Surprise! This is the final chapter of "Destined Explorers of Legend"! Next is the epilogue, and then we can move on to the sequel at last!
-.-.-.-.-.
It was the middle of the night when Rosaline finally decided to retire to her bedchamber. Being the temporary queen of the Bughaven Kingdom was much more work than she had originally thought – there were countless details to be worked out when it came to the safety and well-being of the kingdom.
In the end, she found that she actually cared about all this, and did as much as she could in order to make Arthropod City as prosperous as it could be. After all, the Abyssal Raiders wouldn't have much use for it otherwise.
Of course, she'd need to make sure that the supplies that her fellow Abyssal Raiders sent in would need to be evenly distributed to both her allies in the western ocean and the kingdom itself. The entire reason the Raiders had assigned her this task was to acquire more supplies, so she'd need to make sure that both the Raiders and the citizens of her kingdom were happy and well.
As the Masquerain floated towards her bed to retire for the night, something on her desk caught her eye. She turned herself and hovered over, to find that the object was a letter that sat on her desk. Its gold seal shimmered slightly in the moonlight that flooded her bedchamber, which was what had grabbed her attention.
"Hmm," she mused to herself. "Zis must 'ave been just delivered for moi not to notice it before, no?"
Rosaline opened the envelope and retrieved the letter inside. It was rather short, so she looked it over quickly.
"My dear friend Rosaline,
For the good of the Abyssal Raiders, I have managed to get the Life Stealers to cooperate with us for the time being. I have already spoken with El Nino, and he has agreed to stop sending soldiers to the Dunedust Desert in order to steal the supplies for ourselves. From now on, the supplies will be sent willingly by Niwri himself.
Also, El Nino wishes for you to know that the supplies should be sent to a remote location in the southern ocean instead of the fortress. This way, no outsiders will suspect anything. I will take the supplies to the fortress myself.
Lady Sapphire"
Rosaline smiled as she folded up the letter and put it back in the envelope. So the Life Stealers were now willing to work with the Abyssal Raiders? That was good. That way, lives wouldn't be wasted over possession of a few trade caravans. And that also meant that the Abyssal Raiders would have some powerful allies in their plans to take over the four oceans.
El Nino's plan to send the goods elsewhere was a smart one. The Guardians wouldn't think twice if they or their scouts saw her Surskit hauling supplies down to the southern ocean. Nothing lived down there but random wild Pokemon. The Abyssal Raiders would be in no danger at all.
Little did she know that the true danger to the Abyssal Raiders had already passed, and had swept her allies away like a tidal wave.
-.-.-.-.-.
It had taken them a very long time, but Team Hydroburn had finally made it up the Hot Peak Volcano and into the cavern they had been aiming for. But they knew they couldn't rest, not when it had taken them this long to reach it. They had a mission to get done, and they wanted to get it done as quickly as possible.
"We've wasted enough time," Cannon said, leading the way inside. Even from the entrance, he could feel the intense heat boiling up from the volcano's interior. "Come on, team. We're going to find out if there really is a Shard hidden in this volcano."
Kate felt uneasy about entering, but followed them anyway. She was feeling that same strange vibe she had gotten on the Hot Peak Volcano's slopes. It was a weird feeling, one that went beyond her being a Grass-type – and thus uncomfortable around places such as volcanoes. No, it was something more.
The Hot Peak Volcano was a mystery dungeon. The Meganium was sure of it. It felt just like the forest Cannon and Blaze had rescued her from. It was that same unnatural tingle deep within her bones, the vibe of a place that should not exist. She knew that wild Pokemon were easily driven into madness within these places.
Should I warn the other two? Kate wondered, glancing up ahead at the backs of her comrades. She then shook her head and decided, No. They didn't believe me before, so they probably won't a second time. They'll figure it out for themselves.
Meanwhile, Blaze was doing just that. Even as he followed the Blastoise leader deeper into the volcanic tunnels, and the walls began to pulse with the heat and glow of the lava pools they came across, he certainly didn't feel at home like he thought he would. Instead, he felt an uncomfortable vibration that set his instincts on edge.
We don't belong here.
That was possibly the only sentence Blaze could have used to put the strange feeling into words. Indeed, they didn't belong here in the volcano. No Pokemon did.
The Blaziken increased his pace in order to catch up with Cannon. No doubt he felt this ominous feeling that shook him to the core as well. Behind him, Kate sped up as well, not wanting to be left behind in this hostile place.
If the members of Team Hydroburn had been paying more attention to what was going on around them, perhaps they would have heard the low growl as they unwittingly disturbed an unknown creature's slumber.
Heavy-lidded eyes snapped open and focused on the intruders below. Heat began to rise from the surface of the creature as its metabolism increased upon awakening. With a snarl, the monster crawled across the ceiling, leaving deep, cross-shaped marks in the stone, as it followed its new prey.
-.-.-.-.-.
It was the middle of the night, and the fog had dispersed, allowing for perfect visibility across the ocean. A full moon blazed in the sky, surrounded by twinkling stars. It was a sight to take any Pokemon's breath away.
It was on the deck of the Tranquility where Luke found Gaby, staring up at the picturesque night sky while leaning on the railing around the edge of the deck. Her eyes were locked on the amazing sight, and Luke stared at it for a few moments as well before being drawn back to the Kirlia. He fought to keep himself from blushing as he silently approached her.
The Victini flinched backwards as Gaby turned to look at him, not at all surprised to see him. "I could sense you coming," she said simply.
Now Luke did blush. "My feelings are that easy to read, huh?" he muttered, looking away embarrassedly.
Gaby smiled at him and took his hand in hers, pulling him over to her side. Luke was determinedly staying silent, unsure of what to say. For a few moments, they held hands silently and looked up at the sky.
"What are we?"
The Kirlia looked at Luke curiously, frowning slightly with confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked uncertainly.
"I mean, what are we? What's our… you know, relationship?" Luke asked, blushing even harder.
Gaby kept looking at him, trying to see what he meant. His feelings were clear enough – confusion mostly, with a dash of embarrassment and a whole bunch of others. But there was one that interested her, a feeling that she had never sensed before in another Pokemon.
However, it matched the feeling she had deep in her heart.
"We're still friends, if that's what you're worried about," Gaby said with a smile, trying to avoid what Luke really meant by his question.
The Victini's blue eyes met hers. "I know that," he replied. "And it's not the fear of not being friends anymore that's worrying me. It's the fear of staying friends that's worrying me."
Her eyes widened slightly. She began to get a sense of that unknown feeling she sensed in Luke's heart as her own heart beat just a little faster, swelling with that same emotion.
Luke was still staring at her. Finally, he said something so quietly that Gaby had to lean closer in order to hear. She was barely an inch away from him when she heard him whisper softly, "I love you."
Gaby felt her face grow hot. Now she knew what that feeling was.
Luke loved her, and she immediately knew that she felt the same about him.
Their hands were still connected. The Psychic-type pulled her friend closer and hugged him tightly. She pushed her forehead into his and murmured, "I think… I think I love you, too…"
And for the second time that night, their lips met.
-.-.-.-.-.
Shadepelt watched the new couple from the shadows with a barely disguised look of disgust on her face. Snorting softly, she left the two of them alone. She didn't like romance. She never had, and probably never would.
However, the Purrloin did know this much – their love for each other would make them easier to manipulate. The Kirlia was a Discoverer, or so Niwri had told her in one of Smatt's letters. Sure, the Darkfeathers had already taken her Shard – something else she had learned from Niwri – but maybe the Shard wasn't enough. Maybe in order to use the Shards, they needed the Discoverers as well.
Shadepelt let that thought simmer in her brain for now. She already had a mission. She was accompanying this growing group of Pokemon to the Guardians' isle, and she knew for a fact that Smatt, Rudy, and Sylvester were following her. It was her job to gather as much information as possible to be relayed to Niwri so that the Guardians could be defeated once and for all.
She decided to let Niwri know about her new idea. Somehow, she knew that the Kirlia would be important to them. If Shadepelt could somehow use Gaby's love for the Victini against her or vice versa, then she'd be an easy target.
The Purrloin slunk away into the shadows and back below deck. She crushed the tiny bit of guilt that wormed its way into her heart. She didn't care about the occupants of this boat at all. They were in the Life Stealers' way, and had to be destroyed. She just did not care.
Or did she?
So uncertain was she that she didn't notice Lancelot watching her from behind the slightly opened door of his cabin. The Gallade's eyes narrowed. That Purrloin was up to something, he was certain. Although as a part-Fighting-type he had limited mind powers, Shadepelt nevertheless rendered them all useless, since she was a Dark-type.
It didn't matter right now, though. Lancelot had other things on his mind. He dismissed his suspicions of the Devious Pokemon's true motives and focused on something else that worried him.
As part of a family of Psychic-types that could read emotions, he already knew of the mutual feelings growing between his daughter and her friend Luke. If they were indeed in love with one another, then was Lancelot making the wrong decision in offering the Victini to join Team Knights? If Luke was injured or killed, Gaby's heart would tear itself to pieces, and she would never be the same again.
Lancelot shook away the feeling. Assuming Luke did accept his offer to be his and Arthur's apprentice, the Victini's safety was their responsibility. The Gallade was determined nothing would happen to the Victini while he was under his watchful eye.
Luke's life, and undoubtedly Gaby's already unstable emotions, depended on how well Lancelot did his job.
-.-.-.-.-.
The valley was quiet once again. No Darkfeathers patrolled the skies, and there was nothing marring the black vastness of the yonder except for the moon and stars. All was peaceful. All was as it should be.
Across the mountains, however, two dark shapes limped through the air and away from the valley. It was toward the BughavenForest they flew, which the bird Pokemon knew but didn't care. Once again, Clawface and Herra were injured, and they needed to find a safe resting place as far away from the Darkfeathers as they could get.
Clawface had a new scar across his chest, so every flap of his wings was accompanied by a stab of pain. Dried blood soaked his feathers. Herra was scratched all over, although her iron-tough scales prevented any life-threatening injuries from getting through. She could have easily flown faster, but she kept pace with the struggling Clawface, loyally staying by his side.
She was surprised when she heard his rasping growl of a voice – the Skarmory was amazed that Clawface could fly without talking, never mind while doing so. "Those… Darkfeathers are going to… pay for everything," he said. "All of our… misfortune in… recent times is because… of them."
Herra nodded. "Next time, they won't beat us," she agreed. "Next time, we'll come for them, and we'll be prepared."
Clawface's beak parted in a smile. "You're right… Herra. Mara will… not get away next time. She cannot… run forever. We will catch… up to her and… kill her along with… the rest of the Darkfeathers. By the time our… revenge is complete, the Darkfeather… gang will no longer… exist."
The Skarmory tilted her head as she flew in closer beside her partner and friend. She asked, "How are we going to get our revenge next time? There are only two of us, and Mara and Iron Talon themselves easily beat us."
For a moment, nothing but ragged gasps came from the Fearow's beak as he struggled across the sky. Then, he told her, "We're… going to find a way… to beat them once and… for all. Make no… mistake.
"We will get our… revenge, Herra. Even if it… means we have to join… the Guardians to do it."
-.-.-.-.-.
In the bowels of the Windchaser, a medium-sized group of Pokemon rested comfortably in their cabin. Team Eevui was present, as were Jowl and Sinestra. The five Eevees and Eeveelutions lay down in various spots inside the small room, talking quietly to each other. They didn't want to disturb anyone's slumber, as they knew that Pteryx and Wyvern were the only active ones aboard.
"It's frightening to think about everything we've seen on this adventure," Miranda murmured, swishing her tail worriedly. She looked around at her friends and just missed Jowl staring at her.
"The Darkfeathers, the Raiders, the Jellicent Kingdom…" Okami mused. "It's like all these groups of Pokemon are going mad! They all want to bring order to this world of chaos by eliminating everyone else!" The Sylveon rolled over onto her other side as she looked down at everyone from her position on the bed.
"I don't know what's going on, but we're a rescue team," said Amanita fiercely. "The Guardians are depending on us to help in any way we can!"
Jowl stepped toward Okami and away from his little sister, a fiery glint in his eye. "That reminds me… I still want to join," he said strongly. "I want to fight alongside you as a part of Team Eevui."
The Fairy-type frowned. "Are you sure?" she asked worriedly. "You're still so young – younger than Amanita, even. You could get hurt! It's very dangerous being on a rescue team."
Jowl blushed when he saw Miranda nodding in agreement. She doesn't think I'm strong enough! he realized. But I'm going to prove I'm strong. And then she'll have to like me back!
"I know it's dangerous," the male Eevee declared, staring up at Okami boldly. "But it can't be more dangerous than everything I've already gone through! The world is a deadly place now, rescue team or not. At least if I'm fighting with you, then I'll be better equipped to defend myself."
Miranda was staring at him with great interest now. Amanita looked thoughtful, nodding slowly to herself as she considered his words. Okami, however, was satisfied with his answer. "That was probably the best answer I could have gotten!" she said, beaming at him. "So now you, Jowl, are officially a member of Team Eevui!"
Jowl held his head high. "I'll make you proud, Okami," he promised. "I swear I won't let you down."
Amanita came forward and nudged him in a friendly way. His sister Sinestra came up beside him and nuzzled him. And best of all, Miranda stroked him with her tail. When he felt her gentle touch, Jowl suddenly felt like he could take on anything at all, even a Legendary Pokemon.
I will be a good rescue team member, Jowl swore. I might be little, but I won't be forever. And I can still make a huge difference! By Arceus, I know this is true!
-.-.-.-.-.
When Cenric had finally fallen asleep after talking with Blanca that night, he hadn't expected to be awoken again. But he had been. He opened his eyes blearily and yawned, rubbing the grit from them. Why can't I sleep? he grumbled to himself. What's making me so restless?
He saw the reason why on the other side of the raft. Madeleine was awake, her silvery fur gleaming in the moonlight as she stared up at the night sky as if hypnotized. She was still the most beautiful thing Cenric had ever seen.
And they were supposed to be friends! So why was she still mad?
Maybe Dark-types just carry really long grudges, the Buizel thought dejectedly.
Just then, the Absol looked back and spotted him. "Oh, you're awake," she said flatly, turning back to look at the sky.
Screwing up his courage, Cenric joined her. "What are you looking at that's so interesting?"
Madeleine's voice didn't contain any of the usual acid when she spoke. "The night sky," she replied. She sounded like she was in a trance. "I like looking at it. It's so dark and vast. It comforts me when I'm uneasy."
Cenric stared long and hard at the starry sky, but he definitely didn't feel any comfort. Probably another Dark-type thing, he thought.
The Absol glanced once at him as he looked up at the moon and stars. "Like you'd understand anyway," she muttered, disdain entering her voice again.
That remark caused Cenric to whip around and glare at her. "You're still mad, aren't you?" he demanded loudly, threatening to wake the others up. The Crawdaunt stirred in his sleep and Cenric subsequently lowered his voice. "I've never done anything to you! So what do I need to do in order for you to admit we're still friends, huh?"
At first, Madeleine seemed shocked at his sudden rage. But her face soured again and she hissed back, "You almost destroyed our home, remember? Next time you try to impress me, do it without risking others' lives!"
Cenric felt himself trembling with anger and fear – anger at Madeleine's childish grudge, and fear that she'd never accept him as a friend again. It was true, Sam and Blanca had almost died in the incident, but they still treated him like family! So why was Madeleine so upset?
The Buizel knew why, of course. She's upset because it happened when I tried showing off in order to win her heart. He felt sick to his stomach.
And Madeleine was by no means done with him. "Because of you, I've spent years stealing, killing, and acting like a criminal," she spat. "I was forced into betrayal, and my parents were held hostage, because of you and your… your…"
She was so mad, she was struck momentarily speechless. Cenric felt his own temper boiling over as he heatedly thrust his face into hers and gave his own snappy reply. "You were the one who chose to run away and join the Life Stealers! I didn't make that decision for you! So who's really to blame for everything that's happened to you?"
Madeleine didn't answer. In her mind, it was Cenric's fault for everything she had been through. She knew that he'd meet each of her pushes with a shove of his own. As far as she was aware, this argument was over, and she didn't want to talk with him any more.
The young Absol walked away to the other end of the raft and lay down, heading back to sleep. Cenric was left alone, still shaking with fury. But his anger soon gave way to sadness and uncertainty, and he curled up on the raft, trying to get comfortable enough to fall asleep again.
But he knew that as long as Madeleine was unwilling to make up with him, and too busy raging at him to even consider calling him her best friend again, he would never be comfortable.
Cenric's heart cracked, but didn't break. But would the crack ever heal?
Only time would tell.
-.-.-.-.-.
Even though the fog had lifted from the western ocean where the Tranquility, Seasearcher, and Windchaser still sailed, it was only just appearing to wrap its misty tendrils around the ship in the southern ocean. No one could see through it, and to make matters worse, everything was completely silent. Not even Barn or Vladimir would be able to find their way through the fog.
However, there were a few Pokemon on board that weren't nervous at all. Adrianna looked mildly spooked, but not worried. Evelyn was openly curious about the fog that had suddenly sprung from out of nowhere, and Alphonse was indifferent as usual.
Goliath reassured the others that fog like this was unusual, but nothing to worry about. "There's ALWAYS something like THIS on the WAY to the GUARDIANS' ISLE," he claimed. "But it's USUALLY much WORSE than this measly FOG. The only thing UNUSUAL about it is that there's no accompanying HURRICANE."
In fact, Goliath was more worried about the absence of the terrible weather that he had been expecting than the navigation-hampering fog. Tara and Chelicerae were a little on edge as well. "He's right, the weather's usually worse than this," the Yanmega said.
Tara nodded. "We can't complain, though. I guess we should consider ourselves lucky that we don't have to go through snow or wind with these little ones aboard." She patted the frightened Lavender on the head, soothing her somewhat.
Elf was still shivering from a combination of the cold and her fear. "What if we can't find the island?" she asked nervously. "What if we're just sailing in circles?"
She suddenly found Goliath hovering next to her ear. "Don't WORRY about it!" the Midjet boomed, making her wince. "My TEAM and I have SAILED here MANY, MANY times. I know this ROUTE like the BACK of my WING!" Chuckling, he zipped away and left Elf rubbing her head.
Vladimir suddenly climbed down from the mast and approached Team Exo. "Vladimir cannot see or hear a thing!" he said. "Vladimir does not vish to be throwing option out there, but there is very real possibility ve might be lost."
Adrianna shuddered as a cold ocean breeze swept across the boat and hugged Topaz tighter to her chest. "I'm afraid I don't know where we are either," she admitted. "It's been so long since I visited the Guardians' isle. I can't be sure we're on the right track or not."
Lavender hid behind the Gardevoir's leg and gulped. "Y-You mean we could be wandering around the southern ocean in this fog forever?" the Venonat stammered.
"NONSENSE!" yelled Goliath, suddenly appearing again. "How many TIMES do I have to TELL YOU? I can DEFINITELY, ABSOLUTELY, ONE HUNDRED PERCENT GUARENTEE you all that we are HEADING in the RIGHT DIRECTION!" He was shouting so loudly, he could probably have been heard back on the mainland.
But looking around at all the fog, and observing how deep in the middle of nowhere they seemed to be, no one found any comfort in the Midjet's words.
It was Elf who voiced this. "We're in the middle of nowhere! How can you be so sure?" she protested, hopping from foot to foot worriedly.
"In that case, we're on the right course," Cheli said without a hint of concern. "The Guardians' isle's location can be loosely described as 'the middle of nowhere'."
All of a sudden, Barn flapped to the bow of the ship and squinted through the fog. "Uh, guys?" he called back. "I see something glowing. It's yellowish… well, whitish."
Everyone gathered around Barn and peered through the fog, which seemed to thicken even as they looked at it, and indeed, no one saw anything. "'Ish'?" snorted Alphonse, skeptically. "What in Arceus' name is 'ish'?"
Evelyn gave him a mild, scathing glare. "He means," she explained, "that it's not exactly yellow, and it's not exactly white."
Team Exo, as well as Adrianna, exchanged grins. "You don't think it could be him, do you?" Adrianna asked, suspecting what it was Barn had seen.
"YES, I DO!" Goliath shouted gleefully.
"Do you know why it's not exactly yellow and not exactly white?" Cheli asked, thrumming his wings with a new energy. "It's because it's Stellar, King of the Guardians!"
Just then, everyone else began to see the yellow-white glow shining through the fog. Slowly, the glow coalesced into a small figure that floated towards them, dispelling the thick cloud with the light that seemed to radiate from his body. The glow began to fade the closer the figure glided toward them.
When the yellow-white light had faded entirely and the fog seemed to press into them once again, the small Pokemon was floating alongside the amazed group, just above the deck. He smiled in a friendly way at them and waved, glancing around at all the unfamiliar faces.
"Hello, everyone!" he said cheerfully, doing a little somersault in the air. "My name's Stellar. People like calling me the King of the Guardians – because I kind of am, you see – but I infinitely prefer my real name. So please, call me Stellar!"
Barn and Elf's eyes were wide as they took in the sight of the King, the ruler of the noble band of Pokemon that they had grown up hearing stories about. Vladimir was awed as well, but secretly a little shocked that Stellar wasn't some huge, intimidating Pokemon that would look slightly more like a king.
Stellar glanced around again, observing all the new and friendly faces before him, until he spotted Adrianna standing at the back of the group. He gasped and broke into a wide grin before rushing over to embrace the Gardevoir. "Adrianna! It's been so long, my friend!" he squealed, throwing his little arms around her neck.
"Nice to see you again too, Stellar," she replied warmly, holding Topaz in one arm so she could embrace him with the other arm. The Jirachi let go and hovered there, beaming at her, for a few seconds, before turning to look at the baby Ralts she held.
"This is Topaz, right?" he asked, to which she nodded. Stellar reached out to tickle the baby under his chin. Topaz gurgled and smiled widely, grabbing Stellar's fingers in his little hands. On the sidelines, Alphonse tried his best to hide a smile, but failed.
"Where's the rest of your family?" Stellar asked, turning back to Adrianna. "I've already sent Team Sand Dragons to look for you all! I haven't seen you or Gaby in ages – and besides, there's something of utmost importance that concerns you!"
Adrianna's smile faded, and she hung her head slightly. "It's kind of a long story," she said sadly. "I don't know where Lancelot and Gaby are at all."
Stellar frowned, then smiled again and patted the Gardevoir on the shoulder. "We'll find them, don't worry," he told her encouragingly, then floated over to the rest of the group. By now, the fog had begun to lift.
"We're almost there! Just follow me!" the Jirachi said cheerfully. He floated off into the distance, in the direction the boat was already sailing in. The fog lifted even more, allowing a faint light to wash over the ship and its passengers.
"You're all going to love this," Cheli said, shivering his mandibles in a Bug-type's version of a grin. "The island's amazing, especially at this time of day."
And then, all of a sudden, the wisps of fog surrounding them completely disappeared. The island was closer than they expected – its shores were only a couple hundred meters away. Tall, tall trees rose high above the land, and even from this distance, the Pokemon could see the huts and walkways coiling around them. The natives were bustling around, going about their business.
The island looked like the very definition of paradise. And it was made even better by the sight of the sun rising slowly above the treetops, exposing everything to its gentle yet intense orange glow.
The boat passed under a rocky archway rising up out of the sea. From its perch on the arch, a massive, leathery-winged Aerodactyl jumped off and swooped low over the boat with a harsh shriek. The fossil Pokemon clutched a long rod in its talons as it flew toward a giant boulder that also rose up from the water. It could have been described as a small island in itself.
The Aerodactyl flew past the tree sprouting from the tiny island, holding out the rod it held. It struck the gong dangling from the tree's branches, causing a loud, clear ringing sound to echo out over the sunlit, tropical island. All over, Pokemon stopped in their duties to gaze out over their island and silently greet the newcomers to their shores.
All of the Pokemon crowded at the bow of the boat. The magnificent island, the awe-inspiring trees, the warm glow of the rising sun, and the echoing ring of the gong combined to create a picturesque landscape that they couldn't look away from. Even Team Exo seemed struck by the sheer beauty of their home.
Barn and Elf stood at the very front of the boat. This was what they had flown away from their valley in order to find. This was the home of the legendary Guardians, the hidden island that had inspired them and made them grow strong. And it was before them at last. At last, their dreams had come true.
The two owl Pokemon were suddenly aware of two others coming up beside them. Barn looked up to his left and saw Vladimir staring at the island, almost as if hypnotized. Elf looked to her right and saw Lavender standing next to her, her compound eyes wide.
At that moment, the four Pokemon looked at each other. Barn the Noctowl, Elf the Hoothoot, Vladimir the Noivern, and Lavender the Venonat gazed into each other's eyes and knew immediately, deep in their hearts, that they were to form a rescue team together and become Guardians. They would help save the world of Pokemon. They would grow close as a team, as a band. And it was these words they spoke to each other in an oath.
"We will become Guardians," Barn said.
"We will save the Pokemon world," Elf added.
"Ve vill form a rescue team and grow strong," Vladimir agreed.
"And we will do it as one," Lavender finished.
The new band reached out with their hands and wings and touched them together, sealing the deal.
Just as they finished their oath, Stellar, King of the Guardians, appeared once again. He swooped over the boat, catching everyone's attention, and floated upwards until he was level with the sun. The two ribbons that rippled from the Jirachi's body expanded to their full length, and he looked at them with kind, strong eyes. The orange sun framed him magnificently, wrapping him in an aura of light.
"Welcome, friends!" he announced in a voice that rang out like the gong that had signaled their arrival.
"Welcome to the Isle of Eternity!"
-.-.-.-.-.
Yes, I got that last scene directly from Legend of the Guardians.
Fates left uncertain! Teams journeying into danger! What will become of everyone? Will they all make it to safety in one piece?
I'm afraid you'll all have to wait to find out! Review please, and hang in there!
Chapter Question #29: Last question! When I start the sequel, is there anything in particular you readers want to see more of? More death? More romance? Answer after you review!