DISCLAIMER: SLYBILL OWNS POKéMON. PSYCH! IF I DID, THERE'D HAVE BEEN TRAGIC DEATHS BY NOW!
Castrum De Glacies.
"Seven minutes and twenty-two seconds left."
"Surprised you managed to last this long!" Draco sneered, aiming a kick to Lightning's chest. Blocking it, the blonde raised his free, lightning-charged hand and made a grab at his opponent though Draco simply avoided it, grabbed his hand and sent him through another pillar. "Give it up, cowboy. Even with your new power you still can't beat me."
"You never know till you try-de arimasu," he replied before suddenly hacking up blood.
"Pitiful," Draco hissed and clenched a fist. "Your body's already hit its limit after my mere scratches? Then you'd better be thankful you've got those gloves healing you. Otherwise, you'd be dead by now."
In spite of his state, Lightning smirked and drew to his feet again. "That'd be a crying shame, partner. Ghetsis'll be real mad if I died wouldn't he?"
"I don't see how a weakling like you appeared eligible to him!" Draco snapped, already behind him with his golden talons barred. Lightning quickly spun and blocked one hand with his sword before blocking the other with his free hand, drawing a sharp breath as the talons tore into his skin like paper. Raising his foot, the boy kicked Draco back and slashed at him, tearing his side and delivering bolts of electricity through the wound before it could close up.
"I wonder too at times-de arimasu," he remarked to himself and used his other hand to grab Draco's collar and shove him to the wall. "Now listen, Draco. We're going nowhere fast and it's obvious you could just end up really losing it and killing me if we drag this fight out. Listen to reason already! Those memories of yours, their real-de arimasu! Only goes to show that you're more human than you deny yourself to be-de arimasu!"
"Shut the hell up!" Draco roared and grabbed his face before smashing Lightning head-first into the ground, cratering it. The restraints in his actions were already waning and Lightning could feel the animalistic fury virtually oozing from the young man's frame. "Stop talking to me like we're best friends! Are you looking for death by provoking me even further?!"
"Of course not!" Lightning retorted, drawing his foot back and booting Draco in the chest. Before the latter could recover, Lightning had sprung up again and he was now on the offensive, slashing at Draco with a restrained fury of his own. "Only a blind person wouldn't tell what I'm trying to do! I wanna free you from this madness, Draco! I wanna save you-"
Draco stopped Lightning's blade with his bare hand, surprising the blonde as he willingly received a nasty gash and shock. Fingers curled around the sharp edge, the knight ignored the sparks in his damaged hand and stared at Lightning with a surprised expression on his features.
"Save…me?" he asked.
"Duh! You're freaking innocent, Draco! You just can't remember your past life-de arimasu!"
Blood dribbled freely down Draco's hand as he continues to stare at the blonde, utterly dumbfounded.
Then he grinned madly.
"Hehe, you're insane," he muttered and without so much as a grunt, snapped Lightning's sword in half. Extending a hand sharply, he grabbed him by the neck before raising him high while giggling madly. "You've completely lost it haven't you? Save me, you say? From what? The madness? The rage? The envy? The fear?"
"From yourself-de arimasu," Lightning growled through gritted teeth, struggling to pry Draco's hand off his throat. Before he could, he was slammed on his back and Draco pinned him to the floor with his foot before raising a hand, sporting a crackling ball of shadowy energy.
"Hilarious," Draco remarked coldly and was about dropping the ball when Lightning grabbed the broken half of his sword nearby and stabbed him in the leg.
"Dragon-de arimasu!" he cried quickly and from behind, three white spheres of energy came hurtling towards Draco who deflected the first, dodged the second and dissipated the third with a tentacle. However, a fourth one appeared from nowhere and got him in the back, pushing him off Lightning and a good distance away.
Annoyed, the man focused on the source and was surprised to spot a golden glint in the darkness. "Hmph. Like déjà vu all over again."
Lightning's Haxorus roared and brandished his lone tusk at the man while standing protectively over his rising trainer.
"Nice one-de arimasu," the blonde remarked and took out another sword made out of Haxorus's other tusk, courtesy of Vann.
"Coward. I thought this was one on one," Draco hissed.
"You obviously won't listen to anything I say anymore so I'll just beat the sense into you with my partners. It's what we trainers do-de arimasu," Lightning replied, getting into a stance. "And if you still won't turn after that then I'm knocking you out and taking you to someplace where we can fix you-de arimasu!"
"Go ahead and try!" the man laughed darkly and released his six tentacles. "I'll simply rip your pokémon apart like I did to Drayden's Haxorus!"
"Let's go, Haxorus! Dragon Tail!" Lightning barked.
Nodding, Haxorus leapt into the air with his tail aglow and Draco put up his tentacles to block it before cursing to himself as Lightning appeared beside him with his charged sword. Draco blocked it but his concentration had dropped and he received a hard blow to the head that'd have surely lopped it off had Haxorus been aiming to kill. Not giving him time to rest, the duo repeatedly slashed, hacked, shocked and slammed into him before the knight finally got fed up and released a Dark Pulse that blew both Lightning and his Haxorus into the air. However, the trainer simply spun and executed a mid-air electric-dropkick which Draco had to use all six tentacles to block again though he cursed once more as Haxorus came down on him with a Giga Impact.
"Dammit! You're so annoying!" the knight screamed, letting his tentacles fly at them. What surprised him was the lightning-fast speed at which they dodged each attack and Lightning even tore one tentacle deeply at the side, earning a pained screech from Draco as blood sprayed from the open wound. Unlike the injuries done to his own body, this one didn't close and instead, chose to dangle uselessly on the floor.
"And now I think I just found a loophole in your 'godlike' power-de arimasu," Lightning remarked triumphantly as the knight drew back, holding the bleeding tentacle. He was trembling, but definitely not in fear. It was almost like the pain felt otherworldly and the blonde aimed to capitalise on that. More so that he had only five minutes left.
"D-damn you…" Draco growled and his five tentacles grew even larger and more menacing with mouths lining their sides. "Let's see how you do against these!"
"Careful Haxorus. He's getting really mad-de arimasu," Lightning warned, body anxious to re-initiate their round of dodging. "But at least we're going according to plan-de arimasu."
"In my opinion, I don't think provoking him this much is a good idea," Haxorus whispered through his new interpreter (yeah, Lightning had it replaced as verbal communication would also be important in this fight).
"If he goes batshit insane within the next few minutes then I can really paralyze him when the gloves discharge-de arimasu," the boy replied, beginning to dodge the carnivorous extensions. "For now, let's focus on surviving!"
"Pay more attention to me, dammit!" Draco screeched maniacally flinging his tentacles at them. Lightning ducked one before yelping as another grazed his leg. With quick movements, he stamped hard on it before bringing his charged sword down and impaling it to the floor. Right as Draco screamed, Haxorus lowered his glowing tusk and jerked to the right, slashing off an entire tentacle right at the head.
The knight's body practically convulsed as blood sprayed from his horrendous wounds like rain.
"It hurts!" he cried, retracting his bleeding tentacles and pointing his mad red eyes at the duo. "I'll kill you! I'll freaking kill you!"
"It hurts that badly? Then surrender if you don't wanna suffer anymore-de arimasu," Lightning replied, shoving the little emotions of guilt behind a stoic mask.
"Ha! Never!" Draco screamed, sprouting claws again and dashing towards Lightning with his three remaining tentacles. "The pain only makes me stronger!"
Surprisingly, Lightning easily dodged his blows and got behind him before giving him a swift chop on the neck, sending him sprawling on the hard floor.
"This is ridiculous, Draco," he scolded harshly, inwardly pitying the knight as he struggled to get back up. "It's obvious that you're only losing more power as you lose your tentacles. As a friend, I'm advising you. Please, stand down."
Draco rose to his hands and knees before getting a rather unwelcomed wave of dizziness. He knew the rebound would come but he hadn't considered it to be this quick.
"Curses…" he muttered, placing a palm over his head. He was quite sure 5:30 had passed and he still hadn't brought Lightning down. This wasn't normal. He was stronger than this! What was holding him back?
An outstretched hand came into his blurry field of vision and his eyes widened to see Lightning beckoning for him to take his hand.
"Come on, Draco. You're too cool for this and your humanity knows it-nya. So just give it a rest. I just wanna be friends is all, honest! You're a fun guy and a great comedian too. There's plenty people who'll miss you if you end up following Ghetsis through to the end. Take my hand, Draco and let me help you. Let's go back and have drinks with Kato and Saha like that yesterday-de arimasu."
The boy threw his grin. Wide, silly, toothy and reassuring.
"It's what friends do, after all."
Draco stared at him. This human…was far different from all the ones he had come across. Despite their history, despite all the people he had killed, Lightning was still willing to forgive him and give him…a life.
"Friends…" Draco echoed listlessly. Maybe it was the pain or the fatigue but he was starting to see the sense in all that Lightning had said. Maybe he did have another life before this. Alphinia seemed a lot happier away from Team Plasma and he knew that maybe, just maybe, he would too.
Maybe being human…wasn't such a bad thing…
"Friends…" he echoed once more and felt his hand rising. For some reason, he wanted to take hold of that hand. It looked friendly and warm compared to Ghetsis's and the rest of Team Plasma's.
"That's the way," Lightning encouraged, relieved to see Draco's hand lifting stiffly. "You'll be a lot happier with us. Don't be afraid."
Yes…maybe I will be happier, Draco thought. Alphinia will accept me and I won't have to live with this guilt anymore anytime I see Kato and the others.
"Maybe… maybe I won't be so lonely anymore," Draco whispered hopefully and this time, extended his hand. He could feel his heart lifting. He could feel peace. He could finally feel-
Insanity.
Draco paused as an ominous aura began to swirl around him. He himself didn't know what it was but he was sure it had a life of its own. Fearfully, he looked up and saw Lightning. He was shouting something and extending his hand but he seemed quite far away and with the voices swimming through Draco's head, he could barely make out a word from the cowboy.
SO IS THIS HOW YOU WILL END, DRACO?
A voice. Deep. Masculine. And Scary. Draco heard it loud and clear and he could feel a familiar insanity creeping back with a vengeance. It wasn't Kyurem's though. Lightning had cured him of that. It was something else. Something darker and edgier.
"No…no! I didn't summon you, Giratina!" he cried frightfully, wondering just how the pokémon had gotten complete control of his consciousness.
I AM AN ENTITY THAT CANNOT BE RESTRAINED BY HUMAN MEASURES. YOU WHO HOLD THE GRISEOUS ORB, DO YOU WISH TO DEFEAT THE HUMAN?
Draco was now in a dark void of complete nothingness. And in that nothingness, he could see eyes. Red eyes everywhere that brimmed with malice, madness and hatred.
"I want to change!" he yelled. "I just want to be happy!"
AND YOU SHALL. WITH MY POWER AND MY MADNESS.
"No! That's not-"
YOU LOVE ALPHINIA, NO?
"Yes I do but-"
THIS HUMAN TOOK HER FROM YOU. DON'T YOU WISH TO GET HER BACK?
Slowly, the eyes pooled together to form a massive head with black drool pouring from its golden jaws like sludge. The head leered at Draco and locked its almost hypnotic eyes with the emotionally unstable man.
WON'T YOU BE HAPPY WITH HER BY YOUR SIDE...AND NO ONE ELSE'S?
Draco paused and felt his eyes go wide. "Yes…yes I would."
THIS HUMAN CANNOT PROTECT HER. YOU CAN. WITH MY POWER.
"Yes…yes I can!"
YOU DO NOT NEED FRIENDS. ONLY ALPHINIA. AND MY MADNESS.
"…And your madness…"
Slowly but surely, the creature had gotten right over Draco and it hung its jaws open, letting its thick drool (which happened to be highly concentrated madness) pour over Draco completely.
YOU NEED NOT FEAR RESILIENCE.
"For all I need is power."
YOU HAVE NO REASON TO FEAR LOSS.
"For all I need is madness."
YOU HAVE NO REASON TO BE UNHAPPY.
Slowly, Draco's grin went so wide that his face nearly split in two. The black aura around him was gone, leaving a deranged man behind. Void of his sanity. Void of humanity. Void of reason altogether.
And in a two-tonal voice edged with pure glee and insanity, Draco answered.
"ALL i nEed iS AlPhiNia."
Lightning and Haxorus stared at the figure before them. His black hair had broken free of its ponytail and was now hanging loosely around his head and shoulders, going so long that it even reached his waist. He no longer sported golden talons anymore. Instead, black sheathed his sleeveless right hand and gold sheathed his left with golden markings dotting his bare arms. Even his clothes had changed to a black and red, shredded version of a victorian styled three-piece suit. Lastly, his chest had developed a clean hole in it with a single orb, black as the night, floating ominously within.
"...Draco-san..."
Slowly, lazily, red eyes lifted and locked on to the stunned blonde.
"Lightning..." he drawled and tilted his head. "I want to bury my face in your guts."
"Damn it Gilbert, it didn't work!" Haxorus hissed, tusk aglow and ready for another attack. "Looks like we'll just have to tough this out!"
"But I was dead sure he would join us-de arimasu…" Lightning murmured sadly and hardened his expression again. "It seems he's gone over some sort of edge. Sorry Draco but I'll just have to knock you out now. It will hurt so please bear with me."
Draco only kept silent, staring at him with those half-lidded eyes again.
Dashing forward together again, Lightning and Haxorus went all out offensive, slashing at him with all their might. To their surprise, he fluidly danced through their attacks without lifting a single hand and all hopes of getting a clean hit were dashed as they soon found themselves tiring with each missed blow.
"I don't get it. He wasn't as coordinated as this," Haxorus remarked with a huff.
"It's almost like he's a different person-de arimasu," Lightning panted as his skin began to crackle indicating that the gloves were spiralling towards their limit. "We'll have to finish this then."
"Hm…?" Draco hummed listlessly as Lightning pulled out his Poké Balls. In no time, all his pokémon where out and ready to battle their somewhat disinterested opponent.
"Let's bring him down guys!" Lightning called and his pokémon gave their compliant cries before charging towards Draco. Then knight simply stood his ground and glared.
BAM!
Boufallant's Giga Impact sent him flying.
WHACK!
Braviary's Brave Bird knocked him into the air.
BASH!
Mienshao's Hi Jump Kick sent him back into the ground.
BOOM!
Haxorus's Draco Meteor rained down on him, destroying everything in its path and setting the spot ablaze before causing another massive explosion. Almost as soon as the dust cleared, Draco looked up from the centre of the crater to see Lightning in the air, enveloped in a crackling ball of lightning and thunder with his glowing sword raised high.
"DRACOOOOOO!" he cried and came down like thunder on the knight with enough force to shatter the entire floor, sending them to the one beneath. A blinding explosion of light later, the entire hall had sparks jumping out of corners and black smoke covering everywhere along with fallen pillars and debris decorating the battered floor.
"Did we get him?" Mienshao asked as Lightning clambered out and coughed.
"I think so-de arimasu," he replied and fell on a knee as the Zekrom-boost wore off, leaving him drained and exhausted but not too injured. "C'mon guys. Let's go help the others."
The pokémon nodded and Haxorus helped his trainer to his feet before glancing at the piles of debris and heaps of destruction.
"Yeah, I doubt even he'd stay standing after that combo," he remarked and turned his back on the debris. However, he, along with his trainer and colleagues turned to face the last person they wanted to see.
"You call that a combo…?"
Three tentacles whipped about before splitting into several, whip-like appendages, each with black thorns lining their sides.
From his standpoint on mid-air, Draco looked like the very angel of death with his dark features, red eyes, condescending scowl and tentacle-wings. His attitude and disposition alone held zero-concern for the lives below whatsoever and Lightning now knew that the Draco he once knew was gone. Erased from existence.
"You won't find any happiness in clinging to your sanity, Hilbert."
The man smiled. Not the goofy smile we all knew and loved but the Ghetsis-Harmonia-smile that set even the most confident of champions on edge with its malicious interpretations.
"Just you wait and see, Hilbert. I'll show you real happiness."
And Haxorus summoned the biggest Draco Meteor he could muster.
Grand Courtyard, Castrum De Glacies.
Titan smashed through another Chaos before tearing it apart and throwing its remains at another approaching opponent. Gargantos, on the other hand, executed a Hammer Arm on the nearby Chaos before stumbling as one appeared from behind and sent four energy blasts into its back. Hissing from the searing pain it, in turn, caused to her back, Natsuki extended a fist and had Gargantos grab it by the skull before using it as a sword and slashing the other Chaoses at the hilts, causing the sky to be littered with bloody explosions.
"That makes all but one of them," she remarked in a somewhat raggedy voice.
"Ma'am, I suggest you finish that one and pull back. You're fast reaching your limit," Will's voice sifted through the receiver in her ear.
"Heh, like I didn't know that already," she deadpanned before facing the Chaos. "Although I plan to help Scarlet and the rest as soon as I take this one down."
"That will not do, miss! If you go any further-"
"Hai, hai, watashi wa rikai," she interjected in Jhotonese, cutting off the link abruptly. "Jeez, it's not like piloting these guys puts that much of a toll on me."
With that said, she had to consider Will's earlier statement. Each blow to the Regis earned a blow to her as well, maybe not physically but the control crystal virtually linked their souls together so whatever they felt, she'd get that exact equivalent. Admittedly, the Chaos weren't as easy as they looked and she had the stab marks to prove it.
"Well, best settle this and get you guys back into your balls to rest," she sighed and prepared to attack when the last Chaos went still and raised its head to the red sky. Suddenly, it gave an eerily deep and guttural cry while holding its head as if in some sort of headache-induced frenzy. Slowly, its faceless head split at the bottom, revealing large jaws rimmed with teeth and a large tongue. From its sides, steam began to billow and its hilt gained a bright cloak of aura that spread to the being's entire frame completely, making Natsuki and the fighters below pause and stare.
Then it hit her. Green eyes widening, Natsuki realised what was going on and she put up a hand to shield herself from the blinding light that spread to the dead Chaos scattered all over the field.
"Its energy levels are increasing!" Will barked. "In this stage, it's almost similar to…"
"Evolution?!" Natsuki exclaimed, clearly taken aback. "Mattaku, just what else does Ghetsis have up his sleeves?"
In an instant, the light dispersed, revealing an 80ft tall, vaguely humanoid yet draconian figure with a head similar to the very monster they were aiming to stop from being awakened.
"A human Kyurem," Natsuki remarked as the new Grand Chaos grew spikes from its back and got on all fours. "Ghetsis just loves raising the bar, eh?" The redhead cracked her knuckles before taking a stance. "Well then, let's see just how effective you really are!"
With that, Titan and Gargantos barrelled over to their opponent with their fists raised high and charging double Hammer Arms. However, Grand Chaos displayed great nimbleness despite its size by leaping into the air, spinning wildly and executing a dropkick on Titan, shattering the ground underneath with a massive tremor. Head pounding, Natsuki shot her hand out again, making Gargantos jump into Chaos's back and grab its neck.
"Take this!" Natsuki cried, clenching her fist and thus causing Gargantos to unleash a Crush Grip on Grand Chaos's neck, crushing it completely. "Not done yet! Titan, Hyper Beam!"
Gargantos leapt off just in time as the ground exploded in multi-coloured light that enveloped Grand Chaos and created a noisy explosion. However, a crystalline hand shot out from the smoke and grabbed Gargantos before another one took hold of Titan. With a roar, the unharmed Grand Chaos slammed them together and lifted them high before flinging them towards the people fighting below.
"Take cover!" a ranger cried and everyone cleared the entire area, leaving the Regis to land not-so-gracefully on the ground, making another tremor.
"Natsuki-san, it's too tough!" Will barked, concerned as he heard a pained wince from his receiver.
"Like I'm running now," she replied stubbornly and lifted her hands as if lifting her giants themselves. Eyes glowing again, Titan and Gargantos rose to their feet and summoned twin Hyper Beams before launching them at Grand Chaos. Unfortunately, this one had an extra function to add to its overall menacing abilities.
BOOM!
Natsuki's eyes widened upon seeing the familiar reflective surface of a Protect barrier and she now knew that this would be her toughest challenge yet.
"So it can use Protect as well," she mused and the Regis began to run towards their opponent again. Leaping up, Titan brought a Mega Punch down on Grand Chaos's back while Gargantos aimed for an uppercut to the jaw. Again, both attacks were deflected as it raised its hands and grabbed both fists. The giants struggled to outmuscle their target but Natsuki knew she was fighting a losing battle when it came to brute strength. Her own arms were starting to feel strained and it didn't help matters when Grand Chaos began to crush their fists. Rearing to full height, the monster gave one spin and launched them upwards again before springing up as well and gathering energy around itself.
"Natsuki!" Will cried.
"Shut up, Will," she growled through clenched teeth before jamming her hands together. The Regis did the same and generated Focus Blasts in their palms in anticipation for Grand Chaos's incoming Double Edge. Firing it, the twin balls connected with their opponent's attack and Natsuki smirked to herself as Grand Chaos fell to the ground heavily. On cue, Titan and Gargantos initiated Zen Headbutt and were just about hitting the monster when it snapped its jaws open and unleashed an almost well-planned Dragon Pulse of its own that completely engulfed the titans much to Will's horror. A blast of energy and a crash later, Natsuki felt her breathing hitch as blood sprayed from her gloved palms making her legs begin to feel weak.
"Dammit," she growled and clenched her fists, ignoring the searing pain. "I'm getting my ass kicked aren't I?"
"You think?!" Will exclaimed in a panicked tone. "Natsuki-san, pull back now! There's no way you can endure another blast like that!"
"Even so, I've gotta beat this guy!" she snapped, earning an exasperated sigh from the psychic-user. She was just as obstinate as ever and he wasn't sure why many people found that endearing. Frankly, she'd kill herself at this rate. "Besides, Scarlet and the others are counting on us to remove obstacles like this and I gave him my word to help. As a Takahashi, I will NOT go back on it and as such, we cannot be defeated here!"
As if to accentuate her statement, energy began to pour out of her control crystal and the twin giants lifted themselves to full-height before crouching behind their glowing master.
"Uso…" Will cursed as the readings on the control screen began to go haywire. "Natsuki, what the hell do you think you're doing?!"
"No way…" a fellow operative remarked, reading the results off. "Her Mind-link's going over the exceeded boundary. Synchro-rate at 290% and increasing!"
"If she goes any higher," one remarked.
"She'll go berserk," Will stated, watching the woman on the screen begin to levitate.
Down below, Titan and Gargantos began to tremble once more and low groans escaped their hidden jaws as a new energy filled their veins. The crystals on Natsuki's bleeding hands and chest also began to spiral wildly, forcing themselves deeper into her body and inducing a much higher stress on the woman.
"Gotta…hold…on…guys," she growled, veins visible under her eyes. "You can do it…"
"Physical restrictors are being ejected!" an operative exclaimed.
"Cell-compatibility ratio is off the charts!"
"Sir! I think she's going for resonance!"
Will gawked. "Resonance? But that'll mean she's merging them together…and binding her soul to them!"
"Don't do it, Natsuki-sama!" one cried. "You'll endanger your humanity!"
Said woman barely heard their voices as her receiver had long since been smashed (deliberately), leaving her on her own and free from their incessant naggings. She knew there would be consequences but she was just as determined to stop Ghetsis as Scarlet was.
"Especially since…especially since I promised his idiot mom I'd protect him!" she murmured and screamed as she, Titan and Gargantos became cloaked in a brilliant aura.
"Cut her off, NOW!" Will barked.
"We can't! She's broken the receiver!"
"Darn it…Are you this serious about justice?" the purple-haired psychic questioned her though he was sure neither his voice nor telepathic abilities even reached her.
In a moment, the light dispersed completely to reveal a Regigigas of equal height to Grand Chaos and sporting a much leaner build. This one was much paler in colour and still possessed golden bands. However, it differed from any normal Regigigas as it possessed a more feminine figure…and a head shielded completely by a golden helmet similar to a knight's. And at the centre of its chest was a large green crystal shimmering brightly.
Green eyes peeling open, Natsuki found herself floating in some sort of space. She could clearly see all around her and knew she was still on the battle field yet it was obvious that she wasn't exactly herself.
Mama…
"Titan? Gargantos? I see…so this is what it's like within you guys," she remarked and smirked. "Well, I'm still primarily in control. Alright boys. Let's show 'em that we aren't forces to be messed with!"
"The Regigigas is back online. Mode: Colossus!" a female operative exclaimed and Will snatched the transceiver.
"Natsuki! Can you hear me?"
Surprisingly, Colossus turned and gave a peace sign, earning a sigh of relief from Will and everyone on board the airship.
"Jeez, you had me worried back there."
"Well I'm alive. That's what counts, right?" Natsuki retorted before sharply raising her hand.
BAM!
Colossus stopped Chaos's punch easily.
"Can't a woman finish talking!" Natsuki yelled and Colossus flipped Chaos over its shoulder and into the air. "Whoa…it's almost like Colossus and I are one."
"Be thankful you aren't!" Will deadpanned. "Now kill that thing!"
"Hai, hai!" she shot back. On cue, Colossus jumped into the air as well and gave Chaos a series of acrobatic blows and kicks before grabbing it by the leg and hurling it into the ground. Recovering quickly, the crystalline giant rolled sharply to the right and narrowly avoided a crushing knee attack from Colossus. Rolling to its hands and feet, Chaos growled menacingly at its opponent before raising a hand and slamming it into the ground, summoning massive ice spikes that Colossus had to block with the golden bands on its wrists. Right as Natsuki lowered her hands, Chaos's fist was already at her face but like the trained fighter she was, the woman (and inadvertently, the pokémon) parried the blow and grabbed Chaos's hand before giving a mighty pull and ripping off the arm completely. Chaos screamed wildly as blood once again coated the ground in red and Natsuki smirked triumphantly as Colossus grabbed its neck.
"Playtime's over, buddy," she remarked and drew a fist. "Now. Go. Back. To. Hell!"
BAM!
Chaos's head flew far over the horizon.
"And another one to go!" Natsuki yelled, drawing another fist.
BAM!
Chaos's core was promptly ripped out of its chest and crushed, leaving the empty monster to fall down flat with a deafening thud. And like a balloon, it blew up and burst into a bloody mass of…stuff (that's as far as we can call it for the kiddies) sending waves of blood over the field (Kool-aid anyone?).
Heaving a sigh of relief, Will slumped into his seat and pressed a hand to his forehead. "One of these days, you'll make me go grey with worry, senpai."
"Well sorry. At least I killed the damn things," she sulked, turning to the airship. "That makes all the chaos and I think the grunts on the floor probably drowned in the blood pool. Think we're done for now?"
"Not entirely. There's still some Kyurem-corrupted pokemon in the castle that's giving the rangers some trouble," Will speculated. "It's best you take some rest though. Then we can clear them easily and bring Ghetsis down."
"Understood. I'll revert to normal now," Natsuki concluded and-
Insanity.
Natsuki paused. "What the-?!"
Suddenly, her field of vision turned red and for some strange reason, she could hear laughter. Soft, chorusing laughter that sounded like a multitude of mischievous children.
"Sir! Something's wrong!" an operative called, making Will arch a brow.
"Natsuki, what's going on in there?"
"I'd like to know myself!" she snapped, feeling her head begin to pound. Then she felt it. A nauseating wave of evil was creeping into her and clouding the crystal dangerously. It was cold, sharp and extremely hard. It was ice. "The blood!"
Looking down sharply, she saw Chaos's blood snaking up Colossus's feet and seeping in like needles, signifying only one thing.
"Colossus is being infected?!" Will gasped.
"That sneaky monster! Kyurem's trying to kill us from the inside," the redhead growled and Colossus quickly jumped out of the field of blood it was standing on. However, the damage was done and Natsuki felt her own legs weigh down on her. "So it wants to weigh me down? A fat lot of good that'd do! It'd take more than a few droplets of blood to infect us-"
STAB!
Will stared. The operatives gawked.
Natsuki's wide eyes looked down to see a massive red ice crystal poking through Colossus's side and we all know what that meant for her.
"Natsuki!" Will yelled, very sure that the woman within had sustained sever injury to her side. In a near vital spot no less.
Hand clamping at her screaming side, Natsuki inwardly cursed as she felt Kyurem's barbaric tendencies beckon to her senses, trying to coax her over to his side.
"Not happening," she growled but let out a scream as another icicle erupted from Colussus's left arm. Then right leg. Then right arm. And then the neck. It was pretty hard to defend your mental standing, control Colossus and fight infection when your body itself is at the brink of destruction and that was why Natsuki wasn't at all surprised to see ice forming on her own feet.
"Natsuki! Get out of there now!"
"Easy for you to say," she retorted weakly and felt her knees buckle. It was almost like Kyurem's essence itself was sitting on her shoulders, forcing her deeper into his power. "If this keeps up, I'm gonna be devoured. And I can't let that happen. Come on, Colossus. Fight. Keep your head!"
The laughter was increasing, Natsuki's injuries were worsening and she knew Colossus was at its limit. Kyurem was definitely a much stronger force if its mere cells could bring about such chaos and if the redhead didn't pull out now, this would be the end of her.
But she couldn't. Titan and Gargantos would be left to suffer and as someone they'd tenderly referred to as 'Mother', she couldn't abandon them.
"Come on, guys. Stay yourself," she half-growled, half-pleaded though her voice was drowned by the now insane laughter. The ice was reaching her neck now. "Do this for Mother...come on..."
It was faint but she could hear the laughter receding. The ice around her was also starting to break off, giving her the strength to stand once more. Pushing herself on, she concentrated all her will into fighting Kyurem's insanity, thinking reassuring thoughts of how she'd fulfill her promise. How she'd go back home with these guys. How'd she'd return...to her daughter-
SHLUCK!
Time stood still as everyone on the battlefield took in the sight.
In the very center of Colossus's chest where the crystal housing Natsuki's soul lay...was a massive Soul Flayer, passing right through the being within. And fired by the smirking, green-haired man at the top of the castle with a rocket launcher balanced over his shoulder.
"Thanks for coming, miss Takahashi," Ghetsis Harmonia scoffed, receiving a hi-five from his Drapion for his perfect shot. "Now I can finally say I've killed all in-laws related to Felicia now. And retrieved a sacrifice too!"
Natsuki stared at the long blade embedded in her chest. She felt nothing at first. But it was only momentary and in no time, her chest bled profusely accompanied by that ever-incessant pain akin to fire. Retracting the spear-shaped Flayer via an attached wire, Ghetsis gave the blood on it a gentle lick and shivered, slightly ecstatic.
"Delicious," he commented ecstatically and retreated back into the confines of the castle. "Perfect for Kyurem."
"Ba...stard..." Natsuki trailed off and coughed out blood as the cold darkness clouded her senses. She fell. Colossus fell. And from the way its eyes seized their flashing and dimmed,it was dead obvious to the stunned Will and Jhotonese operatives that their leader and trump card was most likely gone.
And as if to reinforce that, the very blood of the monster she had killed pooled together and reshaped back to its original form. Giving a cruel and beastly chuckle, Grand Chaos raised a fist and sent it into the very core of Colossus where Natsuki lay. And as Will, the operatives and every other person on the battlefield saw the core burst, the purple-haired man could only scream one single word.
"NATSUKI!"
Skipping back to the centre of the dome-shaped hall, Ghetsis jammed the bloodstained spear into the huge ice crystal projecting out from the floor and watched it sink in with a satisfied smile.
"I guess it's time I start the ceremony," he remarked to himself and looked up to the open roof where the dark moon stared blankly at him. "I just wonder what's taking Joid so long."
Snapping his fingers, he called Drapion over who quickly stepped up to the structure atop the massive ice crystal with White in its pincers. Laying her gently on the sacrificial table, the pokemon retreated and Ghetsis pulled out another Soul Flayer, sword-shaped this time, and slid it gently across White's chest, tearing her top at the center to reveal the glowing scar.
"I'm going to enjoy this," he chuckled murderously and scowled as one of the sacrificial guests began to whimper. Namely, Marigold. "Please, my lady. Don't cry. Consider yourself lucky to have been chosen for such a task," he said with a smile as he turned and started walking towards her. Since she was chained to the smaller ice crystals below, she obviously couldn't run and could only tremble as he brought his face dangerously close to hers.
"Relax," he whispered airily and raised the sword...before driving it into the lady beside her. Marigold's eyes widened as the woman screamed and writhed in agony with her blood spewing everywhere, coating the poor girl and Ghetsis in red.
Without a second thought, he stabbed the man on her left, collecting his own blood and then proceeded to do so with the other seventeen helpless sacrifices. Even the pokemon weren't spared as they too contributed to the gory ritual with their terrified souls. And lastly, he came back to Marigold with the now glowing weapon.
"Thought I'd save you for last," he remarked and raised the sword with a smile. Marigold screamed as the sword came down and shut her eyes for the oncoming blow.
Suddenly, a sound like shattering glass rung through the hall accompanied by ringing metal and Marigold peeled open an eye to see a stern-faced redhead standing before her with his icy blue hand holding the edge of the demonic blade.
"I was wondering when you'd show," Ghetsis muttered, adding more pressure on the sword. However, he was quite surprised to find himself somewhat out-muscled as Scarlet's arm refused to budge. "I like your arm by the way. Where'd you get it, Walmart?"
Scarlet smiled and raised his free hand. "Ha. Ha. Ha."
POW!
Ghetsis flew ten feet into the air and nearly hit the floor hard had he not quickly recovered and landed on his feet.
"I've got bones to pick with you," Scarlet spat and ripped off his jacket before cracking his knuckles. "Yours particularly."
"Someone's confident," Ghetsis sneered, leaning to one foot while randomly swinging the Soul Flayer. "Not even a 'hello' or 'Nice party you've got going here' eh? Do you need another lesson in respect, boy?"
"Oh, I'm not the only one who lacks manners," the redhead replied and at once, the pokeballs on his belt rattled and burst open. Emboar grunted, Teddy snorted, Sandy growled, Zweilous leered and Scraggy stared. All seething in rage at the very man who took their trainer from them. "As you can see, I'm not alone now. These guys clearly wanna put you down and won't be satisfied till they've beaten the living snot out of you."
"Oh, nice set of pokemon White's got," Ghetsis sniggered and Drapion clanked its pincers menacingly. "Though I think this guy is all I need."
"Your funeral," Scarlet replied and took out Reshiram's feather. "Surrender Ghetsis and let White go. Joid's restricted and time's running out for you so you can see that it's pretty much over."
Ghetsis laughed and balanced the sword over his shoulder. "You've grown, Scarlet. Death changes people, I suppose. However, I will not back down neither will I feel remotely intimidated by your powerful comrades or that giant mass of trouble previously rampaging outside. In fact, I'd say everything's in my favour."
Let me at 'im, Sandy snarled dangerously while baring her fangs. I'll tear that smirk off that fucker's shitty face!
Easy Sandy, Jolteon warned. From all indications, this guy and his Drapion are the toughest opponents yet. We've gotta follow the plan.
Silence reigned for the next couple of seconds before Ghetsis pointed the sword upwards to the table resting on the huge crystal in which Kyurem slept. And White lay.
"You want her?" he asked and the pokemon snarled in anticipation. "Come get her."
"Gladly," Scarlet replied and his gloves activated, cloaking him in his magnificent and powerful apparel. "Emboar! Jolteon! You guys are with me! Teddy! Sandy! Drapion's yours! Scraggy, Zweilous, Lucky, Free the pinkette and get White now!"
The pokemon barked in unison and scattered to their various position with Jolteon and Emboar joining Scarlet. Biting off Marigold's chains, Zweilous ushered her to the exit before carrying Scraggy and Lucky unto her back and turning to the podium.
It'd be wise to hang on, she advised and bounded down the hall, towards the steps. Right ahead of their path, Drapion landed heavily and brandished its huge pincers aggresively. However, the ground below it erupted and Sandy's fist connected with its jaws, scoring a direct hit. Drapion did not budge. Rather, he seized the Desert Croc in one pincer and stopped Teddy's Ice Punch with another before snickering menacingly and hurling them away. As soon as it returned his attention to Zweilous though, surprise etched into its features as the dragon was already in the air, coated in a Dragon Rush.
Hmph! How futile, it sneered and sent its tail at her only for Lucky to squeeze its eyes shut and teleport them away from the attack and right behind the Ogre Scorp Pokemon.
Your opponents, Zweilous remarked and ground sharply against the floor, Are right here!
BAM!
Zweilous smirked as they skidded back from the ensuing explosion. That should keep it down.
I'm a she FYI, a deep resounding voice echoed and Drapion's pincers tore through the smoke almost ripping Zweilous apart had Lucky not teleported them away again. Just as they landed some distance away, Drapion had already charged up a round of Pin Missiles, ready to shish-kebab them. You'd do well to remember that!
You could be a hermaphrodite for all Arceus knows! Sandy retorted, up in the air behind the unsuspecting pokemon with her signature ring of Stone Edge. LIKE ANYONE GIVES A FUCK!
Drapion roared angrily as the stones pelted her armoury hide. You little-
I normally don't attack females.
The purple pokemon froze as a heavy paw grabbed her tail. Looking back, her eyes widened as Teddy's muscles swelled, indicating a Superpower in the works.
But when they're as ugly inside as they are on the outside- He hurled her into the air. Then I suppose they don't qualify to be females, do they!
You said it, geezer! Sandy remarked, fists aglow as she executed a Foul Play that sent Drapion back into the ground.
That also extends to you, Teddy sweatdropped and looked over his shoulder. All clear! You guys head up that podium, pronto!
Meanwhile, Scarlet dodged a swing of Ghetsis's sword and ducked as Emboar's fist came from behind, colliding with the flat surface of the Flayer and sending Ghetsis a few feet back.
"Oh my, it looks to me like my Flayer is cracked," the greenette remarked, inspecting the sword. "An impossible feat for a mere Emboar. It's that arm of yours, isn't it, Scarlet?"
"Yeah, it's been going haywire since I entered this castle," the redhead replied, eyes locked on the Jolteon creeping up behind Ghetsis. "Possibly because it wants to destroy every trace of anything remotely associated with Kyurem. Your body included."
"Oh, how scary," he replied and lifted a hand, blocking Jolteon's rapid Double Kicks. Immediately after tossing the pokemon away, he jumped and avoided Emboar's powerful Flamethrower before putting up his sword again and blocking Scarlet's crackling left arm. The redhead opted to use his right and delivered a fiery punch to Ghetsis's chest before shouting "NOW!" and pulling back sharply. Looking back, Ghetsis was met with a newly perfected Fire Blast and Electro Ball combo that engulfed him completely before exploding loudly.
Did we hit him? Emboar asked, putting a hand up to shield her eyes from the smoke.
We did, Jolteon replied and the three scattered as Ghetsis's figure leapt out from the smoke and dove towards them with the Flayer poised. Smashing into the ground and cratering it, the greenette straightened up before pointing his skinless face at Scarlet.
"That was a rather painful attack. You trained her pokemon well," he commented and laughed once his face regenerated. "I'm enjoying this fight, Scarlet. It seems far more civilised than the brawl we had back in Dragonspiral Tower."
"I was in a dark place back then," Scarlet replied and began running towards Ghetsis with his fists coated in flames. "But thanks to White-"
"You've seen the light and gained the ability to move on," Ghetsis finished, intercepting and dodging each blow. "Still won't change the outcome though. As you can see-"
Ghetsis stopped and let Scarlet's arm pierce his chest.
"-I still cannot be defeated no matter what horrendous injury you inflict on me," he stated matter-of-factly.
Scarlet smirked. "Checkmate." And like magic, Ghetsis's arm suffered a crack and began to bleed. Before the man could do anything else, Jolteon landed on his head with a powerful Iron Tail followed by a Heat Crash from Emboar, pinning Ghetsis to the ground with their added weight. "Didn't you listen when I said my arm will destroy you? You are basically Kyurem-corrupted too so even the smallest touch will be lethal to your stolen body. Plus, I ain't alone so these guys can help me inflict bigger damage on you."
Ghetsis stared for a bit before chuckling. "So you think I'm in some sort of a bind? I considered that piece of information, Scarlet. I simply wanted to feel it first-hand."
The man got his blue arm and Scarlet stiffened as he saw it glow with aura. "Now that I know how powerful you've become, I suppose it's time I finally used this."
"Guys! Get back!" the redhead cried right as Ghetsis slammed the arm on the ground. Before Emboar and Jolteon could get off, a solid pillar of ice erupted from the wall and bashed them away like flies. Immediately afterwards, a string of icicles tore through the ground, straight for Scarlet who quickly leapt into the air.
"I apologise for not showing you this power beforehand. I just didn't find it necessary until now," Ghetsis said sarcastically and summoned several fists of ice from the walls around Scarlet who countered by coating his feet in flames and spinning in mid-air, forming a fiery tornado. The counter melted the pillars but Scarlet's eyes widened as he stopped his tornado to see Ghetsis above him with a finger pointed directly at him. "Not so vulnerable now, am I?"
A cold beam of ice was fired from the finger and hit Scarlet squarely in the chest, pushing him into the ground. The redhead landed heavily on his feet and would've retaliated had Ghetsis not already summoned seven hammer-shaped pillars of ice that came down on him in unison, smashing the entire floor and causing cold smoke to billow through the atmosphere.
"So you can control ice, Big deal!" came the sharp reply as Scarlet shot through the smoke and aimed a fiery kick at his enemy. "I can do better things when I'm on Ice-boost!"
Ghetsis dodged the fiery round of attacks before grabbing Scarlet's punch. "Ah but the thing is, just as easily as your ice can destroy mine,"
CRACK!
Scarlet froze as he saw his own left arm develop a massive crack.
"My ice can destroy yours." Ghetsis finished and began to squeeze the redhead's fist, creating more cracks. "So in the end, it all comes down to who has more power. Just. Like. Before."
Scarlet stayed locked in Ghetsis's grip before gritting his teeth and pulling his fist back sharply, taking Ghetsis with it and thus slamming their foreheads together, hard.
"You're wrong," he growled and two shapes appeared behind Ghetsis. "Unlike back then, I have friends to help me."
Jolteon sank his fangs into Ghetsis's neck and pumped every bolt he could muster through the man's veins before jumping off and letting Emboar crash both Hammer Arms into his chest, propelling him into his Drapion. Kicking forward, Scarlet tapped Sandy and activated Ground Boost, using it to create two massive fists around his arms and throw a punch at Ghetsis. The latter blocked the attack by creating an ice shield and smirked as Drapion landed on the wall by her feet with him safe in her arms. The smirk vanished as Scarlet stomped hard on the floor, creating a fissure that tore the wall apart and let them fall back to the floor. Not finished yet, Teddy and Emboar accompanied Scarlet as he dashed towards them again.
"He's quite serious," Ghetsis murmured and slammed his hands into the ground again, creating battering rams to attack his charging opponents.
"Flamethrower!" Scarlet called and Emboar blasted some of the pillars to water which Scarlet used to quickly slide under, dodging another round of battering rams right over his head. "Superpower!"
Teddy ran ahead of the teen and spread his arms wide, smashing through each attack like a living bulldozer and thus clearing the path for Scarlet once more.
"I'll be killed at this rate," Ghetsis hissed to himself and snapped his fingers. The floor erupted in icicles again but Scarlet simply called for a Stone Edge and Sandy broke each icicle with her attack before diving into the ground and avoiding a Gunk Shot from the annoyed Drapion. By this time, Scarlet had already gotten quite close to Ghetsis and the greenette cursed before stepping back as Drapion shot its pincers towards the teen who slid under the first one, jumped over the second and came down on her head with a fiery dropkick, slamming her face-first into the floor.
"Persistent brat!" Ghetsis hissed and raised his Soul Flayer. "Return to the dead from whence you came!"
Scarlet stopped in front of the man and ground one foot against the floor. "I!"
He raised his left arm. "Would!"
He took the stab with his right hand. "Say the same!"
He wrenched the blade out of Ghetsis's hands with one swift motion and clenched his left hand into a fist. "FOR YOU!"
BAM!
Ghetsis's face compressed as Scarlet's glowing fist sank into it deeply and a loud pulse echoed through his body before Scarlet twisted the fist and threw Ghetsis back from the very force of his punch. The latter spiralled rapidly into the air before recovering though his face was badly shattered. Through the one eye remaining though, he saw Scarlet smile and open his right palm, revealing a growing Blue Flare.
"Hasta la Bye bye, G," he stated and fired the flaming sphere at his target who tensed and summoned several layers of ice to shield himself. To his surprise, the attack blazed through each layer and finally hit him squarely in the chest.
Ghetsis Harmonia smiled.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
"For a hero who was close to beating me, I'm rather disappointed."
Draco gave the blood on his fingers a gentle lick while keeping his dead red pools locked on the torn and bleeding blonde leaning heavily on the railing with his deeply unconscious pokemon lying in different area of the battered hall.
"Unfortunately, you just didn't have it in you," he finished and touched down on the ground before the panting cowboy who had his eyes shielded by with wet-with-blood hair. "What became of all that talk about saving me?"
The blonde took another raggedy breath "You're...not Draco...What...did you do with him-de...arimasu..."
Slowly, Draco put a hand on his head as if patting a child. "Poor, poor Alfred. The Draco you knew almost regained his humanity and Giratina couldn't let that happen. So he gave Draco his own power and madness, drawing out the true strength of his negative emotions, mainly his love for Alphinia. This love is what you see now before you."
Lightning drew another breath again and spat blood on the man's cheek. "It's...Hilbert...and I think...what you're saying is complete...bullshit..."
Draco scowled pitifully. "Of course. You wouldn't understand. If you loved Alphinia half as much as I did then you wouldn't have suffered this humiliating defeat at my hands. It merely shows that you're not strong enough to protect her. Do you understand, boy? It's over for you."
Gradually, Lightning's expression changed into a slight smile. "Arceus...you sound like a broken record. I guess...I'd better reply...de arimasu."
Slowly, he lifted his head and Draco felt just the tiniest bit of intimidation spark from the stern and defiant blaze in his green eyes. "For the real Draco in there, get over your sister. She's happy without Team Plasma and would be happier with the human you. Isn't her happiness what you want?"
"...You see, Lightning, I don't care about her happiness anymore," Draco replied flatly and smiled wryly. "All I want is her love. And I've come to the solemn conclusion that if I can't have her, no one can."
"So what're you gonna do? Kill her?" Lightning asked and was shocked by his answer.
Slowly, Draco's hold on his head tightened. "No...I'll simply infect her with Giratina's madness. Then...then she will forever be mine. Goodbye Lightning. It's been fun."
And a fat tentacle tore out of his back and cleaved itself across Lightning's chest. The blonde fell limp and Draco got up before starting off for the shadows.
"Now Alphinia...it's time big brother came for you."
Author's Corner.
Lightning: Damn you, Sly! How many times am I gonna die already?!
Natsuki: And what's the deal with my rather troublesome situation, baka?!
Scarlet: Was it just me or did Ghetsis seem a tad too EASY?
Slybill: Oi, oi, calm down already. I never said you guys actually died, right? Jeez, characters can be so touchy when we're spiraling towards the finale. Ah well. PREVIEW TIME!
Preview:
Lightning...?
Come on, White! Please wake up!
Mama...must protect...mama...
At last! Alphinia is finally mine!
Those eyes...whose are they?
All according to plan.
Somebody...somebody save me...
NEXT TIME: Save the One, Save the All!