Chapter 66 – From All Sides
"That took far too long," Rhys grunted, looking left and right. He hissed, covering his aura sensors in pain. "What is this feeling?!"
Rhys heard the ethereal cry of Barky in the distance—almost like a rallying cry. Then, the ground trembled. The trees of Aether Forest next to him trembled; Rhys hopped into the air, jumping from tree to tree, until he could get to the tops, using aura platforms to better distribute his weight on the leaves for easy footing.
"Wraiths… here?!"
Barky was still fending off the wraiths. It didn't seem like they were taking any notice of him, but Barky was struggling against the endless onslaught. Why was he here? Rhys shook his head, leaping from treetop to treetop, blasting heavy aura streams to give him an extra boost when he could.
"Bark—er, Arceus!" Rhys shouted.
He looked back, but then stared ahead. "Hello. If you're looking for the others, they have already left for the Grass Realm."
"Why are there wraiths here?"
"I don't know." Another Earth Power shook the land, disintegrating countless wraiths, only to be replaced by countless more. "These things all look the same. I have the sinking feeling that some of these I have already vanquished previously. But it isn't a matter of fending them off before they strike; it's simply destroying them faster than they return. Surely they will eventually run out of energy!"
Rhys grunted, thinking about Anam and the wraiths that seemed to associate with his blessings. Normally, they could stem the flow of them by simply cutting off the Dungeon Core. But this wasn't a Dungeon. Where were they coming from, then?!
"I'll help to fend them off. You're being overwhelmed."
"I do not get overwhelmed," Barky growled. "I am merely limited by Star's domain."
Rhys propelled himself upward with a burst of aura, landing on the great Pokémon's back. "Apologies," he said, though the massive god had ample standing room from on top. "Let me help."
"You can't fight in your aura armor for long, Lucario."
"I have other techniques that can help," he said. "Have you considered calling upon the Trinity?"
"They are coming. I'm sure they are."
"Then I shall stall until they get here."
Rhys raised his paws in the air, forming a small Aura Sphere. Then, he pushed more energy into it, expanding its size and radiance. Barky lowered his head when he felt the aura lick against his fur.
"What are you doing?!"
"Crowd control," Rhys said, pushing the sphere higher. "Apologies. I'm not used to doing this while on top of someone else."
Barky marveled at the Aura Sphere that was approaching his size. "Excuse me?!"
"D-don't—don't unsteady my stance, please!" Rhys requested, nearly dropping the Sphere.
The swarm was getting closer, perhaps only ten seconds away from them. Their shrieks and angry cries were louder than the low rumble of Rhys' giant sphere, but the Lucario didn't seem worried. Instead, he said, "Between the two of us, we should be able to fend them off. How long has it been since you called the Trinity for help?"
"When did you ask me when the Trinity would be here?"
"S-seconds ago?"
"I called for them then."
Rhys didn't have the time to berate the god for his stubbornness. Instead, he looked at the swarm, held back briefly by another of Barky's Earth Power strikes. "Then we will just have to wait."
The giant Aura Sphere flashed, creating a small, continuous rhythm of shockwaves above the former Hunter. Rhys kept one paw up and aimed his second paw forward, focusing on the incoming wraiths. From the large Sphere, a smaller, but still sizeable, Aura Sphere burst forth, singing through the skies and into the swarm. It exploded, scattering into countless smaller Aura Spheres. These burst against any wraith it came into contact with, disintegrating them instantly.
Rhys sighed in relief. "They are weak," he said. "I was right to try this technique, seeing how easily they fell in droves."
Aether Forest was even brighter from all the blue fire let out by the fallen trees burning in lava, and the ground glowed dimly from both the flames and the lava's orange light. The once beautiful Aether Forest was a fiery wasteland of embers. Rhys could only hope that Star would be able to repair this when she returned.
Once Rhys was confident that the main Sphere was steady, he lowered both of his paws and collapsed, panting.
"Are you finished?" Barky said.
"I don't need much to maintain it from here," Rhys said. "With just my thoughts, I can send the rest their way. Not to… not to worry." He panted, leaning to get a look at the wraith swarm. They were pushed back, not because they were frightened, but simply because their frontlines and the second waves behind were obliterated.
"Why does being here hurt my feelers so much?" Rhys grunted, holding his aura sensors in a wince.
"It's the wraiths," Barky said. "Something about their auras is—difficult to look at. Perhaps it is especially pronounced in you, Rhys, for how sensitive you are."
"That must be the case," he said, the main sphere firing another volley of scattershot Aura Spheres.
It seemed like they were getting a good rhythm. Rhys' aura sensors twitched again; he glanced to his right, and then his eye twitched in annoyance. "Unbelievable."
"Honey, I'm home!" called a metallic Machoke, riding on a steel plate. He leaned forward and grabbed it by the edges, pulling it out from under his own feet; he flung it, spinning, into the distant crowd of wraiths, where the metal sheet exploded into shrapnel, piercing through a chunk of them. He stopped next to Barky, standing in midair. "What's going on?"
"Wraiths," Rhys replied.
"Oh, 'sup, Rhys. That thing yours?" He pointed at the main Sphere right when it fired into the crowd.
"No, it's my mother's," Rhys hissed. "Please, help us! We don't know where they're coming from, but it's obviously nothing that we can't handle if we don't just try to fight them at once."
"I'd try Suppressing them, but Star's domain makes it kinda hard," Brandon admitted. "I'll try, though."
He held his hand parallel to the ground below, then pressed downward. Suddenly, all of the wraiths lost altitude, but didn't stop. "Hey-y, look at that!" Brandon cheered, pressing his hand down a bit more. "Looks like it's working just—Rhys?"
Rhys was groaning, barely able to stay on top of Barky's back. He hugged at the god's fur, struggling to not fall off. "Uh, hey, Boss, you might wanna give Rhys a temp blessing or something so he doesn't get affected by my antics."
"Ngh, fine." A single filament of light sprouted from Barky, pointing at Rhys' forehead. A pulse of light channeled from the filament into Rhys, jolting him upright.
"Th-thank you," Rhys muttered, refocusing on the main Sphere.
"Oh, hey, look. We've got another one." Brandon pointed just as Rhys felt the presence of another powerful spirit.
"Who—" Rhys squinted, but something else caught his attention. The sky was alight with bright, indigo meteors, rapidly descending down onto the wraiths' general location.
"Party on Boss's back!" Brandon shouted with a tinge of fear, hopping right next to Rhys. He then ducked, hiding behind his neck, grabbing the exhausted Rhys to keep him steady.
Rhys gasped for air—this was like getting grappled by Manny, but with something literally made of metal. "Let go—let me go—!"
"Nope, hold on tight!"
With a deafening BOOM, the meteors struck the ground, sending shockwave after devastating shockwave across Aether Forest, obliterating all of the wraiths that had made themselves known. The gusts of wind generated by the explosions nearly blew Brandon off of Barky; Rhys was like a scarf in the wind, held only by Brandon's metal arm. The Creator floated back, but otherwise remained steady.
"You should have requested for assistance earlier, My Lord."
Rhys puffed, looking for the source of the voice. A Salamence, wings outstretched, yet no need to beat them.
"Thank you, Aramé," Barky said.
"That was good aim, but I think you missed a spot of a hundred." Brandon said, pointing at the stragglers that still lined the horizon, albeit thinly.
"Then we will just pick them off, won't we?" Aramé said, growling. "I took care of the majority of them; you should be thankful. This whole battle is pointless anyway; I don't understand why we are wasting our efforts on aiding the lesser god."
Barky snarled and kicked a hoof at some of the remaining wraiths. "As much as I loathe to admit it, Aether Forest is the center of this side of the spirit realm. If the wraiths claim it, we won't have a means to communicate with the Guardians very easily, perhaps at all."
Brandon hummed, finally setting Rhys down once the wind of the Draco Meteor wore off. "Well, as omnipotent as you want to think you are, we can't fight forever. Why don't we just go back and regroup, and then find a better way to take these guys down?"
"We can't risk that!" Barky said. "Not until these wraiths are gone completely! What if they spread into the aura sea? What then? The entire afterlife could be at risk. No." Barky turned toward the thin cloud of wraiths. "It is my duty to fight for order. Star feels the same way."
Rhys stood up. "I must catch up with the others in the Grass Realm. I've already used up too much of my power here." He motioned to where his Aura Sphere shooter had once been, then at Brandon and Aramé. "Thank you for all of this, but I feel I must go to Owen. Will you be fine without me?"
"We'll survive, but it'll be a real struggle," Brandon said with a wry smile.
Rhys blinked, giving Brandon an incredulous look. Then, he chuckled, hopping off of Barky. "Well, I suppose I'll be going. It was good to see you again, Brandon. Aramé."
"Take care of yourself, Rhys," Aramé said. "Clean after yourself."
Rhys snarled, readying to land. But then, as he descended, his aura sensors throbbed painfully. The splitting headache that followed distracted his descent.
"RHYS!" Brandon shouted.
Wraiths infested the forest floor. They had been underground. Black blobs sprang from the bushes, several ones latching onto Rhys instantly. Brandon kicked away from Barky and slammed into Rhys, smashing a few of the wraiths easily. Some of the others still clung on, eating away at his fur and flesh. He howled in pain, slamming his arm blindly; Rhys fired an Aura Sphere to the sky in a panic, hitting two of the wraiths, but neither were the ones on him.
Brandon clamped his metal fingers around one of the wraiths, tearing it off of Rhys' arm. He winced at the blue embers that fell off of Rhys when he did, the arm almost eaten away to the core. Brandon then looked at his fingers where the wraith had remained; his eyes widened. His fingers were emitting the same embers—they had been corroded away.
"What are these things?! It's like they eat aura!"
While he spoke, he weaved between three of them.
Rhys was shivering in Brandon's hold. "I c-can't—feel my arm."
"Hold tight, buddy," Brandon said, jumping in a single leap to Barky's back.
"These things never did that kind of damage in the living world," Brandon muttered, setting Rhys' trembling form on Arceus' back.
"Their powers must be more focused on aura," Barky said. "Their shadowy auras… it just eats at aura."
Their cover blown, the wraiths emerged from their hiding spots underground, and Aramé reflexively beat her wings to gain altitude.
"They've been surrounding us the whole time," Aramé said, hissing. "We have to go back. Aether Forest is lost!"
"Judgement, bless us.
Watcher of Creation."
Barky blinked, looking back. Brandon looked up, too, and followed his ears to the ominous song's source. An Altaria, most of her form shrouded in a great, poisonous cloud, drifted toward the rest of the Trinity.
"Flesh, blood, chains us.
Free us from our prison."
The wraiths that had surrounded Barky on all sides—some of them firing strange, black beams toward him—turned their attention to Ghrelle next. Several wraiths fired more shadowy blasts, but Brandon held his hand parallel to the ground again, doing everything he could to keep the wraiths down while they could. His hand shook from the strain—now that the wraiths were fighting back, he could barely keep it up. But that didn't matter anymore; they just had to last two more couplets.
"Unending Light,
Cleans our spirits; shine bright."
The wraiths were glowing—little pinpricks of golden light shined through their black bodies. The bodies themselves started to evaporate in a fine mist, but not completely. Rhys, meanwhile, groaned loudly, his body losing shape.
"AAH! B-Boss! Rhys!" Brandon realized what they had forgotten.
"Nrgh—!" Barky, a bit more roughly than intended, suddenly produced a filament of light from his back, jabbing it roughly into the Lucario's torso. Rhys' eyes bulged with even more pain, but he was too weak to pull it out. But rather than fade completely, his body regained its shape, even while the final couplet rang through.
"Into aether, into aether
To stillness eternal!"
It wasn't with a roar or even a shriek or even a cacophony, but a quiet hiss, that the wraiths of Aether Forest evaporated completely. Black smoke briefly covered the landscape, slowly fading into the air. Not wanting to take any chances, Barky created a small barrier around them, deflecting any of the residual shadows.
"They may return," said Barky.
Rhys shuddered, breathing heavily.
"I apologize," Barky said to Rhys, gently pulling out the single filament that had stabbed him. "Ghrelle's Perish Psalm doesn't affect those blessed by me. I had to give you temporary respite."
"Perish… Psalm," Rhys repeated, but had no more energy to speak. He closed his eyes, embers flowing out of him like blood from an open wound.
"Let's get outta here before that happens," Brandon said. "Rhys, we're gonna take you to the Hall of Origin for now to recover, alright? Hey, Rhys? You with me?"
"Owen…"
"Owen'll, uh, he'll be fine, I think. You won't if you go." Brandon gave a nod to Barky, then at the other two. "Ladies?"
"If I'm no longer needed, I will return to Zero Isle," Aramé said with a shrug. "Rhys will live. I expect more from him."
"My most—sincere apologies for taking so long to come here," Ghrelle said, finally close enough for the poisonous Altaria to get within speaking distance. "If I came earlier, none of this would have happened. I did not think it was so urgent as to—"
"Your carelessness is forgiven. Be quicker next time," Barky said immediately, jerking his head back. "Let's hope we gave Star and the others enough respite to return everyone to their proper Orbs after Eon is taken care of."
"You really think Star's gonna take down Eon?" Brandon asked.
Barky created a large portal for them to pass through. Light poured out of it. "Hmph. I don't see why not," he said. "Owen trusts Star far more than he'd ever trust me."
"You are pretty bad at social skills," Brandon quipped, hopping into the portal.
"Don't listen to him," Ghrelle said, patting Arceus on the back. "Owen should have known better than to listen to Star over you, O Lord."
Barky's eyes gleamed. "I suppose so." With a spring in his step, Barky passed through the portal with Rhys on his back.
"Where is he?" Zena said frantically, almost breathless at the speed they had propelled themselves through the spirit world. The blue trees and dark trunks gave way to paler colors and a brighter sun. While they never knew what the Grass Realm truly looked like until then, it seemed pretty clear that they had arrived.
To their ears, the forest was eerily quiet. Normally they would expect there to be spirits abound in the treetops or the bushes, but there was nothing. No sign of life beyond the unresponsive plants.
But their aura senses had another story entirely. Upon arriving, a massive influx of Mystic energy strained their vision, practically warping the light from its pressure, even at such a distance. It stung at their scales and skin; getting too close could mean their spirits would dissolve right there.
"Be careful," Step warned them. "If you're feeling weak, stay behind. Remember: death in another realm will bring you to the aura sea, and we will be at Hecto's mercy."
"Yeah, about that," Manny said, motioning with a paw to something not quite the same color of green as the rest of the trees—not to mention the black and white that accompanied it. "How ya doing?"
"Hello." The canid Zygarde gave a nod.
"What's going on? Where's Star?" Amia said. "Is Owen okay? Something about this place feels odd. Is that his Core?" Amia pointed at the distant distortions.
"That is the direction of the Grass Realm's Dungeon, yes," Hecto said. "Star is there, assisting Owen."
Amia sighed, giving Hecto a smile. "Thank you. We want to help—Owen's in trouble against Eon, isn't he?"
"Star would prefer not to be disturbed while assisting. You should return to your Orbs where it is safe. If you are concerned about the wraiths, they have not appeared, and I have been keeping an eye on them in case they do." The hexagon eyes of the Zygarde brightened slightly. "Star did warn you that it was very unwise to leave your Orbs and enter another realm. Please, return."
As Hecto spoke, the friendly atmosphere from Amia and the others quietly drifted away. They were there to help Star and Owen; being turned away so suddenly…
"Mm… nah." Manny walked past Hecto, flicking his tail against him in a taunt. "We figure we're gonna see what Star's up to."
"Hm." Hecto watched Manny move past him, then the others that followed slowly after. "I would advise the dead to remain behind, at least."
"The dead?" Ra repeated, crossing his arms. "Why exactly would you say that? That would be myself and my daughters." He clinked his icy scales against one another, making a dull clacking noise. "Why is that?"
"The distortions being left off by Star will likely dissolve your auras. I would rather not risk you getting lost in the aura sea before I can find you."
"Distortions? What for?" Amia said.
Zena narrowed her eyes. "Then she is up to no good, is she?"
Hecto's hexagon eyes dimmed slightly. "I said too much."
Step redirected her lumbering pace toward Hecto, leaving cold imprints in the dirt with every step. At nearly double Hecto's height, Step towered over him.
Hecto's ears twitched backward.
"Ra. Perhaps he is telling the truth. You should stay back with Kana and Cent. Don't you agree?" Step looked back at the pair and their father. Cent was already clapping her fist into her palm, smirking.
Hecto made a move to bolt, but his legs were locked firmly in place. He yelped in surprise and stared down; ice had rapidly formed over the lower portions of his limbs, attaching him to the ground.
"How interesting that you are so weak when spread so thin," Step said. "How many of you are there, Hecto?"
"Killing me will mean nothing," Hecto said immediately. "It is as you said—I can't be threatened with death."
"Death is the least of your problems." Step looked at Ra and the others, then at Alex. "You should stay back, too, Hydreigon."
"A-ah, of course. Amia…"
The Gardevoir gave an uneasy nod, not wanting to waste any more time. She hopped off of Alex and floated over the grass. The others quickly followed.
"Oy, stay back, too," Manny told Azu, Verd, and Roh.
All three gave him a pose in return, Azu speaking for them. "We shall stand guard!"
Manny spared a glance to Yen next, but the Drampa already knew to stay behind. He leaned forward, gently nuzzling his snout against Manny's chest. "Be careful."
"Yeah, yeah," Manny replied, giving him a little peck on the bridge of his snout. He held on for a while longer before breaking away, catching up with the other Guardians with an Extreme Speed sprint.
The spirits looked at Hecto, who was still trying, uselessly, to escape from the ice along his limbs.
"If any of you could release me," he requested.
"Seriously, what's Star doing?" Kana asked; the Kommo-o rubbed at her huge scales, feeling an odd itch from the distortions toward the Core.
Ra didn't even blink when addressing Hecto. "For there to be such powerful shockwaves, we can only suspect that Star is having a fierce battle with Owen's spirits, or perhaps even Owen himself and his Core."
The three muscleheads hummed pensively in unison.
"We see similar pulses when we spar in the Fighting Orb," Yen added, sliding until he could see the distortions without anyone else obstructing his view. "Star is fighting something right now, isn't she?"
"But, Hecto, why my son?" Alex said. "What's Star doing to h-him? Why is she here, after…?"
Hecto's eyes dimmed even more, almost like he was closing them, and he looked toward the distortions that cut through the light. "She's trying to save the world."
The Grass Dungeon was twisted even more than usual with gnarled branches and a frozen sea of wood. Amia's feet made hollow toks against the uneven, wavy floor, entire corridors either twisted shut or spiraled into strange, twisted tunnels. Overgrown plants and remnants of Seed Bombs and Energy Ball scorch marks riddled certain parts of the labyrinth, making it very easy to track down exactly where Star had gone.
Some rooms had been completely obliterated, showing nothing but huge, circular craters where trees and corridors had once been. Many times, they spotted lacerations in the walls that could only be attributed to some powerful attack that Star had unleashed upon the spirits.
The further they went, the more concentrated these battle scars had become. The air was polluted with the smell of cut leaves and splintered wood.
"What did she do?!" Amia exclaimed, voice caught in her throat when she spotted a grassy Charmander in the corner, clutching at a wound that bled ethereal fire. "Owen!"
She lunged for the fallen Grassmander, stopped only by Step's powerful claws. "That isn't Owen! Just a spirit, and he will be fine! We need to keep going!" She didn't even let Amia have time to compose herself; she was carrying Amia by the torso with one hand, using ice to extend the size of her palms.
It took Amia several seconds to come back to her senses. "R-right, right. Owen must just—have a bit of a fan club."
Still running, Step tossed Amia forward, where she landed gracefully and in a sprint. "He must be further ahead."
"She really went all out on 'em," Manny muttered to himself, spotting another mini-Owen that had been embedded head-first and halfway into the wall, legs flailing uselessly.
After a final turn, they saw a short passageway that led to a small, dark dome of twisted branches. That must have been the room with the Core; based on the bright glow that came from the ceiling, just above the entryway, that was surely the case. Step briefly worried that she wouldn't be able to fit through the passage, but then realized she could just break the walls. Simple.
Zena went in first without a word, scanning for any abnormalities. Amia went in next, followed by Manny, and lastly by Step, who slammed her shoulders against the branches to make the Core room's entrance a bit larger, permanently.
"Owen?!" Zena shouted, wincing at how intense the pressure of the room had become. The moment they entered the Core's chamber—from the inside, it was still a sphere of twisted branches and leaves with a bright ball of light floating in the center—it felt as if their very bodies were being burned by something more than simple fire.
A small, blue ember flew past them from behind, evaporating into the ball of light. It must have been a spirit that had perished from Star's onslaught. But where was Star?
It was hard to see anything except the huge ball of light. It somehow didn't light up the dome as much as it simply lit itself up. The walls felt much further away than they should have been.
"Owen…" Zena said, breathing quietly.
"Didn't Hecto say somethin' about warnin' Star?" Manny said. "Think he's gonna do that telepathically or if there's one nearby ter talk ter her?"
"I'd love to search for his aura," Step said, "but the intense light from the Core is interfering with anything I try."
"It's not supposed to be that bright," Amia said, wincing at the pressure. "I feel like I'm going to just fall apart right here…"
"Don't do that yet," said Step, eyes scrutinizing every detail of the Core, but then said. "Perhaps she fled."
Manny crossed his arms. "I don't buy that," he said. "Woulda sensed someone as strong as her leavin'." His aura sensors throbbed and his ears twitched. He flicked his gaze up, and then quickly down, as if he'd looked at the sun. "Oy, Amia."
"Yes?"
"You know Shadow Ball?"
"Oh, goodness—it's been a while, but I can tune my aura to it if you give me a moment…"
"Yeah, you do that," Manny said. "Anybody 'ere know Bug, Dark, er Ghost attacks?"
No reply from Zena, Step, or Amia, who was currently focusing inward.
"Bah, fine." Manny's body bulked out, muscles visible just barely beneath his pelt. "I'm gonna punch th' Core."
"Ah, so you are still an idiot," Step said.
"Hang onter that thought." Manny crouched down and jumped, pulling his arm back. With a decisive smash, Manny slammed his fist against the Core, sending shockwaves of light in all directions, including toward Manny. The Lucario coughed when one particular wave sliced against his chest, throwing him backward at the same time. A Psychic barrier cushioned his fall.
"Ngh, thanks, Green," Manny muttered, glancing at the Gardevoir.
Amia flinched, trying to look at her hair, but it was blue. She huffed, "That isn't funny."
"Aah, why d'you hide it, anyway? Both'a you." Manny motioned to an imaginary Hydreigon behind Amia.
"What were you trying to do?" Step interrupted, radiating frost. "Are you trying to hurt Owen?"
"Nah." Manny inspected the wound on his chest, grimacing at the blue fire that poured from the shrinking wound. "Star's in there. I know it." He let out a weak laugh, tapping at the area just above the wound. "Take it from the Fighter in me—up close to that Core, I felt a real powerful Psychic inside. That's Star."
"She's in the Core?" Amia said.
"Couldn't you have just stood next to the Core?" Step pressed, if only to prove her point.
"Sure, but then we wouldn't've gotten a shock on her," Manny pointed at the Core again. "What d'you think she's doing in there, eh?"
Amia looked at Zena, then at Step, and finally back to Manny. The three other Guardians didn't know what to say; Zena was practically twisted in knots, glaring at the ball of light. "She's controlling Owen—I don't need to know anything else," Amia said. "We've been fighting all this time to free Owen, and now this…?"
"Heh… hmm… What if she was trying ter save Owen from some kinda trap?" Manny mumbled aloud, wondering if his punch had been premature.
"Hmph. You'd think she would have told us about that." Step stared the Core down as if it had eyes. "But I wouldn't put it past the fickle god to do something without telling us."
"Owen…" Zena slithered a bit closer. The pressure of the Core would certainly have destroyed all the weaker spirits if they had come with them; they had to be careful if a clash became too intense.
"Guess we're decided, eh?" Manny asked, turning toward it. "Let's beat it up and knock her outta Owen."
The three others stared at him incredulously. Amia and Zena were hesitant—it would hurt Owen in the process, after all. Step, meanwhile, was still questioning the Fighting Guardian's sanity—if there truly was any brain there, or if it was all just flexing muscles.
"Or," Manny said, "we can just go. Let Star do whatever, eh?"
Step snarled, bashing her tail on the ground. There was nothing she hated more than when someone like Manny made sense. "Fine," she said. "We will try it your way."
"That's th' spirit! Heh. Get it?"
"Do not press your luck."
"I have a bad feeling about this." Amia lifted her hand toward the orb, creating a ball of ghostly shadows.
Watery energy concentrated at Zena's open mouth, though she had to squint when looking directly at the orb.
Manny formed a sphere of his Fighting aura in both his palms, just enough after having recovered from his onslaught on the wraith swarm prior. "Fire!"
Amia's ghostly blast swirled with Manny's Aura Sphere; Step's beam of ice synergized with Zena's Hydro Pump, creating super-chilled water.
And then, without warning, Owen fell out of the golden light. Owen saw the attacks coming for him, but couldn't react in time; the Charizard screamed at the same time that Amia and Zena did before all four attacks hit him at once, filling the room with ghostly stream. Owen's body dissolved instantly, a blue ember returning to the Core.
Amia covered her mouth in a gasp; Zena rushed blindly toward the Core. "O-Owen?! Owen?!"
Manny rubbed his forehead. "Whoops."
Step slammed a fist against the Lucario's shoulder. "Attack the Core! Brilliant!"
"Oy, you attacked, too!" Manny growled.
The Core shifted slightly; Zena, the closest, felt the gentle murmurings of spirits within the Core helping someone through. Then, from the Core, a Charizard dripped out of the sphere, plopping softly on the ground with some help from Amia's Psychic cushion.
"Owen—I'm so sorry," Zena said, draping her ribbons over him. She cupped his head in her brows. "Are you okay?"
Owen blinked a few times, lifting a claw to Zena's face, trailing it wordlessly along her cheek. "Zena…"
"Y-yes? Owen? Amia—h-heal him, please!"
"R-right, okay." Amia quickly charged up her Heal Pulse, pink energy concentrating in her hands.
Owen ran his scaly paw against Zena's forehead next, giving her a tranquil smile. "Pecha Berries are really sweet. I don't like them as much."
Zena blinked. "Wh-what?"
"Gahi kissed me. I gotta get him a Dragon…"
Briefly, everything was silent. Zena couldn't quite find the words, her worry suddenly replaced with befuddlement.
"…Can spirits get concussed?" Manny said aloud.
Amia unleashed her healing wave over Owen, reinvigorating him. His eyes uncrossed and he blinked a few times, regaining a bit of his sanity.
"Ugh—" Owen rubbed his forehead. "What did you—wait! What?! Why are you guys here?!"
"We were worried, Owen," Zena said. "We couldn't follow you in the real world, so why not the spirit world?! What's going on?"
Owen pointed at the Core, finally aware enough to remember the situation. "S-Star stole my body. She's trying to kill Eon!"
Star, in Owen's body, skidded across the halls from a full-body tackle by Gahi. The Flygon, speedy and gleaming as ever, grabbed Star by the chest and slammed her into the floor, beating his wings furiously to continue her extended fall across the tile. She grunted, the friction starting to heat up her leafy scales, and spun around, swinging a vine-arm toward him.
Gahi smirked and let her go, easily evading the vine. The filaments of light behind him danced in tune with his aura, boisterous and taunting. "Something wrong?" Gahi sneered, hopping from one foot to the other. "Get outta Owen!"
"Gahi, you little pea-brain! Listen!" Star slowly rose to her feet, briefly losing her balance from dizziness. "Are you seriously trying to defend Eon right now, after everything that he did to you?!"
"Yeah, kinda!" Gahi shouted back. "Unlike you, Eon's actually listening to us! Before you came and ruined everything, we were actually grilling the guy on all his stunts! Maybe he would've listened, eh?!"
"Eon doesn't listen. He broods, shuts down, and convinces himself that he's been doing the right thing all along. That's how he got like this, Gahi! He's stubborn and won't admit he's wrong!"
"Boy! Ain't that FAMILIAR?!" Gahi rushed for Star, swinging his claws back. Dragon fire swirled around it, but this time, Star was ready. Recalling one of Owen's favorite techniques, she crossed her arms and formed a shield of light in front of her. Gahi snarled and beat his wings to stop his momentum, flying back. In response, Star dropped her shield and swung her arm forward, flesh becoming vines once more.
The narrow quarters didn't do Gahi any favors; Gahi clumsily pushed his Hands forward to block it, the filaments of light forming makeshift barriers by his sheer will, but he still staggered back at the first strike. Taking the opportunity, Star swung her other arm and weaved through the disorganized tendrils, striking Gahi square in the chest. The wind knocked out of him, he grunted and fell onto his back, legs twitching for a run, yet no ground was beneath them.
Eon is on the eighth floor, Hecto called to Star. Also, Step, Manny, Amia, and Zena are near the Grass Core. You should hurry.
They're WHAT?! How did they get past the wraiths? Is Barky okay?!
They all seem fine. The swarm is infesting Aether Forest, but it seems to be a stalemate.
Gahi, pinned under the branches, couldn't summon the same power that he had gotten before. He struggled against the vines that further ensnared him, but mobility was limited; he could barely move his legs anymore to gain momentum.
Wordlessly, Star rushed toward Gahi, fully intending to fly right over him to get to the floor warp.
"Leave him ALONE!"
Searing, cold pain ran up Star's spine. The Charizard shrieked, swinging around despite the pain. Her blood ran cold.
Lavender, with frost billowing out of his steel jaws, was in a full sprint toward her. Star glanced back at Gahi; she couldn't retract her vines or she'd be dealing with him, too. She'd have to try to do it partway.
Just her head and chest turned orange, powerful scales replacing soft feathers. Opening wide, Star launched a fireball at the incoming Silvally. He yelped, body suddenly turning dark; he leaped into the wall, disappearing without a trace.
"Wh—how—" Star stared at the ghostly shadow that remained on the wall. Swimming through the solid wall, the shadow rapidly approached. She snarled, slamming her fist into it right before it could emerge; it shrieked hollowly. Star pulled, throwing Lavender onto the ground, spectral clouds fading. "Glad you came, you little soul eater," Star hissed, her vine-arm suddenly shifting into a fine point. It was another one of Eon's abominations; it would be so much better if something like him was purged from the world. Those spirits had to be freed. They all had to be freed.
Lavender's eyes went wide. "N-no!" He rolled, but Star would have hit him. The only reason she didn't was because a fireball had completely incinerated her arm, earning another pained wail.
Lavender sank into the ground again, his shadow rapidly swimming through the floor and behind the source of the blast, the Houndoom, Lucas.
Oh, great, now the Mega is here, too?! Star grunted, swinging her tail irritably. The flower on her tail was still glowing bright, but she was starting to get outnumbered. She just wasn't used to this body, and she had to get to Eon, not these ones! She could deal with Lavender later; she had to get to Eon.
On the opposite end of the hall, behind Gahi, a few other mutants rounded the corner, having taken the long way around. These kids were more coordinated than she gave them credit for.
Lucas lowered his body, ready to pounce; flames licked at his fangs, and his molten claws dug into the marble. He stepped forward once, threateningly.
Star snarled back. "I don't have time for this!" She turned toward Gahi, crossing her arms to block another speedy strike. The Hands on his back lashed against her shield; Star pushed back, blasting Gahi with fire. He yelped and covered his snout; Star followed up with a slash of wind from her claws next, sending him toppling over some fallen vines.
Gahi stirred, looking like he was about to get up. He rolled onto his belly—and Star knew, just then, that she had no choice but to slow him down by force.
While she was just over the Flygon's back, she balled her fist together into a tight knot of vines. The fan of filaments behind her flashed; she punched Gahi's back with all the force that Owen's body could muster, combined with the enhanced power of her Hands, and felt something inside Gahi snap. Gahi wailed, his lower half completely limp. The Hands on his back writhed aimlessly.
Star hopped over Gahi and flew further; the Flygon, meanwhile, tried to send an eruption of earth from below Star, rupturing the floor in the process. The Charizard flew over it effortlessly, clogging the halls with more vines to entangle the mutants in her way.
Still, no matter how quickly she flew, the mutants kept her outnumbered. Their fearless onslaught from ahead and behind was almost irrational… But they weren't in their battle modes. Eon hadn't converted them into that. She didn't know the signature to put them to sleep, either. But they were still reasonable. Lavender was already too afraid to attack her, too startled by the mere threat of harm. He was a child. All of these mutants were like children, yet they weren't afraid to die… because they could just come back.
Star realized how she could stop them. She just needed an example.
A Seviper-Tyranitar fusion was a few doorways ahead of her, the most prominent of them all. She remembered these two; vague recollections from Owen's memories suggested that these two had almost killed him before. How funny that now they wanted to defend him by killing him all over again.
"Let Owen go!" the rocky serpent said.
"You'll do." Star shifted the hand that had paralyzed Gahi into a two-pronged grabber. She swung it forward, taking the poisoned tail-stab from the fusion with just a wince, even when it went straight through her extended arm. Her grabbers wrapped around the serpent near the middle of its flailing body.
Star raised her other arm; then, a few of the lights on her back drifted back into her, through her body, and emerged along her wrists, intertwining with her vines in a green-white spiral.
The fusion stared at the strange arm with a new fear. Star knew he had no idea what to expect—and for good reason, or he would be struggling a lot more.
Fire!
Star heard that one. They were already inside the Core room?! And they were about to strike it, too! No, no, that wasn't going to do. Not in the middle of this mess. Where was Lucas? There was no telling how close behind her he was.
With a bit of quick thinking, she plunged even more of her tendrils into her own back, screaming in pain as more of her spirit was torn up, just to find Owen somewhere within the Core. There. He was there. Away!
She pushed Owen out as a shield. That would distract them for a while—it even deflected some of their blasts from inside. She had a second to recover, but then realized that she was still trying to restrain a—
The Seviper-Tyranitar fusion opened its maw wide. Considering the species, Star thought that it was about to try to bite her, but the glow in the back of its throat told a different story.
The next thing Star knew, her face was being burned away by a point-blank Hyper Beam; Her scales went first, and then the flesh beneath, completely incinerated at such close proximity to the blast, right at the source. She didn't even have time to scream. The Hyper Beam went past her body and into the ceiling, sending huge cracks through the rocks both there and on the nearby walls. Part of it melted and fell onto the ground, burning several of her vines, while Star herself stood, everything from her shoulders and above completely missing.
The Seviper-Tyranitar struggled to break loose, but Star's grip was still locked onto him. "H-help!" he cried. "S-someone help me out! He's—s-still holding me!" Tears flowed off of his eyes. "I d-didn't meant to k-kill h-him! Th-that's not s-supposed to happen! M-my Hyper Beam doesn't—do—that!"
It was true; Owen's body was a lot more fragile than they had anticipated. Even now, it seemed like it was a lot weaker than usual, or perhaps not weak, but malleable, easily giving way to external forces. Just like Anam, a body so stuffed with divine power that it no longer kept its natural shape. Perhaps that was just from the struggle of Owen trying to take control over Star. And yet, that simply meant…
"Owen… I'm sorry…!" The fusion sniffled, even while some of the other mutants stepped over the globs of molten ceiling and burning vines. Smoke floated at the top of the room while little embers flitted about.
The filaments of light abruptly burst to life again, white light briefly blinding all of the mutants in the room. Lucas yelped in surprise and fired a reflexive plume of fire, but a set of vines blocked the way.
Star's body surged toward the fusion again, squeezing him tight. A voice sounded from somewhere near her chest. Even without a head, the divine power within the Charizard body kept it alive and functioning, controlling it with its Mystic core.
"Did you really think… that would stop me?!"
Leaves, vines, thorns, branches—they all sprouted from her torso and filled in the missing parts of her shoulders. They replaced her head and neck in a tapestry of plant life and filaments of light. Her eyes were nothing but blazing white embers; the back of her throat glowed with divine power.
"You aren't afraid to die because you'll just be reincarnated!"
Her arm brightened. The fusion in her grasp seized up, his struggles briefly stopping. "A—ah—ungh—!"
Star turned her blazing eyes to the horrified mutants behind her, countless vines ensnaring their forms with newfound ferocity.
"I CAN STOP THAT."
The whites of her arm overtook everything else. The fusion screamed and flailed, trying to fire another Hyper Beam, but nothing came out. A second later, the fusion stopped struggling completely, going limp. Two pulses of light went from the fusion's chest and into Star's arm; it channeled from the branches into her chest, where they faded into her.
The Charizard with the ethereal head addressed the others, who were now completely frozen in place, not even bothering to fight against the vines. Their eyes were locked on the soulless body that had been cast aside behind her.
"Any questions?!"
They were too stunned to reply. Star took a few steps back, stretched her wings, and gave one last, decisive beat, blowing smoke and embers into a blinding whirlwind.
Her heart—if she had one anymore, considering how much Owen's body had been chock full of Mystic energy—felt like it was racing, or perhaps that was just her divine flame. But this was the choice she made when she took Owen's body from him. She had to kill Eon. She had to get the Orbs back. Even if it meant betraying Owen's trust, this was the one time that she could put a decisive end to the nightmare that she had started. She had to. And even if she didn't have to—she'd come too far to stop. She had to follow through.
Without a care, she slammed her body against the end of the hall. "EIGHT!"
