Chapter Nineteen
Light's Champions

It Will All Be Mine,
Power to divine,
I'll tell the sun to shine.
And only me.

It will all be mine,
Until the end of time.
When this perfect crime,
Makes history.

Giovanni
Pokémon Live

The wind echoed across the arid plains of the Australian outback. Sweat collected on Matt's brow, making him mutter as he swept it away. It wasn't the first time he had had to venture into the desert surrounding Uluru, the place seemed to attract demons and magical creatures by the truckload, but he had rarely had to do it. The natives had their own brand of powerful magic that often kept demons away, but for the truly powerful creatures, Matt and his sisters had to be called in. Looking up at the clear blue sky, Matt glared at the sun as it beat down heat upon him. To his magic, the power of empathy, there wasn't a sentient being nearby for miles.
As he thought that, the world quaked. The seas churned as they felt their allegiance to the world's gods shift, the sun burnt more fiercely, the wind raced across the plains. Around Matt, dingoes howled their disapproval at the new power.

Looking behind him at Mai, he smiled weakly. "You feel that?"

"Oh my god."

Elise turned around, looking at her advice columnist with worry. "What, what is it?"

Tearing her attention away from her younger sister, Phoebe focused on Elise for a second. "Nothing. Hold that thought." Walking past her boss, Phoebe hurried over to Paige.

"What thought!?" Elise muttered to herself, a tone of harassment in her voice.

"Paige, are you out of your mind?" Phoebe hissed as she drew close to her sister, scanning the room for anyone who may have noticed her sister's less than normal entry, via magical teleportation.

Giving Phoebe a superior look, Paige grinned. "As it turns out, I am not!" She returned. "Listen, we are in big trouble."

"Yeah, you almost exposed our magic to a room full of people!"

Paige waved that away. "No, listen. I studied the I Ching, tarot cards, runes and tea leaves and they're all giving me the same reading."

"That you need a good night's sleep?" Phoebe asked primly.

Paige shook her head. "No, that there's something big going on in the supernatural world. If my reading is right, it's not just thunder and the heat, we could be in store for a big earthquake or worse!"

Looking around at the rumbling terrain and earth around him, Sam frowned and muttered to himself. While the legendary bird of the forest was capable of moving the Crest Holders rather quickly, her landings needed some severe work before Sam would be willing to try them again. The resulting magical impact, while not painful, had been jarring, and the earth had taken the impact more than the Crest Holders. Looking up at the bird reproachfully, Sam winced as a flare of pain shot up in his neck. Stretching the muscle out, Sam reached his free hand down to help Nick to his feet. The earth slowly settled down around them; however Sam could see some trees disrupted by the localised shudder.

"I apologise." Echotrance's silvery voice floated on the bare gusts of wind that stretched across Sam's skin. "It has been quite some time since I have had to transport such a large group like that, it appears my abilities are not as sharp as I believed them to be."

Stretching out his arm, Sam looked around. They appeared to be in a large park, judging from the now destroyed pieces of furniture and small buildings around them. Giving a sheepish grin to the onlookers, most screaming, he turned and glared at the Legendary Bird, who had a look on her face that could only be described as embarrassed. It was only when the entire scene froze that Sam turned back around, frowning. The Crest Holders and Echotrance were still moving, but otherwise, it looked like they were caught in a moment in time.

Frowning, Sam scanned the crowd, not liking this new development. Turning, he jumped as he saw two figures who hadn't been there previously. Dressed in white suits, they made a stark contrast to the rest of the crowd. Blinking in surprise at their appearance, Sam was suddenly thrown back as one raised a hand, unleashing an epic wave of energy spilled from the hands of one of the men. Giving a scream of pain, Sam flew through the air, slamming against an old tree which had somehow survived Echotrance's landing.
At that point, one of the men gave a scream of his own. Looking down at his partner in surprise, the unharmed man raised an unimpressed eyebrow, changing to a look of horror and surprise when the man scream and was absorbed into the Master Sword which had been impaled through his stomach.

"You? What are you?" Demanded the man. Looking carefully down at the point of the blade now being levelled towards him, the man backed away slightly.

"We are the Crest Holders, Cleaner." Zelda answered coldly. She and Kairi were by Sam, moving him into a more comfortable position. A look of concentration was on Kairi's face as she cast a spell, a small pair of bells appearing above Sam. As they jingled, a shower of golden energy left the bells, coating Sam's stomach, leaving unblemished skin in the way. Her job now done, Kairi relaxed slightly, giving Sam a light slap on the face to wake him up. "I assume your superiors have not yet informed you to stay away."

"We are magically empowered by both sides girl." Came the even colder reply. "The Elders and the Demonic Council have stated that I am beyond good and evil, time and space."

"We represent a higher council." Kairi snapped her cheeks red with fury. "Now leave!" Pointing her finger, a rush of white energy left it, surrounding the Cleaner and making him disappear with a pop. Looking down at her hand in confusion, Kairi instead rolled her eyes and knelt back down next to Sam, who was beginning to stir.

"Ow." Groaned Sam, his hand lazily drifted to the back of his head, wincing as it came into contact with a bump. "What happened?"

Looking down at the boy below her, Echotrance inclined her head. "You were attacked by magical forces. I apologise once more, I had assumed my presence would protect you from the magical guiding forces of good."

Sam looked up at Echotrance blearily. "S'ok." He muttered. Looking past her and at the other Crest Holders, who were currently smiling oddly at the crowd around them.

"I must leave you now." Echotrance said quietly. "The Galactic Council of Gods has been called to take place on the Destiny Islands. Crest Holders, Lords and Ladies, I will meet you again in the future." Nick hurriedly moved away from Echotrance, narrowly avoiding her wings as she spread them wide. Giving a trill of song, Sam shook his head as Echotrance disappeared with a small pop, leaving a green feather in her place.

"Well, that was fun." He muttered, getting slowly to his feet. He needn't have bothered, as the ground beneath him rippled again, a woman with red hair appearing in the place Echotrance had been. Surveying the situation, she turned to Kairi and Sam. Moving forward confidently, she crossed her arms.

"What are you?" She asked clearly.

Sam and Kairi exchanged baffled looks. "Human?" Sam ventured as a guess. From the look on the woman's face, one of mixed amusement and seriousness, it wasn't the answer she had wanted.

"Sorry, I'm Willow Rosenberg." Willow smiled, looking around. Looking at her curiously, Sam noted a strange brown glimmer of energy surrounding her body. "Whatever then ten of you are, you're radiating more magic than I can use myself."

His vision still blurring, Sam blinked, the aura of energy disappearing. Judging from the look on Nick's face, he could see it too.

At that moment, the energy surged from Willow, striking towards Kairi and entering a visible form. Raising her hands, now clothed in the Papal Gloves, the blast absorbed into the fabric of the gloves. As one, the closest Crest Holders, Nick, Sam, Link and Yuna attacked. Nirvana threw out its own wave of energy, coupled with a gale-force wind shot from Yuna's Crest Weapon, Stratus. Link and Nick stabbed a force field as it came into existence. Once the wind had died down, they were left looking at an ashen-faced woman, holding up her hands in surrender.

"I'm sorry." She wheezed. "I've just never met as people as powerful as you." Closing her eyes, she slumped, bracing herself on her knees, her fists clenching the tight green fabric of her skirt. "Are you good, or evil?" She asked, sounding like she dreaded the answer.

"We're good."

That wasn't an answer she had expected. Looking at Kairi, the one she had attacked, Willow frowned. "You're good?"

"Yes." Sam reaffirmed. "Chosen especially to be good, really."

Willow blinked, and then grinned, looking genuinely happy. "This is a first. Usually the people I meet tend to be evil. Especially people of your power levels." Looking around, as if scarcely believing her eyes, she suddenly froze again, face suspicious. "What're your plans here?"

"We aren't harming anyone, Willow." Zelda replied, striding out of the crowd of witnesses. "We're merely here to collect the rest of our group, and save the Universe. We don't intend harm to anyone."

Will shook her head. "I'm sorry, it's just new. What ARE you?"

"We're the Crest Holders." Zelda said simply. "Beings chosen from throughout the Universe to use good emotions to combat the Darkness."

"Good emotions?"

Sam shrugged. "Like Friendship."

Tidus extended his hand, showing his Crest. "And Determination."

"Or Hope." Zelda said quietly, her attention intent on a figure in the crowd.

Sam blinked. None of the Crest Holders had Hope, unless... Turning, he looked into the blue eyes of a boy, his own age. A quick glance down at his hand confirmed a Crest. His face breaking into a smile, Sam sighed. They had found one of the missing Crests.

"What's going on here?"

A woman behind the boy demanded attention. Looking at her, brown hair midway down her back, Sam cocked his head to the side. She didn't look dangerous, but experiences in the Pokémon World had told him never to judge a book by its cover.

"Ah, the Halliwells and the Davidsons." Zelda said, sounding delighted. "Willow, I assume you've heard of the Charmed Ones?"

Willow blinked. "The who?"

It was Zelda's turn to look dumbfounded. "The Charmed Ones, the most powerful witches in history."

Willow eyed the group before her. "The six of them? They're the most powerful?" She had a glint of competitiveness in her eyes.

Zelda sighed. "The Charmed Ones, the Halliwells, the three in the back." She explained.

Willow surveyed the three gravely. Sam felt a ripple of magic surging through the air again, this one more benevolent than the last. When the feeling retreated, she looked more respectful.

"And who're you?" Asked the woman in the middle.

"I'm Willow Rosenberg." Willow replied.

"And we're the Crest Holders." Nick answered.

The woman raised an eyebrow. "I'm Piper." She answered. "This is Phoebe," She indicated the woman to her right. "And this is Paige."

Paige waved. Giving her a small smile, Sam looked back at the three in front, two girls, and one boy. "And you guys?"

The oldest girl looked down her nose, however, her brother cut in. "I'm Matt." He explained, keeping a wary eye on the crowd, who was beginning to disperse somewhat. "Did you guys do anything... out of the ordinary?"

"What, magic?" Kairi asked.

Matt winced. "Yeah, that."

Kairi shrugged. "Once or twice."

Piper closed her eyes, almost as if praying for patience. "Great." Turning to the crowd, she frowned. "Um, what you saw was just some special effects. Pretty neat, huh?"

Her words were drowned out when, with a roar, a funnel of wind sprang out of the suddenly stormy sky, slamming into the ground. Losing his footing, Sam yelled.

Looking up at the tornado, Yuna frowned, aiming Stratus. With certain accuracy, she shot, the bullet of compressed air heading into the heart of the tornado. The winds dispersed, leaving a woman in a toga in its place. Eying the three groups in front of her, she raised a hand, sending a bolt of fire towards Willow, who reflected it into a tree. Moving her hands in a waving motion, Piper froze the many people falling through the air, turning her attention to the woman before her.

"Zeus, Angel! Help catch everyone!" Sam ordered, landing on his feet heavily, throwing two Pokéballs as his knees buckled. Giving a gasp of pain, he winced, standing up and summoning Nirvana. The woman's eyes widened with rage as she viewed the staff, the sight of it seeming to infuriate her.

"So, you're THEIR representatives." She hissed. Sending another bolt of fire, this one at Sam, she hissed as lightning slammed into her, courtesy of Matt. Dodging the fire, hoping it wouldn't hurt anyone; Sam raised Nirvana, calling on the forces of nature.

"WATER!"

His voice boomed through the streets as the heavens opened, yielding their load of water. A heavy downpour rained down, soaking everything from head to toe. Raising his hands, Sam commanded the water to move, catching the innocent people around them. He screamed with pain as a third bolt of fire soared through the air, passing through his shoulder. The pain overwhelmed his mind, turning the edges of his vision black.

"Paige, get him to the Manor!" He heard Piper yell. She seemed to be calling from a distance. "We'll fight her off."

Seconds later, Sam felt warm hands lightly touching his arm. His world exploded in a cluster of white lights as Paige orbed him out.