Chapter 167 - Being a Hero
Anam took a seat at the base of Heart HQ's stairs. His legs were tired from all the walking and his feet ached. He wanted to slide into a pool and fall asleep for a whole day. But a burning urge in his guts told him he had to keep the Village safe. Keep everyone safe, even if he couldn't do that as well anymore…
The sky was a bright and beautiful orange with purple clouds rolling over calm winds. The Dungeons were at least eradicated from Kilo Village thanks to innovations made by Diyem and the others. Rain Dance, too, flowed through the drainage system into the caldera's edges. The air was damp with remnant rain and the grass seemed a little greener on the edges of the well-trodden dirt roads.
Someone cursed near the top of the Heart HQ stairs. Anam tilted his head back until he plopped against the stairs, seeing Jerry.
"Hi, Jerry!"
"Eh? Oh, hey," Jerry mumbled.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, just… tired. Glad the day's over." Jerry gave Anam an uneasy glance. Anam wondered if he would fly away without saying anything else.
But to Anam's surprise, Jerry hopped down the stairs and stared awkwardly at him instead.
"…You… seem tired, too. I guess."
"A little…" Anam trailed off.
More silence. The questions that raced through Anam's mind were somehow colder than the chilly winds of another winter night.
"I'm sorry," Anam finally said. The statement had no thought-out plan behind it. It… just spilled out.
"…Sorry," Jerry said, folding his wings down and sitting a few feet away from Anam on the same step. "…What for?"
"For… the South. For what it did to you. I should have helped more. I… I messed up a lot."
Diyem wasn't there to tell him what he said wrong. He had no idea if Jerry hated him or… But if he did, Anam would deserve it, right?
"I used a dark power to get rid of other dark powers," Anam said. "And… and I used that same power to try to make Diyem happy, but it also meant everyone else had to lose their power. I, um… Was I a tyrant?"
"All this time," Jerry said, "and you're only wondering these questions… now?"
Anam winced, wanting to sink into himself.
Jerry seemed to be awaiting a response. When none came, he sighed and said, "Look, I get it. You saved the world from a lot of trouble. And yeah, fine, you tried to preserve the way of life for all those places you conquered… You didn't even hurt anyone, aside from Dad, but he was… I get it with Dad."
"M-mm." Anam nodded nervously. Was there going to be some sort of caveat to it? Jerry hated him, so…
"Why'd you leave me behind for that?" Jerry asked.
"H-huh?" Anam, caught off guard, turned to look at him directly.
Only then did he realize that Jerry wasn't angry. If anything, he looked… pained. But he was good at hiding it.
"You integrated the Southern Kingdom. You did all you could, reached out, blessed the Dungeons, and made life better for everyone.
"So, why'd you ignore me?"
Anam stared, dumbfounded, as the wind blew a few loose end-of-autumn leaves against his gooey skin.
"Ignore you?" he said. "I… I thought… you'd be fine. You were the king, you…"
"I lost everything," Jerry said. "When you took away Dad's power, that… Everything spiraled out. I don't even know how he lost it all, or if some other leadership took it from him. But we were… stuck in a little house after that, barely a coin to our name some days. Mom was sick 'n Dad just got worse. And me?" Jerry breathed. "I could've had a brother, but that never worked out either. Nothing… in my life… went well after you took away our darkness. Everything was fine… before you took away what had."
Near the end, the Aerodactyl's voice trembled and broke, but he didn't cry. Anam wanted to, though. He trembled and said, "I… I'm sorry. I didn't know… I thought if I took away your Shadows… he'd just be better. Diyem sensed so much evil in him… that maybe if I…"
"It wasn't Shadows," Jerry said. "Dad was just awful. He could harness Shadows, but that's just power. If you can control it, it doesn't matter. You saw Spice. She's just fine."
"Spice had light, too," Anam said, "but…"
"But we didn't," Jerry said, "and I was just fine. I didn't change for the better when you ripped that out of my soul, or whatever you did."
The Goodra had no idea how to reply. He did the right thing, right? Shadows corrupted people. Diyem knew that. But… Jerry didn't seem that different. And he knew he'd sealed those Shadows completely.
Was Jerry still corrupted by it? No… That couldn't be it, right?
"You just don't… get it, do you?" Jerry said.
"Pokémon aren't… bad. Shadows can make them bad. It can cloud how they see things and make them do bad things, but—"
"You literally had the embodiment of evil in you," Jerry said, "telling you, in your head, who was evil and who wasn't. Right?"
"No!" Anam said. "He didn't say that! He told me the negative things people felt! Not that they were negative! People aren't evil like that! They—"
"They are, Anam," Jerry spat. "Some Pokémon are evil."
"N-no!" Anam said. "They just… do evil things, because they're afraid, or hurt! Even if they don't think it, that's why!"
"And why does that matter?" Jerry snapped, standing up to face Anam, who shrank into himself, neck sinking into his shoulders. "Why's it matter if someone was sad and afraid? They still made the world worse! Hardship happens to everyone, but y'know what, it's how you react that matters. Not everyone who's vulnerable lashes out and claws everyone down. Not everyone who wants to be strong abuses their strength like my father did."
"But they… just didn't know any better," Anam said. "If… if we could show them how to be better—like—like you when you were arrested and became a Broken Heart—"
"Some people don't want to do better." Jerry leaned forward. Anam sank even more into his shoulders. "I wanted a good life. I felt bad for what I did to survive. But not everyone feels bad, buddy. You should listen when Diyem says that because I know he did. That's how the world works. Some. People. Don't. Care."
The words echoed in Anam's head. Over and over, he thought about what that meant. Some just didn't care. All the people who were in pain, they all seemed guilty of it. But…
"Come on," Jerry said, his tone softening. "Can't you think about anyone that Diyem didn't catch as evil, still doing evil things? Can Diyem feel indifference?"
"I… I mean…" Anam sniffled but then choked in a gasp.
There was one person in recent memory who did. Sure, there were a few times when the cruel actions of some people were not caught by Diyem. But those were for small, petty things. Anam assumed Diyem never bothered to talk about it.
But there was one person. A single person who had done so much evil and yet had not a negative thought about it.
"Nevren," Anam said quietly. "Diyem… never sensed negative emotions from him. Not major ones. He didn't like my hugs… but a lot of people didn't. But even then… there wasn't anything negative from him. But he was still the one who…"
"Right." Jerry nodded, looking more thoughtful this time. "So, I guess you do have a real example."
Anam nodded weakly, playing with his grabbers again. What was he supposed to do about this, though? If he couldn't sense negativity and still got caught off guard with that…
"I…" Anam squeezed his eyes shut. "I don't know what to do."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Jerry said.
Anam opened his mouth to speak but couldn't find it in him to say it. To say what he was thinking. Would anyone else hear him? Or…
"Spit it out," Jerry demanded.
"I can't be the leader," Anam blurted, shaking. It was out there. He said it to Jerry, who already hated his leadership. This was just going to make him angrier.
"You can't?" Jerry repeated.
Anam was surprised at the lack of yelling or berating or… anything. He dared to open his eyes.
Jerry had a look of bewilderment. His wings had outstretched a little. The Aerodactyl folded them back down.
"Why?" Jerry asked.
"I… I don't have Diyem anymore. Everyone knows the secret now. I'll… I'll be misled. I'll do something bad… or they'll control me… and… and I don't know how to lead! I n-never… I was n-never good at it. Diyem told me how… he told me everything… I'm…"
Anam blubbered into his grabbers, sniffling and rubbing his eyes. He went on for a while, seconds passing agonizingly. His mind raced through all the times he'd reversed negative feelings by how Diyem informed him of it all. He knew exactly where to go because Diyem told him.
Now he had none of that. He had nothing. He was… nothing.
"Tch…" Jerry sighed and turned his head away. "…You're right," he said. "You don't have that anymore. You never had smarts for being at the top."
It hurt to hear… but Jerry wasn't yelling at him. That was nice. He was expecting so much worse. And Anam said it himself, right? He wasn't supposed to be a leader. It was all Diyem. It was all off the valor of his mother and father. He wasn't… right in the head to be a grand leader. He was naïve and just wanted to see the good in everyone. And where did it get him?
And he knew that. He knew that for a long time. He simply refused to believe it'd collapse around him. For a while… for five hundred years, it didn't. Until the person protecting him from it, Nevren, and the one guiding him forward, Diyem, left.
Now he was nothing.
The wind blew again. It was so cold that Anam half-feared the slime on his body would snap frozen. The heart-shaped building of HQ darkened with the last of twilight over the caldera casting a long shadow over all of town.
"But they still need you," Jerry said
"Huh?"
The Aerodactyl rubbed the top of his snout. Perhaps it pained him to say anything to Anam? But he forced it through his teeth, continuing, "You did a lot of good. And you were the one with the final say. You listened to your… advisors. Took everything into account. And your direction was always helping others.
"And… people like you." Jerry's shoulders sank. "Yeah. Fine. I fell through the cracks. But they were small cracks. And if I'm hearin' you say… you aren't a good leader… That you aren't fit… I'm satisfied."
Anam sniffled, rubbing his eyes. He was calming down now, but he didn't know what Jerry was talking about. Why was saying these things making him feel better?
"What do I do?" Anam asked.
"You're asking me?"
Anam nodded earnestly. "Your dad… was the Southern King. So, you were the Prince. What would—"
"I'm not using him as an example," Jerry cut Anam off. "Not gonna refer to him for anything good. But… Look. If you aren't gonna be the main leader, you do need to be in the public eye, putting on a good face, and making sure people don't lose hope. People look up to you. They adore you. So… don't be afraid of what people think of you.
"Just be you. Find a position where you can. And, I dunno. Find a leader to take your place."
"Find… a position… and a leader…"
Tiredly, Jerry stood up and spread his wings. "I'm gonna go," he said. "Don't do anything stupid."
"O-okay."
Jerry stared at him for a few more seconds. Anam wondered what he was thinking. Was he going to say anything?
But then, Jerry took off, leaving Anam by the stairs of Heart HQ.
You are strong, Anam, a voice called from within. His father, James. Anam could always feel his presence, even if he was always a quiet observer. I will help you. We all will. Ask your mother what to do.
She will understand. She'd never be upset at you, Anam.
James had changed so much when he'd been taken by Diyem. Anam could hardly call him 'Dad' anymore. Yet… some of that old self remained. He had his family back. And maybe soon, when the Voidlands was freed, he'd awaken his old friends from long ago, too.
He never gave up that hope.
"Thank you," Anam whispered.
The night was a little less cold. Anam took the time to rest against the stairs until the teams of Destiny Tower and the Voidlands returned for their report.
In one of the many patches of gnarled, blackened trees in the Voidlands, a cyclone swirled, ripping trees from their roots and adding them to the maelstrom of destruction.
"I can't blast through!" Reshiram shouted. "Ugh, where's our backup?!"
"Arceus called fer a meetin'," Marshadow said with a smirk. "Heh. Gotta take this one on a little short on numbers."
A black-red beam of energy caved into the cyclone, leaving a brief gap. Reshiram shot blue flames through it before the gap closed again. Marshadow wasn't sure if it connected with anything. Probably didn't matter yet. They needed a shot at the Titan's Core anyway…
"Try again! That was a good one!" Marshadow said.
"Watch out!" Yveltal shouted back.
"Whoa!" Marshadow clutched at Reshiram's fur as he and Yveltal flew back to avoid the cyclone lunging at them. They flew in a wide circle before composing themselves.
"Three is way too small for this," muttered Reshiram.
"Hold your focus," Yveltal advised. "Ready…"
Reshiram took a deep breath. Spirits within Marshadow bubbled, ready to power him for a finishing blow with Mystic power.
"GO!" Marshadow commanded.
Another beam from the death bird came first, carving a fissure in the cyclone. Reshiram's flue flames widened it. This time, the hole was large. Brief as it was, they only needed that. Arcs of electricity connected some of the trees in the cyclone but Marshadow took the risk.
Get ready! Marshadow called inward.
Always are! called one voice.
Marshadow kicked off Reshiram's chest and jettisoned through the gap in the cyclone. A few sparks of lightning nearly struck Marshadow only to be blocked by spirits forming around him in clouds. First was Cacturne Doll's arm, then Chesnaught Verd's shell. Then, Samurott Elbee burst from the right and cleaved an incoming tree in half, splitting it around Marshadow. Infernape Roh burned another incoming wave to keep the gaps wide.
And up ahead, the Titan—a bipedal monster with a bulky tail—loomed over them.
"The Core's there!" announced Feraligatr Azu, who shrank away with the other spirits.
A dark, pulsing sphere near the center of the Titan's chest—still burned from one of Reshiram's precise strikes—was exposed beyond the amalgamated Void Shadows.
Drampa Yen formed beneath Marshadow as a free platform. Marshadow landed with a smirk, then kicked one last time. Yen disappeared, his ember trailing over Marshadow's shoulders.
"Let's give this a try!"
Marshadow brought a fist back. All the spirits, as embers, emerged over his shoulder and formed a giant, ethereal fist. Their blurry forms vaguely locked hands, paws, and limbs to form one cohesive group, operating as one.
"Superhuman Punch!"
The Titan roared but was too slow to stop him. The fist slammed into the Core, leaving a shockwave that dispelled the cyclone and stripped the Titan of all its Void Shadows in a single Radiant blast. The shell of the Core broke apart, revealing black scales and electric sparks within.
With his ethereal hand projection, Manny reached for the slumbering dragon and grasped at her. He hurled Zekrom at Reshiram and Yveltal before withdrawing the fist and materializing Yen for a proper flight.
"Hah! That was the best punch yet, eh?!" Marshadow shouted.
"Quite a name for it, Manny," Yen hummed with an entertained lilt in his voice. "I'll say you spent… two days coming up with it?"
"Aw, c'mon," Marshadow said, waving it off. "Felt appropriate."
Yen sighed. "It's nostalgic," he admitted. "I did miss being able to fight alongside you like this…"
"Heh…" He shook his head. "C'mon. Let's get back ter Null Village."
"Victory!" Aster held up the burning, unconscious form of Hoopa in his massive, unbound form in the middle of the town square. Various onlookers glanced out of buildings with nervous but unalarmed stares. At this point, hauling in a beaten and battered Legendary Pokémon had become somewhat of a regular occurrence for the civilians.
In Null Village's eternal twilight, things seemed a little brighter. It wasn't the same as when the Tree had been there to blow a hole in the sky, but it was better with so many protectors coming in to visit again.
"…He went a bit overkill," Leph said with a sigh. The young Arceus levitated Hoopa off and placed him down on the ground. She gently patted Aster on the back with the side of her hoof.
Just behind her was a creature that Manny didn't recognize at first. It reminded him vaguely of Arceus… if Arceus was made of a mishmash of body parts.
"Eh, hang on, I think I recognize ya," Manny said.
"I'm Lavender!" the Silvally greeted. "I sneaked onto their team when they weren't looking!"
"He Teleported after us with one of his spirits," Leph translated. "You can't sneak up on us that easily. And we were short on Titan hunting anyway."
"I'm glad you were able to work up the courage to return here," Yen said, drifting to the ground. He offered apologetic nods to the civilians who were eventually returning to their daily lives. "The help is appreciated. A lot."
"Yeah…" Leph sighed. "We took some time to heal in Destiny Tower. Mentally and physically. But sitting around left me… restless."
"How's that been, anyway?" Manny asked, hands on his hips. "Bein' with your pops again."
"He's not my father," Leph said. "We're the same species, sure, but I was not born from him. He took me in, though. And I suppose he was kind for a time. But that's long past."
Aster shifted uncomfortably. "I liked being with Mom," he mumbled.
Marshadow shrugged. "Aah, it ain't a huge deal," he said. "Just glad yer findin' yer place is all. C'mon, let's head back 'n see how—"
With no warning, Leph shot a Judgment javelin into a side alley. The red dust kicked into the air.
"Yipes!" Manny hopped onto Yen's back on reflex. "Leph! What the—"
"Someone was spying on us."
"This is a civilian area, buddy!" Manny hopped off Yen and sprinted to the alleyway. But there was nobody there… Did Leph's Judgment incinerate them completely? No, couldn't be that easy.
Manny paused, checking the ground. The dust was disturbed, but just a little away from the blast site, he saw footprints. It was easy to tell the species.
Manny stepped away and spoke to Leph, "D'you sense anyone now?"
"No. I think they ran off. But I sensed… power behind it, and it wasn't familiar to me. I didn't like it."
"Probably nothin'," Manny said aloud. Then, once he was closer, he said in a lower voice, "Actually," he said, "you did almost hit someone. But y'missed… er they dodged. It was an Alakazam." He rolled his shoulders thoughtfully. "So, Nevren. Figured he was hidin' somewhere here, but wonder why he's spyin' on us…?"
"That guy…" Reshiram folded his wings down. "Makes my fuzz ruffle, if you ask me. Palkia's a little weird, but Nevren? Guy was the main driver of the mutant army. I should've interfered with that more…"
"Hindsight, bud," Manny said. "You had places ter protect. Mm, speakin' o' which…"
"Yeah, trying to get Poké Balls from that abandoned factory isn't easy now with the Dungeon incidents happening on the Lightlands."
"…Li—"
"Don't deny it sounds cool."
Manny shrugged. No argument there.
"I think it's cool!" Lavender agreed.
"Yeah, yeah, anyway," Manny said, "we gotta go and haul these two back home. Let's get some light crystals on 'em and take 'em to their other half ter sort out."
"Um. Who are their other halves?" Aster asked.
"No clue. Gonna ask around." Manny brought his hands behind his head. "Alright, folks! Dungeon rift time!"
And after maybe a day or two of wandering, they'd find the way back to the new… landscape of the surface.
"How about… Spice Amnet?"
"One name, I think," Star said.
"Maybe… something new? I always wondered what it'd be like to be called Penny."
"Alright, Penny. You like that?"
"Ehh… maybe not. Sounds like a name Manny would come up with."
The ghostly Zoroark kicked at a stray rock near the edge of Waypoint Road. Twilight sunsets appeared on various parts of the caldera's edge, distorted by the Dungeons that turned the skies into a glimmering kaleidoscope.
Aside from Arceus, who elected to stay behind in Destiny Tower to recover under the supervision of Dialga, the gang followed Zoroark back to Kilo Village. She was a little nervous about leaving those two alone, but they'd made sure they were safe—and that Ghrelle wasn't nearby. Demitri looked the most tired, already half-dozed off on Mispy's back, while Gahi was occasionally leaving through random side roads because everyone else was walking too slowly. Diyem was also atop Mispy's back, looking thoughtful about something else.
This evening, it was snowing. Already, a thin layer of white covered Kilo Village, and the ground, very cold from rain just in the afternoon, was dark beneath that white layer. Light snowfall covered everyone's bodies, though some of them had made a detour for Xerneas' Waypoint in Yotta Outskirts, which had also been restored. Based on the bulletin board near the center of Waypoint Road, most key population centers linked to Kilo Village had their main streets restored.
"You're going to have a hard time getting a name that puts together all four of your identities," Star said. "Like, eventually you just want to move on to something else, right?"
"Yeah, maybe, but… I still feel like all of them," Zoroark said. "It needs to be… all of them in the same way. That's what I think."
Hecto had split apart into his different components and scattered, leaving only a single canine Zygarde behind. They'd had an ultimate game of rock paper scissors and kept choosing the same values for an uncomfortable amount of time.
Zoroark wasn't sure how a winner eventually came out.
"Perhaps," the victorious Hecto said, "you should take the first letter of each name and make a new name out of that."
"First letter, huh? Okay. Spice, Amelia, Enet, Remi. Hmmm…"
Normally her tail would have been flicking, as Spice. She missed that. Maybe she could find a way to get one later.
"Oh!" Zoroark nodded. "It's perfect! Sera!"
"Hey, a normal-sounding name!" Star hopped into Zoroark Sera's mane. "You sure you want that?"
"Yeah, that fits perfectly. I might've even found an accidental meaning behind it!" She nodded. "Maybe. I could just be grasping. It just sounds nice. All right!" She patted her chest. "From here on, my name is Sera. Feels like all the me's that I used to be agree."
"Hey, congratulations, I think," Star said with a nervous smile. "Anyway, uh, I guess… maybe tomorrow, you can talk with Spice's folks? Since Enet's fine… and Amelia's fine… and Remi, uhhh…"
"Yeah, tomorrow," Sera said. "I'm a little tired."
Diyem, hanging in the back, grunted and gave her a skeptical look. "This is you being a little tired?"
Sera tittered and shrugged.
Plap plap…
Sera's ear twitched. "Huh?" She could smell Pecha berries. "Anam's still awake. You'd think he'd be exhausted from restoring this place…"
"Hi!" Anam called from the southern part of the crossroads. "Everything's fine here. I don't want to be leader anymore!"
Sera blinked several times. Did she hear that right? Sounded too cheerful. "Sorry, I kinda had three partial souls mashed together a few kilos ago, say that again?"
"How come, big guy?" Star asked. "And why are you… happy about it?"
"I wanna be the Big Heart Ambassador instead!"
The wind blew. Distantly, Nate stirred as he prepared to guard the skies once more for nighttime and to search for the wandering sources of darkness that they couldn't quite get rid of—Lugia, and, presumably, Necrozma.
"Alright," Star said even slower. "Why…?"
Mispy frowned and tilted her head as well. Sera wondered if she could sense any turmoil in Anam's aura. Wait, couldn't she do that, too?
Sera focused. Guardian powers, Guardian powers, Enet knew how to do that a little, but there was more nuance to it she could tap into now… There! Yes. She could feel Anam's aura! And it felt… tranquil? No, not quite. The feeling Sera felt in her heart… relief. Anam was feeling relieved.
And so, Sera tilted her head in the same way Mispy had.
"Hm." Diyem sighed, stepping forward. "I believe I understand what Anam is saying. Without me, he can no longer safely determine the darkness in the hearts of those who join the Thousand. In other words… what made him such a good leader, leading such a good organization, is no longer with him."
Anam fidgeted, trying to smile, but eventually, his shoulders slumped. "Yeah," he said. "That's why. And… I want to still be good for others and help as much as I can. But I can't do the… leader stuff anymore."
"That's very insightful of you," Diyem stated. "How did this come about?"
"What, you can't believe he'd do it himself?" Sera asked.
"Not really."
"Jerry did!" Anam said with a grin. "He was super supportive and nice. When I told him I was scared, he helped me through it!"
Gahi was suddenly looking skyward as if distracted by something.
Sera followed his eyes but it was just more kaleidoscope sunsets.
"Good for him," Diyem said idly, walking down the road. "In any case, I'm going to bed. Do not wake me. Tomorrow is going to be a big day of strategizing."
"Huh? How come?" Anam asked.
"Fourth," Mispy said. "We… found it."
Anam gasped. "You mean… the last part of Mi—of Diyem?"
Demitri nodded. "It was Ghrelle all along—the Poison Guardian!"
"The creepy one who sings with her melted soul minions or something," Sera explained.
"Yes. And now that we know where my four remaining fragments are," Diyem said, "we can start a more concrete plan on how to take them down. Be ready."
Without another word, he started down the road for his temporary housing.
"Oh, Diyem!" Anam called, taking three whole paces to catch up to the Charmander. "You don't have to stay in that place anymore! I made a room for you in mine!"
Diyem paused, stiffened, and then deflated with a resigned sigh. He gestured for Anam to lead the way. Happily, the Goodra picked Diyem up and ran down the road.
"…They're an odd couple," Demitri commented.
"I've seen weirder," Sera said. She stretched and let out a big sigh. "Alright. See you guys tomorrow. I'm going to go… uh… Hm. I think I'm just going to sleep out in the woods tonight until I figure out where I'm supposed to live now."
"Why not Hot Spot?" offered Demitri.
"Oh, hey, that's an idea," Sera agreed. "Sure. Thanks."
But just as she was about to head to the Hot Spot waypoint, Gahi Teleported next to Anam. Her ears twitched as she overheard the conversation.
"Hey," Gahi said, "quick question."
"Uh?"
"How's Jerry doin'?"
"Oh, he's fine! He's been really helpful lately… I'm glad he could forgive me for what happened before. I, um, I think. I still need to make it up to him somehow…"
Gahi nodded. "Yeah, alright," he said. "Thanks, jus' askin'."
Anam tilted his head. "How come?"
Gahi shrugged. "One o' my spirits was curious, is all."
After some quick idle talk, they parted ways again. Shrugging a little, Sera continued to Hot Spot, thinking nothing of it.
Once she was halfway to Hot Spot, Sera realized why he'd asked.
"Thank you. It looks right this time," Qitlan said with a coldness behind his voice.
"S-sorry!"
A Dragapult and two Dreepy were assisting with meal prep for Alexander's recovery. And they'd gotten it wrong again. Alexander preferred a stew that was thicker and meatier. At least that was easy to fix.
Pots and pans clattered in the distance as the dining hall got to work with their meal preparations. Even without Alexander to attend, Cipher Castle's operations functioned as normal. Alexander made it that way on purpose, making sure that even in his absence, it would keep pushing along. He was the perfect ruler. He did not need to rule with an iron fist. He simply designed everything to run as it should.
Then he could get what he wanted. Always.
The least Qitlan could do in response, now that he had recovered, was pay Alexander back. With everything.
Everything started with a good and proper meal.
"H-how about now?" Dragapult asked. Two Dreepy held up a sampling bowl for Qitlan to taste.
Thick. Creamy consistency. And heaps of extra meat. He caught a hint of garlic, a favorite of Alexander's.
"We'll need five portions exactly like this," Qitlan said with a nod. "Very good. I'm going to inform him of his meal being prepared. How long must he wait?"
"Only—only ten… no, fifteen minutes to make sure the rest of the meat tenderizes properly!"
"Good. But give it extra time anyway. Make sure it would melt the moment he bites down."
"M-melts? That could take… a whole half an hour!"
"I'll allow it." And without a word, the Inteleon turned around and walked down the halls of the kitchen, past the pacing chefs, and into the dining hall where many of the residential staff were enjoying their meals. Qitlan refused to eat before Alexander.
He passed down the halls lined with royal carpets and vases filled with candy. They weren't eaten as often anymore except by staff, but that was fine. Alexander didn't care, so he didn't care.
The larger-than-life doors to Alexander's chambers greeted him. He knocked twice in a particular rhythm.
"Enter."
Qitlan's heart fluttered as it always did and he pushed the doors open.
Alexander lay in a bed five times his size covered in warmed blankets and pillows for all three of his heads. Most were behind him while two small clusters were by his side to lay his smaller jaws. His injuries had healed but the fatigue of his spirit remained. Thankfully, based on what their scouts had stated, the opposition was also recovering from their chaos. That left Alexander with ample time to recover and be stronger than ever.
The scouts had given him even more information and findings about some of the methods the Hands of Creation had allowed. And, by that same logic, the opposing Shadowy power that permeated the Voidlands would be capable of the same.
All he had to do was convince Alexander to do it.
After he got a few other things taken care of, at least.
"Qitlan," Alexander greeted, looking at him with a grunt. "Is dinner prepared?"
"I made sure they have it prepared exactly as you like it. They will not rush."
"Mmf. Then another half hour?"
"Yes. However, that makes for a good opportunity to talk."
"Talk?" Alexander's three heads all frowned, looking equal parts tired and confused.
"I assure you," Qitlan said, "this is all positive."
To that, Alexander relaxed against his pillows again. Qitlan gently moved the blankets over his chest and Alexander relaxed more.
"…May I speak of something personal?"
The tiredness had faded completely, now. Alexander looked curious. "You may."
Qitlan nodded and clasped his hands together on his thighs, sitting at Alexander's bedside. "…The blight on the Voidlands, Owen, can create Gone Pebbles. We know this. We planned to use it for the motivation of the troops, but his ability to make them was demonstrated. He offered one to me."
Alexander's eyes narrowed, thoughtful. "In exchange?"
"I don't know what the exchange was. I don't think he had one in mind. He thought that it would remind me of some sort of memory I'd left behind, perhaps. A reason to turn against you. But he was wrong." Qitlan deflated. "It was a memory of when I was at my most desperate. When I'd found you."
"I can barely remember that," Alexander stated flatly. "I remember something about you impressed me."
"I'd infiltrated your camp and stole from your supplies," Qitlan said. His voice was a little quieter. "I'd been removed from my home… and had no choice but to scavenge and steal. And I was very good at it until I'd been caught by you. But you saw my strength… and took me in.
"The Voidlands took that memory from me but not my feelings, Alexander. I still owe everything to you. My life, my strength, my soul, my body… are all yours."
"Hmph." Alexander smirked. "I know power when I see it. I made nothing but good choices when keeping you by my side."
"…And there is… one last thing," Qitlan said, "from the scouting. And it is… related. We have discovered how the much weaker individuals on Kilo's side have become as strong as they have. It is not just blessings from the gods."
"Oh? What more is there?" Alexander squeezed the blankets and rolled a little so his scales brushed against Qitlan's thigh.
He suppressed a shiver and his heart skipped a beat. "Yes," he replied. "When you run out of strength that your spirit is capable of manifesting… they found a new source. More spirits, channeling their power through a host all at once. It seems they must be willing for it to work, and often unified behind a driving spirit, like a leader."
"We've tried that before. Those failures are in the Void chambers," Alexander said. "But, a unified leader…"
"Exactly," said Qitlan. "Before, we only turned dissenters into mindless Void Shadows as servants. But in that state, they are weak, barely a will to call their own. It seems if we want to be truly powerful… we must have a leader spirit to rally them from within.
"Of course, you never thought to dispose of your truly powerful guards… but you must. You must gather your most loyal, those who believe in the greatness of Cipher City… and take them to lead everyone else.
"With that together… perhaps… you will find your true strength."
"Even as King," Alexander said, "I don't know about that. Willing? I'm not blind to their fear. If I already claim them and they have nothing left to fear, how can I get their power in lock-step with mine?"
"You only need one," Qitlan said. "One lead spirit to mold the rest. To rally them for a cause, directly, within your realm." Slowly, Qitlan brought his hand to Alexander's arm. "…You know I am your most loyal and always have been. You never once had to tie my spirit to your powers.
"But now, Alexander…"
His heart raced. Was he about to propose this? Was he afraid? No. He wasn't afraid of what would happen. He was afraid that Alexander would deny it.
"You must take me."
And for a moment, Alexander seemed genuinely unsure. Qitlan had no idea what was going through his mind. He must have been calculating all the possible outcomes, as he always did. Weighing the benefits and risks. But Qitlan had outlined it all, and how, in the end, he would lose nothing. And would gain so much more.
"Claim your spirit," Alexander repeated. "That's a big sacrifice, Qitlan."
"And yet it is… what I have always wanted. With those traitorous others out of the way, I must make my move. I—" Qitlan stumbled. Had he said that out loud? "I… want this."
Alexander looked puzzled. What was there not to understand?
"But," Qitlan went on, "I only have… one request before we do. I want you to follow your instincts when you take my soul. And I will be loyal to you forever. To commemorate it…"
Alexander was attentive. The most attentive he'd ever been. Having him in the room, alone, isolated, for so long, after so long…
Qitlan whispered…
Dragapult floated down the halls of gaudy carpet and excessive candy bowls. Her two Dreepy nestled themselves in their launchers, though they didn't want to be out while she was about to serve Alexander's meal. Qitlan was always so demanding about how Alexander's meals were, but really…
She just had to draw the short stick on who served Alexander this time. When he was in a bad mood like this, sometimes people came back feeling like they'd lost part of themselves. That was like death in the Voidlands. And she had a good, long track record of being alive so far! Two hundred years! Maybe a bit longer, but it was starting to get a little fuzzy…
Whatever. Once Alexander had a proper hold of things again, maybe it would all stabilize and he'd be in a good mood again. It was a good life, she told herself. Or a good… un-life. If she was lucky, she'd start forgetting about the details of the many years rolling by and be satisfied with each day as it passed. It was a Zen way of living. She was getting there. Years were already blurring together.
The door was just in front of her. She shook her head a little and her two Dreepy sank into her shooters, hidden away. They melted into Void Shadow blobs and became inert. She didn't like them seeing Alexander directly. Void Shadows were impressionable.
Her ectoplasmic tail crinkled. She smelled something in the air. It was the scent of when he and that poor Mhynt had to spend some extra time together. What was she—
Wait, that Treecko was gone now.
Before she could think about it more, the door slid open on its own.
"Eep—"
Alexander was floating on the other side, dripping with blood from his mouths and down his chest and belly. Behind him, on the bed, it was all crimson and black and… and was that… were those… what was that? Bones?
"Thank you," Alexander said slowly, reaching down to the plate in Dragapult's hands. She handed it over and floated back. Everything felt cold. She was ready to phase through the wall.
"I have an assignment for you," Alexander said.
"Y-yes?"
"Gather all staff." He spilled the stew into his main mouth. His other heads continued to talk, their voices twisted and high-pitched compared to his main head. They switched who talked and who held the bowl.
"And tell them to meet in the assembly.
"For an emergency meeting."
He placed the empty bowl on Dragapult's head and floated past her.
When she finally dared to turn around, she saw a specter on Alexander's back. A shadowy haze of Qitlan draped over his shoulders, possessively wrapping its tail around Alexander's, looking like the happiest phantom in the world.
