Chapter 4:
Reign of Terror
"As I was going up the stair, I met a man who wasn't there. He wasn't there again today. I wish, I wish he'd stay away," –Hughes Mearnes.
Blitz scanned the terrain, especially watchful of the forest. No threats were in immediate sight, though he could not shake the feeling of something's eyes on him. He turned to his teammates. "Right, we're doing this quick. Grass-type is no match for us. Let's fry his hide and if he's still alive we can haul him into the police. Clear?"
"Yeah!" Corona said enthusiastically, a grin on her face, "Let's burn him for what he did to Cotton!"
"As much as I would normally object to killing," Rafasa growled, "I find it hard to do so now. But if you insist, we will deliver him to the police."
Blitz grinned and nodded in approval. "Team Firestrike! Move out!"
Meanwhile, Cyon was making a similar address to his sisters.
"This Pokémon is very dangerous," he said, "I want everyone to be careful out there. But under no circumstances, unless it is a matter of life or death, is this monster to be allowed to escape."
Yuki nodded grimly. "We're right behind you, Cyon."
The male glaceon made eye contact with both of them briefly. "Well then," he said, "Team Snowpaw, let's go!"
The two teams set off warily, keeping some distance from each other though not as much as they normally would have. Despite their confident display, they all had a certain amount of trepidation. Slicer was one of the most capable and fearless fighters in the guild. The fact that he had been able to carry Cotton to safety even with the horrendous injuries he had sustained attested to his capabilities. If this creature could take him down, then they needed to be extra cautious.
In the trees, their target watched them, head slightly cocked to the side as he aimed down his arm very carefully. "Fifty meters out…" he muttered, "Slight breeze from the north…west. Steady breathing…take a breath…and fire."
The black spike at the end of his appendage suddenly flew forward with all the speed of a rocket. Corona barely had enough time to see it out of the corner of her eye and duck before it tore a hole in her ear. Fortunately, it was not a large one, but the sudden pain still caused her to yelp in surprise.
"Get down!" she snapped, "He's in the trees and he has pretty good aim!"
The cacturne cursed under his breath. "Well now they know I'm here…I guess subtlety is out of the question…" More dark violet mist poured out of the spines on both his arms, forming a cluster of black ammunition in each hand. He raised both appendages and fired. A veritable storm of spikes filled the air, causing the members of the Starchaser guild to press themselves tightly to the ground in the hopes that they wouldn't be hit.
"Yuki! Cia!" Cyon called, "Let's give ourselves some cover!" As one, they inhaled sharply, exhaling great blasts of frigid air that formed ice wherever they struck. Soon, a thick wall of ice rose in front of them, protecting them from the dangerous spikes. Instantly, the entire barrage became focused solely on that shield. Spike after spike struck it, leaving large cracks in the surface. In the space of a few seconds, it shattered.
"Well that didn't work!" Yuki snapped, "And he's too far away for our other tactics!"
"How do we get closer?" Cia called.
"Simple!" Cyon replied, "Hide behind Blitz! His ego will shield us!"
"Oh very funny," the arcanine growled, "But in case ya hadn't noticed, we're all in the same boat here and it's a leaky one!"
The cacturne suddenly ceased the attack, panting heavily. He let his arms fall to his sides and gasped for air. "Whew…that really takes it out of me…but they won't advance now. They'll think I'm just waiting for a better target. Which I am in a way…"
Cia slowly raised her head. "Stay down!" Cyon called in alarm, "Don't give him anything he could hit."
"Does anyone have any idea what sort of attack he is using?" Rafasa queried, "I believe that may be the first step to defeating him."
"I don't know, but it hurt worse than a rock," Corona replied doubtfully.
"We need to advance!" Blitz growled, "Team Firestrike, Blitzkrieg maneuver!"
He suddenly stood up and took off, moving incredibly fast toward the forest. A green shield shimmered into existence around him. Corona and Rafasa ran directly behind him, not nearly as fast but taking cover behind his shield.
Cyon looked at his two sisters. "Now while the enemy is distracted, let's hide underground and spring up from beneath. We can wash off later, but beauty comes second to survival." They nodded and in one flurry of paws later were under the earth.
Blitz reached the treeline with a triumphant growl. Flames instantly boiled in his mouth as he scanned the area for his target. All was quiet. There was no sign that anyone had ever been standing there.
Corona and Rafasa joined him cautiously, very much on edge and on guard. They knew their enemy was out there, they just didn't know where.
"This should be easy," Corona complained, "Just one stupid grass-type."
"Quiet!" Blitz growled, "Don't make any-" He instantly broke this instruction as he suddenly screamed in pain as a black spike sprouted from his shoulder. "Down! Now!" he snarled at his two teammates. They ducked and he unleashed a blast of white-hot fire in the direction of the attack, setting the trees ablaze.
The sudden inferno lit up the forest, banishing the darkness where the cacturne had been hiding. There was a faint shimmer of green, but it disappeared quickly and there was no sign of him. Blitz growled in frustration and tore the spike out. His shoulder felt a bit weak where he had been struck, but he chalked it up to the wound.
"Spread out, but keep in sight of each other," he ordered. His partners nodded and they set off deeper into the woods, scanning the foliage carefully.
"Keep a sharp lookout," Rafasa called softly, "There is no telling where he could…AHHH!" His tail was pinned the floor by an expert shot from the trees above. "He's in the trees! He's in the trees!"
"Eat flames, scum!" Corona shouted, unleashed a flamethrower in the indicated direction. The treetops were set ablaze, a problem that they would have to eventually deal with but not an immediate concern. The cacturne dropped out of the trees and landed heavily on the ground, staggering a few steps before he regained his balance.
"Position compromised," he murmured, "Options, options…so many options."
"Give yourself up!" Corona commanded imperiously, "We're the awesome Team Firestrike! You're going down!"
The cacturne's eyes focused on her alone. She took a step back. They were such cold eyes. Unnaturally cold. Desolate and empty, like the ice that lies over the arctic. There was absolutely no pity in them. No warmth. It was completely alien.
"Your strength will bolster mine then," he said, summoning another spike out of dark fog, "Now…catch." He fired right at her head, but this time she was ready and the spike buried itself in a tree instead. Blitz leapt at him with a snarl on his face, but the cacturne whirled and delivered a sickening uppercut to the arcanine's jaw with a shadow-shrouded fist. The large Pokémon spun through the air, going over the grass-type's head and slamming to earth on his back behind the scarecrow. He lay on the ground stunned. Three more spikes pinned his tail and one hind paw to the floor, eliciting a roar of pain. A roar which was quickly silenced by a final punch to the jaw. Blitz's eyes glassed over and he fell unconscious.
Another stream of fire poured from Corona's mouth, blazing with the intensity of her anger, only to be stopped by a shimmering green shield. Two more spikes struck her mane, knocking her back and pinning her to the tree behind her. The cacturne was just about to fire a third when he was struck in the back by lightning-fast punch from Rafasa. He staggered, but quickly recovered, pivoted, and slammed his elbow into the monkey's face. They both took a step back, studying each other, waiting for the other to move.
Rafasa's form suddenly blurred, his fist prepared to strike. The instant before he did so, however, the cacturne sidestepped and snagged the wounded portion of his tail, twirling him around and sending him straight into another tree. The monkey slumped against it groggily, seeing his opponent summon more spikes to shoot at him but unable to gather himself enough to dodge.
"Move, Rafasa!" Corona screamed.
Suddenly, the ground collapsed from underneath the grass-type. His arms flailed around wildly as he dropped straight down into a deep pit. Shortly thereafter, Team Snowpaw erupted from the earth, each taking deep breaths as they rose. When they reached the apex, they unleashed a storm of ice and wind that flash-froze the entire hole and its occupant. And for the finale, they landed with a flourish and struck a dramatic pose.
"Good job!" Cyon said with a grin, "We got him!"
The three glaceons took a look around. "Whoa," Yuki said in alarm, "What happened to you all?"
Corona struggled to get free, but only managed to tear some of her fur out. "That…thing did this," she growled, "Are you absolutely sure you froze it solid?"
"Yes, of course!" Cyon huffed, irritated at the question, "We couldn't possibly have missed him when he was trapped down there."
"He knows Protect, idiots!" Corona snapped. The three glaceons paused and immediately ran over to the frozen hole, trying in vain to see down through it.
"I don't…see him…" Cia said doubtfully. A green, spiny arm shot up from the ground beside her, causing her to yelp in surprise and leap back right into Cyon. Yuki reflexively fired a blast of icy air at it, but another green shield shimmered into existence. The cacturne slowly clawed its way to the surface, protected from repeated attacks by the shield. He stood up straight and grinned at them.
Rafasa stood up shakily. "Be very careful," he warned Team Snowpaw, "He is quite skilled and powerful."
"Noted," Cyon said, assuming a battle-stance alongside his sisters, "Try and free Corona and Blitz. Defeating him takes precedence over our rivalry."
Yuki stepped forward. "You there! You've blown your chance at surrendering. Now you will face…"
"The sensational, celestial siblings of…" the three began.
"Team Snowpaw," the cacturne interrupted, "specialty: coordinating ice attacks for a more powerful result. Led by Cyon, by all reports a narcissist. Other members include Yuki, the older sister, and Cia, said to be the most compassionate. Additionally, they are known to be glass cannons." He stepped forward, creating two more spikes out of mist and casting them in one fluid motion. Cyon's icy breath froze the first in mid-air and Cia leapt aside as the second whizzed by her and embedded itself in another tree.
"Surround him!" Cyon ordered, summoning shards of ice and sending them flying at the cacturne, who raised a protective shield that shattered upon impact. The ice buried itself in the grass-type's torso, staggering it. Cia and Yuki ran around to either side of him, hemming him in. As one, Team Snowpaw unleashed a cataclysmic wave of snow and wind that swirled around their opponent like an ice tornado, tearing his body again and again. It threatened to lift him up off the ground, but roots sprouted from his legs and dug deep into the ground, anchoring him there. He weathered the storm, shielding his face with one of his spiky arms. All of a sudden, however, Rafasa felt a wave of weakness come over him as he pulled the last spike pinning Corona to the tree. He groaned and collapsed to his knees.
"What's…happening?" he said between clenched teeth. Corona staggered weakly, beginning to feel a similar effect. If Blitz did as well, he gave no sign, completely claimed by unconsciousness. Shortly, Team Snowpaw's attack slackened off as they ran out of stamina. The cacturne still stood, glaring at them and practically untouched. Even the wounds he had were quickly regenerating. Corona and Rafasa, however, were growing steadily weaker. The trees his spikes had embedded themselves in also began to droop and turn brown.
"Leech seed!" Cyon exclaimed, "The spikes, they're some sort of leech seed!"
"Clever little glaceon," the scarecrow chuckled under its breath, "Your friends' strength is mine. The forest's life…" He shot another spike, which Cyone dodged but it struck another tree. "…is mine. One hit and I will have your strength as well."
Cyon looked his sisters squarely in the eye. "Don't get hit," he ordered.
"Well duh," Yuki scoffed. The cacturne fired a spike at her over his shoulder, but didn't even come close to hitting her.
"Oh look at that," Corona chuckled, wobbling on her feet, "He ingrained himself to the ground and now he can't even turn around."
Cyon grinned and darted around behind the cacturne, dodging a few spikes that went his way. Now with all three of Team Snowpaw behind him, the scarecrow had no target. The three glaceons exchanged nods and summoned shards of ice, flinging them directly into the cacturne's back. He flinched and grunted in pain, but once again he immediately began regenerating while Corona and Rafasa grew weaker.
"Would you please not do that again?" Rafasa asked weakly.
Cyon gritted his teeth. "One strike. We need to be able to take him down in one strike, otherwise he'll just regenerate!"
"Correct," the cacturne stated coldly. The roots embedded in the ground suddenly twisted, spinning his entire body around with spikes already prepped in each hand. He fired immediately, hitting Yuki, who tried to leap up, right under the shoulder and Cia, who tried to duck, in the lower back. They both emitted pained yelps and fell to the ground.
"Ow…" Cia whined, "That hurt even more than a steel-type attack…"
"How dare you!" Cyon shouted angrily, pelting the cacturne with ice.
Yuki took a deep breath and tried to rise to her feet. "No time to lay around," she said, "We have to AHHHH!" She screamed as a wave of pain rocked her body. Soon, she was joined by Corona, Cia, and Yuki, who fell panting to the ground when it ceased. Cyon gritted his teeth. He was facing the cacturne alone now. His sisters had been hit hard by the energy drain. To make things worse, the cacturne was already fully healed and leering at him.
Cyon smirked confidently. "So it comes down to this. One lone hero against a monster in a desperate gambit to save his friends…" He glanced doubtfully at Team Firestrike. "…and others…" He cleared his throat. "But regardless! My resolve shall not- OW!" He stared at the wound on his leg and felt a wave of weakness pass over him. "Oh botheration…"
A few minutes later, the cacturne stood over all six of them, grinning in satisfaction. Fortunately for them, the leech spike's effects wore off upon unconsciousness, otherwise he just might have drained them of all their life, despite orders to the contrary. He'd never felt so powerful right now, not even after he had volunteered for the Reprogramming. He'd have to ask the director about improving the spike, but for now, he had a mission to finish.
"Six down with serious injuries," he muttered, turning away and heading for the edge of the forest. Two more spikes coalesced in his grasp. "Now for the rest of the town."
He paused and frowned. Something didn't seem quite right. He was being watched.
He whirled and fired both spikes into the darkness behind a clump of bushes. A few seconds later, they reappeared, heading directly for his head. The grass-type was a bit slow on the dodge. One missed, the other landed squarely in his right eye, putting it out. He grunted in pain as he yanked it out and a small stream of sand poured out of the wound. He reached out for the energy from the spikes still embedded in the trees, but was surprised to find that they were no longer there. He grunted in surprise when one of them suddenly reappeared, embedded between his shoulderblades.
"I see why you favor these things," a cold voice chuckled from the bushes, "They are remarkable easy to throw. Next time, you might not want to leave so many lying around."
The cacturne grimaced, mind racing. He needed to regenerate. He had been caught off-guard and was already seriously wounded. He summoned more spikes and threw them at a nearby tree, preparing to suck the life right out of it. However, a streak of black and red shot right by, snatching them out of the air and flinging them right back at him. He tried to raise a shield, but the spikes passed right through, impaling him twice in the chest. More sand poured out of him, leaving a small pile on the forest floor.
The cacturne looked down impassively at his severely wounded torso. For most species, this would be a fatal blow, but to his relief it was not so with him. He yanked them both out, drawing another small outflow of sand. Grimacing, he walked over to the tree, preparing to stick them in himself. An impossibly strong claw grabbed him from behind and threw him directly into a nearby rock. There was a loud snap as something, probably something important, broke in his body. The scarecrow tried to stand, but his left leg would no longer support his weight.
A bush rustled off to his left. Instantly, he unloaded a barrage of spikes, firing at a rate of four per second, pushing his abilities to their limits. However, when he slowed down, he felt the cold, icy grip of fear clutch at his heart. Whatever he had been firing at had not only managed to catch them like before, but throw them back with enough speed and accuracy to knock the others right out of the air.
There was a dull, squishing sound. The cacturne collapsed to his hands and knees, another spike sticking out of his forehead. He chuckled. "How…interesting…"
"Indeed," a voice said behind him, "You should be dead."
The cacturne fired. Success! He felt a sudden influx of healing energy flowing into him. Something struck him in the back of the head, sharp claws that dug into his skull. He was yanked to his feet and tossed aside. The ground shot up and slammed into him like a sledgehammer. He rolled several times, coming to a stop only to be stabbed several more times with his own spikes. He tried to move, but couldn't. He was pinned to the ground, like a specimen laid out for dissection.
"It's already over," the scarecrow said emotionlessly, "Once you're hit, it's only a matter of time before you fall."
A shadow fell over him, blocking out the sun. Black fur, red mane, and two fury-filled blue eyes. "I beg to differ," the creature said, a black sphere appearing in his hands, "You'll be dead long before that can happen." He brought the black sphere slowly toward the cacturne's face. "Dark Void."
"They're over here!"
Master Majyk sighed in relief when he heard Sunsoarer's call. The police and the guild had teamed up to search for Teams Snowpaw and Firestrike, but he had feared the worst. Instantly, he teleported to the flygon's location.
Stuffy and Naila were already there, carefully gathering up the unconscious Pokémon. Majyk's heart nearly stopped when he saw how badly they were hurt. In truth, it could be far worse. His concern for them magnified the magnitude of their injuries. However, it would take at least a week before they would be able to move about comfortably again.
Mendigo floated up to him. "Well, looks like they got their heads handed to them. Not literally though, so there is that to be grateful for."
Majyk glared at him. "This is not a joking matter. One Pokémon managed to single-handedly take out half of the guild. Does that strike you as very funny?"
"Er, no…" the shedinja admitted, "But…what I meant by saying that was that at least they aren't dead."
Majyk took a deep, worried breath, trying to settle his nerves. "Indeed."
"…" the Shedinja scanned the area, "Cyon's going to be ticked. Blood in his fur. Those stains almost never come out completely until shedding season."
"Mendigo, please!" Majyk snapped.
The shedinja backed away slightly. "Sorry. Trying to make light of the situation. Cheer you up a bit. I'll just head back to the guild and tell Emerald we found them…"
"That would be best," Majyk said tersely. Mendigo turned and quickly floated away.
Pushing a bush aside, Pyre and Cascade entered the clearing. "We found him!" Pyre called, "But…it's not exactly pretty. Not anything I'd tell the ladies, if you catch my meaning."
"I believe that Master Majyk was perfectly capable of understanding you without that clarification, sir," Cascade said, "Unlike some, he is a very intelligent Pokémon."
"Is that supposed to be a joke, Lieutenant?" Pyre asked, eyebrow raised, "And one about me?"
"Yes sir, that was the general direction of my comment," she answered with a wry smile tugging at her lips.
"Everyone is making jokes today…" Majyk muttered, "Team Tremor? I'm going to be right back. We'll be teleporting to the guild. Make sure they are ready by the time I return. I want to see the face of the Pokémon that did this."
Pyre nodded and led the way through the forest to a nearby, newly-made clearing. Trees lay on the ground, trunks in splinters. The ground was torn up, leaving a two-foot dip in elevation all around. At the edge of the clearing, pinned to a nearby dead tree with innumerable spikes and almost unrecognizable, was the cacturne, a grin fixed on his face.
"Heh heh…heh…heh…." The scarecrow cackled weakly, sand pouring from a gaping hole where its chest used to be, "Well…that…was…something…else…"
A note lay on the ground next to the tree. With a gesture, Majyk brought it to his hand. It read:
Dear Master, I'd just finished the last mission you gave me when I came upon this creature attacking other members of the guild. He's been dealt with accordingly. I managed to remove the leech seeds from Teams Firestrike and Snowpaw, but was unable to do the same for myself. Fortunately, his injuries will kill him faster than he can regenerate. I made sure of that.
Please, I will probably be quite weak when I visit you tonight. If you could have medical supplies ready, I would greatly appreciate it.
Your servant and friend forever,
Shadow
Majyk felt anger well up inside him toward this creature that had harmed so many of his family. Unreasoning, cold anger bordering on outright hate. Restraint, though, kept him from outright obliterating the Pokémon and reason informed him that the scarecrow wasn't long for the world anyway. He floated up to face it, eyes narrow and demeanor threatening.
"Who are you?" he demanded, "And what did you want with this town?"
The cacturne's head lolled to the side limply and his yellow eyes locked with the alakazam's angry ones. His grin spread a little wider. "To…destroy…as many…Starchasers…before …the main…event…"
Majyk's glare intensified. "Main event? What main event? Are there more like you? Are they coming here?"
"So many…questions…" the scarecrow chuckled, "…I am the…first…the first…of many. We herald…the return…of the Queen…the Queen of Air…and…Darkness…"
Majyk's mouth suddenly went dry and a chill went down his spine. He backed away, eyes wide. "That's impossible…she can't return. Not while the seals are…" He stopped and glanced at Pyre and Cascade, an unusual nervousness coming over his form. The two officers looked at him curiously.
"So…you…know about them…does that mean…" the cacturne asked, eyes beginning to lose their light, "I…guess…my mission…wasn't a…failure…after all…heh…heh…heh heh…" His form went limp as the last of the sand poured out from his chest, leaving a gaping blackness where it had been. The three Pokémon stared at his corpse for a few moments.
Hesitantly, Majyk turned to the two police officers. "Come with me to the guild. If this news means what I think it means, then we have a lot to discuss."
Bolt stood beside Keski, staring in shock at the wounded forms of Team Snowpaw and Team Firestrike, which had just materialized in the main hall and were being tended to by Medi. He wasn't so sure he liked the world outside of his home anymore. There were too many rules and too much violence. He was beginning to feel homesick, but he wasn't willing to give up on finding Mist yet.
"Keski…" he said softly, worry in his voice, "What's going on?"
"I don't know…" the lucario replied, "But I think…we may be over our heads here…"
As they stood there, Medi ordered Team Tremor to help her carry the wounded downstairs. "Hopefully, we'll have enough room," she said doubtfully, "Otherwise, we'll have to convert one of the bedrooms and I'd prefer not to do that."
"Are we really over our heads?" Bolt asked. Keski sighed and nodded. "It seems to me that they are even more so. Can we help them?" Bolt asked.
"Right now? No," Keski answered, "But if another attack happens, well…I would actually enjoy stretching my limbs a bit. We could help fight, if they'd let us…"
"Why wouldn't they?" Bolt asked, "Oh…we're prisoners…"
Keski nodded. "Yeah. So…we'll just have to see if they ever need our help and if they will let us help. If things get desperate enough, I imagine they will…"
Bolt nodded. "Well…I guess we'll hurry up and wait then." He looked down morosely, but then an idea occurred to him. "I know!" Before Keski could grab him, he had bounded up to Emerald, who was pacing anxiously back and forth across the hall. He slowed as he approached her, adopting a worried look. "Hey, Emerald?" he asked softly.
She looked down sharply, surprised to see him there. "Oh, yes Bolt? Now isn't really a good time…"
"Well…I was just wondering…" Bolt began, shifting awkwardly, "I'm…not, I mean, I can't heal anyone, but I can sing and tell stories. I can cheer people up. And I'd like to help, if you'd let me. It's the only thing I can think of though…" He looked up into her eyes. "Please let me help. I promise I won't get in the way."
Emerald stared at him expressionlessly for a moment. But then, she smiled warmly. "Yes, I think we would all like that. Maybe it will keep Cyon and Blitz from tearing each other to shreds in the infirmary." She patted him on the head. "Thank you, Bolt. That was very sweet of you to offer." He grinned up at her.
"Just say the word and I'll be there!" he declared, "I know lots of fun stories and songs!"
Emerald smiled, almost laughing despite the events of the day. "I'm sure you do. Now run along. We'll call you if we want you."
