Chapter 27: Skydancers
Pyre arrived at the rescue team base, all his focus on the snivy that had been moved inside. Ivy was awake, but just barely, Gengar was helping him sit up.
"Oh, hey, P-Pyre…where have you been?" The snivy rocked in place.
"I was dealing with Kimim." Pyre sat in front of him. "I'm so sorry Ivy…I should've been there."
"It's all good, fine feel I…er wait…uh."
"He's woozy from the pain, and a bit confused it seems." Gengar spoke slowly.
Pyre leaned forward and hugged the snivy. "I'm sorry. I promised myself I'd never lose anyone again, and that I'd hold onto my light, but I was so scared when you were hurt, I thought I'd lost you too…"
"Pyre…it's fine…you're still the char I fell for." The snivy hugged him back. "I still love you…"
"Ivy…" Pyre pulled back hesitantly.
"I know…you don't feel the same way…"
"I think I finally understand why…it's not that I don't love you Ivy…I…I do." Pyre blushed. "But, I don't think I can ever love anyone…the same way I loved Cynder."
"So it's not that you don't love me…but you…can't?" The snivy looked a bit confused.
"I should probably have waited until you recovered to say that." Pyre noticed Ivy was smiling.
"That…makes me happy…I wasn't the problem…"
"You never we…" Pyre was cut off as Ivy kissed him. The grass snake pulled back after a moment.
"Thank you Pyre."
"Pyre, you left so quick while Xatu was trying to talk to you." Cobalt entered the base with Xatu just behind him.
"Compassion guides the pure of heart. Futures come to pass." Xatu stood before them. "Pyre, I saw you, long ago. In visions softly creeping. They left their seeds while you were sleeping."
"I…I think I remember." Pyre turned to face him.
"Memories clutched in a restless dream. I will help guide your light, and split the night within your mind." Xatu reached out with one wing. "Together we shall touch a sound of silence." Pyre could feel that Xatu held no ill intent as he reached within Pyre's mind. "Shadows pool and fester like infections within your mind." Pyre felt his own mind clear up as psychic energy flowed through him.
"I…I remember. My mom…and dad…my brother…the legends…I watched them fight the calamity…"
"Visions granted to the chosen hero." Xatu watched Pyre for a moment. "You could not see the calamity and yet," the psychic bird looked him in the eyes. "You know them do you not?"
"I…I hope not." Pyre frowned. All the details he's heard pointed to one truth. The calamity, whatever it truly was, sounded like a dead ringer for Shadow.
"Do not let fear cloud your mind. They are not who you believe them to be." Xatu nodded before his head snapped toward the entrance. "Time is ever changing. Present rewritten to tear apart the future. The sky dancers approach."
"Sky dancers?" Cobalt shot to his feet. "Latios and Latias? But they're supposed to be patrolling the sky below sky tower aren't they?"
As if in a blinding flash a streak of blue entered the base, and just as quickly had gone. And Pyre along with it.
"No…Pyre…Cobalt…please save him…" Ivy reached out falling forward.
The mudkip nodded and rushed outside.
*Mt Calamity*
Eclipse found himself cuddled happily in Swindle's lap.
"Eclipse." The calamitous voice called from its cave.
"Yes father?"
"You'll be going to Sky Tower now."
"Are you certain father?"
"Latios and Latias will fail, as the others have before them. This I know. As I ordered them to bring Pyre and Lucario to Sky Tower."
"But that puts them within walking distance of Rayquaza, what if he's freed before you can use his power?"
"We are well past that point. Now I need him freed. So that the last of my power may return to me before the barrier falls."
"Father? When will the barrier fall?" Eclipse looked curious.
"In Two days."
"Then we can finally claim the world in your name, father!"
"Indeed. But that leaves Pyre and Lucario as the meager threats they are. You will kill them both."
"Then I will depart immediately!" The onyx tailed Charmander hopped off of his larger counterpart's lap. "Come along, Swindle."
"Fo sho dawg."
"Hehehe, you're lucky I find that cute." Eclipse smiled as the two approached the barrier.
"Touch the darkness within, and feel it's grasp pull you." The dark voice spoke again as a clawed hand pressed against the barrier. Eclipse reached out holding Swindle's hand and touching his father's.
And the two vanished, teleported away to Sky Tower.
*Firelink Square*
Cobalt rushed inside the pelipper post office. "Pelipper! Has Alakazam been back to Firelink?"
"Ah, Cobalt, let me check." One pelipper opened his mouth as the speaker looked inside. "Oh yes, there it is." The second pelipper plopped a small bead onto the counter from his mouth. "He came by and left this while everyone was chasing you and Pyre. Something about a teleport crystal."
"Teleport crystal?" Cobalt took hold of it and rushed out of the building. "Thanks Pelipper!"
The mudkip was stopped at the bonfire in the center square by Xatu. "Time is ever changing, urgency demands silence."
"Wh-what? What does that even…"
Xatu reached out gently, touching the crystal. A bright light began to emerge from within and Cobalt was consumed.
*Sky Tower*
"How ya holding up?"
"Oh, ya know just grand, doesn't at all feel like I had my brains fucked out like an hour ago!" Pyre groaned as he held back the pink jet like pokemon that had tried to ram him.
"You think I'd have let them go that hard if I knew this would happen?" Lucario shouted back.
"I don't know, but my friend is hurt and these two jerks are in. My. WAY!" Pyre let out a shout as he jumped up, slamming his fist down into Latias' head. It left her stunned for only a moment. When she reared her head a massive cloud of mist erupted covering Pyre. "Ew, did you just spit on me or something?" He tried to wave away the mist.
"Pyre, look out!" He felt Lucario shove him hard out of the mist. And when he looked back he saw Latios unleashing a bright devastating attack on Lucario.
"Lucario! Are you okay?" No response. The two eon pokemon turned to face him. And they did something familiar. Latios hovered down in front of Latias, completely obscuring his sister's body. "Aww poo." He groaned as they approached at blinding speed.
Mere inches away they broke apart with Latios going low and tripping Pyre forward into Latias who had slammed the Charmander immediately to the cloudy ground with psychic.
As the charmander slowly stood up he was slammed again, this time by Latios. And he suddenly felt his body pulled from the ground.
The twin pokemon began to lift and slam him to the ground repeatedly with psychic not granting the poor fire type any breathing room. After a minute of that he felt small hands gently lift him by his head and he was brought to face Latias. "Th-that…all ya got…I can do this…all day." He panted as he felt a sudden heat upon his back as a blinding flash of light struck him from behind.
"Hey! Leave him alone!" Cobalt's voice called out.
"No…Cobalt…it's too dangerous, they're too strong…too…fast…"
"Master doesn't care about the mudkip. Let us finish what we started dear sister."
"Of course darling brother."
"Hehe, bet you two are fuckin…" Pyre taunted, prompting another bright blast of light to strike him from behind.
"Speak so lowly of my sister again and I'll fire a luster purge where the sun cannot shine."
Pyre chuckled and spoke with a woozy sing-songy tone. "Sweeeet hoooome alabaster…wait…is eh nevermind."
"You are a wretched thing."
"Not my fault big brother here wants to paint my insides instead of yours!" Pyre taunted again glancing to where Cobalt was, the mudkip had moved, perfect.
"That's it."
"Oh no, don't shoot in my butt like all the other men do!"
"There's nothing sexual here! Shut your filthy mouth damnit!" Latias shook him.
"Okay, I'm out of jokes anyway, uhhh…ANY TIME NOW!" Pyre shouted as Latias was suddenly blasted in the back of the head with hydro pump, causing her to drop Pyre. The charmander scrambled passed her and stood beside Cobalt. "Thought you were just gonna leave me hanging a few more minutes."
"Eh, you ran out of jokes." Cobalt joked, before taking a serious tone. "Listen, I've got a plan to take one of them out, but you'll need to be ready."
"You do, what is…" Pyre looked over Cobalt, his aura wasn't the same, before it was a bright blue, but now it was more like a dark indigo. "Oooooh. Get ready then, I'll bait them over." Pyre cleared his throat and turned around lifting his tail. "Hey, does this look tighter than your sister!?"
"Okay, what's with all the sex jokes seriously, we're trying to kill you, and you just won't shut the fuck up!" Latias was shaking and flailing.
"I've heard enough of your uncouth insults!" Latios burst forth rushing Pyre.
"Please work…" Pyre gulped.
"Brother wait!" Latias called out.
Just as the blue jet-like pokemon reached Pyre he froze. "Wh-what have you done to me?"
"Oooooh thank fuck…" Pyre stepped up. "Thanks Gengar!"
"Kekeke, no prob Pyre! Glad I hopped in Cobalt now, otherwise we might be in trouble." Before Pyre could begin using his aura to free the blue pokemon he was sent flying by Latias. And moments later Gengar jumped out of Latios. "Sorry, it takes a lot to hold someone that isn't willing."
"No worries." Pyre spoke as electricity crackled around him. "I can see it now. That dirty dance of yours." Pyre hopped to his feet revealing his eyes, as well as his tail flame had a glorious golden glow to them.
"Seriously, your sex obsession is annoying now."
"There was nothing sexual about that one, I just meant you guys have an evil nasty combo attack." Pyre lowered himself as the electricity cracked around him. "If you heard something naughty, that's on you, not me."
"Enough, brother let us end this welp."
"Yes dear sister, let us do so."
"You guys ready! Cause now that I see your combo, I can read it now! And now, I'll take us to VICTORY!" Pyre called out as he burst forth as if pulled by a bolt of lightning and slammed fist first into Latios' face.
The blue eon pokemon was sent back a few feet.
Latias struck out sending a massive ball of mist at Pyre. "Get him brother!"
"Be purified!" Latios called out as another luster purge burst within the mist.
"Yeah, he missed."
Latias snapped around to find Pyre directly behind her. One fist wreathed in flames as it struck, sending her slamming into her brother.
"Why you!" Latios made to advance on Pyre.
"Brother, I can't move!"
Latios turned around seeing his sister rooted in place by Gengar. "Don't worry, he can't hold you for long!"
"Now Cobalt!" Pyre called out to the mudkip who unleashed a sudden hydro pump at Latias, but her brother shielded her body taking the attack and splattering them both in water. "Great job, Gengar get out of there!"
Latios lunged at Cobalt as Pyre shot forward holding his fist up.
The ghost pokemon bolted from Latias freeing her, but Pyre was too close to dodge.
And his fist connected, not to Latias, but Latios, he once again shielded his sister.
"Huh, guess I'm smarter than someone!" Pyre smiled. Latios began to chuckle as a sudden crackle of electricity left Pyre's fist. "Thunder punch."
The two Pokemon, connected and covered in water burst with electricity from Pyre's attack, and both collapsed in a heap together.
Pyre gently reached out touching each of them and extending his aura around them. "Glad your compassion was stronger than the calamity big guy, you always protected your sister. Sorry about all the jokes, needed ya aggressive, helped ya make mistakes so I could free you."
The two slowly sat up. "Brother?"
"Sister?"
"You saved us!" The two spoke in unison. "You have our gratitude!"
"No need for that, just trying to help people." Pyre gave his signature smile.
"Allow us to repay you, we can take you to the summit, so you can save Rayquaza." Latias spoke.
"And we can help you return to the surface."
"I can handle getting us home." Cobalt showed off the small gem in his paw. "Alakazam left this for us, a teleport crystal, so we could get here. It should be able to get us back too."
"Oh cool." Pyre turned his gaze upward. "Take me to the floor below the summit."
"What? Why?"
"And all of you go back to Firelink Square. I have something personal to deal with I think." Pyre smiled as he sensed the familiar aura. "Been dying to fight you."
"Pyre, what you're suggesting is that we leave you to fight Rayquaza alone?"
"I'll have these two to support me." He pointed to the two eon pokemon. "Cobalt, I need you and Gengar to look after Ivy, and to make sure Lucario gets help. I can handle this. Trust me, partner." Pyre smiled.
"Okay, I know it's the right call but I can't help feeling this is a bad idea."
"Well it's one of mine, so of course it is, just so happens they tend to work!" Pyre hopped onto Latios' back.
"Pyre. Good luck alright!"
"Thanks Cobalt, this is why you're our rescue team leader!" Pyre smiled. "Let's go guys." And so the twin pokemon, with Pyre in tow ascended Sky Tower.
"I'm the leader. Guess so hehe." Cobalt gave a smile of pride as he and Gengar held onto Lucario as they activated the teleport crystal. Light enveloped them as they vanished.
*Just Below The Summit*
Pyre hopped off of Latios' back as they arrived. The floor was barren, no walls, no other pokemon, it looked like the areas where Pyre had fought the legends. "You guys go on ahead." He pointed to the nearby staircase. "I'll catch up when I'm done here." They flew off as he stepped closer.
Just a short distance away, Eclipse sat upon Swindle's lap like a throne. "Father was right. They did fail. However, I will not." He hopped from his partner's lap only to be grabbed gently.
"Please be careful Clipsy."
"Swin…" Eclipse blushed deep looking away from the Krookodile. "Not in front of our greatest enemy…"
Pyre couldn't help but smile. That meant they had light, where Kimim had not. Removing their marks would not kill them. But that's when Pyre noticed it. Swindle's mark was no longer on his face, but his chest. And Eclipse didn't have one at all.
"I'll be careful, promise, now you just relax, big guy." Eclipse stepped up just in front of Pyre. "So, are we going to postulate and pontificate ideology, or shall we get to the fun."
Pyre smiled wide. "I'm gonna deck you in the schnoz!"