A/N - Thanks for all reads, reviews, faves and follows! I was at a conference yesterday, which is why this is a day late. I hope you enjoy it! Three more chapters after this one!

77 - Dark to Light

Something was very wrong. Yveltal had felt it as a wave of anxiety flowed through his body. He paced back and forth in the throne room, stopping occasionally to preen his wing feathers. The second he'd felt it, he'd sent his rattata attendants out into the Border Woods to bring Yurlik and Ilana back to the Shadow Lands. If the Fairy Garden was moving, then he needed to be prepared to meet them.

They would not win.

He would not let them win.

Faint caws reached his ears and he raised his head. Anger boiled in his chest and he poked a canine from his beak. "Finally."

With a swipe of his wing he pushed open the door and marched out of the castle. The Shadow Lands were already gathering in the courtyard. Dragons and dark-types spread out across the sandy ground, pressed together as they tried to get close enough to hear what Yveltal had to say. Yet more were pouring from the barracks towards the edges of the large crowd. Dopey deino rushed back and forth, crashing into the rabble of pokemon that had intruded on their space. Shouts of protest and anger exploded from the various assassins, soldiers and thieves. Yurlik and Ilana landed with their flocks on the castle roof, perching precariously on the long thorns that jutted from the black marble.

Yveltal strutted down the steps, his claws clicking on the stone. The voices rumbled into silence as all eyes turned onto the large, black bird. Looks of fear and awe reflected back at him in the waning light. A few pokemon dropped to their knees in reverence.

Yveltal tucked in his wings and fluffed out his chest feathers. "I've called you all here because it would seem our enemy is planning to rise against us."

Silence washed over the courtyard. The deino stopped their rampaging to sniff the air, disturbed by the sudden change in the atmosphere.

A krookodile stood near the front shifted a large foot over the dry earth. "What makes you say that?"

"They're losing," a liepard added.

Yveltal's canines flashed in the moonlight. He opened his beak to speak, but Yurlik's raucous voice cut him off.

"Forgive me, my lord." The honchkrow paused to clear his throat, masking a flinch as Yveltal fixed an icy eye on him. "But we didn't see anything in the Border Woods. Just the occasional outlaw."

Ilana nodded. "They vanished before we could track them down. We have no idea where they're hiding."

"So you have no idea how many there are!" Yveltal growled.

"So… what makes you think they're moving against us?" Yurlik raised a wing in a weak shrug. "If they were, surely we'd have seen them by now?"

Yveltal's throat burned as darkness flooded up it. "Do you think I just pulled this delusion out of the air?! Do you think I'm merely paranoid?!" Dark energy leaked from between his teeth and Yurlik let out a flustered caw.

"No, my lord, I-"

"I can sense it, you useless bird!" Yveltal spat red and black flames.

The courtyard leapt into chaos as the deino rampaged back and forth. Yveltal opened his beak to ready his attack on Yurlik. The giant raven hopped back with a caw, almost losing his balance on his perch. Yveltal's attack spluttered out as something warm and scaly crashed into his leg, almost upending him off the stairs. He jerked his head towards it, spewing red and black darkness. A large deino became trapped in it and all the colour drained from his body. His life force flowed through Yveltal, warming his wings. He spread them with a sigh and took a step back.

"There." He took a long breath. "I feel much better."

Everyone had fallen silent, save for one deino who rushed towards the steps. All eyes were fixed on the statue or the rampaging deino racing towards Yveltal. The small dragon crashed into the stony rump of his brother, cracking the stone and bringing his rampage to an abrupt stop.

"Ouch!" The deino staggered backwards, shaking his head. He raised a paw gingerly to his sore snout. "Who put that wall there?"

Yveltal ignored him, raising his head to address the quaking gathering. "I hope I've made my point?"

Silence greeted him as a few more pokemon dropped to their knees. Then more. Krookodile, krokorok, weavile, pangoro, druddigon, haxorus… It was like a wave washing over the crowd.

A small smirk quirked the edges of Yveltal's beak, but it was fleeting. "Life in the Shadow Lands as you've known it is about to come to an abrupt end! If you want to continue your cushy lifestyle, I suggest you rally yourselves to face the oncoming army. Every second of training you've endured in your short lives will be put to the test! I want all of you to form into troops and spread out into the Border Woods! Greet our enemy and stop them before they reach the Shadow Lands!" Yveltal narrowed his eyes. "Have I made myself clear?"

A few nods and mutters of agreement came from the crowd. The krookodile who had addressed Yveltal earlier began motioning to the soldiers surrounding him and they peeled off from the group. Other higher ranking pokemon copied his stead but most remained standing before Yveltal, confusion and uncertainty on their faces.

Yveltal burned with anger and dark energy flickered between his teeth. "I said 'have I made myself clear?'!"

The group scattered, breaking apart into assassins, soldiers and thieves. Even the deino rallied themselves as they took off towards the lake.

Yveltal marched through the throng and spread his wings. "We leave in an hour! I want you all ready, or you'll be decorating the castle beside Hydreigon and that foolish deino. Now move!"

Unseen by Yveltal, Yurlik exchanged nervous glances with Ilana.

"Do you believe him?" Ilana voice wavered.

Yurlik snorted, masking his anxiety at managing to avoid being turned to stone. He had to force himself not to look at the frozen deino. "Do we have a choice?"

"We didn't see a thing out there." Ilana spread a wing towards the Border Woods. "Even if there was a battle, can we really win it? The Darkness' army isn't what it once was, is it?"

"Then let's just hope he's wrong." Yurlik ruffled his feathers and hopped from his perch to the roof. "Gather your birds, Ilana. Before you join that hapless deino down there."

Ilana huffed and turned from Yurlik. The two honchkrow cawed commands to their murkrow, rallying themselves for battle. A battle both of them hoped wouldn't come.

...

Cleo stood outside the ruin with the rest of her new allies. Mischief remained in the entrance to the ruin, but she could feel his eyes on her as she moved further into the clearing. It was teeming with so many pokemon that Hope had to lead the psychic-types out to expand their protective barrier. The kirlia had brought more pokemon to them as the sun finished setting, although it was difficult to say which were from the Fairy Garden. Many of them had the ability to fly, from familiar pokemon like pidgeot, swanna and talonflame, to those less familiar. Cleo found herself gazing at a tall green bird called a xatu, one she'd only seen in old drawings. A small dog-like creature with green wings for ears marched back and forth with some level of authority, motioning the pokemon she was leading. 'Shaymin', Faith had called her.

Warm fur brushed against Cleo's hip and she looked down at Harlequin. Enigma stood on the zorua's other side, his arms folded behind his head as he watched the pokemon mingling together.

Harlequin's sapphire eyes wandered over the clearing. "It's really something, huh?"

"You're telling me." Spark shifted on Cleo's shoulder. "It makes me feel like we stand a chance."

Despite Xerneas' words, Cleo couldn't shake the doubt weighing heavily in her chest. The war was all she'd known. She'd grown up in it. It had destroyed her home. She'd seen so much suffering working for the Outcasts Guild. Could it really just end after one large battle? She wanted to tell Xerneas how worried she was, but after his talk he'd moved on to visit the other armies gathering nearby.

"I'm pretty scared, if I'm honest." Harlequin shuffled her feet on the floor. "For so long I was fighting on the wrong side. Now… I'm fighting against what I used to stand for. I feel kind of unworthy."

"You're not alone there, Harle." Enigma closed his eyes as he chuckled, but the nervous air hovering around him made it clear his words were sincere.

Cleo let out a long breath, feeling herself relax slightly. "I think we're all scared."

"Yeah." Harlequin looked up at her and her tail wagged slowly. "Let's just focus on the end of this battle."

"All right!" Reshiram's loud voice cut over the chaos of voices. Silence rippled out across the clearing as all eyes turned to the white dragon and the hatterene stood beside him. "We're all here and more or less acquainted! Thank you for your assistance in this battle. Grace tells me that the Darkness is on its way towards the Border Woods. It is time for us to rise up against it!"

Cheers echoed across the clearing, and Cleo found her own voice rising with them.

"We'll need to cover ground quickly!" Reshiram barked. "We have enough fliers here to carry those who can't fly across the woods! Choose your wings!"

Pokemon broke away from their discussions to find a suitable flier, leaving a wide open space around Reshiram. 'I think we're all scared.' Nobody else looked afraid. They all seemed ready to go. Harlequin gave Cleo a quick nod and followed Enigma towards Ripwing. Cleo barely noticed, her attention fixed on Reshiram as he returned to his discussion with Grace. Cleo's paws moved towards the white dragon almost of their own accord.

"We need to find a flier, Cleo," Spark hissed in her ear.

"I know," Cleo replied. "I just want to quickly ask him something. I won't be long."

"But I had my eye on that big pidgeot." Spark turned her head back towards the large bird. "Aww dang! Someone beat us already."

Cleo muttered a half-hearted apology. Her heart was in her throat. She clasped the strap of her satchel to try and ground herself, to stop her mind from swirling. NyukNyuk hovered around Reshiram's legs, chattering to Faith. The pair looked up as Cleo approached them.

Faith's smile melted away at the worry on the meowstic's face. She opened her mouth to speak, but Reshiram raised his head as he spotted Cleo.

"Why hello there!" A grin split his long muzzle. "I'd be honoured to fly you, Cleo. My back is big enough for you, NyukNyuk and Faith."

"Oh thank goodness!" Spark sank with a sigh. Then she stood up again. "Wait… you mean me, too, right?"

Reshiram chuckled. "Of course!"

"Thank you, Reshiram." Cleo's tails twitched as she tried to summon the courage for her question. "That's not… well… I actually wanted to talk to you."

Reshiram's smile melted at the seriousness in Cleo's voice. He cast a glance to Grace who nodded and backed away.

"I'll go and find my wings. Silver said he'd be happy to carry me." She gave Cleo a friendly smile and moved silently away through the crowd.

Reshiram turned his warm eyes back onto Cleo. "What's wrong?"

"I'm just a… a little worried." Cleo straightened and took a steadying breath. "This war has been going on for centuries. How can it just end in one night?"

Reshiram stared down at her as he mulled over her question. Cleo felt NyukNyuk's little eyes on her as he shuffled beside Faith.

Spark shifted on Cleo's shoulder and placed a paw on her cheek. "That's been worryin' me, too. I keep thinkin' of when our homes were torched. That was years ago, and the Wildfires have done much more damage since, but Xerneas got rid of them, right?"

Cleo sighed, feeling a little lighter. "Yes. Yes, he did."

"I can understand you'd be worried," said Reshiram. "But Xerneas gave us his word we would win this battle, just like he gave you his word the Wildfires would be defeated. All wars have to end at some point."

"Fear is natural." Faith gave Cleo a small smile. "You've been through a lot, and seen some terrible things. And now you're being asked to help end this war once and for all." She folded her paws in front of her. "I admit I'm a little nervous myself! This is the biggest battle I'll ever be in, and hopefully it will be the last."

Cleo felt the weight lift from her shoulders and she smiled at her friends. "Thanks. It feels better knowing pokemon from the Fairy Garden feel the same."

A deep chuckle rose from Reshiram's throat. "Oh don't you worry about that! I'm practically quaking! But rest assured that Xerneas has prepared each and every one of us for this battle. Yveltal will not win."

NyukNyuk chattered at them. He folded his spectral arms and closed his eyes, drawing a giggle from Faith.

Reshiram wagged a claw at the little mimikyu. "That's a fib and you know it! I can tell when you're afraid, NyukNyuk. Your disguise gets all floppy."

NyukNyuk's torso rotated left and right as he shook his head in mock defiance.

Reshiram rolled his eyes and turned back to Cleo. "Like we were saying, fear is natural. But you'll have all of us beside you during the battle, don't you worry about that."

"Yeah," said Spark. "We'll show the Darkness what for!"

"Thank you." Despite the fog of doubt clearing from her mind, Cleo definitely still felt afraid. But being reminded her friends were with her made her feel a bit better. All of them. They'd all be there. Cleo's claws brushed her bare wrist as she absently went to toy with the bracelet. Something twigged in her mind as she recalled Reshiram's offer to fly her. "Reshiram? Will you have room for Mischief, too?"

She followed the dragon's gaze back to the ruin. Mischief hadn't moved from the opening, still gazing out at the gathered pokemon as he kept his distance. Cleo could make out the blue lights of his collar blinking from beneath his thick fur.

"Certainly!" Reshiram gave a small nod. "Whimsicott aren't exactly heavy pokemon."

"Great." Cleo smiled up at the dragon and stepped back. "I'll go and make sure he's ready."

As she turned from the white dragon, Spark spoke near her ear. "That worked out well! Kinda reassuring to know everyone else is scared, huh?"

"Yeah." Cleo resisted the urge to hug her arms around herself. She straightened her back and marched towards Mischief. "And pretty soon we'll all be flying into battle."

"Good thing we're good fighters then, eh?"

A smile spread across Cleo's muzzle and she raised a paw to give Spark a friendly nudge.

Mischief looked up at Cleo when she reached the ruin. He pushed himself back from the stone wall and gave her a nod. "Have you found a flier?"

"Reshiram has offered to carry us." Cleo stopped a short distance from him. "Are you ready?"

The whimsicott raised a paw to his collar and his eyes darkened. "Are you?"

Taking the hint, Cleo reached into her bag for the bracelet. Once it was snapped around her wrist Mischief let his paw drop to his side and relaxed. Cleo's heart clenched but she shrugged off the oncoming sadness and raised her head.

"Come on," she said. "Reshiram's waiting."

It wasn't long before everyone had found a partner to fly with. Voices still filled the clearing as the various groups talked over their battle strategy. Cleo stood by Reshiram's side with her allies. Her paws turned clammy with anxiety and her heart sounded in her ears, but there was no turning back now. She didn't want to turn back. She'd fought in this war for years. She'd even given up hope they'd ever win. Now, there was hope. A light in the darkness. One that was spreading, shining through every single pokemon gathered in that small clearing.

"Are we ready?" Reshiram's low voice spoke near her head.

Cleo turned to meet the dragon's warm, blue eyes and nodded. "I'm ready."

"Me too." Spark hopped onto Reshiram's nose and scampered down his neck.

The dragon laughed and lowered himself to the floor. "Then all of you climb on board!"

Cleo grabbed Reshiram's feathers and hoisted herself onto his back. Mischief clambered up behind her and offered a paw to Faith. As Reshiram straightened, NyukNyuk appeared on his head. The little mimikyu slid down his neck to land in Cleo's lap. His little eyes sparkled up at her and she returned his smile, hugging him into her as Reshiram moved through the clearing.

"Everyone, listen!" Reshiram barked. "Once you are all settled on board your fliers, or ready to be carried, we will move out! I'll take the lead. Everyone fall behind me and brace yourselves for a battle like you've never fought before!"

Cheers exploded through the clearing. Cleo's heart lurched as Reshiram turned on the spot and spread his wings. Her stomach flipped as he launched himself into the air. The canopy fell around them as the dragon rose above it. He stopped a few feet above the trees and Cleo finally caught her breath.

Flying pokemon swarmed behind him. Tinker riding astride Starshine. Ripwing with Mint, Enigma and Harlequin on his back. Vibrato with Gemly perched on his shoulders, dwarfed by Tantrum sat behind him. The flygon held Razorclaw in his claws, who looked less than comfortable with the situation. But among them were close to a hundred pokemon she didn't recognise. And more of them would be joining them in the battle.

A glossy corviknight drew close to Reshiram's side, his armour gleaming in the low light. A few small pokemon sat on his back, while Grace hung from his talons.

The hatterene met Reshiram's gaze and nodded. "We're all ready."

Reshiram nodded in return and opened his jaws wide. A war cry sounded like thunder in the air, echoed by the pokemon around him. The white dragon's tail ignited with a deep roar and he beat his wings, leading the army over the Border Woods.

Cleo hugged NyukNyuk into her stomach, her eyes wide as they fixed on the horizon. "Spark?"

The dedenne shifted on her shoulder to look at her. "Yeah?" Her voice wavered.

"You see it too?" Cleo stared at the sky ahead of them.

The sun had set, yet it was still a deep red, as if stained by blood. Black clouds smudged across it, blocking out the stars.

"Red and black." Spark took in a trembling breath as she echoed Cleo's frightening thoughts. "Just like Yveltal's wings."

...

A stream of fire flew from Reshiram's mouth, meeting the ice thrown at them from the weavile. It fizzled into mist before washing over the weasel pokemon. They dropped from the trees like ripe fruit to vanish through the canopy, clearing a path for the other fliers to get through safely.

It hadn't taken long for Xerneas' army to meet the opposing forces of the Darkness. They'd been quick to leap into the trees to try and stop Reshiram and the others from reaching the Shadow Lands. Spark stood on Reshiram's head with NyukNyuk, the pair of them fighting back against their aerial foes.

Murkrow zipped back and forth overhead, their abrasive cries echoing over the canopy as they relayed the battle to their leader. They kept out of harm's way, swerving to avoid any attacks thrown at them. Cleo's disarming voice couldn't reach them so high up, and even Spark's electricity fizzled out before it reached their wings. A streak of ice parted the flock and they cawed defiance, rising higher to avoid any further assault. Two large blue falcons drifted past Reshiram, their long tails streaming behind them. Articuno. Cleo had only heard of them in stories, and no one had claimed to have seen one in decades. They carried little white bears on their backs, creating icy clouds around them and the articuno, masking them from view.

Starshine's fluffy white wings flickered in and out of Cleo's peripheral vision as he soared alongside her. He let out a loud scream, blowing back a swarm of noibat as they exploded from the leaves. Most of them struck the ground hard, but a few swerved out of the way of his attack to claw at Tinker. The riolu yelped and clutched onto Starshine's feathers as the altaria flipped upside down to take out the pesky bats. Cleo's ears opened as she launched a disarming voice. The pink light exploded against the body of one of the bats, striking it in the back. It screeched as it lost control of its wings and plummeted to the ground.

Once upright, Tinker gave Cleo a nod. "Thanks."

Cleo turned her attention back on the path head. Below them, paws thudded over the undergrowth. She could just make out the lithe forms of a pack of liepard, their green eyes flashing up at them as they gave chase. No doubt they were waiting for the army to land so they could pounce.

Spark had noticed the pursuers from her perch on Reshiram's head. She looked up at her friends. "They're givin' a pretty good chase. Do we take 'em out now?"

"We'll deal with them when we land," said Reshiram. "Right now we need to focus on reaching the Shadow Lands. Taking out Yveltal is our top priority."

The Shadow Mountains loomed closer, like sentinels watching over the dark grounds at their base. Branches whipped Cleo's face as Reshiram swerved aside to avoid a dragon pulse. The purple fire licked the budding leaves of the tree, scorching them into ash. The culprit appeared from the canopy. A noivern, his muzzle split in a wicked sneer. Another dragon pulse flickered out from his jaws, skimming Reshiram's head feathers. Spark ducked, and the attack washed over NyukNyuk as he reared up behind her. The mimikyu's spectral arms flashed out from beneath his disguise and tossed two shadow balls, one after the other. The first struck the noivern in the chest. As he keeled back from the impact the second struck him in the muzzle and he spiralled down towards the woodland floor.

"Thanks little one!" Reshiram cheered.

"Nyuk nyuk nyuk!" The mimikyu twirled, turning his back to Spark.

Reshiram swerved back on course. Beside them, attacks flashed back and forth as the Darkness tried to keep them at bay. The murkrow still remained high above them, relaying their movements back to their hidden leader. Yurlik, or Yveltal? Dread flooded Cleo's body and she clutched tighter to Reshiram's feathers.

"We're almost there!" Reshiram told his passengers. "When you see the Shadow Lands, prepare to disembark! We'll be continuing this battle on the ground."

Cleo nodded and opened her mouth to speak, but a flash of blue caught her eye. The noivern exploded back through the trees, twirling in the air with his claws. NyukNyuk ducked the first swipe, but the noivern's tail swung back towards him, whipping up a blade of air that struck him across the back. The tiny ghost went flying from Reshiram's head, his panicked scream stunning Cleo's ears.

"NyukNyuk!" Reshiram roared.

He turned to dart down towards the tiny ghost, but Cleo caught NyukNyuk in her psychic before he reached the topmost branches. Electricity lit up the sky as Spark stunned the noivern with a thunderbolt. The dragon roared, his limbs spasming and jerking as he dropped from the sky like a rock.

Cleo met Tinker's gaze as he pulled up on Starshine.

"Are you all okay?" the riolu asked.

Cleo lifted NyukNyuk gently towards her. "We're fine. I- Ahh!"

Talons scraped at her ears as the murkrow finally descended upon them. Tinker's eyes widened and Starshine turned, opening his beak.

"Don't!" Tinker barked, freezing the altaria. "You'll hit Cleo, too!"

The murkrow swooped back and forth like tiny darts, their claws swiping at Cleo's eyes. Faith's horn swung over her head, plucking the birds from the air, but they fell on Cleo in full force. She raised her paws in a weak attempt to defend herself, straining to keep NyukNyuk safely in her psychic. Reshiram swerved in a bid to lose them, and Cleo almost lost her balance. Electricity dazzled her hampered vision and black feathers fell around her as the murkrow screeched in protest. Pain exploded through her head as a sharp beak clamped around her exposed ear. Her psychic spluttered out and NyukNyuk's terrified scream almost deafened her.

Pink light lit up the sky and the murkrow fell back. Mischief leaned towards her, trying to catch her eye, but Cleo's wide-eyed stare was on the falling mimikyu.

Starshine swooped down like a bullet, his claws outstretched, leaving tufts of fluffy feathers on the bare branches. His claws snagged NyukNyuk's costume and locked in place, then the altaria swerved back up towards his allies. Tinker leaned over the dragon's side and grabbed NyukNyuk around the waist. He hoisted him up into his lap and let out a long breath.

Cleo almost sank back against Mischief, but the resistance from her bracelet pushed her back. She looked over at Tinker who gave her a reassuring nod. NyukNyuk trembled in his lap, but his eyes sparkled with grateful humour. He raised a spectral paw to wave at Reshiram and chattered something in his native tongue.

Reshiram let out a breath that misted in the air. "Thank goodness. Thank you, Tinker." He turned back towards the Shadow Lands. "Everyone, press on harder! They won't make this easy for us!"

Cries of agreement spread out around them, and Cleo turned her attention back on their target. She raised a paw to her throbbing ear and it came away bloody. Fear pulsed through her body. She could still use her attacks, but it wouldn't be easy.

"Here." Faith leaned past Mischief and set a sitrus berry in Cleo's lap. "It will help."

Cleo thanked the mawile and tore into the berry, holding a chunk of it to her ear. Reshiram swerved towards the ground, flames streaming from his mouth. Liepard and poochyena scattered, desperate to avoid a thorough torching. Heat licked up around Cleo as Reshiram skimmed the flames. The cries of those unfortunate enough to be caught in the flames filled the air, causing fear-fuelled adrenaline to pulse through Cleo's body.

Were they ready for this? Would any of Hydreigon's followers be drawn away from the Darkness? Cleo swallowed around a thick lump in her throat and looked up as red eyes flashed from the eerie sky. A slender honchkrow zipped down towards them, a neat formation of murkrow streaming behind her. Their beaks gaped wide with war cries and their talons glinted in the firelight as they reached towards their prey.

Cleo didn't think twice. Flinching at the pain in her ear she yelled and pink light pulsed towards them. Electricity joined her attack and, at a quick cry from the honchkrow, the murkrow parted. Ilana swerved over Cleo's attack and darted down towards her. She closed her eyes, bracing herself for an assault that never came. A loud cry of pain came from behind her and she jerked her head towards Mischief. The whimsicott fought the murkrow free, blood streaming from his shoulder. Surprise shone in Ilana's eyes as Mischief jerked her wing down and away from him. The honchkrow fell towards the floor, flailing as she fought to right herself. Cleo didn't see if she managed it as she was soon a speck in the distance as Reshiram continued zooming towards the Shadow Lands.

Cleo met Mischief's gaze and placed the remains of the sitrus berry near his lap. "Are you okay?"

He took the fruit gratefully and gave a stiff nod before gingerly applying it to his shoulder. The wound was already closing up.

Faith's violet eyes looked up from behind him and Cleo thought she saw fear in them for a moment. "We're here."

Cleo turned back to look towards the Shadow Lands. Hydreigon's castle loomed towards them, a towering mass of black stone and curving thorns. Even though she'd seen it only a couple of days before, it still sent a wave of anxiety through her. Just a building, sure, but one that radiated a lot of evil.

Pokemon swarmed beneath them, aiming their attacks at the flying army descending on the Shadow Lands. Flames spewed from gaping jaws in a blaze of purple, red and orange. Black energy pulsed up towards them from an army of poochyena and their alpha leader. Reshiram swerved to avoid a dark pulse, searching for a spot to land. His body jerked as his feet touched the dusty earth. Flames spewed from his mouth, scattering the pack of black, shaggy dogs. Reshiram extinguished the flames in his tail and turned to face the army of dragons rushing towards them. Druddigon led the fray, followed by a haxorus and his colony of fraxure and axew. Cleo didn't have time to take them all in.

"I can't get close enough. We continue this on the ground," Reshiram told his passengers. "Quickly! To the castle! Join Xerneas, don't let Yveltal get away! He'll take this battle into the mountains if he can!" More flames cut off his words, blackening the earth before the oncoming dragons. He then turned back towards the barking mighteyena as he led his pack back towards them.

Cleo slid from Reshiram's back, joined by Mischief and Faith. Spark landed on the ground ahead of her and the sky lit up with electricity. It danced over the dragons' scales, slowing them for a heartbeat. It was enough time to allow Faith to switch into her mega form, the sound of shattered glass sounded above the roars and battle cries from their enemy.

Faith twirled into the fray, striking out with her dual horns. One caught a druddigon square under the chin and his head snapped back with a sickening crack. He crumpled to the floor, vanishing under the feet of his allies. Some stumbled in a bid to avoid him, finding themselves caught in Faith's attack.

Cleo rushed in with a disarming voice, keeping her paws up and claws out. Fear thudded through her chest as the chaos of rampaging bodies and bloodthirsty cries spread out around her. Huge feet trampled the exhausted ground as the large dragons tried to avoid Faith's swinging horns. Claws scraped at Cleo's hide and she screamed, a disarming voice blinding the assailing pokemon before she could process what it was.

Shadows blocked out the weak light as Xerneas' flying soldiers remained in the air, lashing out with beak and talon to deal with their aerial foes. Screeches and roars sounded like thunder above them, and the Shadow Lands lit up with pink fairy light, lightning and dragon fire, casting erratic, strobing shadows. Cleo kept her eyes on Faith, ducking attacks as she fought back with ones of her own through the pack of vicious dragons. She could just make out a gardevoir and her allies as they joined Faith, blowing back the larger Haxorus with a dazzling gleam. Cleo felt her heart lift as she saw the path clear for a moment. With renewed vigour, she picked up her pace, screaming her disarming voice at the larger scaly pokemon.

They had one goal. Get to the front of the battle and stop Yveltal. With Mischief behind her, Cleo fought her way through the melee of fangs and claws to meet Xerneas before Hydreigon's castle.

...

Thanks for reading! =D