There, I finally finished this damn thing... Of course, the reason it was so damned tricky was because of the events in the last half. Still, I got it done, now I just have to work on Act Three... which'll probably be around easter, knowing how lazy I can be with these things.
Anomaly Anniversary Fic - Act Two - All Consuming Shadow
Eve was tired, she'd been running for ten minutes, solid, and still no sign of Mew. She was beginning to wonder if not turning back had been a good idea after all, just as the tree right beside her exploded, sending splinters carreening towards her. She, instinctively, moved to cover her face with her arms, completely forgetting about the fact that a barrier would have stopped the entire thing. Luckily, a wave of fire passed straight by her, a tiny lick of flame catching her arm, as it caught the wooden projectiles and completely incinerated them. A blast of compressed water, one that pulsed along its stream, followed after, putting out the blaze that the first attack had caused before it could spread into a forest fire.
Then something big, white and black, and rather furry, collided with her stomach and knocked her to the floor. The creature, she couldn't recognize the species, pushed itself back to its feet, shaking its head as its deep red eyes focused, before locking on to her own. She tried to blast it off, especially as it opened its mouth and revealed very lethal looking teeth, but it just shrugged off the psychic assault as though it was nothing.
"Ah... Sorry 'bout that, but it was either be blasted into you, or let the tree kill you when that signal beam hit it," the dark type spoke, tensing its legs and Eve felt a moment's pang of fear as those claws dug into her chest slightly, but it was only the Pokemon leaping off of her, "you're gonna want to run!"
"From what?" The question came out before she could stop it.
As did the answer. From another tree, there was a brief pulse of that sinister psychic force, before the web of green leaves was ripped away by four rather spindly looking legs, while their owner used its other four to tense itself up, ready to spring. It was, without a doubt, the ickiest bug she had ever seen. Her breath caught, her chest hurt even as her heart when overtime, even as she scrambled back. The purple armour actually reminded her of Mewtwo's tail, while the black and crimson seemed to fit an old story... something from back then. Something told around halloween, a way to scare children. Tales of the most vicious and deadly creatures in the world, rivalling even the most potent legendary in power.
And it was staring right at her throat, fangs bared, as it sprung into the air. There was no time to escape, no time to attack. Not that it mattered, even the thunderbolt that the dark type fired was not enough to even slow the Ariados down as it reached the apex of its leap
But something else did. There was the sound of tearing wood, of screaming bark, just as the spider desended. A thick oak came flying over Eve's head, the side of the mighty tree slamming into the creature and smashing it straight into the ground. The dark type spun around, evidently expecting another attack, even as Eve allowed herself to relax, she knew only one person who could pull off stunts like that, right up untill she saw the state of her savoir. She jerked upright in shock, not caring when she jarred her tail.
"Mew? What the fuck happened to you?!"
Back in his human form, yet barely recognizable. The clothing was ripped to shreds, it was amazing that his trousers were still on him at all, as his shirt finally gave up and just fell apart. The owner of the clothes was not much better off, covered in welts, cuts and scrapes. There was a massive tear in his forehead, staining the left side of his face crimson, even as those baby blue eyes stared through the veil of blood. They definitely belonged to Mew, the old Mew, as they burned with an intensity not seen since before Team Rocket caught him... Yet, they still seemed vacant, and that scared Eve infinitely more than the fact he was torn up so much.
"That won't stop it. I can't stop it. I'm not strong enough..."
"You don't have to be strong..." the black and white creature spoke as it stepped, limping slightly, over to one of the torn up bushes. Dust and dirt seemed to be whipped up by a wind, even Eve's hair flickered as the wind swirled around to creature, before it all seemed to focus fowards.
"Razor Wind!" He cried, ripping through the plantation and revealing what was hidden inside. A brown satchel, a type of bag schoolkids would sometimes use, Eve remembered... but why would a Pokemon have one? There couldn't be books in it, something with no digits wouldn't be able to use one very well... yet the canine Pokemon hooked the bag strap with its bladed horn, flicking his head and effectively throwing it in Mew's direction. The bag opened on landing, but it was facing Mew so Eve couldn't see inside... but whatever was in there, it seemed to get rid of that desperation in Mew's eyes. They were alive again.
"Now that should just about do it."
Mew grabbed the satchel, swinging it over his shoulder, before taking one look at her and the canine, it was to this Pokemon that Mew spoke, "Absol, take Eve and get moving in that direction," he nodded deeped into the forest.
"I have a name, you know," the 'Absol' said, even as he turned to follow Mew's instructions.
"Tell me it later, I'll catch up with you," Mew was smiling again, even as blood ran down his face. That cheerfull smile that said everything was going to be okay... so, this time, Eve didn't hesitate, she followed the Absol and trusted that Mew knew what he was doing.
---
Mew didn't have a clue what he was doing. He was standing there, out in the open, waiting for a Shadow Pokemon, one that had practically beaten him to a pulp earlier, to get back up. And he didn't have to wait long, the tree he had flattened it with exploded into splinters, Mew not even covering his eyes as a barrier stopped the wooden needles. The Ariados, or what used to be an Ariados, climbed back to its feet and turned to face him.
"Round 2, and I'm ready for you this time, you freaky, ugly, bugheaded bastard!"
Even though it no longer understood the concept of insults and smacktalk, the fact Mew was alive was more than enough to incite the spider to attack. It leapt forwards, fangs ready... and was caught. Mew jammed his arm into the creature's mouth, behind those lethal teeth. Having to reinforce his limbs with a barrier to prevent it smashing the bone into pieces, Mew didn't have the energy to waste any time, so he used his free hand to reach into the satchel and pull out a small electronic device... or, at least, a small electronic device attached to a lot of explosives.
He hit the timer, sixty seconds appearing on the clock, as he grinned, even as the barrier preventing the spider from devouring is arm started to splinter.
"Lunch time!" Mew grinned, pointy teeth fully visible as he yanked his arm out of the Shadow's mouth, forcing the device in instead, straight down its throat, before he gave it a kick with what little energy he had left, which was still more than enough to send it flying back into the undergrowth...
So now the second part of his hastily constructed plan came into play, Mew turned and ran like all hell, only slowing to scoop up his hat where Eve had dropped it. The spider was on his tail practically instantly, the psychic having to keep having to duck under volleys of those poison darts it was firing. And yet he kept going, racing through the forest, tearing through low branches and throwing whole trees into the Shadow's path. And then he caught up with Eve and the Absol...
"I told you two to move!" Mew yelled as he shot towards them, grabbing Eve by the hand and dragging her behind him, the Absol rocketing after them with speed that only a quadraped could pull off. "and I definitely meant move fast!"
With Eve behind him, Mew couldn't go at full speed, and the spider was rapidly gaining... it had her in its sight, opening it's maw to launch a volley of lethal Poison Sting... and then, there was a beep coming from deep inside it. The Ariados' armour couldn't withstand the explosion, the shockwave blowing it to pieces, most of the blast being channeled down its throat, meeting those charged darts it was about to fire, and propelling them through the air towards Eve, who was too stunned by the explosion to dodge.
The darts struck flesh, sinking through white fur... thick white fur. Eve opened her eyes, even as the Absol crumpled to the floor, the darts imbedded in his back. Eve couldn't believe it... it wasn't possible.
"You... took the shot for me."
"Wouldn't be the first time I took a shot... not in my line of work anyway," he laughed, even as his voice grew weaker and he was unable to push himself up more than a few inches.
"It will be-" Mew paused, hesitating, "it will be the last time you get to."
Eve stared at her brother, not quite believing it. Three little darts couldn't cause that much damage...
"It's not the poison, is it?" the Absol asked, even as his eyes started to lose their focus. "I've seen what..." he had to pause and catch his breath, "what those things can do."
"Your body is strong, the Shadow energy'll mutate you. Turn you into one of them..." Mew sighed, all that energy from before, all his light, was gone just as suddenly as it had appeared.
"They can do that?!"
"That's why I took the shot..." the Absol paused again, his voice becoming even weaker, "if it had hit one of you... it would have..."
"Yeah," Mew piped up, flatly.
Eve backed up, not quite believing what she was hearing. If that thing had gotten her, she'd have ended up like that? Like some soulless, bloodthirsty monster? She looked across at where the Shadow had been before, staring at the empty space, trying to get her head around the nightmare... she was only brought back to the real world when the Absol's voice piped up once more.
"I want to die."
Eve spun back, this was wrong! No one could say that... and yet, neither of them seemed to notice just what he had said.
"Death is better than..." the dark type muttered, having to stop, his breath becoming laboured.
"Than being one of them." Mew slowly nodded, "I know."
"You can't give up! Mew can do something!"
"Eve!" Mew practicaly yelled, glaring across at her for half a second before his gaze lowered, his voice dropping with it, to naught more than a whisper, "I can't... I can't heal that, even if I was stronger... there are some wounds beyond even my power."
He turned back to the Absol, leaned down and place his hand upon his head... Eve could see a small tear running down the psychic's face, seeing it brought some to her own eyes and she turned away. She couldn't watch. She wouldn't watch.
"You never told us your name," Mew said, slowly, finally. The Absol's dark type immunity was cracking, fading, as the Shadow essence started to spread through his body...
"My name is... Dione." The Absol gasped out, before Mew's hand tensed up, the psychic concentrating. In the Absol's mind, there was no regret, no indecision... just acceptance of his fate.
"I'm sorry."
---
Eve closed her eyes against the purple glow coming from over her shoulder. She wanted to pretend she was somewhere else, somewhere far away. But even her mind held no refuge against the knowledge of what was going on behind her, as the glow slowly faded to naught. She tensed up as a hand gingerly placed itself on her shoulder.
"Get off of me!" She growled, both with physically and telepathically.
"Eve..." Mew's voice was empty, yet it did nothing bar stoke her rising anger.
"You killed him." She hissed, "you didn't even try to help him. He saved me and you just executed him!"
The grip on her shoulder tightened, untill it was starting to hurt.
"I know." Now his voice was shaking slightly, threatening to crack, "but there was nothing I could do. Trying to heal him would have killed him, it would have ripped him apart from the inside out..."
"So you killed him!" She spun, pulling back a fist and swinging at him, managing to catch herself at the sight of Dione, immobile, with his eyes closed. He looked... so weak, yet so peaceful. That it it, she couldn't stop the tears anymore.
Mew let her go and turned away, stepping over to the dead Absol, removing the hat from his head and placing it on Dione's. "I always have to see this... I always see good people die and am unable to change anything... I'm a Legendary, ancestor to the first Pokemon, and I-" There was a loud scream coming from further up the path, Eve's fur standing on end even as Mew's eyes narrowed as he stood, "...Eve."
"No. You are not ditching me like you usually do!"
"I was going to tell you to duck."
She didn't even need to think about it. Mew's tone had been flat, stern, business-like... it sounded like his voice. And she ducked, just as a black furred creature came shooting over her head, growling as it opened its maw and sank teeth into Mew's arm.
"What the hell!?" Eve shot upright, trying to yank the Pokemon free, finding her psychic abilities useless... then she spotted the golden rings. An Umbreon, another dark type.
"Not quite the way I'd phrase it..." Mew gasped as the Eon sank its teeth even deeper, tearing the one limb that wasn't already bleeding. "and the rest were just starting to heal too." he thought, lifting the attacked arm, the Umbreon still attached, before swinging it out to the side.
The Umbreon's jaws couldn't stay locked around a moving target, so it slipped loose, fangs tearing through flesh in the process, and landed on its feet... it was then that Mew realised just who it was.
"Should have figured... the Rhydon I had to kill was with you." He looked around, "where's the Ninjask?"
"You bastard!" The Umbreon practically hissed, Eve feeling like she knew this creature from somewhere... even as said creature stared down Mew, who was ignoring his wounded arm.
"Esteria, I didn't have a choice." Even the name sounded familiar. But where from? It was somewhere in her memory, Eve was sure of it, but she couldn't figure out where from... Her memory was foggy.
"You killed him!" The Umbreon hissed, taking a step closer, forcing Mew to back away from her very sharp teeth.
"He asked me too!" Mew growled, letting his form revert back to his usual pink body. Wait... that Rhydon had attacked, it had been crazed, it wouldn't have asked to die... The Umbreon was pissed about Dione! Eve actually decided to leave Mew for a bit, he deserved a little beating up for what he had done...
Shapeshifting was usually a grand, intimidating guesture. But, tore up as Mew was, it didn't have the intended effect and the crazed Umbreon just fired a Shadow Ball into his face, sending the kitten crashing into the dirt, his long tail falling limp. Now Eve made to move, it wasn't the beating she wanted... it was nasty. This Esteria had knocked Mew unconscious and was advancing towards him with a snarl, her rings pulsing slightly with each step.
"Enough!" Eve raised her hands to fire an Ice Beam at the dark type, but she found herself stopping short as a buzzing sounded out from behind her and something very sharp pressed up against her neck...
"Ninjask, hold her!" There was that voice that brough a growl to Eve's throat. That condencing, mocking, cold tone of that bitch... now she remembered where she'd heard the name Esteria, back when she had been first created.
Whip in hand, Jianna stepped into the clearing. If it wasn't for the threat of having her neck tore open, Eve would have attacked her on sight... it took every single ounce of strength she had to resist that urge. She couldn't get herself killed, Mew needed her.
"Well, well... if it isn't our runaway clone," the tamer drew out the word, savouring the way Eve's eyes narrowed at the sight of her. "You and your little pet there took down two of my Pokemon, and the boss as pretty much given up on capturing and controlling you. So no one will care if I-" she unraveled the whip, holding it taut in both hands... "finally get payback for you ruining my career!" and then there was the crack as it came shooting for Eve, the psychic's eyes closing as she waited for the stinging agony as it tore through fur and flesh.
But the blow never came. Eve opened her eyes again, gawping at the sight before her. With the end of the lash in his paw, one that was dripping blood, hovering just before her, was a small green fairy. Hovering in the air, transparant white wings still even as he defied gravity. Eve managed to put the figure to a name in her memory. The fairy... guardian of time.
Celebi.
"I'll take that," the tiny green legendary practically sneered, yanking back with enough force to wrench the whip from Jianna's hands. Throwing the weapon to the ground behind her, where she couldn't get to it without turning away from him, he faced down the Human, who looked shocked at being disarmed so easily. "I've wanted to do this for years." The fairy finished up by holding out his paws, a green glow forming and growning... sharpening, shaping... before fading to reveal the largest and sharpest looking leaves Eve had ever seen.
Yet Jianna didn't look scared anymore, her own features turning into an almost identical, cocky sneer. Her hand moved behind her, clutching a something behind her back before yanking it around, it had only taken a moment. Then everyone paused. Even Jianna's Pokemon froze, staring at what she was holding in sheer confusion. Instead of a firearm, the crazed human was holding a yellow fruit.
"What? You gonna banana me to death!?" Celebi laughed, even as his telepathic voice brought Jianna to snarl at him.
"What did you do with my gun!?"
"I replaced it with a banana so you couldn't shoot anyone," the psychic's tone couldn't get anymore condencing as he mocked Jianna, which Eve thought was a rather stupid idea considering that she had an Umbreon and Ninjask ready to kill. "Jeez, are all you tamers this slow?"
"Give it back!"
"Oh alright."
Then the pistol came flying out of the undergrowth, spinning as it was telekinectically thrown at the back of Jianna's head, bouncing off of her skull and sending her crashing to the ground; even as Celebi launched himself forwards, avoiding a black pulse from the Umbreon in the process. The fairy spun in the air, eyes glowing, a telepathic order being broadcast straight at Eve.
"Tilt your head to the left. Now!" Was the secretive yell. Eve did as she was told, considering that she still had a bug attached to her neck, and the buzzing it produced sounded rather ticked off.
The twin leaves went firing towards the Umbreon, forcing her to dive clear, while the fairy switched his attention to the firearm merely inches above him. Reaching out with his power, he grabbed a hold of it in his psychic grasp, swinging it towards his target and the trigger seemed to pull itself as the invisisble hold that kept it airborn faded as it fired, sending it flying back into the trees as the bullet raced outwards... flying down, skimming past Eve's cheek, close enough to leave a tiny gash, before striking its target.
The Ninjask's carapice didn't stand a chance. It let out a high pitched squeal that caused both Eve and the Umbreon to wince as the round tore through its back, ripping off a wing in the process, and out though its stomach. The bullet missed Eve's tail by the same margin it had missed her cheek, another tiny gash to prove it too. But that was offset by the fact there was yellow blood everywhere, pouring from the wounded insect as it crashed to the floor.
"I think I'm going to be sick..." Eve muttered, her cheeks actually going slightly green underneath her fur.
But then that familiar crack sounded out, Eve spinning back to see Jianna getting back to her feet, whip back in hand. And the other end of the weapon was wrapped around Celebi's throat.