Chapter 10: Risen from the Shadows!
"Aurora, become a warrior of the Plot!"
In those moments, the promise of a perfect world, free of tyranny but especially betrayal, was very attractive to Aurora. And it was true, many Pokemon were truly on the side of the Plot Emperor. Could hundreds really be wrong? Had Aurora perhaps just been too one-sided all this time? These were all questions she was NOT asking herself, despite everything!
"I don't know what I expected. You made sure that Kel came into my life, so nothing good could come of it! Because nothing good ever comes from you, Epsilon! And that's why I will always stand against you!"
In fact, it seemed as if the machine-like being was truly disappointed by this statement.
"Such wasted potential. But I guess I can't force you to be happy if you don't want to accept it. But if you don't want to accept happiness, the only thing left for you is destruction! It would be a shame, now that you have just received this great new form! So, have you made up your mind?"
"You have ideals, and I do too. We are both ready to defend our ideals to the death! But since our ideals clash with each other, we will never be able to fight on the same side!"
/Music: GlitchXCity: Pokemon Rejuvenation: Xen Executive Battle/
Thunder rang out again, the earth shook, and thinnest shadows slithered along the walls.
"So be it. If it is your will to carry your ideals to the death, then death shall come for you! Farewell!"
The shadows shot out of the walls like chains, with the sole aim of imprisoning their victim. Aurora, however, had no intention of letting this technique stop her. She simply dodged, but now the new icicles were already becoming huge problems. Avoiding them required Aurora's full focus, while Epsilon seemed to be just warming up. And above all, it seemed as if he wanted to enter the fight himself, which up to this point had only been led by the obstacles he had created. Once again, Epsilon pointed his sword towards the sky and a dark lightning bolt struck it. A destructive aura surrounded the visually fragile blade and the purple light left traces in the air as Epsilon swung the sword.
First, however, he thrust the blade into the ground, from which geysers of lightning and shadow immediately bubbled up. And just now Epsilon truly jumped into the action and used the mighty sword against his inferior enemy. Aurora fought with more strength and determination than ever before in her life. But it seemed to be useless. Not only could Epsilon control the environment, even in pure combat he was an opponent who would never find his equal. In addition, he had a speed that normal Pokemon could only dream of. The fact that his sword was not only a powerful close combat weapon, but could also shoot lightning and make it shoot out of the ground, made little difference at this point.
But Aurora didn't want to let any of this stop her, and she knew she couldn't. Epsilon had already landed several blows, but now he didn't seem to have any real interest in direct attacks. Instead, his blows hit the cave's floor, and more geysers shot out of the ground. Only when it was too late did Aurora realize that the lines Epsilon was now drawing on the floor formed a shape. A huge spiral, a symbol that, in the eyes of the Ninetales, had no connection with Epsilon. But as soon as the spiral was completed, the entire room began to rotate like a carousel, but much faster than one would ever be. The floating Epsilon didn't mind, as he was obviously already used to the sight and he didn't touch the ground. Aurora, on the other hand, now had to compete not only against a swordsman, projectiles AND natural obstacles, but truly against the room itself.
All of this became too much for Aurora. Within seconds she had pretty much lost all sense of direction. The centrifugal force of the endless circeling hurled her against the wall as she had lost any control over what was happening. Pain shot through her as the room slowly stopped rotating and she fell to the floor.
/Music end/
"Pathetic! Your will may be strong, but your body is not. You were not wise enough to see your limits!"
The wounded woman lost her breath as she felt claw-like fingers grab her by the throat and she found herself face to face with the Plot Emperor, who held her in an iron grip with his left hand. The electrified sword continued to glow in his right hand.
"I must congratulate you on your performance. You bored me less than I had feared. But at this point your journey ends, Aurora!"
Too weak to defend herself against the attack, Aurora only felt the shadows of the sword as her heartbeat stopped...
Epsilon spoke up again as he dropped the lifeless body of the Ninetales. Blood covered the ground, near a large ice rock.
"Is this what you traveled for, weakling? What was it that guided you?"
Kel jumped when he heard this voice. Did Epsilon know he was here?
"Come out and face me, failure of a living being! I know where you have been hiding this whole time!"
Kel stepped forward uncertainly and was immediately pierced by Epsilon's empty and yet somehow furious gaze.
"Tell me now, fool! I have never met a soul as rotten as you! What made you to do this?"
His nervousness and the nature of the question meant that the Growlithe simply did not understand what Epsilon wanted to know.
"Was it inner hatred? Was it the pain of your first life? You thought of yourself as a psychopath before. Did you want to prove it to yourself? Or was your egoism so powerful after all?! What drove you to leave behind the one Pokemon that gave you a chance in this world, whether she was my enemy or not?"
The fact that he now understood the question was almost worse than the sight in this cave. Even Epsilon, the being that had killed Aurora herself, even this being seemed to despise Kel for leaving her. Even a being seemingly without any morals saw scum when looking at the Growlithe. Even as a human, he often thought he was a being without value for anyone and now he found himself in this other world, rejected by friend and foe for the insanity of his actions.
Lightning began to flash through the room as Epsilon's calm seemed to fade.
"Answer me now, bastard! I want to know! Even a being like me, ready to sacrifice hundreds, even thousands, for ideals that some might call madness, even I could never bring myself to betray someone I owe so much to! I actually intended to destroy you, just like Aurora, but a quick death is not what you deserve! Prepare yourself for the true purgatory! The final judgement after death may or may not be a legend, your sins might not be punished there, but I am the earthly judgement and I punish your mortal sin with a fate worse than death!"
Flames began to rise from the ground all around. Kel had no idea what this godlike being would come up with as punishment for his betrayal. But before all hell could truly break loose, shadows gathered between Epsilon and Kel. The confused emperor stopped his preparation as his own follower, Marshadow, rose from the ground.
"Epsilon! What exactly are you doing? Why are you wounding these Pokemon? Have you forgot what we stand for?"
The warrior obviously didn't know why his own fighter was now opposing him.
"What's going on? Why are you defending this nobody?"
Despite the question, Epsilon didn't even wait for an answer this time, but immediately disappeared into nothingness.
For just a moment, Kel stood there in silence, shocked by the events that had taken place in this cave.
"Do not think I did this for your sake, Growlithe! You deserved everything Epsilon had planned for you. I hope you know that!"
Marshadow obviously didn't expect an answer, because he too disappeared immediately. Kel's consciousness only slowly began to truly awaken. He looked around the cave in panic to truly understand the meaning of his actions. In the rush of his racing thoughts, he ran. He didn't know where to, but he didn't care. How could he have done this...?
Epsilon... Marshadow had been working with him for months now, but was never really convinced of the Plot Emperor's ways of justice. All Marshadow wanted was to follow the Plot, as faithfully as he could be. And Epsilon was a source for this, the being closest to the Plot. But now, after seeing Aurora's desperate fight... Epsilon was too blind to his own ideals, to his own strength. This is why Marshadow stopped him. And now, now he had to find Epsilon and undo the mistakes that had been made. What exactly Kel did now, he honestly didn't care about as long as he didn't get in the shadow's way.
After the hasty escape, there were a handful of places Epsilon could have fled to, but Marshadow was already very sure which of these places would be the right one. The place that would also be the reason for guarding the iceberg in the first place. Deep in the tunnels that led down from the top, there was a room. Marshadow arrived there and immediately sensed the power of an object floating on the spot. On the outside, it looked like an ancient knight's armor, or more precisely, the breastplate of one. Epsilon was here, as suspected, and was looking at the mystical piece.
"Epsilon! Why are you doing this?"
"You're following me all the way here? Marshadow, you know I am not above destroying you! It's enough that you've already protected Kel!"
Marshadow didn't care at all about the anger in his voice. He had no connection to Epsilon, only to the Plot.
"I'm doing the Plot's work here! You're going against your own ideals! The Plot still needs Aurora, Epsilon! You off all Mon should know this!"
The one addressed did not seem affected by the accusation.
"The Plot gave her time to become strong. She was too weak, and that's why she had to die! She should have used the time better!"
"Have you gone mad? Epsilon, she can't yet have the strength to stand up to you! We're only in Chapter 10, Chapter TEN, for fucks sake! How is the Plot supposed to continue now that Aurora is gone and Kel has fled?"
This time Epsilon seemed more understanding.
"Chapter 10? The Plot has only reached Chapter 10 by now? How did it take this long? I expected we'd already reached Chapter 25 by now! And you know what that would mean. From Chapter 25 onwards, they'll have to be able to defend themselves against everything I have to offer!"
This gross miscalculation seemed truly foolish to Marshadow.
"The Plot started through Kel's arrival, Epsilon! So, move your ass back to that cave and go help Aurora! Or do you want to defy the Plot itself?"
Once again, lightning began to crackle in the sword of the all-powerful one.
"Don't talk to me as if you were above me! I am the highest warrior of the Plot, you are beneath me! But what must be done must be done. Alright!"
Only a split second later, both beings were back in the room, which was now marked by blood. Kel had long since disappeared, no trace of him remained. Epsilon approached Aurora's motionless body and felt her pulse.
"Nothing. As to be expected when you defy me. But it was too soon, it seems."
Shadows and light filled the room, lightning flashed everywhere. And only a moment later, all of this disappeared. Epsilon felt the pulse again.
"It worked. Of course. She will need some time to recover, though. And her team has fallen apart. What does the Plot say about that, Marshadow?"
"I honestly don't really care what the Plot's first priority is in this. I will be joining Aurora and Polarna vatra!"
Epsilon's look was neutral yet knowing, as always.
"Do what you must!"
After saying that, he disappeared once again, and this time not even Marshadow knew where to.