Island Wolf: Holy - sweet - Christ I am exhausted X_X this internship is slowly sucking the life out of me, but I'm in the home stretch! I'll be done on April 2nd and hopefully updates will be a bit more consistent from that point on. Until then I'm going to struggle with surviving this bloody thing *deep breath* h'okay. In this chapter we finally get to see Groudon (yay!) and things move a little further along. I apologize if anyone finds this chapter a bit slow, but I need to lay the groundwork for future chapters. It's a bitch but it's gotta be done. Anywho, enjoy!

As always HUGE thank you to everyone who reviewed, faved and followed, you guys seriously make my day!

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot yaddah, yaddah, yaddah

The caverns were far more well-fitted than he'd initially thought.

Steven gave him an extensive tour of the facilities, for which he was grateful – it would seem that the younger man knew full well that the last thing Maxie wanted to do was be left alone to stew in his own thoughts about the day's events. The main chamber they had first come through from the tunnel was serving as a lobby-like area, a hub of central activity as people flitted from one side-cave to another. The many smaller chambers that branched off from here had been designated for specific uses, some for weapon storage, some for food, others still for sleeping quarters, an infirmary and tactical rooms. The furnishings were crude in most of the makeshift rooms, but considering their sudden and unprepared flight into hiding they'd done quite well for themselves. The deepest chamber that held the magma pool where Groudon had once slept now served as a geothermal power source, running the many generators that their hideout now relied upon.

"Here we are, this will serve as a room for you and May once she recovers," Steven said, leading him to a pocket of small caves that served as private rooms. Where most of the sleeping quarters were open dormitory-style, there were some smaller chambers that offered more privacy, reserved for the higher ups of the operation. To Steven's credit he didn't seem bothered by the notion of he and May rooming together. Maxie nearly smiled – Steven was a good man, far better than he and he regretted treating the Champion so harshly during their earlier encounters. For all of the past grievances between them Steven really did care for May, enough to see her happy no matter the cost and for that he was truly thankful. "I'm sorry we can't offer anything more spacious."

"This will more than do Steven. Thank you."

"It's the least we can do all things considered. We're still waiting for the rest of your belongings to be transported, but we've taken the liberty of providing some clean clothing for you. We've set up a communal showering area in the southern caves where we managed to tap into a hot spring."

They lapsed into silence, neither of them quite sure how to proceed, but another murmured thanks and a firm handshake saw the tension diffuse and Steven relaxed ever so slightly. "We'll talk later once the two of you are settled. You need to be brought up to speed."

"Will do."

Once Steven had left Maxie turned and inspected the cramped quarters that he would be calling home for the foreseeable future. The walls were the same rough, knobbled volcanic rock as the rest of the caverns, but the floor had been covered by a woollen rug and the lights affixed to the wall softened the appearance somewhat. A stone slab that jutted out from the wall had been transformed into a makeshift bed, cushioned by a ground mat and several layers of firm foam. Atop the blankets sat a neatly folded field uniform, the same cut and and dark colour that everyone down here had taken to wearing. Upon closer inspection he realized, with a wry smile, that they were dangerously close to the uniform worn by the Hoenn reserves, but without some of the distinctive colouring of the regional army. He peeled off his blood stained clothing and quickly donned the black clothing, and for the first time in years he felt like a proper soldier again. Upon smoothing down his jacket he noted, with some grim amusement, that someone had forgotten (perhaps deliberately) to remove the rank stitched onto the sleeve – the three gilded stars of a Captain, the last rank he'd held before his discharge.

It was both disturbing and a comfort.

"Now don't you look sharp."

Maxie turned and found Tabitha standing at the narrow doorway with a smirk on his face. His disapproval must have shown because, in typical Tabitha fashion, his smirk widened. "Oh sorry, did you want me to stand to attention?"

"Don't push your luck," he growled and then pointed to the rank stitched onto his sleeve. "I'm assuming this was your doing?"

"You wouldn't be wrong," came the witty reply. "Every army needs its commanding officers. We all know who you used to be and how capable you are as a unit leader. We need that right now Sir."

"The Chiefs of Staff -"

"Have no idea what they're doing," Tabitha said, cutting him off with a frown. "Nor can they be trusted. The only way Cipher could have gotten information regarding the Governor's motorcade was from a leak very high up in the government. We have to assume the rest of the governing body has been compromised which is why they're in safe houses and we're underground with the League and very carefully screened personnel. No one knows our exact coordinates except for my men on the shore."

"If one cell goes down we won't be at risk."

"Exactly. Standard procedure, you know that."

"Yes," Maxie replied wearily. "What exactly is the current set up? I'm assuming the region is under a state of emergency for the moment."

"Yes. For the moment Steven is in charge, but he hasn't had time to issue much by way of orders. We're hoping now that we have you here in an advisory capacity we can come up with a proper plan of attack," Tabitha said, folding his arms over his chest. "But that's not why I'm here. May will be coming to very soon and you should be there. The battle plans can wait for now."

He nodded and thought of her, so pale and cold in the infirmary, a far cry from the blood and fury he'd seen just hours earlier. He felt worry twist deep in his gut at the thought of how she would react when she awoke. How would she deal with the fact that she'd killed three men in the most savage of ways? That she'd ripped them apart with little more than her hands and teeth like a wild beast...

How much more could she take before the sweet, laughing girl he loved was lost to him forever?

Christ, everything hurts.

May blinked groggily against the fluorescent lighting shining down on her from the ceiling and suddenly realized that she had no idea where she was. Panic surged through her and she sat bolt upright despite the stabbing pain in her left shoulder that radiated down her arm as she moved. The room was small and spartan, holding a few cots and a tray of surgical tools and bottles of intravenous medication in the far corner. The walls were made of some sort of stone, rough and dark – obviously they were underground and she could hear the hum of some distant generator and hushed tones of people speaking in another room. For one brief, horrifying moment she was certain she'd been captured again, that Cipher had whisked her away to some dark cave and she would never again see the light of day. When Marcus Villiard appeared around the corner she felt relief flood through her and tears ran unabashedly down her face.

"Miss Maple!" he said, his kindly blue eyes widening in surprise as he rushed to her side and eased her back down onto her cot. "I'm so sorry, I didn't think you would be coming around so soon. Don't be afraid, you're safe here."

"W-where?" she managed to rasp out. Her throat felt like it was lined with sandpaper and her tongue felt leaden. She struggled to swallow and nearly retched at the heavy tang of salt and metal – the taste of blood. He seemed to notice her discomfort and handed her a glass of water from the bedside table.

"In the caves at the bottom of the Great Trench, Groudon's former resting place," the doctor replied as he gently inspected her shoulder. She glanced down and saw the raw, red skin had been neatly stitched together. "We've had to go into hiding I'm afraid, Cipher managed to eliminate the Governor and his ministers."

May closed her eyes, trying to process the information and could scarce even dare to believe that Cipher had gone so far. Memories came rushing back of their attack with terrible clarity. She could still feel the shard of glass in her palm as she sliced opened the agent's neck, the warmth of his blood as it splashed over her hand and across her face, the way it had painted the walls rusty red. She remembered the way she'd snapped the other man's neck, bone breaking as though it were a dry twig as he went limp in her grasp and the light left his eyes. She remembered hurling herself down the steps and sinking her teeth into the last soldier's neck, his flesh ripping apart in her jaws and his blood on her tongue. She remembered that savage fury that had pulsed through her, the power in her limbs, the monstrous strength of her hands – and she remembered how much she'd liked it. She'd let loose the beast and its wrath had been swift and terrible.

"May?"

She opened her eyes and saw Maxie standing at the doorway. He looked like a proper soldier, dressed smartly in a heavy black uniform, standing tall and strong at the threshold, but as soon as he looked at her his dark eyes grew warm and soft. She blinked against the tears and raised her arms towards him. Maxie needed no second bidding and immediately went to her side, wrapping her securely in his embrace as she cried against him. She felt him smooth down her hair, speaking in low soothing tones as he very gently rocked her back and forth.

"It's alright May, we made it, they didn't take you."

"B-but I – you saw what I d-did to them," she sobbed, clutching on to him for dear life as she cried into his chest. "I – I killed them Maxie, I r-ripped them apart!"

She tried to wrench herself free from his embrace, but he held her still. "No, May calm down, you didn't do anything wrong."

"How can you say that!? Maxie you saw what I did!"

"You did what you had to do to defend yourself," he said. His voice was quiet, but his tone firm as he tried to pull her back down to solid mental ground. He pressed her firmly against his chest, trying to keep her from struggling. "They would have captured you or worse if you hadn't. Tabitha and I had to do the same, you are not alone in this."

"You – you don't understand," she whimpered and felt a sick dread knotting in her gut. He would never forgive her if she told him the truth; he would recoil and see her as a monster, and what then? Would he put her in chains too? Her voice dropped to a hoarse whisper "I – I felt so strong and I – liked it."

There was one awful beat of silence, one terrible moment where she was certain he was going to pull away...but he didn't. He only held her close and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "May, please look at me."

She tried, but she couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes. She heard him sigh and felt him slide his fingers beneath her chin, forcing her to look at him. His coffee dark eyes were still warm, still so gentle while he spoke, but the smile he wore was sad and knowing. "May listen to me. You are not a monster, there is nothing wrong with you. What you felt – it's not all that abnormal. In the heat of the moment, when your blood's up and your back is against the wall you'll do anything to survive. As soldiers we were trained to do the same," He paused for a moment and something dark flickered in his eyes. "People are capable of monstrous things, of such great anger and savage hate. We were taught to tap into that, to use it to our advantage when the orders came to kill. That dark strength is – alluring at the time. You were forced into that state of mind too and it never fully goes away once that beast is awakened. It's up to you to control it and I know you can May, but you're no more a monster than I am. You only did what you had to do."

May felt the slight tremor that ran through his hands and she thought back on the day so long ago, when he'd saved her during their highway pursuit when he'd fired that gun through the windshield with a mad grin on his face and a madder light in his eyes. They could not be further from the dark, comforting orbs that gazed at her now. When had the line between men and monsters become so blurred?

"May, no matter what happens I will always be on your side."

"How can you promise that?"

"Because, fool girl," he said, his smile less sombre now, "I love you."

May was glad when Villiard cleared her discharge from the infirmary and allowed Maxie to take her back to their shared quarters. It was small and cramped, but she was glad that they were at least somewhat segregated from the rest. It made her feel safe and less of a liability. Every time passing eyes flitted in her direction she could almost hear the hushed, scathing whispers and desperately wished that the earth beneath her would swallow her whole.

With Maxie dozing next to her with his arm curled protectively around her waist she felt safe and secure. She'd almost managed to drift into a light sleep of her own thanks to the painkillers the doctor had given her, but a voice at the door had her starting awake. A warm hand on her hip kept her down on the bed. "It's alright, just stay put," he murmured to her in the low, soothing tones she'd come to rely on so much to keep her grounded. She watched through heavily lidded eyes as he rose and walked to the threshold, opening the sliding partition that served as a door. Tabitha was standing there with a large duffel bag over his shoulder that he quickly deposited at Maxie's feet and then proceeded to unclip two pokéballs from his belt.

"That's the last of your gear from the house. Greg found these two underneath the bed when he did a sweep of the place. May must have hid them there."

"Thank you," Maxie said quietly as he accepted the red and white spheres. "Maria?"

"Transported to one of our shore crews. There's just no place for her down here I'm afraid, but she's safe as she can be at this point," Tabitha replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "Are you up for a meeting? Steven wants everyone together so we can start putting some sort of plan together."

May laid still and quiet, listening to the two men converse. Her mind drifted back to the dream and the Absol's looming prophecy. She hadn't yet confessed the chilling dream to Maxie, nor had she told him of the Absol's eerie appearance just as the men from Cipher had descended on them like a pack of wolves, but she knew she couldn't ignore it – not with so much at stake. She sat up on the bed and adjusted her injured arm in its sling. "I want to go to the meeting."

Maxie looked startled and she could see the protest forming, but she cut him off with a shake of her head. "Don't say I'm not up for it. I need to be part of this."

"May are you certain? Just hours ago you were agonizing over the fact that -" he abruptly stopped himself, but May knew what he wanted to say. He had a fair point after all and in truth she wanted nothing more than to wash her hands clean of Cipher and stay in these dark tunnels until the storm of the world above had passed, but she knew that wasn't an option. She felt her heart sink. The Absol had told her that this war would not be bloodless. She thought back on the first time she'd set foot inside the Cave of Origins, knowing full well there was a high chance she wouldn't walk back out. She'd been so scared, but the thought of everyone she knew and held dear suffering a slow, painful death in the scorching heat of Groudon's ancient sun had frightened her so much more. May closed her eyes and saw the faces of dead men in the darkness. There was no going back now. Sometimes the world required sacrifices...and if she had to be the lamb on the alter again than so be it.

"I just – I have to Maxie. This is my fight too. Please."

"...Alright." he relented after a moment of tense silence and helped her up from the bed. She kept hold of his arm as they walked and forced herself to take deep, even breaths as Tabitha led them through the caverns. The former Admin had settled himself on her other side and offered her a comforting smile.

"Everything is going to be okay, you'll see," he said and May desperately wished she could believe him.

Eventually they came to one of the larger side caves that sat not all that far from the main magma chamber. It was warm despite being so far beneath the sea, but May welcomed it – she always seemed to be cold these days. Steven and the League sat along one side of a long metal table while several men and women she did not recognize, all wearing crisp black uniforms sat opposite them. The three of them took up the empty seats amidst the side opposite the League and an uneasy silence settled over the room.

Steven was the first to break the heavy tension. If he was surprised to see her there he didn't show it as he stood and cleared his throat to call their attention. "Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for joining us here. I only wish it didn't have to be under these dire circumstances."

His voice was heavy and rough from lack of sleep, but it did not waver and May almost wanted to smile. This was why Steven had been Champion for so long – he did not project it outwardly, but like his pokémon he was a man of hardened stone and steel when he needed to be. He was the nation's anchor right now and cold, hard steel was what they needed.

"The Governor and his ministers are dead, their motorcades were ambushed during out attempt to move them to more secure locations. The region is still in shock but it will not be long before the chaos sets in – we cannot let that happen. I've brought you here because of your respective skill sets, I require multiple perspectives in order to best fashion a plan of action for the nation and it needs to be made soon." His shoulders dropped wearily as he gazed at them all. "I need your help on this."

"If I may Sir," a man further down the table piqued up. "What are the Chiefs of Staff saying? What about Hoenn's military?"

"They can't be trusted," Maxie replied bluntly and May watched as all eyes turned to him. He stood, looking reluctant at first, but she could see the apprehension melting away as he spoke and fell into what must have been a familiar rhythm to him. Here he was, the soldier and the tactician they needed. "Not the Chiefs on their own in any case. The routes of the Governor's motorcades was highly classified – it would take a leak from the highest levels of government in order for Cipher to obtain that information. We have to assume the military staff has been compromised."

"Than what do you suggest?"

"Whatever orders we issue must be sent to multiple sectors, not just the generals and admiralty – it needs to be wide spread so that there is no manipulation of information by higher ups."

"That's all well and good," Drake said gruffly, folding his arms over his chest with a frown, "but what exactly are we going to do? How do we protect the region when we can't even protect ourselves?"

"They protected us well enough Drake!" Phoebe huffed. "I wouldn't be here if it weren't for Tabitha!"

The dragon-master grumbled under his breath, but appeared to subdue his thoughts under the ghost-trainer's fierce gaze. Maxie waited until the staring match was done before speaking again.

"As Mr. Stone said the region is still in shock, but that won't last long – soon Hoenn will descend into chaos," Maxie replied. He tapped a finger against the map of Hoenn spread out across the table in front of them. "That is exactly what Ardos wants and that's exactly what he's counting on in order to make a final push for regional control. We need to counteract this while we can."

"Should we be bolstering our forces to the main cities? Or sending out strike teams to known bases of operations?"

"No, that would be the standard procedure but Ardos will have planned for that. We need to protect the region as a whole. First thing we need to do is shut down all traffic, air, sea and land. Close all ports, air strips and roads – no civilian moves."

"Then what about supplies? The smaller towns and villages won't hold out in a siege situation."

"Which is why we're going to send military units to all towns, not just the major centres. The military will be responsible for moving supplies around."

"But that will spread our forces thin! If Cipher attacks we won't hold them!"

"You won't hold them regardless once panic sets in and rioting starts. That's what Ardos is trying to do – breed terror and make the region implode upon itself. We can't let that happen. We need to impose martial law for the time being, it's harsh, but we need to stop any panic or disorder from spreading. Keeping people calm is our best defence and I can guarantee it will make Ardos think twice about any offensive plans he had."

"...I doubt anyone has a better plan," Steven said after a moment of uneasy silence. "Then let's put it to a vote, all those for say Aye."

"Aye!"

The result was quite nearly unanimous and May couldn't help but feel a surge of pride flow through her chest. Whether Maxie wanted to admit it or not, he was very much their hero right now and she could not have been more proud of him for taking on the task.

"If there's nothing further -"

"Actually there is."

All eyes turned on her as she rose, cradling her wounded arm against her chest as best she could. She heard the blood roaring in her ears, pulsing with each heavy beat of her heart as it hammered against her ribcage. "We need Groudon."

"Beg pardon?" Glacia said stiffly. "Groudon is in the Cave of Origins, if Cipher hasn't already gotten hold of him. Are you actually proposing we risk exposure so that you can see that beast?"

May bristled. Glacia had never been particularly fond of her and had been very vocal of her distaste regarding May's early retirement from the League. The word 'coward' had been brought up more than a few times and the two of them had rarely spoken since the incident. "Not to see him, to ask him for help. Cipher has Kyogre, the only way we can possibly counter that kind of power is with Groudon," she paused and thought back on the Absol's foreboding words. "The sea is in chains and the earth sleeps in peril...things are out of balance, we need to set them right. Groudon can help us."

"How can you be certain that you can even wake him, let alone ask for his help?"

"...I just do. I wouldn't need much, just transport to Sootopolis – access to a flying pokémon. I can handle the rest by myself."

"If you thinks it's a prudent course of action then I will authorize it," Steven said and then gave her a tired smile. "I trust you May."

I just hope it's not misplaced...

"I'll take her to Sootopolis," Tabitha said. "It's not far from here, the risk would be minimal with a small group."

"Then it's settled. You may leave for Sootopolis tomorrow provided you are well enough. This will be your one and only chance, however. If you cannot wake Groudon then we will just have to leave him be, subsequent visits would only put us in needless danger."

"Understood."

"Good. Dismissed."

"May are you sure about this?"

"Yes. We need Groudon, we can't hope to stand up against Cipher without him. We've been lucky so far that Ardos hasn't unleashed Kyogre's power – without me I don't think he had anyone capable of handling it, but who knows how long that will last. We need him Maxie."

Maxie frowned and continued to pace the length of their shared room as he had done since they'd returned from the meeting. She sat on the edge of the bed, watching him as he walked back and forth. He was less than pleased, she could tell by the tension in his shoulders and the fervent energy with which he crossed the room. "Even if you can wake him, how do you know you can control him? Groudon is a super-ancient pokémon May, capable of destruction on a massive scale. How do you know he won't turn on you?"

"I just do. Maxie, you weren't there in the Cave of Origins when I faced him. Groudon and I...we have an understanding. He won't hurt me."

"But how can you be sure?"

May closed her eyes and sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose to ward off the headache skirting behind her eyelids. In her mind's eye she could see the Absol, standing over the valley with Groudon's scarlet seal etched into the earth and the terrible beauty of the emerald aurora lighting up the sky above. "I – I just do. I'm sure of it. Please, you have to trust me on this."

Maxie abruptly ceased his pacing with a sigh and proceeded to kneel down in front over her so that their gazes were level. He rested his hands on the tops of her thighs with a pained expression. "May I don't want to lose you, but gods above you are frightening me. The things you've been through – how can you want to play any more part in this? I want to protect you, but how can I when you want to dive headlong back into the fray?"

"I don't have a choice," she murmured, pressing her forehead to his. "I have to do this, I'm the only one who can."

"You've already done so much for Hoenn May, let someone else lead the charge."

"That's not an option Maxie..." she sighed. "Deep down, you know that."

His hands moved from her legs to circle around her waist as he pulled her into a tight embrace. When he spoke into her ear she could hear his voice waver and swallowed thickly against the lump forming in her throat. "Yes, but you shouldn't have to. I don't know that I can bear to see you put through any more. My dear, sweet girl I -"

"I know. I'm scared too, I'm so scared...but as long as I have you, I know it'll be alright."

His kiss was gentle and for one brief moment she felt the weight of the world slip off her shoulders as she melted into his arms. That kiss which promised so much warmth and safety and hope was so bitter sweet that she wanted to cry. She thought of his quiet proposal, the promise of a happier life, the smiles and the laughter, and how it seemed to slip further and further away, chased into grey shadows by cold laughter and savage wintry eyes. Like Atlas she felt the heaviness of the world settle back down upon her and she sighed.

"Come on, we should sleep. It'll be a long day tomorrow."

The journey to Sootopolis was, surprisingly uneventful if terribly tense. A borrowed set of three Crobats bore her, Tabitha and Maxie to the mystical city with its high stone walls and placid water basin that served as a closed harbour. It was cold, but the skies were clear and the sun shone down brightly, not caring that the world below had been plunged into chaos and fear. On a day like today Sootopolis should have been bustling with its citizens and travelling trainers, but the city was as quiet as a tomb. Not a soul walked the cliff side streets and the doors to the gym and pokémon centre were closed and locked. The military had yet to arrive so for now everything was quiet and they could proceed unimpeded. They dropped down onto the rugged path that lead to the Cave of Origins. The high walls of the crater formed a natural barrier to the wind and everything become still and nearly silent as they landed. Only the occasional crack of shifting sea ice cut through the winter air and May shivered at the eerie calm.

The Cave of Origins loomed at the trail's end, its opening rising like a gaping maw ready to swallow them whole. May stopped at the entrance and made a fist with her good hand as she stared into the darkness. Last time she'd had the Blue Orb to help soothe Groudon's wrath, now she had neither and she felt her unease grow. Perhaps he wouldn't recognize her...perhaps she'd repeat the near disaster from over a decade ago and plunge Hoenn into certain doom.

"Tabitha, can you stand guard out here? Send your Crobat if you need assistance," Maxie said, his firm tenor snapping her out of her reverie. Tabitha saluted and turned his back to them, flicking the safety off of his gun. May took one last deep breath, detecting the distance smell of smoke and sulphur from deep within the cave and grasped hold of Maxie's hand as they stepped into the waiting void.

It was surprisingly warm inside the cave and she was thankful that the heavy silence was broken by the quiet calls of the dark-dwelling pokémon who lived here. There was another sound too, a low periodic rumble that seemed to thrum through the earth beneath their feet as they walked. Slowly they descended ever deeper until a pale red glow become visible around the last bend and the tunnel abruptly widened into the massive cavern where earth's titan slept.

Groudon looked oddly peaceful, hunched over and surrounded by the glowing magma that bubbled gently around his gargantuan form. Every now and again he would let out that low rumbling huff they'd heard on the way down, the stones reverberating, almost humming in time to the great beast's slow and steady breathing. May let go of Maxie's hand and gave him an apologetic look. "I need you to stand back for this okay? I'm not sure how he'll react if he wakes. I need to be the first thing he sees."

"Be careful May," he said and did as he was bid, but she knew he wanted to say so much more.

Taking a deep breath she turned and walked to the edge of the magma pool, feeling the heat wash over her as she approached. It should have been unbearable to be so close, but she found the warmth almost pleasant against her skin. May closed her eyes and let the world slip away, trying to recall the deep connection they'd made on that day so long ago. In her mind's eye she could see it, a long red filament strung between them that pulsated with a dim, crimson light. She grasped hold of it in her mindscape and pulled gently, calling out to the slumbering titan.

Groudon it's me...I'm sorry to wake you so soon again, but we need your help. The sea has fallen to the hands of man and they are coming for you next. The world is out of balance. I need your help old friend, or else we will all fall to this man's insatiable hunger. We can't let him put you in chains too. Please Groudon, wake up!

For a moment everything was still and May feared that her call had gone unheard, but the spectral thread connecting them suddenly became taught and a pulse of heat shot straight through to her core. She opened her eyes as a long, low growl echoed through the cavern and the stones sang their reply. Golden eyes glowed red in the low light of the magma as Groudon slowly drew up to his full and imposing height. The black gaps between the heavy red plates of armoured scales started to glow, as if they too were filled with molten rock. The massive jaws parted and he growled again, louder this time and it sounded as though the very earth was roaring around her. The titan's gaze focused on her and slowly he leaned forward until his head was level with her. The jaws parted again, displaying teeth longer than her arm, each one razor sharp and for a few heart-stopping seconds May was certain they were going to close around her...but the pain never came. Instead, the jaws slowly closed and he huffed a breath of air the smelled like smoke over her as he took in her scent. May felt heat radiating through her body again as the huge beast gently pressed the edge of his snout to her chest and nuzzled her, letting out what she could only describe as a long, crooning growl.

She laughed with both relief and joy as she brought her good hand up to rub one of the scaly projections on his snout. "Thank you old friend. I'm glad to see you again too. I just wish it was under better circumstances."

The legendary earth pokémon drew back with an expression that was almost sad and nodded his massive head. He lifted a clawed forelimb and a pokéball levitated out of her belt pouch, hovering in the air in front of him. The capsule opened and Groudon was enveloped in a crimson light before being pulled into the orb. It snapped shut and fell into May's waiting hands, twitching a few times before the latch locked with a soft click. Behind her she heard Maxie exhale loudly, swearing as he did so.

"May, did you just -"

"Yes," she said, turning to face him with a weary smile. "Groudon is going to help us."

She stepped into his waiting arms and was grateful for his strength as her legs buckled beneath her. Without missing a beat Maxie swept her up into his arms, taking care not to jostle her injured arm while she cradled the pokéball that contained Groudon close to her chest. "May, you are amazing you know that?" he said, though the tremor in his voice betrayed how nervous he must have been through the whole ordeal. May smiled and closed her eyes, slipping into Morpheus' waiting arms as Maxie carried her back to the cave entrance. The pokéball in her hands twitched and grew warm.

Now we have a fighting chance.

Never in his wildest dreams did Maxie fathom that he could be jealous of an over-grown lizard that happened to be an earth deity.

Their initial return from Sootopolis had been received by many a dropped jaw and even more questions. May had brushed them all away, guarding Groudon's pokéball with the ferocity of a mother lion, though she did take a moment to show Glacia the fruits of their labour. Maxie smirked at that – May was a little more vindictive than he'd given her credit for. After the hubbub had settled May had immediately headed for the magma chamber at the heart of the caverns and let loose the ancient pokémon who seemed more than a little relieved to be freed and immediately settled himself in the broiling pool of molten rock. Ever since then May had taken to spending a great deal of her free time in the titan's chamber and he was starting to find himself irked by it. He'd often snuck away from meetings in what they had dubbed the 'war room' to check on her and would watch them from the shadow of the entrance way. He would see May sitting cross-legged on the stone floor near the magma pool's edge, swaying back and forth gently with closed eyes while Groudon loomed above her, eyes also closed as the pair apparently communicated. Still, as irritated as he was he didn't dare mention it. He wouldn't bereave May of the only companionship she'd found since coming her and it was good to see her looking so at peace – even if it meant sitting precariously close to an open pit of magma and a super-ancient pokémon that had at one time threatened to destroy the entire region.

The simple truth of it was that he missed her.

"That concludes today's reports. Dismissed."

Maxie sighed and collected the spread of papers into the leather dossier he'd taken to keeping. Things had been mercifully quiet since the brazen attack on his home in the countryside which had given them time to deploy military units to all the townships and cities in the region, and since then Cipher had laid low. A few reconnaissance missions y David and Eldes had revealed several major bases of operation, but even their output was currently minimal in terms of shadow pokémon and agent movement. Still, their numbers were still too few to risk storming a base outright David continued to quietly snipe at them from the fringes of their operations and collect valuable intel. Still, it was unnerving – the two opposing sides had dug in and now it seemed like a war of attrition was inevitable for the foreseeable future.

He passed through the main cavern, glancing down the long tunnel that led to Groudon's chamber and decided to forgo his usual check in of his fiance, instead opting to head straight for his own rooms for a brief nap if he could manage it. He was more that a little surprised when he found May reclining on the bed waiting for him, her nose in a book and a placid expression on her face. She looked almost serene and it made his heart beat just a little bit faster.

"May, I thought you'd be with Groudon," he said, setting down his dossier on the small desk nearby. She closed her book and set it down with a sheepish smile.

"I'd planned to be, but he told me to spend more time with my own kind while I could," she said, flushing ever so slightly. "I'm sorry I have been rather horrible, ignoring you so much this past week."

"It's alright. I'm just happy to see you looking so at ease."

"Being with Groudon has helped," she said, looking down at her lap with an odd sort of smile. "I've spoken to him about everything that has happened and he's helped me put things into perspective."

"How so?"

"By saying much the same you did, and telling me to listen to it. I – I won't ever grow used to the idea of hurting people. I hate it – I hate that side of me, but this is a fight for survival and if I want to protect myself, protect those around me I have to fight, there's no way around it," she said, toying with the edge of the blanket. She fell silent for a moment before looking up at him. "You told me once that I had to be a soldier, I was given my number, my uniform and my gun, that I had no choice in that anymore...but you also told me that I didn't have to stand alone."

"And you'll never have to," Maxie replied gently as he shucked off the heavy outer layers of his uniform and unlaces his boots. May smiled at him and moved over, making room so that he could slide beneath the covers with her. She nestled herself against him with a contented sigh. "So, Groudon told you all of this did he?"

"Well told is one way of describing it...we don't really speak."

"Yes, I've seen you. How does that work exactly?"

"It's like a transmission of thoughts and feelings. Sometimes there's images, but he doesn't really communicate that way. It's hard to describe the perspective of someone whose seen millennia go by as if they were days, who measures a human life as a blink of an eye...it's – different."

"I should think so, and he was the one who told you to stop spending so much time with him?"

"Yes," she murmured apologetically. "I started to lose sense of time being in his perspective for so long. He reminded me that I had a mate to tend to."

He huffed a laugh at the odd terminology and placed a chaste kiss to her temple. "Hm, I suppose I should be flattered."

"Yes, you should," she replied and leaned up to kiss him fully. Maxie felt a surge of relief flood through him as he returned it. There she was, his lovely girl had fought her way back to him once again and there was light and laughter in her azure eyes again when she looked at him. "I'm sorry I've been so distant. I was afraid, just so afraid I was going to lose myself to the person I became when I killed those men, that eventually I wouldn't be able to remember who I was...that you would eventually turn away."

"Don't apologize," he said quietly, bringing one hand up to gently rub the back of her neck in a way he knew she loved. He smiled at the small, contented sound she made. "You are an amazing woman with more kindness and compassion than I have ever seen. Don't ever let what happened back there define you, not when you are so much more. I love you May, all of you, every single part."

The sheer amount of gratitude and love in May's eyes made all thoughts of Cipher, the war and the woes of the world melt away as he kissed her.

"Show me how much you mean that," she whispered and his smile turned devilish.

"With pleasure."

Island Wolf: Okay first of all sorry for bouncing between POVs so much, and secondly I'm sorry for the pacing. It's just one of those chapters you have to force yourself to write and be done with otherwise you get bogged down (which I was getting severely at the midway point). In any case I wanted to start galvanizing May as a fighter and get her to start accepting the fate that she's going to have to fight regardless of how she feels about it. Groudon, being the weird cross between over-sized puppy and hella wise companion, is a big help with this. Not much else to say about this one really .