Chapter 18

The Heaven's Winds

The sudden news added a desperate urgency to their task. The television was already full of reports of strange cases.

One station showed a helicopter's zoomed in view of several human-shaped creatures getting forcefully herded into vehicles. "The reports are coming in from all over the globe," the announcer said from the background. "Several people displaying Pokemon characteristics have already been moved to research facilities. We also just received word that one Pokemon showing unusually human characteristics was also discovered. We will have more on this situation as it develops."

Another station. "People are panicking in the streets of almost every major city. We don't really know what's causing this phenomenon, but as it continues to grow, the panic grows with it. Global stocks have already taken a 75 percent drop within the last several hours. Some cities have declared martial law, but it isn't stopping the…"

Wasser picked up the remote and shut off the TV. "Why are we just sitting here? We should be out doing something?"

"And what do you expect us to do?" Brawn asked from the next seat. "We still don't know what we need to do." He resettled back, putting his mind back into meditation mode.

Wasser sat back. "We should still be doing something."

Sam stepped out of the bathroom and around them. When just thinking hadn't worked, she'd taken a shower, which was one activity that she enjoyed as a human.

Luca was leaning over the balcony rail when she opened the glass door. Beyond, the city glowed brightly. Several nearby clubs could be heard dancing into the night. There was a slight chill in the air that surprised Sam.

He looked over as she stepped out. When she joined him at the rail, he wrapped one arm around her shoulders. She leaned into the contact, letting herself relax. A tingling sensation moved across her arm. Fur was growing from his shoulder. She looked up at him curiously. "It's a bit cold out here," he said simply as he finished changing. Sam rather liked his new look.

She snuggled back into his fur, leaning her head across his shoulder. "Oh, Feuer…" She took a sudden gasp a second later, pulling away from him slightly.

His eyes moved down to hers. He was surprised, that was obviously. But she could also see the hidden hurt. "I'm sorry."

His arm fell slightly. He reset his face. "It's fine." He was trying to hide it, but she could see how she had cut him. "I know you still miss him."

"No, this has to be said." She leaned away from the balcony and turned to him, forcing him to face her as well. "No matter how much I love him, I still love you. And right now, you are the one that I want to always be with."

A smile came to his face. "I know." He kissed her forehead gently. "You don't have to explain anything." He leaned in to kiss her again, but this time he came lower, towards her lips.

Before, she would have moved away from such a motion. But now she let him come to her, relishing the tingling as their lips pressed together. She unconsciously moved her other arm around him, pulling him tighter, closer. The moment turned into a seeming eternity of bliss.

And then he pulled away, looking back into her eyes. "Don't think that I will ever let you go."

She couldn't believe how relieved she was to hear those words. Everything was great. No, it was better than great. Everything was perfect.

His eyes shifted out to the sky. "Hey, look at that."

She followed her pointing finger into the distance, out into the sky over the sea. The sky, once containing only the moon and a few of the brightest stars, was now filled with a flowing green light. The sight took her breath away. "What is it?"

"It's an aurora. Radiation from the sun burns in the atmosphere, creating a green light."

"It's beautiful." The light looked like ripples, flowing and shifting. The light reflected off of the ocean, creating a surrealistic landscape of pure light. "It almost looks like…" She paused, the words suddenly firing off in her brain. "Like wind."

He looked down at her, making the connection himself. "The Heaven's Winds." He dropped back, sticking his head in the doorway. "Guys, she found it." Wasser and Braun jumped up, cramming out onto the balcony.

Braun understood instantly. "Of course. Solar winds. That was what Mew meant."

"Oh, of course," Wasser added, obliviously nodding his head. "Why didn't we think of that sooner?"

"'Shout you're name to the Heaven's Winds'," Luca quoted. "LUCA!"

They waited several seconds. Nothing.

Wasser looked around. "Should something happen?"

"I AM BRAUN!" Still nothing.

"Why isn't it working?"

"That's not she meant." They all turned to Sam. "I can't explain it, but Mew didn't mean that type of name."

"Then what did she mean?" Wasser pleaded.

She thought for a moment and looked back upward, letting her gaze become lost in the light. "SHAIYA!" A sudden wind rushed over her, nearly pushing her back against the wall. She gasped as she clung to the railing. The light above spread, coming closer. Somewhere amidst the wind, a loud roar cried out, carried by the air. She looked up through wind-pulled tears towards the sky. A dark shaped was snaking towards her from the sky. It grew in practically an instant and the wind died to almost nothing.

The wind now gone, she stood up straight, staring over the creature before her. It was long and snake-like, completely green with yellow markings. Two small hands protruded from its side. Its head was diamond-shaped, with slits holding bright yellow eyes. Its mouth was open slightly, showing two sharp teeth. It looked over her once and bowed its head. "Greetings, Shaiya. I am Rayquaza, Guardian of the Sky."

She fell silent for a moment, lost by his sheer size. Compared to him, she seemed insignificant.

"Speak your business."

She blinked, getting her thoughts straight. "I come for Arcius. I must go to the Void and stop Eldryn."

Rayquaza nodded. "You have a difficult path. The place known as the Void does not follow the laws of our world. It is a place created entirely by wills. And no will is stronger there then Eldryn's. You and your companions will not be enough to stop him. This will help you." He pulled his head back, letting out a roar to the sky. The yellow markings on his body glowed brightly, and then the light focused down towards his head. The roar became quieter with the light, focusing just in front of his mouth. With a small burst, a horn appeared in the space over his nose. When he lowered his head, it followed, staying only a few inches from the tip of his snout.

She reached out when he presented it to her. It was a horn that looked like Rayquaza with a single loop. She took it gently. It was practically weightless.

"Blow this horn and you shall call all of the earth's guardians and titans to your aid."

She held it up, putting it to her lips.

"But be warned. Whoever blows the horn must willingly give up their life or the horn will not work."

Sam suddenly thought better of it and let her arms drop. So that was the deal. Use the horn, sacrifice herself, and save the world or doom them all. Could she make that choice? She didn't want to die. But what would happen to Braun? Or Wasser? Or Luca?

"When you have attuned your heart to your friends, the portal will open. I wish you luck."

The wind suddenly blew again, this time in the other direction. Rayquaza roared as he flew back up into the sky and the light dimmed. With a sudden flash it was all gone.

Sam practically fell back against the wall, panting. Luca jumped back and caught her. "Sam. Are you ok?"

She blinked, clearing fresh tears from her eyes. "Yeah. I'm fine." She moved her hand to push herself up and heard something slid against the wall. Her hand was still clutching the horn.

"Where did that come from?"

"Rayquaza gave it to me."

"You saw him?"

"I missed him?!" Wasser screamed. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me!"

She shifted her gaze from one to the other. "You didn't see him?" They were all dead serious. "There was a wind and lights and…" Their faces didn't shift in the slightest. "I know how to go to the Void." She pushed herself straight, out of Luca's supporting arms. "It's just a will type of thing. We imagine opening the portal and it just happens."

"It can't be that simple," Braun said.

"I know it sounds ridiculous, but that's what Rayquaza said."

"Ok. Fine." Wasser stepped back, sticking a hand out towards the wall. "Open sesame!" The space stilled, but nothing happened. "Well that's not it."

"No, not like that. We have to do it together." To be honest, she didn't completely understand it herself.

They stepped back, forming a sort of square at one end of the balcony facing the wall. "Now focus." She put her eyes on the wall. Rayquaza said that the Void was a place of wills, so she tried to simply will the wall to open, imagining the others doing the same.

To her incredibly surprise, the wall slowly began to ripple. It rippled outward, a dark spot appearing in the middle and slowly opening. The others seemed just as surprised as she was. But before they could move, the hole shot outward, swallowing them.

Everything was dark. Sam couldn't feel anything: no cold, no air, no ground. The others were floating next to her, looking around at nothing. "It actually worked," Wasser said with a laugh.

"Persistent girl," a voice called out from all directions. It was a voice she recognized by the shiver traveling down her spine. "Your courage shall become your death."

A/N: What a closing line. I realize some parts of this chapter seemed pretty cheesy, but deal with it. It's not that easy to write that type of concept without consequences.

We're getting close. You'd have to be an idiot to leave now.