Chapter 46: One Last Day of Peace!
Two hours. That's how long Kel had been waiting for in Aurora's house. What was taking her so long? There was no way for the Arcanine to really estimate how long it would take, since his team partner had refused to explain to him exactly where she was going and what for. All he was allowed to find out was that it was about the Epsilon Committee. And now Aurora was gone, without leaving him any clue as to what he should do if something went wrong and she wouldn't return. In times like these, in a war like this, she could never pass up such an option! What would have happened if Kel hadn't known where Aurora's meeting with Aurorus was taking place? What if the bad ending could still happen, precisely because of such a mistake? Should Kel have insisted more on more precise information?

But all his thoughts were interrupted by a loud bang. A bang, right at the entrance to the house. Quick steps climbed the stairs, directly to the room where Kel was resting. The door flew open and a completely panicked Aurora showed her face.

"Kel! Head to the League Tower! Now! Tell Elementareon to call in a conference immediately! I'll get Marshadow!"
"What? How? Slow down Aurora, what's going on?"
"We don't have time! Please, do what I told you, I'll explain soon!"

Before there was even time to reply, Aurora disappeared again with quick steps. Kel really didn't know what had happened, but at least Aurora was obviously safe. And he wouldn't fight her demand.

It took about half an hour before Aurora entered the community level with Marshadow. It had been a lot of work to convince Elementareon, since she was already about to finish work and Kel obviously couldn't give any logical reasons due to a lack of information. And the league leader also showed this dismay.

"So Aurora, I hope you have good reasons for this haste."

Instead of answering, Aurora's gaze wandered through the ranks until she saw Zeraora, who was also called up. Not because Elementareon wanted him here, but because he would otherwise be unsupervised.

"We can't start yet! Zoroark isn't present!"

Aurora seemed to want to speak just then when the entrance door opened.
"Sorry for the delay."

Aurora couldn't believe her eyes or her ears. Despite everything she had just learned, Zoroark was now simply standing there, her cape around her arm, as if nothing had ever happened. However, Aurora would not act as if nothing had happened. Before anyone could do anything, she shot an Ice Beam at Zoroark, who simply blocked it, obviously expecting an attack. Aurora was just about to continue fighting when Elementareon stood between the two rivals.

"What's going on here? Aurora? Can you please explain yourself?"

As stressed and aggressive as she was, the Ninetales also realized that only calm could get her anywhere.

"Elementareon! All of you! That Pokemon there... Zoroark... she's Epsilon!"

Silence fell, everyone's eyes focused on Aurora. Zeraora was the first to raise her voice.

"Lies! That's nonsense! Zoroark, I'm right, aren't I?"

The person addressed raised her voice, amusement in her undertone, but her answer had little bearing on her team partner.

"Aurora, Aurora, Aurora... you really still have a lot to learn. If I were here with other intentions, you would have just given me a perfect template to put all the blame on you. If the Plot wanted it that way, you would be considered to be Epsilon in minutes. But that's not my plan, no. Aurora is speaking the truth."
"Excuse me?"

Elementareon was the first to say the words that everyone was thinking.

"Why are you here? What do you want?"
"Calm down, Aurora. We just had a normal, peaceful debate at the lake. And I thought, now that the secret has been revealed anyway, everyone else here will have questions too. I'm ready for one last evening of peace."

As much as it hurt Aurora, she recognized the truth in Epsilon's words. However, it seemed as if Zeraora did not want to recognize the truth.

"Stop this act, Zoroark! Don't do that! You don't have to portray yourself as Epsilon to make me look better!"

In response, he received a laugh, just like the one Aurora had already heard at the lake. Amused, but not derogatory.

"Zeraora, I'm not pretending here. In fact, I revealed the truth because of you, because you were too much help on the way for me to leave you in this spot, but the story is true. My goal is simply not to harm any good Pokemon. And if my secrecy and the fact that I used your card to get to floor 48 puts you in this situation, then it's my duty to reveal my secrets now."

Elementareon intervened again, obviously trying to be neutral, even though it was difficult for her.

"Zoroark, you know what your revelation means. You still insist on its truth, don't you?"

The Plot Prophet's patience seemed to be running out.

"Are you all really that dense? Can't you see truth if it punches you in the face? This is Aurora, what I meant earlier at the lake. Pokemon see with their eyes, not with their hearts! That's why Pokemon like you all could never reach the heights I was chosen for!"

Once again, Epsilon performed a similar act to the one at the lake, only this time faster. She removed the red bandage, tied it around herself, revealed her symbol and grabbed the sword feather.

"Do you believe me now, or do you also need the suit before you finally accept reality?"

Silence.

"Took you long enough. I made it simple enough for you after all. When I added Darkrai into Team Slash and dueled with Aurora, I thought it was obvious enough. But you only ever paid attention to Zeraora, didn't you? But that's enough! As morally pure as Zeraora is, he doesn't have the will to be a shadow!"
"Shadow?"

The shadow of the other kind, Marshadow, didn't seem to understand what Epsilon was trying to say.

"The Plot Elite! Or our full name, the shadows that extinguish the sun in times when light gives way to darkness!"
"What kind of name is that?", Tyrantrum asked out loud.
"Now guess why the term "Plot Elite" exists, you fucking idiot! Out of boredom? Not everyone can act with as little sense as you!"

The unusually harsh words of the Pokemon that he always considered a friend made the fossil flinch.

"Enough of all your insults, Epsilon! So..."

Now Aurora turned to the Pokemon in the room, which she could actually consider friends, and which now included Zeraora himself.

"Apparently Epsilon wants to answer questions if you have any."

The aforementioned leader of Team Slash immediately raised his voice, sounding shaky, completely different from anything Aurora knew from the otherwise energetic Pokemon.

"One question, Zoroark... why?"
"Why? Why what?"

Zeraora's voice became more stable, but only through anger and sadness, which were now mixed together.

"You know exactly what I mean! Why are you doing all this! Why are you causing so much destruction? I always thought you were a good Pokemon! But no, you are nothing but a cold-blooded murderer!"

For the first time, it seemed as if Epsilon was really considering her words.

"It's like I told Aurora at the lake. The reason is that you don't want to see anything else but a murderer. I may have become cold-blooded over the years, but only because my task would otherwise be impossible. But am I really evil just because I want to bring peace to the world?"

Elementareon clearly disagreed with this idea.

"Peace? That's what you call this madness? Before you showed up in Berelo, there was peace!"
"No! You all just didn't recognize the real madness. Evil slumbers deep in the hearts of many, just waiting to awaken one day. The darkness shows this society the way, the darkness that the light gives way to. Aurora and I, we are the same. Only that I had seen Pokemon as they are, not who they pretend to be. All of you, you never had to endure true pain! For my love of peace, I was humiliated, exposed, treated like an animal!"

Aurora now dared to voice a thought that had already been swirling around in her mind at the lake.

"And that's why you turned away from this peace and became what you swore to destroy!"
"Lies! Nothing but lies! Peace is my element! Harmony is my essence! War is a weed that must be pulled by the roots! All of you, you also see the weed, but try to pretend that it's a beautiful flower! It's impossible! Too many Pokemon are unchangeable! And the Plot itself knows this! It legitimized my actions, it gave me strength and instructions! Even the essence of the world itself recognizes that I am right!"

More and more of the Pokemon in the hall found their voices to speak out against Epsilon's madness, with Latias being the next.

"The Plot is a static force. It sees the goal of peace, but not the way! It would never support you if it could judge your actions!"
"Is it really what you think? Who do you think the Plot is? A good-natured force of all that's great, in search of the best for this world? The Plot itself gave me this sword and spoke the words that I should do everything that needed to be done."
"Then why am I a Plot Warrior? Why would the Plot give me power to stand up to your madness if it thought you were right?"

Epsilon had an answer ready. An answer that left Aurora speechless.

"Because the Plot wants this war! For it, it is entertainment! You and I, Aurora, we are the protagonists of the story that is this world! And in the end, one of us will fall and the other will shape this world! The Plot was never about good, never about peace, it is about action! It is about fighting! Drama! A story that is to be told! Because that is all we are, Aurora. Fictional characters in a fictional world!"

There was nothing that Team Polarna vatra's leader could say about these accusations. Epsilon could not be right! Never! What she said was not what the Plot would do. Or was it? However, no one got a chance to say a word, because a pain-filled scream filled the room. Aurora turned around and saw Kel, who had been silent throughout the entire meeting. His eyes looked foggy, his whole body was shaking. A kind of golden smoke surrounded parts of his body.

"Isn't this a sign to you? You call me crazy, but you accept this Pokemon into your ranks? A real danger to the Pokemon! A madman through and through! Fled from his home into a place where he has no place either!"

Before Epsilon could continue speaking, she blocked a direct attack from Aurora, who had jumped her. The Plot Prophet immediately raised her sword.

"So be it! I offered you an evening of peace and it seems as if the truce is over! I'm warning you one last time, every single one of you! Just stay out of this! It's best for everyone, even for you! Sit back, wait a few months, and you can all live in a world of eternal peace!"
"Or in a tyranny in which every Pokemon that you and your group define as "evil" disappears, regardless of reason. And a tyranny for which thousands have lost their lives!"
"Your words mean nothing to me and will not stop me! And if you truly try to let your actions speak for themselves, then I guarantee it will be your last day! No one in this room is a friend to me! Each of you can decide to become a witness of the Messiah or a messenger of darkness! Aurora, we will see each other again! And I hope you will have understood by then... I trust you to do it!"

A purple flash shot into the sword feather and made Epsilon disappear on the spot, just like the smoke that surrounded Kel.

"So that's it. Epsilon was among us all this time...", Tyrantrum stated sadly.

Aurora briefly thought about what else she could say now, but she remained determined.

"Epsilon called this league a system that is pure on the outside but moldy on the inside. With her disappearance, that is over. The Plot Elite is no longer with us. And now, if we stick together, we can banish them all from out lives. For good this time! The search is over! And what's left is victory!"