Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Centurnum

Chapter 4

Greater Things

—-

98 years prior to the events of Dare To Dream.

—-

The whip of familiar cold air lashed over the crowd once more as it had so many times before, billowing out strung tapestries and misfortunate, poorly-stuck fliers of the event, but did little to smolder the blazing fire of adoration and pride of the celebrating people. The streets were packed, impossible to pass through without shoulders being pressed together like peas in a pod, and the smiles, laughter, and cheers were just as difficult to avoid so close to the crowd; the only thing that could surmount the racket was the blaring horns and banging drums of the band thundering off the walls of the tightly-packed buildings. If one could manage to wrangle in their senses, the invigorating scent of cooking meat and the burning waft of lit charcoal could be detected in the air. Today was a great occasion for the nation, after all.

The satellite state of Marea had finished its accelerated training course for its new recruits, who would soon join Paldea's might.

Under the moonlight of the desert night and the gentle glow of new electric lamp-posts lining the path, a great many of these new recruits marched through the streets, fists over hearts, cherishing their glistening boots and helmets, passing through the packed streets of friends and family who had come for them and only them. They would serve well for the future to come.

Taking a long draw of a cigar, a man in a thick coat watched from above, perched atop a balcony from one of the estates. It had taken months for such rapid training to occur since its inception, but recent circumstances had demanded more manpower for what he desired, and soon.

A small part of him held to an idea he knew to be foolish- that if all went well between these new breed of recruits and Paldea, then perhaps in the years to come this sand-laden land of Marea might to be fortunate enough to be absorbed into the Paldean Empire, and become true brothers and sisters of the beating heart of the world's future.

But that was then. Now, these festivities would persist through the night until dawn, where these new men would be packed into trains and sent into the mainland for further instruction and assignments.

"They seem to be in good spirits, brother," a hoarse voice noted behind him. Arriving at his side was another man with a wrinkled face, a cup of local brew in his hand. "Think they'll do well?"

The Toreros, they were. In their valiant, unwavering, innocent gaze to the cheering crowd around them, he could sense a great ambition that blazed like immolating fire within them. He knew the look all too well. They dream both of the world's eyes watching them, waiting for them to take the first defiant step in fighting for their country's future against the wrath of horizons without end, and the love that awaits them if they succeed.

Toreros on guard,

Toreros! Toreros!

In battle, think that a black eye is watching you,

And that love is waiting for you,

Toreros, love, love is waiting for you!

The vision he had for his beloved empire's future; his coveted turn of the new era, was so close now.

Anton tapped the end of his bud, discarding loose ash over the banister into the alley below. "They'll serve fine." Swinging around, he turned his body to the brightly lit interior that had been behind him. A fine, beautiful table laden with a not-so-fine clambered-together contraption of wooden planks and poles and a large weight tied to a pulley weighing down on its center had been waiting inside. "But that question remains open for… this."

Stepping inside together, the rugged man cleared his throat and straightened his back. "I think this will far exceed any questions of doubt."

"I should hope so. You've been given more than enough time to work several miracles." His face darkened. With the ruckus of the parade outside, the dim, dusty light inside the room, and their position above the crowd, he felt relatively secure. Relatively. "Are you certain you weren't followed?"

The man put down his glass onto a dark ring that stained itself into the table, a consequence of this repeated behavior over so long. "Peace, brother. We're as secure as our borders in here. Besides, I doubt any spies would dare enter this quaint town right now- the sight outside should be more than enough to convince them to stay away if there were any."

Anton grunted in agreement. "For your sake, I pray this isn't foolish confidence." A moment of pause lingered between the two. "Well then, continue."

The man took a quick drink of his glass, sniffling afterwards. "I count the days until I return to Paldea. The selections they have here do little to satisfy me." Circling around the tabletop, he stood opposite of Anton with the strange contraption between them. Nestled at the top of the crudely assembled tower of wooden planks sat a slim, dull metallic device shaped like a flask was lodged in the center, its opening pointed straight down towards a thick, heavy weight below. A dim blue glow seemed to leak from its mouth. "Now this," he boasted, affectionately patting the device, "could revolutionize a great many of fields, further still than the fuel cells we already grasped from them. Shards of Tera crystals and the unique properties they exhibit when they are in an agitated state are most promising for our nation's future, beyond simple power sources. Take for instance, this recent prototype I've developed for your approval." Reaching over the table, he pressed a small button on the bottom of the device. In an instant, the aquatic glow brightened into a glare, then shooting out a small beam downwards onto the weight and sticking with a quiet plop. There the beam remained, about two feet in length and loose, a soft glow surrounding its sapphire hue.

"So it's the water crystals you've chosen from the selection I've provided?" Anton mused as he examined the strange display. "Salvador, old friend, what does it do?"

A proud sneer crossed Salvador's weathered face. "Once I learned that I was to be posted here in this winded desert, my choice was clear. This volatile environment was perfect for experimentations on the properties of Tera Water shards and their applications. Look now," he waved a hand towards the beam. "See how it sticks to the weight below? I've found that once agitated through an external power source, the water shards that are fixed inside would emit this strange beam once funneled into a singular exit point, and its length seems near perfect for the distance each time. It uses surface-tension of water molecules to adhere to surfaces on a near impossible to match level like I've never seen before! No matter how hot the sun blazed here, or how cold the nights froze over, it always held its grip! It sticks, Anton!"

"Sticks, you say?" His mind had already drifted into potential uses for such an idea. "And might we use it for?"

"Oh, we can use it for plenty. Observe." Reaching over again, he held down the button. The glowing beam grew shorter, becoming taut and slowly lifting the great weight up and up off the table, relieving the strained wood with a satisfied groan. "If we perfect this technology, we can perhaps introduce this into commercial use across Paldea, and bolster our economic efficiency! Imagine loading ships with but one of these, lifting large parcels and crates with ease and reducing crew injury, or perhaps using it to set heavy objects inside factories with precision and delicacy. We could even get creative with it, if you'd like, and find use for it in the field. We have some theories that due to the innate elemental capabilities of the beasts-what-have-you that roam these lands, they could possibly react with these devices with no need for mechanical input. Imagine that?" As he held the button and the weight continued to climb into the air, the beam glowed brighter and brighter, and the climb slowed to a stall. Salvador grunted. He released the button and held it down again, but the device remained unreactive. Frowning deeply, he began rapidly pressing down on the button fiercely. The beam's light burned bright and in an instant, it retreated back into the device, lifting the weight so quickly that it smashed past the top of the crude cradle and flung itself into the ceiling above in a loud crash, becoming embedded above as dust and wooden flakes filtered down. After a moment of staring shared between the two, Salvador reached back for his drink, taking a sip. "Of course, it's still in its early development stage."

Anton waved away the dust that had quickly filled the air, a firm frown present on him. "Of course, of course. I'm sure when you work out the details, it will be fantastic." Wiping away his displeasure at the mess and patting his coat down, his mood shifted, becoming far more authoritative. "Now, about the other subject of the night's agenda. Time is running short, I'm afraid."

Salvador wiped his nose with a free finger, placing his drink back onto its familiar spot. "Right, right, of course, of course," he muttered. Turning around, he kneeled over and began fumbling with a locked wooden case that lay low to the ground. He produced a key from deep within his battered coat, unlocking the case with a satisfying klink and flung it open. The interior was lined with dry stacks of hay, and nestled inside the protective covering were glowing amber-colored points shaped like arrowheads and stacks of paper covered in meticulous, filling lines after lines of scientific nonsense. "You don't make this easy, you know," he said, pulling out several of the arrowheads. "But for what you're planning, these should make it trivial." Brushing off the table of any remaining debris from the earlier demonstration, he lay out the arrowheads to present them. They were crudely sharpened to a point, each one of them covered in small chips and craters from the bottom to the pinpoint top. The dull, earthly tones of the arrow hummed softly with an ethereal glow, betraying their value. "I've read the sent reports," Salvador started. "Despite what you make of me, I do read them personally. That 'Ho-Oh' creature sure makes it a point to visit now and then, doesn't it?"

"Now and then?" Anton repeated. "It's like there's a sighting of it every week as of late within the Empire. It used to be a rare occurrence, but over this year, that oversized bird seems to only grow complacent, scouting our fair lands." His face tightened with anger. "Why, just recently, a report came to my attention that the cursed thing had actually entered one of our camps near the northern outskirts of the Empire!"

Salvador's head lifted in surprise from the news, his mouth torn away from the cup he had picked back up. "You're joking. Enter one of our camps, did it?"

Anton shook his head in disbelief. "It's bold, I'll give it that much. Made no attempt at concealing its approach, just flew right in from the horizon in broad daylight. It doesn't care about hiding itself. It wants to be known. Traditional methods of immediate extermination failed, utterly. If it truly is as divine and strong as those Johtians say it is, perhaps its feathers are simply too tough an armor for conventional fire, or it holds regenerative capabilities, or both. Regardless, it had escaped with no signs of injury."

Salvador nodded grimly. "What was it doing there, anyhow?"

"I have one idea… There was a special package there I had ordered. You know the kind."

"All too well, unfortunately. How many does that make now?"

"Four."

A long sigh escaped Salvador; another long sip was taken. "I sure hope you know what you're doing with those things. Just looking at the one that's shaped like a big bowl made me feel… wrong."

"It's all in hand, I assure you. And I believe that is what drew the creature so near. It may be able to sense the relic, and had come to find it. In any event, we were fortunate that it had failed. All it seemed able to do was quickly scour the immediate area, and then left after meeting resistance." Anton shrugged. "Not empty-handed, however. Seems before it left, it tore off one of our flags and flew away with that." He leaned forward, planting his hands on the table. "It grows emboldened. I had intended Unova to be our next trophy; sent some scouts their way to study the land. They say Unova already suspects us, seem to be making preparations of their own, waiting for us." He shook his head. "But now I'm not so sure. If this beast of Johto is in our homes whilst we're away, it could be devastating if left to its own devices. I know Johto must be complicit in this."

"It still hasn't attacked anyone yet, right?"

"No, it has not. And that worries me. We need something greater than a deterrent soon. Are they ready?"

"These," Salvador scoffed, gesturing over the glowing arrowheads, "should be more than a deterrent. Fashioned from sturdy shards of Tera Rock fragments, these should easily pierce the beast's hide when the time comes. Of course, these are simply the munitions; I don't expect your men to throw them at the god. Crossbows with custom frames are already in production as we speak. Should serve us well in the near future."

Anton nodded, a hand cupped around his stubbed chin. "I suspect these won't be enough?"

"You guessed right. I very much doubt these little things will be enough to kill it, but hey, I'll buy a drink for the man who proves me wrong. But what I do know, is that to a beast of fire and flight like it, these will be extraordinarily painful to the thing. Should be easy to drive it away."

Anton picked up one of the arrowheads, pinching it between his fingers. Its beautiful amber sheen hummed soft light into his eyes. These would do well. "I plan on more than scaring it away. What of my other requests?"

Turning around, Salvador collected many of the papers and began shifting through them. "But of course. I imagine even these will meet your high expectations." He laid out several of them onto the table. Some were just swaths of inked texts, detailing mechanisms, intents behind designs, and required materials for development; whilst the others were nothing but large detailed pictures of strange cannons and customized munitions made specifically for their use. Of these pictures and plans, they called for an extensive supply of Tera Electric crystal fragments, five miles of steel cable, and a great ask for a great budget. "If the location of our plan has not changed, these should do the trick," he commented, swirling his glass. "We'll still need some sort of bait to lure the thing, and your signature, of course."

Anton picked up the designs, musing over them. Reading over the associated plans for the cannons, cables, and shards, he quickly knew he had left these machinations to good hands. "You'll get your signature, and the location remains the same; I've no plan to change it. And now, I believe I know what that smoldering bird is searching for. The beast will have nowhere to run once lured, nowhere to fly, no action left to take, no more bravado. Nothing. It'll just have to die." Grabbing the paper that lay a line bare for his signed name at its bottom, he took in a content, satisfying breath of the night's thrashing air and stepped towards the balcony, pen in hand. This would be a crowning achievement.

From behind Anton arrived a familiar pat on his shoulder as Salvador leaned against the banister beside him, glass nearly empty. "And death can't come soon enough," he commented. "Ironic, if you think about it. This 'god of reincarnation' is to die? Do you think it fears death? Or will it just come back the instant you put a hole in it?"

"Then let it rise. I'll cut it down- again and again."

Down below, the parade was drawing to a close. The men had all reached the end of the great packed street and were being showered with vibrant flowers and roses from the crowds at their sides, littering the street with fierce, citrus orange and royal purple petals. A cacophony of cheers, thanks, blessings, and jubilation had infested the air and made it impossible to hear one's own thoughts. These men, guardians of the era yet to come, were proud and steadfast amongst the yearning people. It was glorious.

The paper sat firmly in his grasp, the line still left wanting for his approval of the future ahead. He moved to sign it. As he raised pen to page, a certain sight caught the corner of his vision: from the converging mass of men and mingling crowd, near where two tan buildings were nestled, creating a dark alley away from light, he saw a figure in that darkness beckoning towards the soldiers. After a moment, one of the new soldiers had slipped away from the mess of celebration and followed the figure out of sight, vanishing.

"Well then, brother?" asked Salvador behind him. "Those funds and permissions won't approve themselves."

Anton shoved the paper and pen into Salvador's chest, making him drop his glass and shattering it, briskly walking past him towards the door that led to the stairs and hurriedly swinging it open and stomping down to the lower level.

"General?"

Anton continued through the barren lower floor, hastily reaching for his hip and feeling a familiar, cold handle at his side. He continuously scanned the area where he had last seen the two men through strewn curtains as he handled his old sidearm with practiced perfectionism, flicking open the cylinder and counting six shots at the ready before snapping it close again. Moving with certainty, he opened the door of the dark room and let the light of the hectic night flood inside.

The noise was even more all-consuming in the thick of the crowd as Anton brushed shoulders, moving past mingling party after party. Amongst the soldier's ranks, though he personally had not trained nor managed them, many seemed to recognize his rank instantly and cleared the way for him; those who were simply members of the crowd seemed more oblivious and had been more troublesome to navigate.

Having weaved his way through the crowd, giving brisk nods and passing smiles, he emerged to the mouth of the dark alley and immediately entered. There had been a dead end down the alley, with only tall brick walls and loose, empty boxes to be found. What remained though was a split, where the alley had opened deeper into a maze of dull walls and windows from the many buildings that had made its winding paths. Hand on iron, he went further in, peering past and clearing corners with great efficiency. It was not long until he had found the two he had been searching for; just around the dim corner of one junction, he heard the jovial laughter of two men, and one woman. He leaned past the corner. Their mutterings came from beneath the hum of one electric lamp, buzzing incessantly against the echoes of the celebration, made quiet with distance and off cornered walls. One man was of stock-standard fatigues: boots, a refurbished, round helmet; and tan dressage was all he wore as he leaned against a dusty wall. The other was far more distinct, and was recognized strangely enough as a pilot for the biplanes, based on the furred coat, warm scarf, and resting goggles he wore as stood about nonchalantly, his gaze wandering upward. As for the woman, she had been nonchalantly leaning over a railing bolted to a small set of stairs laden with pots and bags of produce, leading to the doorway of a bakery. A singular, robust pink flower was in her loose hair, and her hands were lightly coated with layers of flour. Together, the group seemed to be in casual spirits.

He stepped out from his dark corner with loud, leathery footsteps, making his presence known with his hands concealed behind his back. At once, the two men seemed to recognize his prestige and straightened themselves immediately, fists curled onto hearts. The woman hardly moved, instead looking at him with half-hearted interest. "Strange location for a meeting point," Anton announced. "Names and stations."

The more plainly dressed of the two men spoke first, clearing his throat. "Felix, sir," he announced. "As of just a short time ago, I am a footsman for Distortion Discovery expeditions," he explained.

The aviator of the two spoke next, much more confidently and brazen. "Jhett, sir!" he beamed. "Proud pilot for the Aviation Corps."

"Aviation Corps?" Anton repeated with dry inquisition. "Last I was aware, we had no pilots in training here at Marea."

"No, sir! Just came to see a good friend off while I had some time off."

Just a moment after, the woman casually raised a hand up from the rail, a small grin on her face. "And I'm Michelle, proud doer of everything around the shop here." Felix had quickly shot a glare at her, which only seemed to give the woman a small amount of coy satisfaction. "He asked," she smiled.

"Well," Anton breathed, "a pleasure to make your acquaintance, ma'am." Michelle's face twisted a smidge at that last word. "Would it trouble you to explain tonight's chance encounter?"

"Geez, you make it sound like I'm a grandma," the woman breathed in a near whisper. "But yeah, we're just… some chums hanging out," Michelle explained, waving a hand over Felix and Jhett. She took a dainty finger and pointed it at the newly made soldier. "It was supposed to be just me and this guy chatting, but I guess this air-head isn't too bad to have around either," she said as she looked towards Jhett.

A brow was raised on Anton's storied face. "So small talk, is that?"

"I suppose that's the phrase for it," Felix said. "Far as I know, I'm being shipped out come morning for duty. Figured I'd get some last words in for the time being."

"Is that all this is, then?" Anton's hands still remained grasped behind his back, though his fingers tapped in thought. These three did not appear the sort he had been worried about; perhaps the simplest explanation offered was the one most accurate of this situation, and that they truly were just mingling. He tilted his head back and nodded, offering them a broad smile. "Well, who am I to deny such precious time together amongst friends on this great night? This evening is one of merriment, so please, enjoy yourselves." He spun around, still concealing his hands from the group and began pacing back to the corner. "Of course," he added over his shoulder, "do be responsible and return to your platoon at a reasonable time." The two nodded at his request. With that, he had left them be, turning past the junction and leaving.

And holstering his trusted solution.

From the dull echoes of the walls, he could hear the hollow reflections of their conversation as it grew smaller and smaller as he came closer and closer to the parade once more.

"You know, I'll probably see you again soon enough."

A feminine chuckle rang out. "Guess I'm stuck with you a little longer, soldier-boy."

—-

It had been an eventful month so far for Hachi, she herself mused.

She had made a habit recently of softly leaping onto rooftops once the cover of night fell, surveying the homes and fields with a watchful eye. Once she knew the men, women, and children were all safe, she would resume the next stage of her own standardized routine. As per her choice, she had made her daily patrols of the villager early in the morning, driving away any lingering pests of rattatas and ghostly spirits of ghastlys of the night with her practiced fire and nimble grace so that the villagers she shepherded could work and play in peace with the rising sun. In truth, she enjoyed these scrapes, but still acted- if at least largely- for the people. From there, she would take the fruity offerings she had accumulated the day prior and distribute them to the wildlife of the village that had come to call this community home; who were just as familiar faces as the people who worshiped. A particular, robust pikachu seemed more than happy every time it saw her with berries in tow.

That had been the general schedule of her days. More specifically, she had been learning, and fast.

A short troubling encounter within Ecruteak had Hachi find herself staring down the old village well into the sunken, burbling eyes of a muk: a hideous, poisonous creature that had seemingly spawned from the murky black depths to howl a fearsome cry into the daylight. Once she had finished cremating the horrible sight from on high, the murmurs of the people she had taken into her care had reached her ears soon after. Muks and grimers were terrible things; that much was known. As horrible a sight and smell they are, their real danger is their alarming ability to form from refuse: discarded waste, trash, objects in rot. These made them a blight on the unfortunate, compounding on their poor luck and appearing when most unwanted from the darkest corners and terrorizing the community. Ecruteak had been lucky so far to have avoided them for so many years, but due to her own arrogance, Hachi knew the many fruits she had tossed down the well over the two years she had been the Illumini had become something far worse, even if for just an afternoon. She vowed to do better.

Another matter of great concern that had rose the past month had been the lush forest adjacent to the flooded rice fields. Hachi had frequented those woods countless times during her many nights here, enjoying the free air and rich growth that only the storied trees could provide; she had come to learn the winding paths and twisting roots of the territory like a second home.

That had been before the ethereal distortion she dove into the last month. Ever since the 'tumor' had vanished, the forest had been far more hostile, far more confusing than Hachi had ever recalled. The wildlife she had thought peaceful within had made a sudden turn, becoming unusually aggressive. When she entered, it was she who had to watch their back now. What once were paths that led to creeks now led to rotted logs; where had been a patch of land burned black by a thunderstorm now was replaced by a vivid flower patch. Even during times where she had visited the forest night-after-night to recollect her thoughts and relearn the forest she once knew, the land had forgotten itself once more, replaced again. It was as if it were changing day after day, rebuilding itself after every night into whatever whim it wished that moment; it became laborious to both enter and exit. It was the maze that dreamed, and she was lost within.

Yet still, things had not all been unpleasant for her: a strange new power she could now manifest before her at any time, which she had come to learn of after her encounter with the strange tyranitar the last month. How long she had this hidden power, she did not know. What she did understand was that after training night after night in the depths of the mysterious woodwork, she could summon this hidden power at will with some effort. It was strange, appearing only as a glowing bloom of flowers, shining like emeralds before nastily bursting if she had willed it. Using it in her nightly escapades, she found it quite effective against opponents she found trouble with before: geodudes, sandshrews, and others like them seemed greatly harmed by the attack. That was not the only use she found for these brilliantly shining flower buds. At her whims, she summoned them during the many ceremonies she helmed, inspiring the people before her with flashes of emerald and fire wisps of crimson.

This small village, this home she has come to love, the people she has learned to cherish and guide- Ecruteak- in spite of its simplicity and problems, had never been so perfect.

After all this work had been completed- all the fighting and patrolling; the guidance and peace she offered, she would lay down and sleep on the steepled steps of her podium, soon to awaken to fulfill the mundane, required, real duties of the Illumini the Sacred Fire, Ho-Oh had ordered of her: to sit still in front of the faithful crowds, and to make them feel cared for by their absent god.

In that, she had been dutiful.

And today demanded duty.

Even with the threat of a sudden downpour so near underneath black rolling clouds, the plaza had never been so packed before, filled with kneeling bodies and lowered heads, hands grasped together amidst a storm of fervent, hushed prayers from the mass. The peace the people knew could not last.

A messenger had delivered gut-churning news to the people: numerous scouting parties had been sighted along their border bearing the insignia of the Paldean Empire, and had been traveling within Johto, plotting its land.

There had been no attempt to conceal their actions.

Even out here, nestled in the forests and sheltered by a great snow-capped mountain, they were to be a target of the gluttonous empire that had claimed so many before.

She had been weaving through the crowd for most of the day, offering what comfort she could, but able to do little. Though she could understand their words, their pleas and begs towards the heavens, they could never understand her.

As she took in the crowd's despair, their mutterings and wracking shoulders, she saw a small figure lingering on the outskirts of the gathering: a child. The same one that had tried to pet her so long ago now when she first had been placed within Ecruteak. He had grown somewhat since then, a fact that she was proud of, but today's events were a stark reminder that he was still the same kid she knew since then. His face was swollen, red, a streak of dried tears running down his cheeks. His hands had been folded together and his head swiveling, looking around for something, anything. At a loss, he simply sat down and did nothing else. It was all he could do.

Hachi drew closer to him, taking considerate steps to the huddled boy. Once she was near enough, she sat beside him, and wrapped her eight tails around him and her, sheltering them in warm embrace. It was all she could do.

That seemed to calm him down, if a little. For some time, they sat together, waiting like the crowd around them for nothing to come to their rescue.

It was all they could do.

Enough time had passed for the overcast to make good on its threat and begin raining down below, each drop a cold reminder of circumstance. As the drizzle turned to a shower, the people still remained still below, not seeking shelter from the downpour. There they remained, holding fast in prayer, Hachi shuddering with them.

That was until someone shouted.

"There!" a voice from amidst the crowd erupted, full of shrill excitement and disbelief. The masses and Hachi turned to the now standing man and saw as he flung out his finger to the distant dark sky, pointing shakingly to something far off, something far above ground. They followed his attention, looking. "The Sacred Fire!"

Instantly the whole crowd who once was so still, quiet, and compact rose together quickly, a fierce murmur between them quickly escalating into shouts. It was true. As the ninetales with them looked up to the dreary sky with them, she knew the great colored wings spanning the horizon too well.

Ho-Oh was coming.

Ho-Oh's great figure grew in size as they quickly approached towards the plaza, swooping around the gathering in big turns as the people huddled together into one gigantic mass, nearly trampling over one another as they moved in unison with their god. Even the child Hachi had been harboring peered out from underneath her tails, eyes cast upward. The crowd quickly parted as Ho-Oh swooped down from the rain clouds above, leaving the Sacred Fire enough room to gracefully land in the plaza's center. A natural circle was soon formed around Ho-Oh as they folded their wings, with many falling to their knees or grasping at air towards the god, many faces exasperated and full of joyful tears. Ho-Oh seemed quite pleased; a prideful, amused glint in their eyes gave away that much as they observed the crowd around them. It was not long however until that gaze fell onto Hachi, still holding onto that great pride, and they took one big step towards her and the child.

Hachi leered at them. Getting up from the child's side, she stood between the two and brushed away the boy towards the crowd with her tails. He seemed to understand, slinking behind many of the adults who had formed a wall around the Sacred Fire and the Illumini.

Ho-Oh stood proudly over Hachi, their looming figure easily towering over her. They took a slow, methodical look around the clamoring crowd that had gathered just for them, sipping in the endless adoration and reverence for them. Their crooked beak parted in a smile. 'Look how they love me so," Ho-Oh communed to Hachi through words unspoken. 'What a beautiful thing it is to be recognized.'

Hachi did not speak, instead holding her inquisitive stare towards the phoenix.

Ho-Oh took notice, tilting their head back as they looked down on her. 'I suppose my champion must be curious as to my sudden appearance,' they mused. 'Tell me, how is the situation here?'

Hachi shot a glance around her to the crowd around them; many of them still had coarse voices and wet faces from their frantic pleadings just minutes earlier. 'The people,' she huffed, 'they are afraid. This feeling runs deep and cold. They want you.'

Ho-Oh did not move, their face betraying no reaction. 'Afraid? Ah, yes, the foreigners who have come to this land.'

Hachi's ears pricked up. 'You know?' she asked.

Ho-Oh gave a slow nod.

The people seemed to have quieted down somewhat, recognizing their god and its champion were convening as the two focused on one another, though they could not hear their conversation.

'I am aware, yes. Do you take me for a fool? That I would not be aware of any who come to this land?' A sly, heavy chuckle rose out of Ho-Oh's throat. We need not concern ourselves with them, or with this rabble for that matter.'

Hachi froze, letting her tails sink and fall flat. She did not need to say a thing, her look of utter bewilderment speaking for her.

Ho-Oh's face twisted once more into a self-assured smile. 'What is that curious look for? Did you think I had come on a social call? No, I hold far greater ambitions. I have come to collect you. We are traveling to the land west, the land of Paldea.'

'Paldea?' Hachi barked back. She had little idea of what this place was. 'But these people, our help is needed! They fear invasion of these men,' she protested, her look turning more intense, becoming etched with worry. 'They prayed for your aid. I was taken here to protect them! Are they to be forsaken?'

That response had earned a scoff from Ho-Oh. 'Do not lecture me on what your purpose was, fox. You were brought here not for safeguarding a pitiful village, but to secure their faith unto me. In that, you have admittedly succeeded. But one cannot linger on past glories; we must move onwards and upwards towards an untamed future. Paldea is a grand place, a large nation filled with many more people than the scant amount here.' That answer had not satisfied Hachi, Ho-Oh had noticed- the ninetales seemingly growing more displeased. 'Oh, spare me the looks. I had made clear my intentions for you and this place long ago.'

Hachi glared to the Sacred Fire, looking up at them with a deep furrowed brow. 'I will not leave them.'

Ho-Oh rolled their eyes. Then in a sudden flip of their mood, a more jovial tone took hold of their words. 'Think of it this way! Once we take you to Paldea, you can make even more friends, more than here! There is a great evil I have sensed in their lands, and undoubtedly these distortions that have plagued this village and many others can be traced to the land west. Additionally, I have traveled far and wide, learning of conflict, and have planted seeds that will sprout into needs for divine intervention soon. When I banish that evil and prove myself their savior for the conflict to come, I can establish an even larger faith overseas than the putrid amount here. Besides, have you forgotten the faith you champion? Look to that man, for example.' Their gaze fell to one man in the crowd who was on his knees, face lurched towards the ground in prayer. 'I remember him well. A long time ago, in a previous life, he was but a butterfree. Still as meek and emotional, of course, but not bundled with arms and legs, but wings and small antennas. In this cycle of eternal return, the end of one life is not the end of life. Even you can see these things if you have the aptitude and know where to look. You can often find old souls of past encounters- familiar characters with unfamiliar faces- if you just try. They'll have the same mannerisms, the same core behaviors and ingrained quirks, but in a new shape. Old friends become new friends. This is no exaggeration. If someone strikes you as oddly familiar- of a late associate- then perhaps they are not all that distant from you. I'm sure once this lot perishes, you will meet them again as they are reborn into another life to join us in a greater world.' Calmly, Ho-Oh outstretched a large, open talon to Hachi, offering it. 'Come.'

Hachi stood firmly in place, still processing what Ho-Oh had said. The crowd around them were in tears, crying out thanks and pleas for their god that was now before for, begging for salvation from an impending, indomitable threat. These were people who had no weapons, only tools for living with the land and with their friends and family, finding simple peace in simple lives. They had shown her a welcoming community united in purpose and bound by strong ties that welcomed all- even she had grown to become a part of it. They built comfortable homes, constructed a great hall for worship, and prayed for peace. And now Ho-Oh wanted to leave it all to burn for a taste of more.

She looked to the open talon, then to Ho-Oh. She refused to move.

Ho-Oh did not react, staring blankly at Hachi. Once the meaning of her simple, static posture reached their meaning to them, they softly shook their head, ruby-red feathers all across their body flaring up. 'Now, my champion,' they spoke softly, brandishing out their talon once more, 'it is not too late for my mercy, and I am not asking- come. Now.'

Hachi scoffed out one message from pointed teeth, looking directly into Ho-Oh's eyes. 'No.'

Ho-Oh again did not move. There they remained perfectly still, letting raindrops plummet onto them, glide off their glistening feathers and pointed talons into the gathering puddle below. They betrayed no emotion, no sign of thought, no subtle movement- not even a single blink; it was as if they were frozen in time.

Then they took in a short, small inhale through their nose, barely audible over the clamoring crowd.

Their outstretched talon shot out faster than Hachi had ever seen Ho-Oh move before, instantly clenching her in an extraordinarily painful grip as the daggers they had for fingers wrapped around her body, piercing skin at their points and drawing immediate streaks of blood. The crowd at once began stumbling away in terror, prayers and cries becoming replaced by shouts and shrieks as Hachi writhed in the Sacred Fire's grip, each movement spilling more blood, feeling as though her bones in her chest might shatter at any moment from the crushing grip that only tightened.

She was lifted above the ground and pulled close into the sunken, deathly glare of Ho-Oh, their faces nearly touching, and a stark reminder that she was only a fraction of the size of the phoenix. 'Take a look around you,' their voice rang in Hachi's head. All around her, the crowd had largely vanished, many retreating around corners and slipping on the slick floor from the rain, only to run inside buildings and slam the door. The only sounds she could hear now were distant cries of fear, that found it difficult to reach her through the shower and the distance that separated them.

The plaza, so filled with countless individuals who had stood by her just minutes earlier, who had welcomed her. had emptied in moments.

It was just herself and Ho-Oh that remained.

'This,' Ho-Oh continued, 'is what your years of service had meant to them.'

Hachi was lifted even higher, her damp body brought closer to the rain clouds above. 'They know it.'

The grip around her tightened further, suffocating her into choked breaths as her lungs struggled to find air. 'I know it.'

Just down below her, the smooth, stone floor was clear of obstacle; clear of intervention. 'And now you will know it.'

She was thrust downward, slamming hard and fast into the hard floor below, the last thing she heard being the dull thud of her own head crashing.

Blacking out into blissful nothing.

'You never had control.'