Chapter 65 – Realm to Realm

"I should kill you where you stand!" Step roared, restrained by Manny and Yen on one side, and Azu, Roh, and Verd on the other. The Fighting Guardian and his spirits struggled to keep the Icy Aggron down.

Demitri and Mispy ineffectually hid behind Rhys, while Zena stood in front of all three of them, staring so coldly that it rivaled Step's own element. The Milotic replied to Step with clear, pronounced syllables, "Then try."

"Yer not helpin'!" Manny roared, slamming Step back onto the ground when she heaved forward, nearly overpowering all of them.

"Th-the Queen of Ice is powerful!" Azu declared.

"I think I feel my head cooling," Roh said with a little grunt, the fire on the Infernape's skull dimming considerably.

"Hold… her back!" Verd said, the Chesnaught's arms almost completely frozen over, similar to Yen's fluffy legs.

Amia's arms were shaking, even still, and her head flickered between normal and fiery, though both states were blue. "Step, there's no point," she finally said with a resigned grunt. "Owen… left already."

"Because of THEIR carelessness!" Step growled, but this time, she stopped resisting. Based on how her eyes briefly glanced above her, and then aimlessly toward her chest, it seemed she was listening to something her spirits were saying. She eventually snorted and glared at Amia. "And you're fine with this? Allowing Owen to go back to the very person who ruined our lives? To his 'father,' as he loves to call himself?"

Amia winced; Alex's arms felt the need to protectively grab at the air next to him, as if Owen had been there. Instead, he wound up bumping his arm to his side. "We couldn't just stop him," he said. "Owen's just trying to make his own choices. His Perception hasn't lied to him before, has it?"

"His Perception, bah!" Step shook off Manny and the others, and this time they relented. She adjusted her icy shoulders. "If there is anybody who can trick Owen's Perception, it's the very one who designed them!"

Nevren raised a spoon. "Well, technically, I was the one who—"

"Or the one who raised him." Step glared. "Amia and Alex may have been their adoptive parents, but nothing will change the fact that Eon was the first parent he truly had. Perhaps he has Mystic power over him that we aren't aware of. That you aren't aware of. Have we ever considered that? Apparently Eon had a long talk with Owen in the middle of battle. What other powers does he possess? What if he is controlling Owen as we speak?"

"H-he can't be," Alex said, his voice a squeaking crack. "He made a Promise! E-Eon did, I mean, and—"

"That so long as Owen remained in Quartz, he could no longer be a Hunter, yes? What if he moved away from Quartz? What then?" Step narrowed her eyes, frost coating the area around her feet. "You fell for a trick by a Ditto, a species born to deceive and disguise as one of your own! And for what? To let Owen feel happy?"

"Owen is not that easy to fool," Amia said. "He's a smart—"

"I beg to differ," Step snarled, stomping toward Amia. "Clear your eyes. The Charizard bows to authority. It's in his blood. And what greater authority than the one who raised him first? It's primal. Instinct. Even those two have it, letting him escape." Step gestured to Demitri and Mispy, who couldn't decide whether to glare or avoid eye contact.

"Owen's—he's not like that. He wouldn't follow Eon. He didn't follow Star." Alex gulped, the flames on his shoulders reduced to a mere glow. By now, Step was a single stride away from both of them, her icy aura clashing with the flames that pulsed through Amia's body.

"I've raised Owen for centuries," Amia said lowly. "He won't just abandon us like that. This was all to get Eon to come to our side."

"He's only going to be there for one day," Zena added, but her voice was shaking. She didn't believe her own words. "He… he has to come back. To us. To m…" Zena's voice caught in her throat. "I—I need to… I need to think. I need to think." She shook her head, slithering away.

Jerry, silent through it all, found a moment to speak up as Zena left. "I don't know the guy all that much, but he's got an optimistic shine to him." He looked at Amia and Alex. "Owen's gonna try to convince Eon to stop everything, yeah. But I bet Eon already knows that. What happens after? Eon comes off as the sort of person who thinks way too spontaneously. Changing decisions more than the guy changes bodies, I bet." Jerry folded his wings over. "Not to discriminate, but I think it's a little silly to think a Ditto is gonna hold to something for long. Aren't they naturally forgetful?"

Step grunted and nodded. That was precisely it, and a good point to add to the pile. Even if Eon meant what he said during his Promise, it was all too easy for him to find a way to work around it. A poorly-constructed Promise could still have loopholes. "It isn't as if we know the full scope of how Promises work. Star is intentionally vague about it. Her words on the outcome of a Promise is just as vague. Do we even know what happens to a Guardian who breaks one?"

"We know what happens to a Mystic who does, at the very least," Rhys replied darkly, speaking up. "Where is Anam? His mother…"

Heads turned to Rhys, then to Anam, who had retreated to his room at some point during the argument. They saw his big, glowing green eyes near the entrance, hiding behind the wall. A strange fog coursed just below his gooey body's surface.

"What's with him?" Jerry said.

"Anam doesn't do well in arguments, I'm afraid," Nevren said. "He's always been very sensitive to them."

"It doesn't matter," Step said, waving her arm dismissively. "What of his mother, Rhys?"

"She used to be Mystic, yet through some way or another, her power was transferred to Anam long before he became the Ghost Guardian. I suspect a Promise was used to transfer that power, though Anam is extremely evasive about the circumstances…"

Nevren nodded. "I have not been able to glean much information from him, either. Apparently, it is a painful memory."

"What, you can't just read his mind?" Jerry said.

Nevren shook his head. "Mind reading for complex thoughts and memories is extraordinarily difficult to do for a Psychic if the target isn't willing, and even more difficult against a Mystic."

"Then what happened to his mother? Surely she resides within his realm."

"I thought she had gone across the aura sea for a permanent retirement," Nevren said, "but recently, I actually met her."

Rhys and Elder jumped. "What?" said the Lucario. "Madeline? She's—"

"Yes! I was surprised myself. A very fierce personality. No word on the father." He tilted his head upward. "I'm a bit curious as to why Anam never speaks of them."

Rhys settled against Elder's shell, humming in thought. "Well, surely both are within Anam. Apparently, his father was always the sort to avoid attention. It wasn't as if we got to properly meet him before she, er, left."

Nevren nodded, addressing Step next. "We can at least know that a Mystic who breaks a Promise loses their power. That happened to Madeline, and at the very least, Star told us the truth about that. However, what happens after was a mystery. We did not know whether the Promise-breaker would die immediately, or perhaps worse, would their aura simply… evaporate?" Rhys shuddered. "Such a thing is unheard of, but Star certainly wanted to make us think that. Which leaves me to wonder…"

Step's eyes widened imperceptibly, but she refused to acknowledge it. "Just because Owen may have been right about Star—which we all have agreed upon regardless—doesn't mean he's right about Eon." She stared at Amia. "What will you do if he's completely controlled by Eon?"

Amia flinched, her flames briefly going out. "I—"

"We need to find him," Alex said simply, looking down. "We'll—we'll bring him back."

"Oh? You will?" Step's frozen face twisted into a cruel sneer. "And the moment Owen steps out of Quartz HQ with you, Eon will order the attack that will annihilate us all from within his own homeland. You don't get it, do you? He already cornered us!" Step slammed her tail on the ground, as if her words were the manifestation of her own realization. "We rescue Owen, Eon kills us! We leave Owen there, he controls another Guardian!" Another slam on the ground, shaking the entire cave.

Valle groaned uneasily. "Stillness… I need stillness… Why can't you all rest like Zena?"

"Zena's resting?" Rhys said. "Hrm, well, I suppose we can understand that much… Perhaps she needed a break."

"Resting," Mispy repeated, observing Zena's abode with a gentle twitch of her vines. The little antennae on her head flickered, reading her aura. "No… Meditating."

"Meditating?" Rhys glanced at Nevren, but then at the others with a gasp. "Meditation! We—we have to meditate! We'll go into Aether Forest and navigate to Owen's spirit realm!"

Amia frowned, "Didn't Star say that it was a bad idea to go to another Guardian's—oh. Star."

"Precisely," Rhys said. "It's already dangerous enough to get to Owen physically. We just have to do it spiritually."

"Wait!" Willow squeaked, her tiny voice cutting through the murmurs. "Star said going to other Orbs was bad! Really bad!"

"Yes, Star said this," Rhys said. "Has she ever substantiated that claim?"

Step was about to agree with Rhys, but then let out an irritated grunt. "Somewhat." She turned her head away, focusing on a random mushroom. "Migrating to an Orb that is not your own carries a risk. It's much easier to perish in the spirit world and evaporate. If you're tied to an Orb, you will return to its Core. But my mate knows firsthand what it means to die when you are not tied to a Core. You will go to the aura sea. I doubt Hecto will be merciful if we are defying Star." She looked to the others. "We may not return."

"And we will also be going into Star's own territory," Rhys said. "But… Owen…"

"She doesn't want Owen with Eon, either," Step said.

An uneasy silence fell. ADAM buzzed, drawing everyone's attention. "We shall meet in Aether Forest. Some should remain online to guard Hot Spot as firewall for our hardware. Latency across the forest may significantly throttle upload and download speeds."

They all stared blankly at him.

Manny rubbed his forehead. "Some o' us should stay awake ter guard the folks meditating. Might take a while ter get back if Eon wants ter pull a fast one on us."

"I shall stay awake as messenger," Elder said. "Rhys and I have a powerful connection from, er… frequent chatting over the years. If you need to return home, I will tell you."

"I refuse to allow you to handle this on your own," Step told the others. "I shall join you in the meditation."

"I dunno which one I should do, but I wanna talk to Star if we can. Figure she'll be in Aether Forest? I'll go with yeh guys." He looked back at Anam's home, still looking at his trembling form. "How about the blob?"

Nevren shook his head, wandering to Anam. "I imagine he would prefer being awake. I shall remain behind as well."

Rhys glared, but before he could say anything, Nevren continued.

"Rhys, I will keep Anam calm. Your spirit is much stronger than mine; I recommend you rescue Owen."

He was starting to hate when Nevren was right. "Of course."

Amia already withdrew Alex, leaving for her home to get in a safe place to descend into the Fire Realm.

Willow jumped onto Jerry's head, jabbing him in the skull. "You! Make sure you keep a good eye on everyone!"

"Why am I involved in this?" Jerry growled, struggling to look at the Joltik atop him.

"Because I said so! Now go patrolling!"

Jerry grunted and wobbled toward the entrance, but then glanced at Enet. "Does she even know how to meditate?"

"I dunno. Enet! Come with us! We're gonna keep an eye on things here!" Willow hopped off of Jerry and landed on the Zoroark's fur, nestling herself inside. "I'll sneak up and shrink them!"

Slowly, the group split off. Those closer to Owen and those who could fight better in the spirit realm left to meditate, consisting of Step, Amia, Rhys, Manny, and Zena. The rest remained behind to guard Hot Spot in case Eon returned that way. With tense looks, they all nodded, knowing nothing about what would happen when they cross into Star's domain.

Blurry rocks fed into an infinite river of orange magma. The sky was a murky blackness, and the fiery landscape was illuminated only by the melted rock and embers. But that was more than enough.

Amia stepped over the magma with ease, her body awash in blue fire. Her arms were crossed, pensive, while she waited for Alex to mobilize the other spirits, the former residents of Hot Spot.

"We'll keep the Fire Core safe while you're away, Amia," said an Arcanine. "You can count on us."

"Thank you, dear," she said. "Sorry if you're all anxious. I know I am. Leaving the Orb… I didn't think I'd ever want to do that."

"Star always said it was a bad idea. Just don't do it for too long, I suppose. After all, Owen left his body before when Barky—er, Arceus summoned him. That wasn't so bad, now was it?"

Amia sighed out more blue fire. "I suppose," she said. Then, in the distance, Amia spotted a Hydreigon flying toward her, his body the same color as the magma below. In fact, he dripped of it, the fan at the back of his neck made of fire instead. Amia's heart skipped a beat, her body tensing for combat—but then, seconds later, she loosened. "Alex."

"S-sorry for the scare," the Hydreigon replied, shifting back to the more familiar, Magmortar form. "I hate it, too, but it's more mobile. I had to act fast, and, er…"

"It's fine, dear." Amia gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder. "In fact… go back. Even after all this time, it never really leaves you, does it? That old body of yours."

"It… it is more convenient," Alex said grudgingly. He turned around, but he didn't revert just yet. "But I spent more time as a Magmortar in the physical world, now. Ironic, in a way. I should be used to that."

Amia smiled, but Arcanine spoke up in a growl. "Isn't Owen in trouble? Hurry, bring him back to us!"

"R-right, sorry," the duo said.

After a few extra seconds to hesitate, Alex became a Hydreigon again, flexing his ominous, fiery wing-tendrils that levitated him above the ground. Amia hopped onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I'm settled," Amia confirmed.

"Then let's go. Aether Forest…"

As the spirit world liked to work, they just had to fly forward and they'd reach their destination. After that, they just had to redirect to the Grass Realm right after.

Rocks and magma dried up around them; the sun rose as if Dialga had accelerated time a hundred-fold; soon, they weren't in a river of fire, but a forest of aura. Blue, glowing leaves covered the sky and black, sturdy trunks stood on the ground.

Amia squeezed Alex's shoulder. "Let's think to meet with the others, first. We need to—"

A deafening snap and then a deep, thunderous crash shook the ground, sending even more loose leaves to the forest floor. It came from the right; Alex ascended above the treetops to get a better look.

Barky was fending off what appeared to be a cloud of black fog.

"What is that?" Amia said, getting ready to fly on her own, but Alex took the lead, beating his wings. "Ah—Oh, Alex, I really need to get used to this again."

Alex grunted in reply. "I could say the same thing, but like I said, it's necessary. I should have done this a long time ago. If Owen can get over his past, then so can I, right?"

Amia flinched, just slightly, looking down at Alex. His dark eyes were staring straight ahead. She knew that look. "Alex…"

"It's okay," Alex said. "You aren't scared at all, are you?"

Amia gently rubbed at his neck, pressing a bit hard so his tough scales could actually feel it. "It's still you," she said gently. "Now fight with all you have! I'll keep you backed up. Just like old times, hm?"

The fiery Hydreigon smiled at that, but it disappeared as quickly as it came when a jet of water tore through the cloud of darkness ahead. It was distant and came from somewhere to the right of Barky, but they recognized that Hydro Pump anywhere. Alex flew a bit faster, embers dripping from his three heads' mouths. "Looks like Zena's already here."

"Get ready," Amia said, head and dress aflame. "What are those?"

Up close, the cloud of darkness wasn't a cloud at all—it was a swarm. Strange, winged creatures, inky black in color, encircled Barky, fended off only by the filaments of light that surrounded him. Their main bodies were shapeless lumps; even the wings seemed to only be half-formed. They flew by some other power, much like Alex.

"You don't think Barky will try to hurt us, do you?" Alex mumbled worriedly.

"If he's fighting those wraiths, I don't think we'll need to worry," Amia said. "But I've never seen ones like those before…"

Another jet of water sliced through the swarm. The ones that it hit disintegrated into black dust, fading before it even hit the treetops below them.

"Barky!" Amia yelled.

"ARCEUS!" The Creator retorted reflexively, but then returned his attention ahead. "You shouldn't be here. Get away! I can handle these things myself."

"I tried to escape," Zena, flying behind him, said. "But they kept swarming me. I—I can't leave!"

"I'm waiting for an opening so you can run ahead and find Star," Barky said. "But they just keep coming. I have no idea where."

"B-but how could you not know?! What are these things?" Amia said. "Wraiths, here?"

"I don't know."

"HOW?!"

Barky grunted, watching the cloud of darkness. "There's something you should know about creation." He held a hoof forward. The ground heaved, shooting molten earth into the cloud of wraiths, dissolving some of them instantly in an even finer fog. "We make the rules. But we do not necessarily know how the rules interact. Creation is delicate."

Amia looked down at Barky's abdomen, noticing that some of his fur was oddly charred. No, not charred; he didn't show any signs of burning, and she smelled no burned fur. It smelled almost like lingering rot, just slightly. And near the affected area, black fog silently flowed over his fur.

"Don't worry about it," Barky said. "It's fading. They caught me off guard, but it will take much more than that to take down me."

Barky flicked his hoof again, and another plume of magma from the ethereal earth exploded upward, taking out another swarm nearest to them. Zena blasted more of the lingering swarm before they could get closer, and Amia and Alex joined the fray with twin beams of blue-and-red fire.

But their numbers kept growing, coming from some distant part of Aether Forest.

"D-don't you have anything better you can do?" Amia said desperately. "You're Arceus! Can't you just get rid of them?!"

Barky glared directly in front of him. "Of course I can," he said. "Anywhere else, I can. But this is Star's domain. And she has neglected to allow me to use my fullest potential here, including my divine Judgement. But it's no matter. This will do." Another flick of the hoof, and the devastating Earth Power enveloped another swarm.

"What if she allowed you for now?" Amia said. "What if you ask?"

"Star would never allow me to use my Judgement in her realm. She told me herself."

"When?"

"A long time ago."

"Just—just try!" Amia said. "What if she let you for now?!"

The swarm was closing in; the sky seemed a lot darker with them blotting out most of their vision of the forest. Barky stomped his hoof in the air again, shooting more magma into the sky. The other three blasted in other directions, ridding most of the swarm again, but a new wave was already incoming. Worse yet, stragglers of the initial wave had closed in on them.

Alex yelped, ducking down to dodge a few of the black birds' strikes. Up close, he couldn't see any features on them. Faceless, nearly shapeless even when they were a foot away. Without a mouth, it screeched and slammed into Alex's neck. He screamed—it was like acid, and however fleeting the contact was, the pain lingered. Amia blasted the wraith away, brushing her hands on his scales. They felt soft and raw. "Alex…"

"H-heal it, please," Alex begged.

Amia pumped healing energy through him, and to her relief, it did what she wanted. The wound quickly disappeared, the shadowy fog dissipating.

But the swarm was still coming, this wave just as thick as the last. They seemed even angrier this time, some fizzling and screeching from far away.

"Why do I feel so tired here?" Zena said in a pant. "I never get this weak in the spirit realm."

"It isn't your domain," Barky said. "We are strongest when we are within the domains that we control. Beyond it, we are inevitably weaker." He growled, flicking his hoof for another Earth Power. "This is the best I can do at the moment. I did not expect them to be so much trouble."

"We need to get to Owen," Zena said.

"Hmph, as if he would allow me to stay in his domain again," Barky said.

The Milotic briefly glanced at the Creator, then at Amia, who shared a similar look.

"If it means your safety, perhaps he might," Zena said. "You just have to promise to behave."

"Promise to behave," Barky repeated with a growl. "I am the embodiment of behavior."

"Then don't threaten my son," Alex abruptly said, the tone of his voice uncharacteristically harsh. Even Amia flinched, placing a hand on his shoulder. Alex, surprised by himself, shook his head. "P-please."

Barky flicked his hoof again, but the rate that they were being destroyed was a lot slower than the rate they were coming back. Zena, Amia, and Alex were trying to build up their strength, but they couldn't muster up the energy for another blast, let alone one that could rival Barky's power.

"I don't know if we'll be able to last much longer," Alex said. "D-do we have a way back, Barky?"

"Do not call me that."

"Do we?!"

"Ngh… yes. But if we go back, we won't be able to help Owen, and those wraiths are surely trying to get there, too. I can take us to the Hall of Origin. We will be allowed some reprieve."

"Owen…" Zena suppressed a tired whimper.

The wraiths were closing in again, and the Guardians knew they didn't have the strength to fight back. They could only go back.

"Never mind," Barky abruptly said, his eyes flashing a glint of confidence. "We have some company."

A wall of ice abruptly rose from the ground where magma had once stood, exploding into a cloud of steam that burned away at more of the flying wraiths. Another cold wind of frost washed over the rest of them; it didn't quite destroy them, but it did slow them down.

"Step!" Amia shouted, squinting to find the source. The Aggron was flying toward the other Guardians; behind her were three Kommo-o, each one blasting beams of cold, cyan light at the evasive darkness. Ice crystals formed along the beams, exploding upon impact with anything that grazed it when it fell to the forest below.

"Apologies for the delay. I was restless and couldn't meditate properly," Step said. "You cannot force such things."

Boisterous shouting sounded from the other side of the field. With the wraiths slowed, the group spared a second to look back.

"Ah! Manny!"

The Lucario stood on top of Drampa Yen's back, holding one foot near the back of his neck, and the other near the middle of his spine, pointing forward with a loud rallying cry. Behind him, the spirits of Azu, Roh, and Verd spiraled around one another, chanting some sort of rehearsed speech.

"The unbeatable!"

"The invincible!"

"The unstoppable!"

"Ultimate Fighting Spirit!"

Manny raised his arms in the air; his aura enhancing that of his spirits, all three of them glowing with an unknown power. Then, the three punched forward simultaneously, creating a shockwave that bent the light.

"DOWN!" Barky shouted, diving below the incoming blast; Zena, Amia, and Step followed with their spirits.

Yen opened his mouth and spat a gout of Dragon fire into the shockwave, and Manny finished with a two-pawed Aura Sphere. The fire twisted around the shockwaves, imbued itself into the Aura Sphere, and then the full amalgamation of energy gained a new shape, heading straight through the trees.

Amia stared dumbly. "Is that…"

"A giant fist?" Zena finished.

The fist, reminiscent of a Machoke's, toppled over an entire row of trees on its way to the wraiths. The swarm roared and tried to move, but the sheer size of the incoming embodiment of Fighting energy made the maneuver impossible. It hit the first layer, smashed through the second, and exploded in the middle, obliterating every single one, including several trees.

Yen hovered near them and Manny hopped off, standing on an invisible platform. "Oy, how'd it go?"

The trio of muscle heads gave one another high-fives behind him—a gesture that Zena tilted her head at.

"Better now that you're here, I suppose," Step admitted grudgingly. "Let's not waste any time. We must find Owen!"

"Yeh got it," Manny said. "We waitin' on anybody else?"

"Rhys," Amia said.

"He may take a while," Barky said. "His connection to the spirit world is much weaker. I will send him your way when he arrives."

The group all hesitated.

"You have my word." He gave a firm nod. "This is larger than the conflict Star and I share, and Rhys and I share common ground in honor. Please, help Owen."

Alex, cautious as always, squeaked and pointed. "They're coming again!"

"They don't look like they're much larger than last time," Amia said. "Manny, can you get another one of those blasts ready?"

"I, eh, we kinda used all our juice on that one."

"We had to finish them quickly," Yen said. "We made an opening. Let's go before they close in. Barky, will you come with us?"

Barky hesitated, but then shook his head. "I don't want to intrude on Owen's territory. I shall retreat to the Hall of Origin and speak with the Trinity to escort you back to your Orbs when you're ready to return. Go!" He faced the incoming swarm.

Amia pleaded, "But what if—"

Step flew in a random direction, knowing how Aether Forest worked. The others followed on reflex; Amia and Alex were the last to leave.

The further they went, the quieter the wriths' shrieks became. The ground split open to another Earth Power, drowning out their screams.

A cacophony of roars and screams filled the dining hall of Quartz HQ. Tremors shook the labyrinth and vines coated the walls from inside. A Mew frantically flew out of the eating area and into the sterile, white halls, eyes wide with fear.

"GET BACK HERE!" Star roared at the Mew.

Eon, not used to this tiny, floating body, struggled to escape. His throat was constricted with panic, swerving around corners and into curious onlookers. Why didn't he take his timestopper with him?! He should have known Star would try to interfere, but that was all the way on the tenth floor. Even if Owen got suspicious, it was for safety! He should have brought it with him.

"Daddy!" Lavender squeaked; within the mess hall, the mutants were, at first, too stunned to react.

Gahi was the first to get moving, his lighting-fast strikes going right for Star's back. His Dragon Claw cut through her wings. Gahi made sure to tug as hard as he could, trying to dislocate one, but it wasn't enough. He beat his wings to gain some distance; Star's arm suddenly turned green and lengthened, slamming Gahi in his chest, and then Gahi himself into the wall.

The Flygon coughed, the wind knocked out of him. He struggled to break free, but Star slammed another vine into his gut; he nearly lost his dinner, but instead fell forward, clutching his stomach.

A Seviper and Tyranitar ran toward one another, quickly fusing into a single being. The rocky serpent made a move to go after Star, but she was already out of the mess hall, leaving all of the stunned mutants behind. Some had tried to tackle her or blast her, but the various filaments of light deflected them. Gahi had been the only one fast enough to get close.

Lavender was fast enough to keep up with Star, even after she left the halls, but he wasn't fast enough to catch up. But he didn't let that stop him; eventually, Eon would slow her down. He just had to save him!

Across the hall, Eon shouted for everyone to get into their rooms and not come out. Dumbly, this gave away his location; even without sensing for Eon's aura, Star could hear his voice.

More importantly, Star tapped into Owen's Perceive, slowly learning how it worked. Seeing in three dimensions was invaluable; even if Eon wanted to hide, she could find him.

Okay. Okay. Eon panted, spinning around. Owen's possessed. He has… at least a third of the Hands in him. I just—need to wait until he can regain control. C'mon, Owen…!

Eon figured that with Owen's body, it would be easy to find him no matter where he went. But what if he could get far enough away that trying to scan the whole facility would stall Star? He just had to stall. That's all he needed; she couldn't control Owen forever, right?

If he could go to a different floor, would he be able to hide?

Something green flitted across the corner of his vision; Eon glanced to see a Zygarde staring at him from across the hall.

Hecto was reporting where he was. There was no doubt about it; surely there was one in the Grass Realm telling Star everything.

Hecto was everywhere in Quartz HQ. How could he—

No. Not everywhere. He detested being near Nate—his touchy-feely habits and the strange, dark aura would be enough. Hecto would take the longest to find him there.

The halls trembled again. "EON!" Star roared. Hearing Owen's voice with such a deafening shout sent a cold chill down his spine. He didn't look back; he ducked into the corner, narrowly dodging a huge vine; it slammed into the wall, digging into the marble. Roots formed within, crisscrossing along the hall to completely block it off.

But Eon knew this labyrinth much better than Star did. There was still another path to take. Just one more turn—there!

He saw a number at the end of the hall. Floor five. He had to get to Nate, floor eight. That would be far enough to stall Owen's Perceive, and Hecto wouldn't be on that floor, either.

Eon stopped himself from praying—Star would hear it, after all—and could only quietly hope to himself that the walls would answer to whispers.

"Eight, eight," Eon said, pressing his tiny head against the paint. He could just barely smell the pigments.

Eon disappeared just as Star rounded the corner, an endless tapestry of vines burrowing into the walls.

Star hissed, seeing the number at the end of the hall. Great, she growled to herself. I have a one in ten shot of finding him if I pick a floor randomly. Hecto, find him!

I shall try.

Actually, you have a one-in-nine shot because you're already on a floor, Owen's voice chimed in. Also, GIVE ME BACK MY BODY!

Simmer down! Star sped toward the numbers. I'm doing this for your own good, got it?! Just listen to me for once!

How about no?!

Star's body abruptly jerked to the side, slamming into one of the doorways. Despite the reinforced, metallic barrier, she slammed through the door with ease, tearing the frame along with it. "Augh! Owen! Stop!"

YOU stop! I said we were going to talk it out! He literally Promised to not—

Eon doesn't think like you do, Owen! He's impulsive, and he'll easily find some loophole in such a stupid Promise, no matter what it was! I can't believe you just agreed with him like that!

Star staggered out of the broken room, clutching her head. Plumes of fire escaped her open maw while her claws dug into the marble floor. Some filaments of light curved toward her. "If you aren't going to let me do this…"

Wh-what're you doing?

The filaments of light pierced back into Star, earning a wail from the possessor and a scream from the possessed. Star gagged and fell forward, barely catching herself from falling face-first. She gasped for air, even though her body didn't need it, but heard nothing from Owen within.

She wobbled down the hall, several filaments of light lodged along the back of her ribs, nestled between the countless others that were still extended around her like seaweed in the ocean. "P-perfect," she grunted.

A rush of wind blew past her, accompanied by a green blur.

"Get out of Owen," Gahi commanded, slamming his tail on the ground.

"Out of the way, hothead." Star growled lowly, puffing a threatening ball of fire toward Gahi. It evaporated before it got to him, but it came dangerously close; despite this, the Flygon didn't flinch. His glossy body reflected the orange light, glimmering against the red lenses over his eyes.

"I dunno what yer planning," Gahi said, "but at least Eon tried ter talk. Anybody who tries to go an' control Owen like this…" He snarled, lowering his stance for a lunge, wings outstretched.

Star pinched between her forehead. "Gahi, it's not that simple. Just—"

"I ain't having it!" he roared. "The last thing Owen wants is to lose control o' himself again, ya got that?! Give his body back, er else!"

"Or else what?!" Star yelled back, green vines trailing around under the marble. She could feel it right below and around Gahi, just beneath the walls.

Gahi huffed, looking at the walls. Star realized he saw the cracks forming. She had to act fast. "Ya know," Gahi said, "that 'wings o' light' thing yer doing… Figure that helps with channeling yer power more."

Star winced, remembering that some of them were still pierced into her spirit to keep Owen down. Star shook her head; she just had to knock Gahi out. She tensed her body, channeling some of that tension into the vines along the walls; they burst forth, pulling apart the cracks—

The vines wrapped around Gahi from all sides, thorns and brambles overtaking the corridor surrounding Gahi. Star squeezed the vines around him, making motions with her hands. "Yeah, just stay there for a while," she growled, releasing her invisible grip. Star watched for a few seconds, a cold feeling in her gut telling her not to turn around. Her Perceive was telling her something, but she wasn't familiar enough with Owen's power to know what it was saying. "Gahi?" she asked worriedly. "Y-you're still alive in there, right?"

Did she go overboard? Owen was remarkably quiet… He wasn't resisting as much anymore. Was he just too weak?

The defiant Charizard quietly spoke, strained and barely holding on. You know… I never won against Gahi. She could feel his smirk.

The vines tore apart in a flurry of blue dragon fire. Claws shrouded in the flames ripped each tangled plant like brittle twigs. Behind the fire and the burning flora, Gahi's gleaming eyes shined. And behind Gahi was a small bouquet of Hands-the Hands that Owen had given him.

Gahi gave Star a wry smile. "Wanna try that again?"

In her surprise, Star blinked, and in that blink, Gahi slammed his fist square in the Charizard's chest.