Hello all.
Many thanks to lupyne, Xaniagal, Shadow Blues and NinjaSheik for their kind reviews, as well as all readers for their support.
Also, lupyne is correct.
Cryptic remarks aside, I hope you will continue to enjoy this fic. It draws to a close, with the final chapter set to be published mid-week. Thank you once again for your support.
hawk
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Remembrance – Chapter Six
A large Primid struck Lucario on his back, dropping the Aura Pokémon to all fours. Lucario kicked out with his hindpaw, connecting squarely with the Primid's torso, sending it staggering backwards, burning with blue fire. Lucario remained on all fours, looking up at the victorious Tabuu, who was once again slowly spreading out his multicoloured wings... What?
Looking wildly around, Lucario saw that much of his Army was decimated. The stronger commanders of his Army, though they had put up a mighty struggle and had severly injured several Smashers, were scattered and few. The large Primid Lucario had just kicked attempted to punch him again, but suddenly found itself staring at the barrel of Snake's rocket launcher.
Lucario leapt up, and twirled around wildly to see Snake dusting his hands, his rocket launcher by his side. Take cover! Lucario barked at him, then spun around to face the rest of the battlefield, where Smashers and Assist Trophies were either trying to recover from their injuries or were engaged in skirmishes with the remaining Primids. Take cover! Tab –
It was that exact moment which Tabuu chose to release his newly revived Off Waves, this time directed at the exhausted group of Smashers. His wings beat once, and a strong blast of air once again beat down upon them, before Lucario could open his eyes a crack to see the advancing deadly energy surges. It took all of his previous combat experience and agility to be able to even dodge one, but Lucario somehow managed to evade two of the blasts by expertly twisting uncomfortably in the air and simultaneously using an intact Primid body to shield off the blasts' effects.
Unfortunately the Primid body was no more than the inferior impromptu shield it was, and Lucario's red eyes widened as he saw – and more so, felt – the third and final energy wave surge into his limbs. Numbness shot through his entire body from his torso, followed an instant later by excruciating pain, forcing him to involuntarily drop the Primid. Augh! Lucario bit his lower jaw, biting back an urge to yelp, even as the shockwave dragged him backwards, his hindpaws scoring grooves in the Hall flooring. He was blown back for a distance before eventually being knocked off his hindpaws, toppling over backwards.
After a few seconds, Lucario groaned softly, then flitted his eyes open. Groggily, he sat up, surveying his surroundings. Suddenly he jumped up, fully alert, although the action caused fresh pain to course through his limbs and tail. The Hall – if it was not sufficiently thrashed before – was now utterly devastated, deep gashes marking the once-proud flooring, debris scattered everywhere. But even more disturbing were the limp bodies of fighters scattered across the Hall – Smashers, Assist Trophies, and Primids alike. The unsettling figure of Crazy Hand rested in the far corner, unmoving. The Primids were already dissolving into Shadow Bugs, little pools of bubbling purple. Tabuu had ignored his Army, and had caught the entire population of Smashers in one deadly stroke.
Lucario staggered, partially due to pain and shock. He closed his eyes, willing his Aura vision to take over, hoping to see at least some who had held on to their Aura – who had survived. The Hall was a picture of desolation and destruction, but even through that Lucario noted that almost all – no, all – Smashers and Assist Trophies were alive.
Lucario blinked. They were alive, but were indeed not well. Many Smashers were clinging on to only a shred of their original Aura. The Ice Climbers had clung to each other, now lying unconscious on the floor, and Peach's destroyed umbrella was open some distance away from her unmoving body, both of them breathing shallowly. Lucario realised that if left alone, the little Aura they had would simply dissipate, leaving them lifeless.
And even before that, Tabuu would probably kill them off – now. Lucario noted grimly.
Suddenly, Lucario was broken out of his contemplation by an odd high-pitched whine. Startled, he reverted to his normal vision. Upon looking up, Lucario saw Tabuu and a dragon-shaped cannon suspended next to him, pointing directly at the blue-furred Smasher. Looking wildly around, he realised he was the only one standing up – which translated to being the only target.
Is this not overkill? yelped Lucario. Tabuu did not respond, but the cannon began to glow an uncomfortable whitish-blue, a whitish ball of flame growing in its mouth. With his previous experience, Lucario knew that running would never do – Tabuu's cannon was more than able to move if needed, and his evasive tactics could at best buy him a bit of time. Furthermore, there was the question of the rest of the fighters...
In a second, Lucario had made his decision. It pained him somewhat, but he could not think of a better tactical situation – and he knew he would want to do what had to be done. Hm. Lucario quietly thought to himself. Aaron-sama, please help me.
Aura Storm. Lucario's most powerful attack in Brawl, according to its physics. Lucario found it easy to conjure – he would initially prepare an Aura Sphere, and then continually fire a large burst of Aura through it. Drawing from his own Aura, Lucario could sustain multiple Aura-based attacks, and many years of discipline and training would well able him to channel such a powerful attack as Aura Storm.
Brawl only allowed him to sustain the attack for a little less than ten seconds, but Lucario knew he could hold out for much more. The question was therefore, how much longer?
Lucario stepped backwards, one hindpaw behind the other. Pulling his forepaws back, he opened his eyes to glance once more around at the Hall. All around him the scene reeked of carnage and destruction, and above him Tabuu's cannon glowered menacingly, and small pieces of debris floated in the air. He closed his eyes, reminded himself of his duty, a small smile playing on his lips.
A small Aura Sphere flickered into existence between his paws, steadily growing greater. Lucario's eyes sprung open, scarlet fire burning in his eyes, as he brought his paws forward, the Aura Sphere glowing with a different hue. As Tabuu's cannon fired with a deep roar, Lucario yelled, the pillar of Aura pouring forth; twin beams of light meeting each other squarely in the middle of the hall, exploding in a globe of smoke and fire.
Lucario closed his eyes once again, his Aura vision taking over and bathing his vision in a blue mist. He saw the strident blast of Aura from Aura Storm, and also flickering Auras of the fighters about him. Around his entire body, a large sphere slowly enveloped him, shimmering a blue tint, and gradually expanded outwards.
The sphere expanded outwards, sinking into the ground. It grew faster, spreading from its centre at Lucario, and was big enough to just touch the leg of Meta Knight, whose limp body was sprawled nearby.
Aagh! Lucario did not hold back a telepathic yell, screwing his eyes shut as his head jerked forward, the Aura Filters at the back trembling slightly in their suspended position. He felt his Aura exploding through every part of his fur, expanding and ebbing as it flowed towards Meta Knight. The little Star Warrior's Aura flickered for a second, then suddenly ignited in a burst of blue flame, growing steadily stronger as Lucario continued to feed his Aura to him.
One down, many more to go, Lucario gritted his fangs, his eyes screwed shut in determination.
The sphere expanded even bigger, swallowing up Meta Knight, then hungrily reaching for the next Smasher. And the next. And the next. Lucario growled and winced with each one, his Aura swirling about him in a large whirpool before parts of it broke off and was directed to the unconscious Smashers. From Lucario's Aura vision, the saw it as a whirling band of pale white right in front of his eyes, and in the background Smashers' and Assist Trophies' Aura flickered and burst into view like geysers.
Not only did he have to contend with massive amounts of Aura leaving him like that, Tabuu's cannon was still firing directly at Lucario. His Aura Storm currently held that at bay, but with each passing second, Lucario's reserves of Aura were being eaten into. Seemingly sensing this, Tabuu increased the intensity of his cannon blast, pushing Lucario's Aura Storm further back, Lucario himself digging in his hindpaws to prevent getting knocked backwards.
Lucario poked his head, then his forepaws, allowing them to dangle before quickly gripping Kirby's pudgy face and pushing his entire body out of Kirby's mouth. Holding Kirby – who was still happily waving to Lucario – between his paws, he questioned King Dedede. How do you stop him from doing that? "Don't feed him." From then on, Lucario tossed his Oran berries at Kirby instead, but Kirby didn't seem to mind.
Lucario winced, biting his lower jaw harder. The salty taste of blood lingered a little, a small rivulet of the liquid slowly making its way down Lucario's chin. Although most fighters only required a small amount of Aura, some had suffered the full blast of Tabuu's Off Waves, and in any case imparting Aura to so many would take its toll on even the most experienced Aura manipulators. The sphere shimmered a little, nearly winking out of existence, but continued its slow expansion outward.
Snake and Lucario had first met each other opposite their rooms. Lucario struck Snake as being rather a lone wolf, and Lucario discerned that Snake was primarily concerned about his privacy. Nevertheless, the two struck up a silent but strong friendship, if only if was due to Snake's Cypher malfunctioning mid-brawl, forcing Lucario to catch him in his forepaws.
Tabuu's Aura darkened, annoyance evident. The intensity of the blast increased further, and Lucario's forepaws trembled at its extra power, Aura Storm slowly being pushed back, meeting the cannon-blast in a shower of sparks. Lucario felt sharp stabs of pain in his paws and torso, the throbbing sting spreading up his body from his forepaws to the tip of his ears.
Lucario had almost completed his mission, but his failing Aura vision picked out one stray individual at the edge of the Hall. His Blaster had fallen away from him as he had crumpled onto the floor, his green eyepiece crushed and broken by his head.
Just a week back, Lucario was challenged to a friendly brawl by Fox. The two combatants were rather equally matched, Fox matching Lucario's every kick and pummel, and Lucario countering each shot of Fox's Blaster. The climax of the brawl was the appearance of the Smash Ball in the dying seconds of the Brawl – Lucario had obtained it and proceeded to use it to utterly defeat Fox by blasting the pilot off the stage in a magnificent pillar of Aura, just before Master Hand announced Game!
Pushing himself to his limit, Lucario willed his Aura to flow towards the Start Fox pilot, his sphere expanding obediently as the Aura started to ebb towards Fox. At the same time, spasms of pain wracked his body, his fur felt as if it was set on fire, jolting his red eyes open.
His mouth opened to yelp, but no sound came out as Tabuu's cannon finally pushed back Aura Storm, connecting with Lucario, consuming him in its wake.