Chapter 6: The Prophecy

When I landed, I found myself right next to Shadow, who stood looking over the expanse. Further investigation showed that we were standing on a small mountain. Dark clouds covered the sky, while the waters raged. White powder was everywhere. Curious, I picked it up and felt it in my hands. It was soft and fragile, but yet it stuck together nicely.

"What is this?" I wondered.

Shadow turned and looked at me, an incredulous expression donning his face when he saw what I was doing. "Are you joking me?!" he exclaimed in shock. "You don't know what snow is?!"

"There are a lot of things I don't know," I shook my head sadly. "My home in the future is a desolate wasteland. That's why I came back in time: to save it."

Shadow's expression softened. "I see," he nodded. "Well, you can play with snow later. We need to stay focused."

"Why, what's –" I started, but a familiar shriek pierced my ears before I could say anything more. I immediately braced myself, but my shock was not diminished by it. "Is that –?!"

Sure enough, it was. Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres were viciously fighting in the sky. Lightning flared, fire burned, and ice covered the whole of the ground.

"It is!" I exclaimed. "The titans of the air!" I started forward, but a hand pulled me back.

"No, Silver!" he stopped me. "This is the past. If we're not careful, we could change history, and not for the better."

I shuddered and nodded, stepping back. "But we can't just stand back and do nothing!"

"Yes, we can," he pointed towards another island not far off. A group of humans and some Pokemon were over there. One of them suddenly dashed forward, holding his hands up and crying out for the birds to stop. His cries fell on deaf ears.

"What is that idiot doing?!" I exclaimed.

"That 'idiot' is Ash," Shadow growled.

"Huh?"

"The guy you fought earlier before we came here," he explained. I pondered this a moment, then understood, but then I wondered:

"Then didn't I fight him later?"

"Shut up," was all he said in reply.

"Hey, I'm just saying. After all, time is a relevant factor in this –"

"I said shut up!" he snapped.

"What? You don't like troll logic? Well, I guess it –"

"ZIP IT!" Shadow hissed, covering my mouth forcefully. I started to protest, but then something caught my ear: an ethereal, soothing song that carried the weight of ages in it. Suddenly, a massive geyser of water erupted from the sea before us, quickly dissipating to reveal yet another bird that resembled a leviathan. It was breathtakingly beautiful. I was mesmerized by its presence.

"What…" I breathed in awe, slowly removing Shadow's hand from my mouth. "What is that?"

Shadow looked me in the eye. "It's Lugia."

"Lugia?"

"Also known as the Beast of the Sea. It's supposed to be the master of the three birds. If the balance of power shifts, Lugia rises from the sea to restore it."

My eyes widened in realization. "Then...he will stop the fighting?"

"No," Shadow shook his head grimly. "'Alone, it's song will fail.'"

I didn't understand. "What do you mean?"

"Lugia may be more powerful than the birds, but unless it recruits external aid, it cannot hope to quell the fighting."

"But...who can help him? And how?"

"There are three treasures scattered around this area," Shadow explained. "They are the Ice Orb, the Lightning Orb, and the Fire Orb, each on the islands of the same name."

"The Fire Orb!?" I exclaimed.

Shadow looked at me, puzzled. "You know this?"

"My friend Dawn has the Fire Orb back in your time," I explained. "We found it while scouring Eggman's battleship!"

"Then you're on the right path."

"Huh?"

"You see, these three treasures, when assembled, will allow Lugia to stop this madness. But he can't bring them together."

"Then who can?" I asked in exasperation.

Shadow turned back towards the group of humans not far from us as he said his answer: "The Chosen One."

Dead silence hung between us when I heard this. I thought over what Dawn said earlier about the prophecy and how the Chosen One would come when the world was nearing its end. I stepped back in shock, accidently cracking something. I looked down and saw a stone tablet broken in two. Strange inscriptions were written all over it.

"What's this?" I asked, my voice cracking.

Shadow turned and took the tablets, eyes widening. "This...this is it!"

"What? What is it?" I repeated.

"This is the answer I've been looking for!"

"You're losing me, Shadow," I deadpanned.

He looked up at me, excitement in his eyes. "This is the prophecy about the Chosen One that I've been searching for. It may provide the clue that we've both been looking for."

"What clue?"

"A clue about Mephiles' plan," he stated.

"Well, you'll have to read it because I can't," I shrugged.

He nodded and squinted. "It's kinda faded, but I can still make it out:

Disturb not the harmony of fire, ice or lightning,

Lest these titans wreak destruction upon the world in which they clash.

Though the water's great guardian shall arise to quell the fighting,

Alone its song will fail, and thus the earth shall turn to ash.

O Chosen One, into thine hands bring together all three.

Their treasures combined tame the Beast of the Sea.

Silence hung over us again as we pondered these words. "Hm," Shadow mused. "This is slightly confusing."

"'Disturb not the harmony of fire, ice, or lightning?'" I repeated. "I can only think of one application for that."

"Articuno," Shadow nodded.

"Zapdos," I followed suit.

"And Moltres," we finished together.

"And the water's great guardian must be Lugia," Shadow went on.

"And alone its song will fail," I mused.

"And thus the earth shall turn to ash?" Shadow breathed.

"Then the world will end before the Chosen One comes," I sighed.

"It appears so," Shadow nodded. "Then let's wait this out and see what happens."

We did just that. Soon we heard the song of Lugia once again, this time played on an ocarina. As the song played, crazy things started happening that I can't quite remember. What I do remember is what the result of it all was: the snow, the sky, and everything out of place was restored to its former harmony. The sight I saw was absolutely breathtaking as the birds and their master flew in harmony, no longer in conflict.

"Was this the fulfillment of the prophecy?" I asked, turning to look at the green sheets beneath me.

"I don't think so," Shadow shook his head. "The world didn't end before the fighting was calmed."

"Either that or we're missing something," I muttered, twisting a sheet of green in my fingers.

"I never miss anything," Shadow muttered to himself. "If I did miss something, I'll do a massive facepalm later."

"Yeah, me too," I shrugged.

"What's with the grass?"

"Huh?"

"You're playing with grass."

I looked at the small green sheet in my hand. "Is that what this is called? Grass?"

"You don't know what grass is?!" He sounded shocked.

"My home was destroyed before I was born," I shook my head. "I've never seen anything that you have: grass, trains, and everything that I've seen...we don't have that in the future. All there is is pain, destruction, and despair."

Shadow just stood there a moment, apparently taking in everything that I was saying. "You've never had anything but that," he breathed in sad amazement. "Coming to the past must've been a big shock."

"Yes, it was," I nodded. "It's all so beautiful. What I would give for a future like this."

I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked at Shadow. "Then you go for it."

"You won't stop me?"

"Just don't try to hurt any of my friends and you'll have all the success in the world."

I nodded. "Then Mephiles really did trick me. So what do I do now?"

"Find the treasures...and the Silver Wing."

"The what?"

"The Silver Wing. It is said that Lugia will come to whoever holds the Silver Wing. With the treasures and Silver Wing in hand, you will be able to quell the fighting and save the future."

A smile graced my face. "Thank you, Shadow."

He nodded. Though he didn't return the smile, I knew he was smiling inside. Don't ask me how; I guess it's just instinct.

"It's time to return," he nodded, holding out a Chaos Emerald. It glowed brightly, and then a small glow appeared in between us, slowly growing more intense until a spinning wormhole appeared, humming a futuristic sound. We jumped in, ready to face the future...and the truth.