EPISODE II - DARK, WONDEROUS PAST

CHAPTER XV - THE TAPU

After Kyra and Denzel helped Sam and Alice back up – after the two rescuers had stopped laughing at least – the reunited Pokémon began to make their way through the second tunnel leading through to the other side. The two locals took point, making sure they didn't set off any other traps by accident.

Team Audacity followed from further back and in a hushed whisper, Sam began to explain about everything that had happened to him. What little he knew about himself as a human, what he came across in Broken Wood, the dreams, the confrontation with Kain at Waterfall Mountain and finally, his encounter with Squishy just after being blown off the Penguin. There was no need to hold back information now that Sam and Alice were now on the same page again.

That and to be honest, he needed to get everything off his chest. Alice didn't interrupt him, listening intently as they walked down the tunnel. When he finally finished, she slowly nodded and let out a quiet whistle. "That's… a lot…"

Sam sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, "I know it sounds crazy. But I've not got much to go off."

"I believe you." Alice replied reassuringly, a paw brushing past his arm. "Does anyone else know?"

"Just you and Jack." Sam admitted.

"And you think the Guardians are linked to the disasters?"

"Positive." he replied, "Kain knew the Guardians, and he only showed up after possessing Zeke in Broken Wood."

"And the earthquake happened not long after you found him." Alice growled, fist clenching at the memory. "Knowing how strong he was, I'd bet Kain set off the earthquake."

Sam frowned, "I'm not so sure on that one, that could have been Volcanion or just the last push, otherwise Kain could have done that in Robinwood. But they've gotta all be connected somehow, and if the ruins here were built by the Guardians, we'll find the answers there."

Alice rubbed her chin, "That's still a leap though. Zeke could have read Kain wrong. And this… Squishy whatever they are," She waved her hand in frustration, "Seems kinda clueless. I've never heard of a green blob Pokémon either. You sure he wasn't a Ditto?"

Sam felt a slight quiver at the base of his skull as he remembered the blob jumping on his head. "Nope. I'm not sure he knows much himself. But he has been the best source so far, so unless we want to try Waterfall Mountain again, it's the best we've got."

Nodding back, Alice turned to face the backs of the two tribesmon, the end of the tunnel appearing ahead. "Then let's find the others, then we can worry about the ruins."

Sam flashed a thumbs up, "Sounds like a plan."

Alice stopped in her tracks, turning towards him. "Sam, when we get back… we're going to need to talk to someone about this."

With a frown, he stopped too, "Like who? Rex?"

He knew he had answered his own question before Alice even nodded, "Just him. If there's anyone we can trust and make sense of this, it'll be him."

Slowly, he nodded back, She's got a point. Rex has believed in us before, he might see something that both of us have missed.

"Are you coming?" Denzel called out from the end of the tunnel.

Sam sharply turned to face him, "We're right behind you!"

The four Pokémon emerged back into the light on higher ground, the trees seeming less extensive than before. More than a few still looked like they'd fit in with a jungle, but others were now looking more like the confers and deciduous trees that he was familiar with. Kyra squirted a light Water Gun at the torch to smother it before placing it back into another iron basket by the exit. "Come on." She said, "Our village is not far!"

Kyra led the way again, with Team Audacity and Denzel following close behind. The going was significantly easier with less foliage and debris to dodge, whilst also revealing a more defined path for them to follow. Sam and Alice focused on keeping pace with the Sobble, saving their conversation about humanity and the Guardians for later.

As they reached the top of a small hill, a cluster of wooden huts hooved into view. They were positioned at the foot of a large wooded cliff, and Sam could make out the collection of small waterfalls that ran down the cliffs into a large lake at the edge of the village. Denzel let out a visible sigh of relief, "Finally." He breathed out.

"Any chances that any of our guys will be there?" Alice asked, stepping up alongside Kyra. The Sobble shrugged, "Only one way to find out."

They made their way down to the village slowly, as Denzel pulled out a short wooden flute and blew out a quiet tune. A distant tree rustled, and Sam caught a flash of a small bird flying out of it, headed towards the Wela Village. A safety measure, Denzel stressed, to make sure that no pirates were approaching their home.

Indeed, when they finally arrived at the outskirts, their only barrier was a young-looking Sneasel, fiddling with his claws as he stepped aside to allow for the four to enter. "You are the last to arrive." He explained.

"Good. That should be everyone accounted for from the village." Kyra mused, "Did they bring anyone else back in?"

"From what I heard yes. A pair were making quite a ruckus near the village centre."

Sam and Alice shared a glance, wondering who could have made it ashore from their ships. "Lead the way." The former said, and with Denzel now guiding them, they strolled through the village.

The Scorbunny expected the Wela villagers to retreat inside their homes and indeed, some did do that, hushing their young kids into the huts. But others seemed unfazed, strolling through the village or carefully working on homemade materials, like shawls, colourful blankets and weaved baskets. Some watched with a wary eye, and one or two nodded in greeting. It certainly wasn't enough to make Sam feel uncomfortable. But he could tell that the Wela people were still cautious about their new guests.

Alice leaned in as they walked, "You'd think the pirates haven't bothered them much." She whispered.

He went cold as the memory of the dead fire-types reared itself again, "It might be because I'm a fire-type. The pirates kill them."

Alice blinked, "W-What?"

"I'll explain later." Sam replied as a clearing emerged. He hadn't had time to explain about Blackaxe and the pirate's antics yet, and he doubted he'd have time to fully do so now. "Looks like we're nearly there."

The huts formed a ring around the core of the village, where one long building was set up at the far end from where the two rabbits and their guides had entered. Stone walls ran around the edge of the circle between the surrounding huts, and a single tree and flowerbed were positioned at the centre surrounded by another low wall. It was a little bit more lively here, as some tribesmon chatted with each other as they walked through.

And at the base of the tree, standing alongside the wall, was the very familiar form of a Bulbasaur and a Skorupi.

"Bruce! Denver!" Sam barked, quickly jogging on ahead with Alice in hot pursuit.

Bruce's head snapped round as a gigantic smile of relief took shape, "S-Sam! You made it!"

Denver managed a half-stifled laugh, "We thought you had it!"

"I got lucky!" Sam cheered as he approached. A vine erupted from Bruce's bulb and casually whipped towards him, and with a practised aim, the Scorbunny delivered an impromptu high-five. "How did you two get away?"

"We got cornered." Bruce replied, averting his gaze, "Calvin told us to jump overboard before the pirates got us. Got found by these Wela folks not long after."

"Stop looking all guilty Bruce." Denver grumbled with a narrowed gaze, "We'd be in chains by now if we didn't run for it."

"He has a point." Alice noted, stepping up alongside Sam. The Skorupi stiffened, only to click his claws sharply.

"Hate to admit it." He grumbled, "But I'm glad you got off too."

Bruce's eyes brightened before Alice could respond. "Alice!? If you got off, then so did Nia right!?" he leaned to look past her, "Where is she?"

For the first time, Alice seemed to withdraw, her eyes flicking towards the floor. Sam honestly thought she was haunted by the question. "The Crow was sinking fast. I saw Nia get into the air as I was jumping off, but I haven't seen her since."

Sam shivered as the words sank in, the Crow was gone. And the fate of the Penguin was a mystery. He looked over the others, seeing how Bruce slumped again. How uncomfortable Alice was. Even Denver seemed rigid as he looked towards the ground. It didn't take much to realise that he was thinking about Edward as much as Bruce was thinking about Nia and Dan.

Kyra and Denzel stood off to one side, looking more uncomfortable as they watched the four. "We will just let the Chieftain and Tapu know you're here." the water-type said quietly, "We will… leave you to it."

They started walking towards the long building, leaving them alone.

"Damn… we're the only ones who made it?" Sam quietly asked, looking over the four of them. "What happened to everyone else?"

"Calvin, Dan… Edward... and that Zeke guy too." Denver managed to say. "The pirates were all over them when we got away, same with the crew."

"And Nia must have got caught too." Bruce growled.

"If they got caught." Alice whispered, turning to Sam, "What were you saying about fire types?"

The Bulbasaur blinked, "Whatcha mean?"

Sam shuffled his feet, wanting to shrink away. But with a sigh, he explained what he heard of the pirates and their leader. Of how they arrived on the islands and attacked the Wela.

And most importantly, on how they killed any fire-type they came across, bringing up the killing field he found.

All three of his companions shared a look of pure horror, Bruce and Denver were both trembling. Alice herself seemed to instinctively move towards him, as to better protect him. She faintly cursed, as the gravity of Sam's words finally settled in.

Bruce spoke first. "So… when the pirates made a beeline for you…"

"They were aiming to kill me on the spot." Sam admitted with a weak shrug.

"Ffffuck…" the Bulbasaur growled, "Then that means…"

"All the other fire-types are dead by now." Denver said woodenly.

Bruce's eyes widened in shock, "C-Calvin too? Not him! That guy is a legend! He's fought legendries and lived to tell the tale!"

Sam sighed softly; he saw Calvin getting forced down by the pirates just before going overboard. Calvin might have not stood a chance. "I only got away because one of them recognised me, ended up giving me a message."

"What do you mean?" Alice questioned.

He locked his eyes on hers, "Greg's with the pirates."

The Buneary's fists clenched tight, no doubt remembering the time they fought him. "Are you sure?"

"He was specific."

Denver stomped the ground, claws clamped together, "So this lady bastard managed to get her hands on the biggest set of muscles in the Sea of Wonders? Shit!"

Sam flashed his teeth, "We've beat him before. We can do it again."

"Barely." Alice reminded him. "And Blackaxe sounds worse."

"Tell me about it." he admitted. Greg was a nightmare before. Blackaxe is going to be something else entirely, we need a lot more help.

Alice's eyes brightened slightly, "Actually… it's slim, but I think Calvin might have a chance."

"Huh?" Sam uttered. "How?"

She nodded towards Bruce, "Calvin's a Team ACT member right? Then the Pirates would have to know that too."

The Bulbasaur quickly began to nod as the realisation settled in, "You reckon they could have spared him cos he's famous?"

"For ransom? It's a good bet."

Realising she had a point, Sam rubbed his hands together, "Then there's a chance that Calvin's alive too. We have to believe that for now."

"Doesn't change the fact that we don't know where these pirates are!" Denver barked, "The four of us can't take them all on!"

"He does have a point." Alice acknowledged.

Tell me about that one.

Sam slowly started to pace as his mind started running through ideas, "That's something we can work on. We need to try and get back in touch with Rex and the rest of the expedition. Finding the pirate's base would be a help too. The Wela picked us up, maybe they can help us more."

Alice's ear dipped slightly, "If we have to rely on the tribe… then maybe you need to be the one to talk to them."

Sam stopped in his tracks. "W-what?"

"And that's it." Kyra said, "These Pokémon are not linked to the pirates. If anything, they want them gone as much as we do."

They sat around a firepit in the longhouse on cushioned mats, a small fire lighting up the interior. Across on the other side of the pit from the two younger tribesmon, a white, brown and red avian Pokémon sat cross-legged. The red feathers around her head formed what almost appeared to be a hat that shielded most of her face. The face of an owl.

The Decidueye narrowed her eyes, "Are we certain that they can be trusted?"

Kyra nodded back, "One of them is a fire-type and they all recognise each other."

Denzel looked somewhat less certain, "I am wary as well Chieftain-"

The owl huffed in amusement, "Denzel, you don't have to be so formal."

Sighing, Denzel looked towards the pit, "Sorry, Odessa. I would be cautious. But there are a lot of reasons why they would be telling the truth. But even if they have no ill-intent, what about anyone who follows them? All our islands could end up being overrun!"

He gritted his teeth, just as Kyra glared at her companion, "I think it's a risk worth taking. We are not strong enough to fight Blackaxe's pirates. If they can help us take back our home we should ask!"

The chieftain raised her wings, motioning for the pair to calm down. "You are both right. But we will need to learn more about them to be sure."

"I must ask." Came a deeper voice, "This fire-type. What species are they?"

The three turned towards a small yellow orb that floated at the edge of the fire, the occasional flash of orange and white blinked across its surface as it spoke.

Kyra frowned at the question, "He's a Scorbunny. Why do you ask?"

The orb dimmed, if only for a moment, before it brightened as they spoke once more. "I… I'd like to meet this Scorbunny."

The Decuideye straightened up, her beak clicking. "Face to face?"

"At the shrine." The voice confirmed.

Kyra's mouth dropped open. Denzel stared incredulously at the orb, "But Tapu! You rarely let us in! Now you are going to let an outsider enter from out of the blue?"

The voice remained calm, "I have a theory. I'd like to be sure of it."

Odessa rose to her feet, brushing some of her head feathers back for a moment as she considered the words. "You have not steered us wrong since I was still a chick." She admitted, "Alright. We'll be there soon."

"I can't believe I'm agreeing with her so much, but she's right." Denver said, "These guys were shoving our faces in the dirt before they figured out we're telling the truth."

"I'd probably still be stuck in that tunnel if you didn't happen to be there." Alice added. "You got off lucky. They're more likely to trust you being a fire-type."

Sam found all three Pokémon staring at him. "Nope, come on!" he exclaimed, feeling exposed and shaky, "You know how hot-headed I get like on a good day! I can't represent us! Never mind the whole guild!"

Bruce grimaced, "Well, we're not much better. And you're the closest thing we have to a leader."

"L-Leader!" he spluttered, "When have I been that?"

"Broken Wood." Denver said bluntly.

Sam growled as a headache started coming on. Okay, maybe I did start bossing everyone about, but only because everyone was panicking or fighting amongst themselves!

Alice patted him on the shoulder softly, "And besides, we outrank these two. So it'd fall to one of us anyway."

A concerned look from the Buneary seemed to cement it. Bruce and Denver would never follow Alice's lead. But they would do so with him. He sighed, realising she had a point. "Alright… at least until we fi-"

"Excuse me, you are Sam, correct?"

Coming towards them was a strange owl-like Pokémon, her red feathers forming what looked like a weird hat on her head. Kyra and Denzel were at her side, looking somewhat dazed, even if they looked unhurt. Suddenly feeling on the spot, the Scorbunny mustered the best smile he could. "Yeah! That's me. And who are you?"

His heart skipped a beat as the owl giggled at his response. "I am Chieftain Odessa. I would like to welcome you all to our village. I am sorry we could not respond any sooner, and for any mistreatment your companions may have suffered."

Denver faintly grumbled behind him.

Sam didn't initially reply, only for a kick to the back of his leg to spur him into speaking again, "Not a problem. You can't take any chances with the pirates. I'm sorry they've been gunning for you."

Odessa crossed a wing over her chest, bowing her head respectfully. "Thank you. I would enjoy a pleasant conversation, but there are important matters to discuss. Kyra and Denzel will see that your companions are settled in their home, but Sam, I will need you to come with me."

"What for?" Alice questioned firmly, stepping forward to place herself in front of Sam. "We've only got back together."

The Chieftain placed her wings across her front, as if holding them together, "Our Tapu would like to speak to Sam alone."

Alice's ears twitched enough for Sam to notice, She's already getting suspicious… okay, Rex would try and compromise, right?

He rested a hand on Alice's shoulder, "I'm okay with speaking to your Tapu alone. But can my partner wait outside or something?"

Odessa clicked her beak a couple of times, and Sam swore he heard a faint chirp as she thought it over. "Of course. She can wait outside with me. Is that fair for you?"

Alice glanced between the pair, before finally nodding.

Sam turned back towards Bruce and Denver, "Don't worry, we won't be long."

Hesitating, Bruce cocked his head to the side, "Err… alright."

Odessa led Team Audacity out of the village a short distance towards the cliff, where much to Sam's surprise, amongst the dozens of trees littering it, there was a set of overgrown stone steps leading up. "Be careful." The Chieftain advised, "The steps can be slippery this time of year."

Slowly, the trio began to climb, following the steps along the gentler inclines of the cliff, staying close to the waterfalls. Occasionally, Sam could feel a few droplets of water hit him, and his feet would sometimes land in a puddle of cool water. No wonder the steps had moss and grass growing out of them.

"Odessa." Alice started, "Who is the Tapu? I thought you'd be in charge?"

"Of the Wela I am." Odessa replied, "But the Tapu are the spiritual leaders of the tribes. They don't govern, but they have served the Pokémon of these islands for centuries. We owe them a great deal."

Sam's ears perked up at that, "There are other tribes? And more than one Tapu?"

"Of course!" she replied, pointing towards one particularly wet step to avoid, "There are four, the Wela, the Kaheawai, the Hano and the Na'nuao. But we have not heard much from the others since the Lady arrived. Her boats have seen to that."

The ship that took out the Penguin and Crow was just part of a fleet? He shivered at the thought. If the Red Kite had to take out more than one ship… it was going to be hell.

They reached a small, grassy flat at the top of the steps, where a small cave opening waited for them. "Alice, was it?" Odessa said, "You can wait out here with me. Sam, the Tapu is just inside."

It didn't appear to be a dark cave, he could see a fair amount of natural light through the entryway. Not that it did much to comfort him though. Behind him, Alice rested a hand on her shoulder, her coiled ear still twitching. "Sam… if you need help…"

He looked back towards her, feeling a slight warmth work its way through him, "I hear you." He replied gently, "I'll try not to be a hero."

That earned him a sly smile from the Buneary, and with a newfound burst of confidence, he entered the cave.

He wasn't wrong, a large crack ran through the ceiling, allowing light to shine down from above. A stone path went on ahead of him, surrounded by a grassy field. At the far end of the cavern, a few metres away, was another tunnel opening. Frowning, he walked further in, his footsteps echoing through the chamber. What… what is this place? The Tapu's home or… something?

Sam reached the threshold, leaning slowly inside. "Hello?" he called out.

No answer came. Taking a deep breath, the Scorbunny stepped inside. Light still came through the crack to reveal a wooden platform and at the far end, what looked like an altar. It was made of a mix of stone, wooden steps and bright green leaves arranged in an arc and was easily taller than he was.

He slowly walked towards the altar, his eyes flickering around him. He couldn't shake off a heavy feeling as he let his eyes scan the room. A familiar and cold feeling.

This feels like Broken Wood. He realised darkly, When Volcanion showed up…

"Are you the Scorbunny?" echoed a sharp voice from all around him.

Sam jolted to attention, ears snapping around to try and find the voice. Is that-

He gritted his teeth, "Yeah. Are you the Tapu?"

"I am." Came the reply, still impossible to trace.

Paws tightening, Sam found himself right at the centre of the chamber, eyes flitting left and right. "Why did you want to see me?"

For a moment, only silence came.

Then, from above, "To test you!"

Sam's head snapped up just in time to see a yellow shell dive towards him, electricity crackling.

Yelping, Sam dove away as it slammed into the ground, feeling fur sear from the power of the electric attack. He sprung back onto a knee in time to see the shell, covered with black, orange and white markings spring towards the altar.

Sam went limp as the shell opened up mid-air, revealing a slim black and orange Pokémon. A brilliant orange plume rose from it's head, and as it touched down, a pair of icy blue eyes locked onto him.

"It is time." The Tapu declared, and before Sam was even ready, they shot forward, part of the shell sailing down towards him like a scythe…

Author's Note: I didn't get this chapter done as quickly as I hoped, but I am sticking to a new schedule to try and keep on top of my writing and art at a reasonable pace between the different fics. I did want to add more to this chapter, but I think some of those elements will have to be saved for the next chapter as I've been trying to stick to a specific word count for each chapter.

Either way, I hope you enjoy this one!