Xerneas?" She closed her eyes and sighed. "I thought things were getting bad, but I never expected it to be this bad."

"Our evangelists have been struggling," said Hope. "It's been a long time since we were last sent."

"And the Gleamgrove Abbey is in ruins? It doesn't feel that long ago since we were last there!" Faith closed her eyes and sighed. "I really liked that place."

"Are you serious?" Spark scoffed. "That place looks like it's been derelict for centuries!"

"It really has been a while, Faith," Hope explained. "Many of the pokemon there found their way here a long time ago."

"But for it to fall into ruin?" Faith shook her head sadly. "It was a happy place." She wound her paws together and looked back up at Cleo. "Some of what you've said has unsettled me greatly."

"Likewise!" Spark squeaked. "How old are you guys?"

Faith chuckled and placed her paws on her knees as she leant over towards Spark. "Death has no power in the Fairy Garden."

Hope gave Cleo a warm smile. "If you wish to know more, then we are happy to answer any questions you must have. If all you have to go on are those tapestries, then your knowledge of the war between Xerneas and Yveltal must be very little indeed."

"I want to know more about it," said Mischief. "I want to know all about this place! I've never seen so many pokemon who aren't afraid or don't want to hurt me."

"Hey!" Spark frowned up at him.

"You wanted to hurt me once," he told her.

Faith laughed again and turned to address Hope. "It might be a good idea to start with the library. I'm sure Reshi would be more than happy to tell them the story! He spends all day with his head buried in books."

"The library?" Spark leapt back up onto Cleo's shoulder. "I've never been to one."

"It's just behind The Heart! It's so big it towers over the abbey! If you like books you'll love it!" Faith skipped away from them then twirled in the air to face them again briefly. "Hey! What am I saying? You'll love it anyway!" She zipped along a path that weaved around the hills.

Cleo blinked a few times then turned to Hope. "She's quite energetic, isn't she?"

"She loves meeting new pokemon." Hope smiled down at her. "But she's truly lovely. Should we go to the library?"

"How long will it take her to notice we're not following?" Spark joked.

Hope laughed and ushered them along. "She'll probably notice by the time she reaches the library, so we'd best not leave her waiting."

...

Faith rushed along the winding path that cut between the vibrant flower beds, pausing every now and again to give Cleo and her friends the chance to catch up. Mischief zipped on ahead of Cleo, eager to reach this library Faith had promised to show them. Cleo was finding herself rapidly running out of breath, yet Faith was showing no sign of slowing down, throwing encouraging words their way to keep on running.

When the tall spire of the library came into view, the mawile pointed at it eagerly. The sun reflected off it, painting the ivory-white stone with a golden glow. Cleo found renewed energy now it was in sight, and picked up her pace, catching up with Mischief. Faith waited beneath the huge stone arch that stretched over the library's double doors. They were made of a heavy mahogany wood, and etched into them was the same cross marking that Cleo had seen in the ruined abbey.

"We're here!" Faith chirruped.

Cleo was too busy trying to catch her breath to respond. She doubled over with her paws on her knees, almost sending Spark tumbling from her shoulder.

"How are you not exhausted?" Spark asked, somewhat ironically.

Faith beamed at that, and Hope appeared beside them.

"You get used to it," said the gardevoir. "Faith is always zipping around like a beautifly on the first day of the flower season."

"No, I don't think I have that kind of stamina," said Spark.

Faith chuckled and clasped her paws behind her back. "I find it hard to believe a strong pokemon like you doesn't have much stamina!"

"Not gonna lie," said Spark. "I could do with some refuelling."

Cleo rolled her eyes and stood up straight.

"Then we can eat as soon as I've shown you the library." Faith turned to the door and gave them a hefty shove. "You're going to love this! And I'm certain all your questions will be answered in here."

The arch towered over them, making Cleo feel incredibly small. The library was clearly designed to accommodate pokemon of all shapes and sizes. The smell of old books washed over her, tickling her nose. It was far from unpleasant. It felt warm and welcoming, without even the hint of must or mildew. The walls were decked with mahogany shelves, polished until they glistened in the light of a huge crystal chandelier. Each stretch of wall had a ladder propped up against the towering book cases allowing smaller pokemon to reach higher shelves.

Ahead of them was a winding wooden staircase leading up to another two floors. Both were guarded by a high mahogany fence, and each floor sported its own spread of bookshelves. Each floor was equipped with wide tables, and a few pokemon were spread out among them reading or discussing their chosen books quietly to each other.

"Wow. Look at this place," said Spark quietly. "I don't think I've ever read a book before."

"Well these ones are the same size as you," said Cleo, keeping her voice low.

"I don't care for that comment, Cleo."

"But it's true."

"I know, but I still don't care for it."

Cleo's paws were silent on the plush red carpet. The Outcasts drew interested looks and friendly smiles from the library's occupants, but the pokemon quickly returned to their tasks. Hope and Faith gained familiar waves, which the pair eagerly returned. Cleo soon realised that Faith wasn't taking them to a specific book. Her eyes flew in all directions, and she paused beside the staircase, craning her head back to see up to the second floor.

"He's got to be in here somewhere," she muttered quietly.

"Are you looking for me?"

The deep, rumbling voice came from above them, taking Cleo by surprise. It wasn't loud, nor fierce, but the pokemon it came from elicited a startled squeak from the meowstic.

A huge white head peered down at them, almost canine in appearance. The pokemon was gigantic, and covered in white feathers. He leant across the fence, holding himself in place with a set of blue wing claws.

"Reshi!" Faith beamed and stood back from the stairs to get a better view of the white pokemon. "There you are! We have some new pokemon who you might like to meet."

"I'm always up for meeting new pokemon, Faith." Reshi gave them a toothy grin that reminded Cleo of a slightly more friendly sharpedo. "I'll be right down."

The large pokemon vaulted the fence and spread his wings to cushion his drop. Cleo ducked out of the way, standing away from Hope and Faith. Her eyes never left the huge, feathered pokemon. He landed with little sound for his colossal size, and seemed to take up a lot of space between the shelves. His presence made the library feel smaller, yet it was more than capable of catering to this specific pokemon. Cleo had never seen one like him. A strange combination of reptile, canine and bird, but what he was stood out like a red rose in a field of white.

"You're a dragon." The words left her throat before she even had the chance to fully comprehend them.

Mischief looked up with a start, looking between Cleo and the white dragon.

Spark cowered slightly in Cleo's ruff, leaving only her head poking out. Despite her anxiety, the dedenne's expression was fierce.

The feathered dragon looked down at himself and chuckled. "Oh would you look at that! So I am."

Hope and Faith stared back at Cleo and her friends with matching smiles.

"You have nothing to worry about," said Faith. "Reshiram is a friendly dragon."

"He's a fantastic worker for Xerneas," Hope explained, "and one that pokemon here - new and old - often go to for advice, information or even just a chat."

"He's also a great story-teller!" Faith added.

Reshiram chuckled, a deep rumbling sound that seemed to fill the entire library. "I could talk your ear off if you let me."

"But I thought all dragons worked for Hydreigon," said Spark.

"Not me," said Reshiram. "I came here many years ago, before Hydreigon took over Estellis. The world was too busy searching and building warped ideals, which unsettled me greatly. So I went on a long voyage in search of truth. My search lead me here. Everything I'd been looking for was in this garden, and I spend most of the day reading up on Xerneas, and Estellis' history."

"And you never wanted to join Hydreigon?" Spark asked. "Given what he's promising?"

Reshiram's smile fell and his head feathers drooped. "Oh no. Not at all! Why would I leave all this?" He sighed and shook his head. "He's a sad case, that Hydreigon. A perfect example of a pokemon lost in worldly ideals. He hasn't a clue that what he's doing spells even his own disaster."

Cleo's mouth flapped open as she tried to find the right words. Something in what Reshiram had said didn't quite add up in her mind.

"But if he's wiping out all pokemon except dark- and dragon-types," said Spark, "then how does that spell his own disaster? Surely that's only bad for us, right?"

Hope closed her eyes and folded her paws together. "Oh dear."

Faith placed a paw on Reshiram's wing. "These pokemon arrived here just moments ago. They hadn't even heard of Xerneas or Yveltal until yesterday."

Reshiram started slightly and raised his head. "Well I'll be."

"We brought them here since you're the best story-teller in the Fairy Garden," Faith explained. "Sure, we could explain, but you have a certain pizazz."

Reshiram gave a rumbling laugh. "Well that's high praise! All right. Please, follow me. I don't want to distract the pokemon trying to study here."

Cleo caught the glances of the other pokemon who had fallen silent, watching their interactions with curiosity.

Reshiram scrambled up the stairs, using his wing-claws to steady himself on the rails. His thick tail swung behind him, and to avoid being accidentally bowled back down the stairs, Cleo waited a moment before climbing up after him. The stairs were conveniently structured with shallower steps alongside the deep ones where smaller pokemon like Cleo could climb up with ease.

Mischief hopped up the shallow steps until he was beside Reshiram. "Are you the only dragon living here?"

"I'm not," said the dragon. "There are two more besides myself."

"One of them works in the kitchen," said Faith. "His fire comes in handy!"

"If you have dragons here," Cleo asked, "then are any dark-type pokemon living in the Fairy Garden?"

"Not very many at all, I'm afraid," Faith said sadly. "We have a family of impidimp and their evolved kin, and a pair of umbreon. But that's really it."

"We've struggled to fight against Hydreigon's influence over them," said Hope. "But it's not an impossible fight by any means. Your zorua friend managed to find us after all!"

"Not by choice," said Cleo. "She was chained to me."

"I doubt that," said Hope. "Pokemon can't find this place if they aren't looking for it."

"Precisely." Faith gave Cleo a reassuring smile. "If she didn't want to be here, then she would have just been standing in that clearing wondering where you had all vanished to."

Cleo mulled over those words, trying to make sense of them. Was it really possible that Harlequin wasn't working for Hydreigon by choice? Were they actually seeking some kind of sanctuary?

'What you're clearly too blind to see is that in the Shadow Lands it's either obey, run for your life, or die!'

Cleo closed her eyes. Those words echoed around her head. Had the Outcasts been wrong the whole time? Did those who worked for the Darkness need help as much as everyone else? Even the Heretics, so warped and twisted by fear of Hydreigon that they revered the odious dragon? Harlequin and Rio had both mentioned outlaws. A group made up of dark- and dragon-types who had rebelled against Hydreigon. The Guild wouldn't help them. They didn't even acknowledge them. Any knowledge of them was dusted under the rug, hidden from Guild Warriors and any other pokemon. Captured or killed on sight by both the Guild and Hydreigon.

It was little surprise Harlequin would have wanted sanctuary. Peace away from the war. They'd found it. How many others would follow suit? No… would others follow suit?

They reached the top floor and Reshiram spread a wing towards a large table. "Please take a seat. I'll be with you shortly. I just have to find the right books to show you."

Cleo dragged herself up onto a chair a little too high for her, and Spark bailed her shoulder to land on the table. Cleo took a look around at the floor. It was empty and quiet compared to the ground floor. Mischief and the others gathered around her, with both Hope and Faith sitting opposite them.

"Now to get the book we need." Reshiram peered around one of the bookcases. "NyukNyuk?"

Spark blinked a few times. "What is he doing?"

"NyukNyuk is the assistant librarian," Hope explained. "Reshiram is currently training him."

"Oh!" Spark flushed. "That's… an unusual name."

Reshiram raised his head to look over at the far bookcases. "Where is he? I thought I left-"

A dark shadow spread across the floor and an unusual pokemon popped out of it before Reshiram. "Nyuk!"

Reshiram raised his foot with a surprised yell.

Cleo almost fell from her seat, and Spark landed flat on her bottom. A strange, child-like laughter came from the odd pokemon. It looked a bit like a pikachu, but its head flopped back at an unnatural angle as the pokemon tipped backwards. Two eyes glistened through holes in its torso, sparkling with amusement.

Reshiram chortled and lowered his head towards the pikachu-like creature. "What did I tell you about playing jokes? You're supposed to be working."

The strange pokemon let out a garbled string of speech that sounded alien to Cleo. Reshiram nodded his head and straightened.

"Very well. But break-time is over. I need you to find me the book on Yveltal's Fall."

A shadowy claw stretched out from beneath the creature's cloth garment, and it saluted. It melted back into the floor and vanished beneath the nearest bookcase.

"What was that?" Cleo asked.

"Ah, I guess you won't have met one before." Reshiram turned towards her and beamed. "NyukNyuk is a mimikyu. He arrived here not too long ago, eager to both work and learn."

"I didn't understand a word he said," said Spark. "That was talking, right?"

"He's not from the mainland," said Reshiram. "His kind used to live on a remote island well off the coast of the Shadow Mountains." His expression fell and he clasped his wing-claws together. "It fell under attack from Hydreigon twenty years ago now, and remained under siege for some time. Sadly all the ghost-types were wiped out, including Nyuk's family. Xerneas found him and brought him here."

Cleo's heart sank. "How sad! I'd never even heard of his kind before."

"You did say so many pokemon have been wiped out, there are species you've never seen," said Mischief. "Right?"

Cleo nodded stiffly. It was a sad fact. She was too young when the war really hit. Pokemon were eliminated left and right, forcing pokemon to move south across Estellis, as far from the Shadow Lands as possible.

"So why is he dressed like a pikachu?" Spark asked.

"Tradition," said Reshiram. "His kind dress up as other pokemon in order to fit in. Their true forms can't be comprehended by our eyes, you see. Pokemon have sadly lost their sanity trying to work them out. This distresses the mimikyu, so the costumes are actually for our benefit. They choose a pokemon they like the most and dress up as it."

"Nyuknyuknyuk!" The mimikyu scurried around the bookshelves carrying a large book in his shadowy claws.

His tiny eyes sparkled with glee as he held it up to Reshiram. The white dragon took it and smiled at the little ghost-type.

"Thank you, little one," he said. "You're learning fast!"

NyukNyuk garbled something in his tongue and looked up at Cleo and her friends.

"You'd like to join us?" Faith asked.

"Nyuk!" The mimikyu turned his smile on her.

"Very well! I'm all for keen learners. You can never hear this story too many times!" Reshiram motioned for the mimikyu to sit down with Hope and Faith.

NyukNyuk shook his head then leapt into the air and vanished, reappearing between Cleo and Mischief. Cleo let out a yell of surprise that she swiftly regretted when NyukNyuk smiled at her. He'd managed to take up what space was left on her seat. His outfit might have been unsettling, with its scrawled face and floppy, broken appearance but the pokemon behind it was clearly kind, and just like her.

Cleo chuckled and placed her paws on the table. "Nice to meet you, too."

Reshiram rumbled with friendly laughter and settled down on the floor beside them. "Now that we're all settled, I can begin! This is a long tale, that took place many, many years ago, in this very garden."

Cleo, Spark and Mischief straightened in their seats as they watched Reshiram. He had the book open on his lap, but he wasn't reading it. He turned it towards them, and across the double-spread was a picture of Xerneas and the red and black bird they'd seen on the tapestry.

"It was a war," Reshiram went on, "between the forces of good and evil. An immense battle that stretched on for years, even to this very day, between light and darkness."

...

A/N - Next week, you shall get the first part of the two-part special 'Of Light and Darkness'! I hope you look forward to it! =D

Thanks for reading! Please R&R! =D