The destruction of Altomare continued as the mage and his two Pokemon destroyed, killed, and set fire to anything and everything. The man himself did nothing other than form a force field around the island with which to repel anything courageous enough to try to stop what was going on. He laughed a sick laugh when a person or Pokemon was killed in front of him by his two Pokemon. Altomare couldn't fight back; they were a peaceful city, and thus they fell swiftly.

Similar destruction befell Southern Island, though there were no buildings to appease the fires. Instead, the forests burned uncontrollably, the air and sky glowed an even sicker color than before. Latios and Latias were still within the currently safe confines of the caves. Both were utilizing their powers in training, and were being extremely successful. Pidgeot. Had left not too long ago, the only thing he told the two Pokemon was that there was something that he needed to do, and to wait for his return.

Latios and Latias had grown much more aware of their power through the last few days, all of which were spent within the caves. Both of them were oblivious to the events outside.

"Latios, when did he say he'd be back?" Latias asked, slightly worried.

Latios blinked as he finished a psychic attack on a nearby wall. "He said he'd be back by nightfall?" he shifted his gaze to the ceiling, a look of uncertainty flashed across his face.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. "I..don't know...I feel..." Latios was cut off by a sudden earthquake. The caves shuddered and rock fell as the earth trembled. The caves had gotten very hot very fast. Latios acted quickly. "Run! The exit! Run!" he yelled.

The both of them darted for the exit as debris from the caves continued to rain down upon them. The two Pokemon reached the exit and stared in awe at what they saw. Southern Island was in flames. The secret garden, the forests, the entire island.

"Oh...my.." Latias said, reaching for Latios's arm.

Latios began to say something but was cut off by another earthquake. "It's okay..were..sa.."

The volcano had begun to erupt, spewing rock and lava into the air. Latios and Latias quickly got airborne and flew high into the sky and away from the blast. Lava flowed down the sides of the volcano, burning and consuming everything in its path. Pokemon fled. Latios and Latias flew a safe distance and watched the terror. Southern Island was completely in flames at this point. The two Pokemon simply stared. Dazed. Stunned.

"..." Latias was at a loss for words.

Latios took her hand as they hovered. "It's okay..we're safe." he assured her.

"I hope so..." she replied. "...But what happened? The island..." she winced in pain at the sight.

"I know.." he said. "What could have done this...Oh...no.."

Latias look at him. "What?"

"..That dream.." he said. "I think...it's coming true.."

Latias didn't reply, but a sad look crossed her face. She had remembered that Latios talked of her death during such a dream.

"That city..." he trailed off. "The city...the paintings in the caves...the Soul Dew..."

"The city!" Latias replied. "Should we..go there? I don't think there's much more we can do here..."

"I suppose you're right..." he said.

Latias turned to Latios and took his other hand and held him close. "But please...let's not let anything bad happen to each other..okay? Let's not let it turn out like it did in that dream." she pleaded.

"We won't." he managed a smile for her, despite the sight in front of them. "Dreams are one thing, reality is something else."

Latias returned his smile, and both of them turned from Southern Island to the sea. Latios did not know of the city's location, however both of them felt something; a sort of guiding light that would lead them to their destinies. The fire on the horizon did help as well, though it was less direct. Their senses told them to go to the source, the center of the storm of ash.

After hours of flying and silence between both of them due to the recent events, Latios and Latias finally held the city of Altomare in their sights. The burning had ceased slightly, due to the fact that little remained that could be burned. A small section of the city still was standing, which was where the strange human mage was standing. Latios and Latias could also see the rampaging Aerodactl and Kabutops, killing all in their path. Both were shocked by what they saw the Pokemon do. Neither had experienced death and killing such as this before, and it chilled them both to the bone.

Latios and Latias attempted to get closer to the city, but were stopped by a force field wall. Latios recognized this from the dream.

"We're going to have to use our power to break through this." Latios said. "If we're going to survive and save this city, we will have to use our power."

She nodded, and they joined hands once again, and bashed their heads into the shield. Almost instantly, due to their combined psychic power, the force field fell, and they flew down to the city. At first, they stayed above the streets, but they decided to drop lower due to the smoke that clouded their sight. It had been a bad move, however, for Aerodactl and Kabutops were ravaging the city from below. Aerodactl unleashed Hyper Beam after Hyper Beam on the defenseless residents and their Pokemon. Kabutops's blades were deadly, and it was very agile. Eventually, these two Pokemon became aware of Latios and Latias, and as such chased after them with all their might. At first, Latios and Latias stuck together and navigated the narrow streets of the city, but they were later forced to spread apart due to the marauding Kabutops and Aerodactl. Latias went one way, in the direction of the museum, and, ultimately, the human mage. Latios continued through the narrow streets, avoiding lines going from window to window. Almost at once, due to the speed in which he was going, he hit a dead end. Latios realized that this was it. He must use his powers or die. He channeled his strength and a blue glow began to emit from his eye, and a powerful psychic attack danced towards his foes and struck the Kabutops head one, but slightly missing the Aerodactl. The Aerodactl, having witnessed what happened to its compatriot, realized that Latios was too powerful to take on in this situation. So, the Aerodactl flew off, in search of Latias.

As Latios finished his attack, he began to charge at the Kabutops in a tackle, and took it down. His enemy, however, was strong. Unnaturally strong, no doubt because of the mage's strange powers. This was Latios's first taste of actual combat, so he was a bit hesitant on what to do for a few very important moments. The Kabutops, not taking any chances, took advantage of Latios's hesitation and struck Latios with his large blades. It had been a direct hit, for Latios crashed to the ground. But no sooner had he fallen was he up again, ready to launch another psychic attack. Once again it hit Kabutops dead on, but it still got up from its fall to attack Latios again and again. Hesitantly, Latios flew to a nearby remaining rooftop and hid behind the building while he rested to rebuild his strength. Kabutops, however, was able to scale the building with relative ease, and was again chasing Latios. Low on energy, Latios prepared one more psychic attack. This time, he channeled all of his energy, and remember what Pidgeot had taught him throughout his training. Latios rose into the sky, his whole body glowing, and released the energy all at once, sending Kabutops flying a good ways, far enough for Latios to recover. Latios, however, had given it his all and fainted due to the magnitude of the attack. The Kabutops, after having been downed for a few minutes, rose once more and could not find Latios, so it decided to go find the other one. Latias.

Latias had been faring better against her opponent. The Aerodactl was determined, but she had been able to dodge its attacks. She neared the museum, one of the few structures left standing amongst the rubble. She saw the mage, channeling his powers to further destroy the city. Latias had momentarily forgotten about the Aerodactl, and flew down to get a better look at the mage, and to figure out what he was doing. She heard the Aerodactl's cry, and her attention was returned to the flying menace behind her. She gained altitude, and attempted to exit the immediate area, but couldn't. The mage, at that time, hadn't been focusing on the city, rather trapping her within the confines of the museum block. Latias attempted to break the force field with her psychic powers, but this one was far stronger, and could not be broken by her powers alone.

"Latios, where are you?" she said to herself, a look of grave worry on her face.

Latias turned around, and found the only logical escape was to enter the museum itself and seek shelter. She darted for the main gates, which had been open, and flew behind anything she could find. Aerodactl managed to find her every time, and she was forced to fly to the final, spherical shape room at the back of the museum. The Aerodactl didn't bother to create a hyper beam, rather it approached Latias and used its wings as a kind of blade. It worked, and Latias's skin was ripped across her neck and body, and she was forced to drop from the air, onto the ground. The Aerodactl ceased its attacks and waited almost obediently as Latias bled on the floor. Not long after, the mage entered the room.

"I knew you'd come. It was in the prophecy. The prophecy that I will so enjoy rewriting." the mage laughed.

"Who...who are you?" Latias managed to ask.

"The next ruler of this world." he replied, still laughing.

"Why...why are you doing this?" she coughed, a small amount of blood flew from her mouth.

"Why? Why you ask?" the mage's laugh grew even more sinister at her question. "This prophecy that involves you and your brother above everything else, and you don't know about it? Ha!"

Latias managed a look of anger. "You...you leave him alone!"

"Hah! How sweet." the mage's laughed did not cease. "I'd guess your brother lies in a pile of his own blood as we speak. He is dead."

Tears came to Latias's eyes. "N...No!!"

"Hah!" the mage replied. "Well, he may still be alive. But I doubt for much longer. Oh! I have such a great idea! If he's still alive, we can lure him here, so you two can have a little reunion before I kill you both. How does that sound?"

"You...you..." Latias did not finish that sentence, for she had fainted due to the attacks from the Aerodactl.

Latios awoke, and found himself lying in rubble. He lifted himself from the ground slowly as he remembered what had happened.

"Latias!" he screamed.

Latios lifted himself into the sky, and flew in the direction that Latias had flown. He reached the building that she was confined in, there had been no force field to keep Latios out. The mage wanted him in.

Latios, finally reaching the room where Latias was, he heard wheezing. Deep wheezing. On the ground, lay Latias. Mortally wounded.

"Latias! No!" screamed Latios.

"Latios...I tried...I tried to stop him...there was nothing I could do, he..he's too strong." replied Latias.

"Who, Latias, who?" asked Latios.

"That...evil trainer...I don't know what he wanted from me..." she said.

"La...Latios...I..love you."

"I love you too, Latias." replied Latios, lovingly.

"Well...well..well. She wasn't alone now, was she? I knew you'd come, Latios. Now, the destruction of this city is at hand...right after I'm finished with you..."

"You! YOU!" Latios shouted. "You are the one in my dreams! I understand it now! The prophecy! I finally understand!"

" A bit late, wouldn't you say?" the mage teased. "It hardly matters now. Your love lays in front of you, dying. What can either of you possibly do now?"

"This!" Latios shot up in the air, and initiated a psychic attack.

"Ha!" the mage lifted his hands and created a vortex of energy and threw it at Latios, sending him to the floor. As he hit the ground, he splashed in the blood of his lover.

"La...Latias...get...out of here.." Latios said, holding her close one last time.

"Latios...I...love you.." she managed to say.

Latios smiled. "I know. I love you too. Be safe..."

Latias quickly flew out of the building, Latios close behind her, he had some unexplained understanding of what was to happen. As Latias gained altitude, Kabutops jumped off the building, blades aimed toward Latias. Latios quickly flew to guard her, and his side was impaled by the large blades. Latias looked back, a horrified look on her face. Kabutops removed the blade from Latios, and he fell to the ground, bleeding.

"Latias!" he screamed. "Go! This is your only chance!"

Latias flew as fast as she could, away from Altomare, and toward Southern Island.

Latios lifted his head, but he let if fall, he simply had no strength. But somewhere, deep inside him, the strength came for one more psychic attack. His whole body illuminated in a glow, and Latios shot up into the sky, a beam of light following him. As he reached the upper atmosphere, the energy broke apart into tiny fragments in many directions, and, disappeared. Almost at once, large earthquakes raged across Altomare. They however, were not of the earth's trembles, rather of the waves of water that were approaching the city. The violent water slowed as it hit the outskirts of the city, and as it reached the city streets, they were filled with beautiful, sparkling sea water. The entire city was flooded with water, until there was ocean all around. It never rose above a certain height, but was high enough for the streets to be transformed into human-made canals. The debris washed away from the new "island", and left the foundations of the buildings, which would allow the humans to rebuild their glorious city.

The mage and his two Pokemon were killed instantly by Latios's energy. The mage was turned to dust, washed away by the ocean. Aerodactl and Kabutops were embedded into the grounds of the museum.

Latias returned home to a nearly destroyed Southern Island, and recovered from her wounds.

There was one survivor at Altomare, a middle aged man who had managed to escape the bloodshed.

Latios was not to be seen again. His physical existence had been spent upon saving the city, and protecting his lover. Though departed from this world, Latios's soul resides in a newly formed Soul Dew.

- Ten Years Later-

Southern Island never returned to its former beauty, it was now simply a desolate island in the middle of the sea. The heart and soul of Southern Island, the Secret Garden, was moved to a location within Altomare.

Latias had returned here from Altomare, and Latios never came back. She feared for the worst, and when news came to her of Latios's departure, she grieved. She never forgave herself for leaving him. She blamed herself, to some extent, for his death. Eight years following the incident, Latias passed away due loneliness, leaving a trusted friend to look after her two offspring. She trusted him, as Latios did, for he was Pidgeot.

Pidgeot recognized, that after their father's and mother's deaths, the two offspring should be moved from Southern Island, so that they might live as guardians of the city that their father and mother saved. Within the Secret Garden in Altomare, lives the Soul Dew that contains their father's and mother's spirits. Pidgeot wished to find one whom witnessed and survived the destruction, and the saving of, the city of Altomare. Only one had lived through the incident, and the babies Latios and Latias were given to the man to take care of. His name was Lorenzo.

-The End-

I thank you for reading this story.