Note: Hey guys! Today happens to be my birthday! Seeing as it's 12am here and that my birthday is in June 25, I decided that I'd grant another chappie to celebrate! Unfortunately, school starts tomorrow... So much for a birthday present, huh? Anyway, this ISN'T the last chapter yet... Stay tuned for more chapters concerning the final fight.
Rose's POV:
"Eeheehee, I never would've guessed you felt this way about me back then," a voice teased.
I groaned, I just wanted to get some sleep.
"Uh..." her companion shyly replied, "Well... N-nothing wrong about that, right?"
"Aww... Darkrai," she replied, "No need to be so shy around me, we're all alone here..."
I slowly opened my eyes to see myself in a moonlit garden, probably the same one which had always appeared in my dreams... The only difference was that there was a full moon tonight...
I peeked through some bushes to see "Cressie" edging closer to Darkrai, who seemed to be nervously hovering next to her.
"A-are you sure?" Darkrai nervously scratched his head.
"Of course!" Cresselia giggled as she affectionately brought her face closer to his, "We're all alone... What about a little... "first date" tonight?"
"Uhm..." Darkrai's face began to glow red, "C-can't that wait until XD002 is defeated?"
"Oh, but we might not get another chance then," Cresselia teased as she began to get closer to his face.
"Could you two just go to sleep now?" I yawned.
The two immediately sprang into more serious battle poses, as if they weren't aware of my presence then.
"W-who's there?" Darkrai intimidatingly growled.
I slowly walked out of the bushes, rubbing my eyes and yawning.
"It's me," I yawned, "Aren't you guys supposed to be sleeping or something?"
"Technically, we are..." Cresselia blushed, "But somehow, I found my consciousness drifting away to this... private... place we created between time and space... Where we usually contact those in dreams..."
"I found myself here too," Darkrai blushed, "and since we didn't want to contact you, we doubted you would find your way here..."
"Huh? You two went here for no apparent reason?" I yawned.
"Um... Well," Darkrai scratched his head, "Actually... Yeah..."
"Err," Cresselia whispered, "We're actually in the middle of something, if you wouldn't mind... And your... uninvited presence is making... my first date awkward..."
"Oh," I smirked, "I guess I picked the right party to crash, eh?"
The two shyly hovered in place, their faces as red as Blaze's flames.
"Aww, I was just kidding," I dismissed, "I guess you two deserve to have some "alone" time after all these messes, eh?"
"Uh... Yeah," Darkrai replied, still somewhat hesitant.
"Either way, why do you guys seem so scared about Arceus finding out about... you know..." I curiously asked as I began to sit down on the lush grass.
"Err..." Cresselia shyly explained, "You see... We aren't... like you guys... Arcy... Well, he seems to be strict about us legends and our duties... You see, it's not that we aren't allowed to have relationships... or families... in some cases... I think that even he has a soft spot for a certain someone..."
"Well, but... There was some incident before... You know... How a little... relationship can get in the way of duties and all..." Darkrai continued, "There was this time when Groudon and Kyogre sort of got into a playful quarrel... It didn't end well in the Hoenn region... I've even heard that the local Rayquaza had to knock them back to their senses..."
"Arcy didn't want the same thing to happen... Or have even worse things to happen, at least..." Cresselia continued, "So he issued an order that all who want to be... err... together... must have it declared so that he may tabulate it or something like that... But due to the fact that each species of legendaries have quite a few members, news like that usually ends up all over in the realm of legends... That could prove to be rather... embarrassing for some..."
"But why?" I asked, "Darkrai and you seem to genuinely care for each other..."
"Hmm... Ain't it so, our kind have long been depicted as total opposites... My ancestors before me have also known this for a fact," Darkrai explained, "Wouldn't it be shameful for you to associate yourself, should you be a righteous giver of soothing dreams, to the prince of nightmares? Wouldn't that be in the gossip for ages? Wouldn't that be a taboo?"
"But I thought your kind have only used nightmares as a means of self-defense?" I scratched my chin.
"Yes, I guess that was how we are created, but that doesn't stop those who make up legends and stuff..." Darkrai continued to muse, "Besides, I really think Cressie's all sweet and nice... Although we are supposed to have a mutual fear for each other... I don't feel that from her... So you must be very lucky... That you are who you are... This Blade of yours... Nothing is stopping you from nabbing him... Go for it, you never know if you would be put in this kind of situation..."
"So you were anxious of bringing this up to Arceus, since he would, sort of, disapprove of this so-called taboo?" I curiously pressed.
Cresselia gave me a little nudge, leaning in to whisper into my ear.
"Um... Rose? Are you done with all these questions?" she coughed, "Can't you see I'm trying to... er-hem, uh... make some moves? If I would be as polite as to tell you to... uhh... get out..."
"Oops," I replied, "If you say so then... Not that I can do a thing to get out of this dream..."
"Allow me then," Cresselia giggled as she gave a naughty wink back to Darkrai.
She quickly charged into me and snapped me awake with a Psycho Cut.
I opened my eyes to see that the light of dawn began to fill the room... I turned around to see that Blade was lightly snoring, muttering something about "checkmate" and "winning a cupholder".
I smiled at his innocence, the way his hot breath gently warmed my arm. I turned around to see the Lunar duo still in their bed, sleeping... Cresselia seemed to be giggling and blushing in her sleep... I guess that even they are having a good time... I hid a small smile, remembering what Darkrai told me... The two enjoy each other's company a lot because they know how precious they are to each other, how they aren't like us who are free to express their feelings...
I stared back at Blade... How long did it take for me to tell him how I truly felt... Did I take his presence for granted? I never knew how lucky I was... that I had found someone like him...
I slowly moved closer and tried to plant a soft kiss to his cheek when he suddenly woke up.
"Good morning... Rose?" he blushed, "W-what are you doing?"
"Oh, nothing..." I coughed, turning away...
Well that went wrong, I thought to myself...
Soon enough, everyone was up and awake. Assuming that everyone was energized, I guess that the last step would proceed without a hitch...
"Hey!" Ruse snapped, "I ain't energized... I feel so tired, I didn't get a good sleep last night as Violet kept bugging me about her sleeping problems... And what makes it worse is that she's afraid of the dark-"
"Err... Ruse," Violet interrupted a somewhat annoyed and sleepy Ruse, "I think you should go down and get some breakfast first..."
"Yeah boss," Ace snorted, "Hurry up, cause I ain't flying someone who's grumpy and mean on my back..."
"Well, this is it... then?" Sandra giggled, "The big fight?"
"Sure is!" Celsus interrupted, "What do I have to do? Is it some super cool role where I get to defend Sandra and look cool in front of her?"
"Oh Celsus," she laughed as she teasingly wrapped her tail around his mouth.
"Ehehe," Blaze laughed, "Ain't today my lucky day then... So it all ends now? After this, I can finally settle down right? Have a family, start a business, and lead the new team with the members I need..?"
Blade and I simply smiled at seeing how different our friends all were... They truly were like siblings to us now...
"Alright," Cresselia cleared her throat, "All of you... Save for the Medea and Virilis will play roles here..."
"Huh?" everyone fell silent.
"Yes," Darkrai continued, "To get to Arceus's dimension, we need to take certain steps... We will need the help of the Guardians of the Seven Treasures... But the ritual will not be complete without something else..."
"Which is?" Claire shyly called...
"That we will reveal when we start the ritual..." Cresselia calmly stated, "So, is everyone ready?"
There was a silent murmur among everyone. I couldn't help but wonder what did she mean by "ritual". Since Arceus was in a higher plane, could this take some time?
Slowly, everyone shared a nod. We were all ready to finally put an end to this... An end to everything...
"Wait!" Riles called, "What about us?"
"Yeah..." Medea cocked her head sideways, "So you mean we aren't going with you guys?"
"I apologize so," Cresselia responded, "The things I have foreseen were evident in the seven that have joined Rose and Blade in their journey... We have foretold that these seven are vital and play an important role in the world's fate, but you two came, somewhat, late... We never foresaw your arrival here and we are unsure if further members would tamper with what we have foreseen..."
"I-I understand," Riles muttered, "But what about Claire? W-who would protect her when I'm gone?"
"Trust me, Riles..." Claire teased, "I'll be fine..."
"If you say so," Riles muttered.
"I can express the same concern with Riles... What about Blaze? Don't you think he'll be... kinda... lost without me?" Medea twisted her fur.
"H-huh?" Blaze scratched his hair.
"I doubt that you'd make it far enough without me!" Medea suddenly expressed in concern, "If you don't come back, I'll... I'll..."
"Meddy," Blaze sighed, but gave her a naughty wink, "Are you... concerned? It's not like you... I promise I'll come back, besides... I can't leave you alone, can't I?"
"But..." she bit her lip, "Won't you need... help?"
"Oh, Meddy," Blaze smirked, "I need you to help too... Who else is gonna do housekeeping while I'm away?"
"Fine then," she held back a tear, smiling hack at him, "Riles and I will take care of everything... I'll be expecting you... then... I hope..."
"Is everyone done yet?" Darkrai calmly asked.
"Yes," I replied, serving as the voice for everyone.
"Understood," Cresselia nodded, "I shall transport everyone to the desired location then... Let us go then to the center of this land... The Guardians' Ruins..."
We all began to get enveloped in light. I could see Blaze give Medea a last wink, Medea nervously tried to smile, just before we warped away through the white light.
"Ugh..." Celsus coughed, "My stomach hurts... Teleportation isn't exactly a smooth way to travel, is it?"
"Hey!" Cresselia spat, "I did my best... This kinda took up most of my energy and concentration so just be glad I got you guys here in one piece... See? I'll bet Darkrai would be glad..."
"R-right," Darkrai coughed, his face seemingly sick.
"So what now..?" Ruse rolled her eyes.
"I can sense an odd feeling here..." Violet chimed in.
"Meh," Ace snorted, "I'm feeling something alright... I'm feeling hungry..."
"Ugh... Celsus, you here?" Sandra groaned.
"Whew," Blaze yawned, "Never expected this to be quite... rough..."
"Uhh... R-rose?" Claire tugged at me as she pointed to the ground.
I carefully stood up and surveyed the area. Then it came clear to me.
"Blade," I called, "Isn't this... the same markings from Ruse's tablet back at her place?"
On the ground were some intricate markings, sigils... It seemed to stretch as wide as the plaza back at Treasure Town... All in all, it was like some huge circle with intricate markings inside, all with a triangle at the center... On the three corners of the triangle were three circles... One colored blue, one pink, and one purple... I knew I saw it back at Ruse's place... Yet seeing it for real made it seem so... huge...
"Yes, Rose..." Cresselia smiled, "This was what I was trying to tell you... Only through the Seven Guardians and the deities of time and space... and the renegade shall we be able to tear a way to Arceus's dimension..."
"But," Darkrai continued, "This is not enough... We need representatives for the Seven Guardians to take their place with the Sacred Instruments... These representatives are obviously strong-hearted warriors who share the same type with each Guardian. While the Seven Guardians are here, we will need the seven representatives to play the Sacred Treasures... Instruments back at their respective resting places, these tunes shall transfer the power of the Guardians here as they carefully meditate..."
"One thing though..." I interrupted them, "How do we contact the Seven Guardians? D-do I have to go all the way of battling them too?"
"Nah," Cresselia replied, "I had contacted all the others as we are quite close with the seven guardians... As a bonus, the renegade being talked about here is Giratina, who happens to be the Seventh Guardian... The guardian of the Rock Horn... All we needed was Dialga and Palkia, which you two have proven yourself worthy of being aided now..."
"So, wait up... These seven representatives..." Blade began to scratch his hair, "Who are they exactly..?"
"Hmm..." Darkrai slowly nodded, "I'd say it's time to look at you all... Your friends too..."
Everyone seemed to break into murmuring and talking, until the ground began to shake. All of a sudden seven colors began to erupt along the edges of the circular sigil. From the differently colored flares, I began to see the forms of the Seven Guardians emerge...
Articuno, Guardian of the Icy Flute... Kyogre, Guardian of the Aqua-Monica... Groudon, Guardian of the Terra Cymbal... Rayquaza, Guardian of the Sky Melodica... Heatran, Guardian of the Fiery Drum... Mew, Guardian of the Grass Cornet, and Giratina, Guardian of the Rock Horn... They all appeared through the seven colored flares that surrounded the circular sigil around us.
"A-articuno?" Blaze cocked his head, "Y-you're the one I fought back then, earlier, right?"
Articuno smiled upon seeing Blaze.
"Why yes, Blaze..." he coolly answered, "I suppose you never expected this kind of destiny, no?"
Everyone simply gawked at the Legendaries around us... Simply staring at the ones of legend standing before us.
"We have brought your representatives before you," Darkrai began, "Should we start now?"
"Ah, I see... Very well then..." Articuno started, his eyes twinkling, "Claire, I've often heard about you from Darkrai and Cresselia..."
"M-me?" Claire timidly muttered.
"Yes," Articuno smiled, "And I can see that like ice, you generally melt when heat comes... But should the darkness of the cold come, you stay firm... Just when you remove your fear when your friends are in need... Claire, I bestow upon you this Icy Flute... Play this instrument well, pour your heart into it as I send you to the grotto above Mt. Avalanche..."
Claire timidly floated over to Articuno, who dropped an Icy Flute before her... She took the flute and stared back at us with a determined look upon her eyes.
"I suppose it is my turn then..." Kyogre cleared her throat, "Celsus!"
"H-huh?" Celsus stuttered, falling off Sandra's head.
"I've been hearing tales about you for some time now... Your size may be small, yet your confidence stands tall!" Kyogre continued, "Just like water, which comes from a single drop, may gush into a giant torrent. Much like the sea, you can be aggressive as much as you can be soft... You also tend to be very-"
"Does that mean I'm your representative?" Celsus rudely cut her off...
"... You also tend to be very blunt... Despite that all, I see you worthy of representing me," Kyogre smiled as she began to drop the Aquamonica before Celsus, "I bestow upon you, the Sacred Treasure, the Aquamonica... Play it well as I send you down to the grotto beneath the Bottomless Sea... Fill the instrument with the confidence you posses in you... the torrential wave that grew from the droplet."
Celsus slowly took the instrument, glancing back at Sandra... Sandra was undeniably blushing, seeing Celsus in his big feat. Celsus solemnly turned away and walked towards Kyogre.
"Sandra! Come forth!" Groudon gruffly commanded, waving his claws at her.
Sandra obediently hovered towards him, her face suddenly nervous.
"Sandra, your hard-headed will is as good as a virtue as your undying loyalty..." he stated, "Much like the neverending sands of the desert, you see things through at an early stage. Much like when you promised your engagement to Celsus, you never forgot it until now... Such is also the strong will of yours when you defend your lover in danger, the sandstorm that engulfs the strong... Sandra, I see you worthy of being my representative... Here, take it! The Terra Cymbal! Go to the Shimmer Desert's grotto and rock out with the soul in your music!"
"T-thank you, sir!" Sandra shyly bowed.
"You deserved it... Now move on," Groudon smiled.
Sandra slowly hovered to Groudon's side, winking back at Celsus as he beamed at her.
Rayquaza began to grunt, narrowing his eyes on Ace, who barely seemed fazed on anything at all.
"Ace," Rayquaza began, "I've been hearing about you... Stuff about you and your infamous boss..."
"Got a problem with it?" he snorted.
"Just what I'd expect you to answer..." Rayquaza continued, "Like the wind, you go wherever you please... You are free in all your decisions, wild and untamed... You choose to serve your boss only if you feel like it, but like the cloud, you are often out of reach... You choose to help away from the others... Independent yet helpful... I deem you worthy of being my representative... You can play this Sky Melodica can you?"
"Why should I?" Ace snorted, accepting the instrument nevertheless...
"I shall send you to the grotto above Sky Stairway... There, put your free soul into the music you shall play," Rayquaza called.
Ace simply snorted and fluttered to Rayquaza's side.
"Hmmm... I am very pleased to meet you... Finally... Blaze..." Heatran suddenly spoke, "I've been hearing about you from Articuno... A pity I wasn't the Giardian you battled, I would pretty much enjoy a little match with you..."
"Really?" Blaze suddenly stood up, fired up, "Sure then! Let's roll now!"
"Sorry, as much as I'd love to, time is running short... Anyway... From what I can see from you, you can be as calm as a candle, yet as aggressive as a wildfire... Yet at times, you can be as timid as a withering flame..." Heatran mused, his eyes seemingly proud as he stated at Blaze, "You can be warm like the flame, when caring for others, but you can also burn when these loved ones are in danger... As such, your flames burn bright... I am proud to choose you as my representative... Fill the Fiery Drum with your burning beat! The stage is all yours in the Giant Volcano..."
"Heh, thanks a lot, man..." Blaze scratched his head, a but shy after hearing all those compliments...
Mew quickly flew before Ruse, playfully winking before turning her face into a more serious one.
"Ruse... The "Other" thief..." she playfully joked, "I must say, you've piqued my interest..."
"H-huh? What?" Ruse's eyes snapped open, waking up from a short nap as the others were giving their long speeches.
"You choose to copy others, you choose to become better than them... Yet inside, you feel... inferior?" Mew taunted, "But all that aside, you never knew that one would find you quite the ideal representative? In your quest for desires, have you not learned fun in the way? Most of your mischief, despite you not realizing, has led to a little feeling of joy... Yu never noticed, but I did... Which is why, I choose you as my representative... Play the Grass Cornet and fill the place with the tunes of the mischief that goes on in the forest... Give me the sign, and I shall send you to the grotto in Mystery Jungle..."
Slowly, Ruse accepted the instrument... Solemnly walking up to Mew... All of a sudden, she broke into tears.
"T-thank you..." she gasped, "Thank you for making me feel important..."
Mew merely smiled. Slowly, Ruse took her place before the feline legendary.
"Er-hem," Giratina cleared her throat, "If I may... Violet..."
"W-who, me?" Violet stuttered.
"Yeah, you..." Giratina giggled, "Violet, I've been seeing that you keep in the shadows of your boss, eh? I can't help but feel for you, as I too have kept in the shadows of my siblings... Back when I was banished by Arcy... Anyway, despite staying behind in the shadows and being ignored, you still have a clear voice of right and wrong, and that is what I like about you... For that, accept this instrument, the Rock Horn! I shall pave a path for you at the World Abyss..."
Violet shyly floated over to her and accepted the instrument.
With all the seven friends of ours standing beside their respective guardian, I couldn't help but smile. These insignificant seedlings grew to important trees that could be leaned on.
"Oi!" Blaze waved, "I guess we'll be seeing you then!"
"Good luck, Rose..." Claire waved, leaving a last glance.
"You take care then," I smiled, "I promise, we'll be able to enjoy a sunny day after this..."
"Hmm... How about a bet?" Blaze snickered.
"H-huh?" Blade scratched his head.
"Whoever comes back from his perilous quest gets all the cupholders we left," Blaze smirked.
"W-what? No! That's not fair!" Blade gasped.
Everyone let out a lighthearted laugh. Maybe things weren't going to be so bad after all...
"If you are all ready, we must begin..." Cresselia urgently noted.
"Fine then," Sandra grinned.
"Take us away then," Blaze smiled.
The Seven Guardians closed their eyes as light began to envelop their respective representatives.
"Serve us well, we shall depend on you," they all chanted in unison, causing all of our friends to disappear.
"They're all gone..." I mused to myself.
"Don't worry, I won't leave your side," Blade gave me a nudge and a wink.
"I guess it is time for the final step... Since you two have proven yourselves worthy to Dialga and Palkia," Darkrai noted, "Call unto them, and they shall answer..."
Nodding, Blade and I simply looked up to the sky. We could feel it... We knew that the presence of the two deities were coming. It was then that I saw the familiar sight of Dialga and his counterpart Palkia emerge from the skies.
"Here I am, O, Rose," Dialga chanted, "Here I am to serve thee."
"Here I am, O, Blade," Palkia slammed down, "I am here to serve thee."
Nodding, Cresselia and Darkrai stared at them, and they both nodded too... Carefully, the Seven Guardians, save for Giratina, began to take their positions in six circles around the circular sigil. Giratina, however, took her place on the third circle on the edge of the triangle. Dialga and Palkia took their places on the other two edges of the triangle.
"O Father, O Father, the time has come,
That we must open the path to above,
Only then can we allow the destined to bring back and show,
The Father that we have grown to know."
The chanting was immediately joined by a melody blowing from all seven directions. Without doubt, I knew it was our friends, they were doing their best too, slowly, the rings and circles began to glow, with the triangle at the center glowing the brightest. Slowly, the space in the middle of the triangle began to get teared open, showing some black stairs leading above. All of those seem to be compressed in some orb... or portal to another world.
"Ack!" Dialga snarled.
"Hugh," Palkia grunted in response.
"Since when have I felt pain like this again?" Giratina gasped in between breaths.
"Are you guys okay?" I asked the trio.
"Yes, keeping this portal open is our job... But it also drains our energy... Hurry, finish your business in there and get out as soon as possible!" Giratina quickly gasped.
"So, what are you two waiting for? Get in!" Cresselia snapped.
Before we could protest, the Lunar Pokémon swooped in and pushed the two of us in. The moment my skin touched the huge orb of energy, I felt my body dissolve into different pieces and get sucked in.
As I entered the world, I felt my body rebuilding itself.
"This is The Oblivion," Cresselia's voice informed, "This is the only thing standing between you and Arcy's domain... You'll be on your own from out here... Good luck and good bye."
"Alone, huh?" I mused, staring around at the black marble floor that floated aimlessly in a sea of floating rocks, "This place seems... dreary..."
"It's almost as if... all the color was drained from it," Blade mused.
"It's kinda lonely that we're here... Alone," I repeated, suddenly winking at Blade, "Hmm... Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Blade?"
"Yeah, we need to get out of here, quick!" he warned.
"Hey!" Cresselia's voice echoed again, "I can still hear you two! Please, leave the romance mush for later... I doubt the three dragons can hold the gate open for too long... So I'd suggest you hurry up... I'm warning you, if the gate closes cause Dialga had to go take a bathroom break, it is not part of my responsibility to try and fish you out..."
"O-okay then," I muttered, looking forward to the black stairs before me, "I guess we should go then..."
"Right," Blade smiled back at me.
Together, we trudged forward into the only path we had ahead. A path full of black shadows and darkness.
Note: So how was it, rather lengthy eh? Anyway, hooray to those who were representatives... Boo-hoo to those who were tasked with keeping the gate open. How was the chappie? Could you grant me one wish this June 25th and leave a review? Opinions always count, remember hat... Seeya then and good night... *Collapses in bed*