Episode 29: Daybreak Destiny Part II
Here they were. One last hallway where a familiar mist began to fill the air. This hallway was short and led to even larger double doors, which leaked this magical mist. It gave everything a marshy hue with red sparkles of light here and there. The mist seemed to glow and dim constantly, and the further they went, the thicker the mist became.
Kayla's heart raced. Even though she could still see her friends quite clearly, this glittery mist filled her with angst and dread. She didn't have a plan besides knowing she was way stronger than back then. She just had to pray that would be enough.
"It's okay, I got it," Kari said, pushing the doors open. They looked heavy as she was slow, but that only helped everyone to keep on their toes.
The moment there was enough space, everyone dashed into the room and posed for battle. Now here was a familiar scene. The mist was thick enough in here that all Kayla could see was the strange colours and glitter. She couldn't even see her friends' silhouettes or shadows, so she unrolled both ears to listen out for them. They hadn't moved, and breathed lightly.
Focus now, Kayla. If it's anything like last time, the battle's already begun, she told herself.
She was right to be this prepared. A weird, laser-like sound came from the end of the room, prompting her to move. She dashed from the spot, and then towards it, charging herself with Quick Attack. However, she couldn't see a thing besides this mist, making her slow down. No walls, no enemies, not even her friends. She couldn't even see the door they had come through. As far as Kayla knew, they were in a world consisting of nothing but this accursed mist.
"Wha-what's going on? I can't move! Unhand me this instant, fiend!" May demanded, her voice coming through the mist.
"Lemme go! I swear to gods when I get my paws on you I'm gonna so help me I'll- rgg!" Pola growled.
"Hey what gives? I can't move! Stop!" Kari cried.
"This is- rrg- such powerful psychic!" Shannon grunted. Ashe's cry came above his.
"Girls!" Kayla cried, glancing back to where they were. Another laser sound went off, and Kayla only had the chance to glance back to her target before a horrible psychic force hit her. Just like that she lost control of her body, and could only grunt and squirm as she was lifted off the ground by an irritatingly stiff grip.
Slow laughter took their attention, which slowly grew in volume and pitch. Kayla tensed up and growled at it, trying not to be intimidated or to show her pain. "Mathildaath! Stop being a coward and show yourself!"
"Pokémon all day today, it seems. You truly are fools!" a high-pitched woman laughed at them from a distance, her voice booming with reverb and echo. "I am impressed you made it this far, but a puny team like yours can't do a thing against my power. You have quite the imagination just being able to reach me!"
The team were floated high, drew an S with their movements, and then began to float in a circle around the room. Mathildaath's psychic hold over them was harsh, but free enough to play with their bodies like dolls.
The whole time, their eyesight was faced on the end of the room they came in from, not that they could make out anything other than this mist. Kayla stared with increasing angst; each moment worse as her strength gave out from trying to break free. Having all control of her body taken away like this was familiar, but no less easy to withstand. If anything, it was worse than she remembered, as her efforts to pull free felt like she might rip her own skeleton apart.
When something began to come through the mist, her heart jumped. Three curved lines slowly appeared right in front of her. Two of those lines opened up into a pair of eyes. Large, dark eyes with eerie, glowing yellow irises and empty pupils. The third eye refused to open, but was evidently larger than the pair below it. Kayla couldn't take her gaze off them, and their unmoving nature as she was spun around the area made her feel like she might be sick. She couldn't help herself. Panicked breaths escaped her, alongside angst and dark thoughts. She had travelled all this way, became so much stronger, had more allies, even the power to dream whatever she wanted, and yet, was still completely helpless here.
Even worse, Mathildaath's laughter continued, growing ever louder and ever mocking. All Kayla could do was squirm and moan. Her body strained to the point everything ached, while her head and thoughts rushed beyond anything coherent. She wasn't turning feral or mad, it was as if her very soul was being ripped from her. It soon grew too much, and she let out a cry at the top of her voice. She couldn't even hear herself as the archfiend's laughter filled every part of her conscious. Laughter, unbearable pain, and no control over it, no matter what she did, even as she begged for relief. Moments later, everything turned black.
…
…
"Kayla Brunswick, wake up!"
The words were loud, clear and stern enough to make the Buneary's heart race. They were the stone-cold orders of a mother, the kind you know not to mess with unless you want to challenge the worst possible punishment.
Kayla squirmed and groaned a bit, finding it tougher to sit up than she liked. Her mind was groggy and her eyelids were heavy, but she managed to get there. She curled forward to wipe her eyes on her blanket, and then blinked a few times to focus. She was greeted to the relieved sigh of a Hatterene so close to her their noses were tingly with touch. Kayla squeaked and flew back so hard her head hit the backrest, to which she lost her voice.
"Oh my goodness, pull yourself together!" Hatterene yelped, fretting over the Buneary as she squirmed in discomfort. She refrained from touching the little Pokémon, but the way her claw hovered implied the soothing touch of love. Kayla soon recovered, but not without a few tears in her eyes. Seeing that, Hatterene sighed and stood back. "Thank goodness… I've never seen you sleep so rough. Bad dreams?"
It was her mother, the Hatterene with the jester hat and stars around her cloak skin. Beaurette. Kayla blinked at her, still not awake.
Ugh… Talk about déjà vu. I must look like a wreck right now, Kayla grumbled as she scratched her side. She normally didn't care about how she appeared, but if she looked as bad as she felt, then she'd have to put some effort in. She was stiff as a board for some reason and her head still ached, while her stomach churned like she had jet lag. The physical pangs from hitting her head didn't help either. She tried to shake it off, but that only made her head worse.
"Really, are you okay? Did you have a nightmare, Muffin?" Mum began to fret more seriously again.
"I'll be okay," Kayla sighed as she stumbled out of bed. She landed on her feet fine, which was a good sign. A quick dolling at the mirror and she'd be up for the day.
She didn't look too bad, according to the mirror. Well, that's if her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. Her eyes were golden, and floating beside her was a familiar little Pokémon. She blinked at the mirror in disbelief, and then a whole torrent of emotions rushed in at once, and she gasped.
"You…" she glanced at Jirachi.
"Not this time," Jirachi nodded back to her.
"Not this time…" Kayla mumbled into the mirror. She stared at her reflection intently. A moment later, the Kayla in the mirror started to burst into golden lights, as if harmless fireworks were going off. Those lights flew into Kayla, and her thoughts started to form. She shut her eyes until it was done, and when she couldn't hear it anymore, opened them to a new reflection. The Kayla in the mirror was wearing a cool blue shirt with a short cape behind it. Seeing that, Kayla's glare grew even more intense.
"Sorry, Mum. I'm going back to bed!" she announced, throwing herself back into it.
"Are you sure?" Beaurette replied.
"Yeah. My friends need me," Kyla grinned at her. Beaurette hesitated for a moment, and then smiled back.
"Good luck," she nodded, surprising Kayla a little. It was subtle and quiet, but it was all she needed. It wasn't real, but it was all she needed. It was her wishing herself good luck, but it was all she needed. She shut her eyes, leaned back, and promptly fell asleep again, and then the entire world around her silenced.
Seconds later, she was flying through a dark void filled with smoky trails all the same as when she entered her own Dream Pool. She cocked a grin as she neared the light at the end, checking herself out. She had her shirt on, and Jirachi was beside her. "Now we're talking."
When she came through the light, she landed on solid ground, though she was still in the world of Mathildaath's mist. She shut her eyes and curled herself up, drowning out the laughter of the archfiend. She fell asleep right there, and dreamt of exactly what she wanted. A world free of this mist. Freedom from the psychic hold. A chance to face Mathildaath properly. And then she growled and burst, releasing a huge shockwave. Silence engulfed the room, while her wave cleansed the mist entirely, bringing to the team to reality at last.
This was the peak of the shrine, a throne room so large you could fit multiple Wailord. Enormous windows lined the back walls, letting bright rays of blue moonlight shine through and brighten the crystalline floor. The walls were held up by pillars, which boasted more tapestries of Isnomia's legend. At the far end was the throne, with a backrest so tall it connected the ceiling to the floor. Otherwise, it was as cold here as the rest of the shrine, with frosty air and chilly, smooth flooring.
Mathildaath was sat in the throne with one leg crossed over the other. At first glance, she could only be described as a mutated Swoobat. Even that resemblance was limited as she sported straight, black horns and three eyes, the middle one larger than the usual two and currently closed. The fluffy fur around her neck was bushier than normal Swoobat, and seemed to be shaped like shoulder pads, while also turning into a furred robe than hid most of her humanesque body. Only her feet peeked through this robe, which were pure black and sported four nailed toes. Three at the front, and one at the back, resembling a heeled shoe. Mathildaath's wings were the same shape as a regular Swoobat's, but were huge.
"Well now," the fiend spoke, a wide smirk stretching across her face. Kayla could spot more than two fangs there now, too. "Would you look at that. You're different to the rest."
"And you know what that means," Kayla posed for battle. Her friends struggled to their feet beside her, but posed all the same. "Your reign ends here and now, Mathildaath!"
Mathildaath didn't respond. She didn't appear annoyed, or mocking, or even angered. Kayla couldn't help but shiver, unable to read this look. There were definitely thoughts being had, but behind that conniving smirk, she couldn't tell what.
What am I doing? Does it matter what she's planning? She shook herself, and grinned. "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"
"Confidence. Arrogance. Stupidity. Limited foresight but incredible imagination. A subject with qualities fine-tuned to your preferences and nothing else," Mathildaath replied, shutting her eyes. "It is pitiful that one like you wound up a Dreamer."
"The only pity is that I came all this way, and you're what I'm up against," Kayla shifted a foot back.
"Okay seriously, we have got to start picking who provoke more carefully," Shannon whispered.
"What do you mean? We're going to fight either way, aren't we? That's why we came all this way," Kayla argued, eyebrow raised at him.
"I just, mean like, uh," he struggled to reply.
"Don't you see that legend is at play?" Mathildaath asked, and her wings stretched out in place of arms. Only now did Kayla notice the two Woobat resting on her furry shoulder pads. Each one had a single dark eye with a yellow iris. "Allow me to enlighten you."
"Don't. I like, honestly, really don't care," Kayla replied.
Mathildaath was surprised. "Inconceivable. One who mastered their powers enough to confront me, has no interest in the grand scheme of things? Or perhaps I am misjudging you, and you already understand."
Kayla frowned.
"My master plan, Isnomia's legend, the boundless potential we all possess. In all of my decades of reign, you are the only mortal to have set foot in this room and confront me so. With these powers combined, the two of us can change this world. We can evolve it from its accursed state, evolve the laws of reality, we can—"
"Holy- okay, actually shut the hell up! Are you joking?" Kayla shouted. Mathildaath lost her smile, so Kayla took that as her cue to approach. "I didn't come all this way and fight through all your nightmares and rubbish just to have you prolong this with a delusional speech about us joining sides. I came here to fight you and knock you off your throne. If you aren't gonna put up a fight, then I've wasted my time."
The whole time she spoke, Mathildaath's eyes grew gradually angrier, rigidly locked onto Kayla. She was many times the Buneary's size, so Kayla stopped when it appeared the archfiend was looming over her. "Well? Which is it? I'm right here, O great archfiend!"
"Huh. I kinda like this side of Kayla. No bullshit, all action," Pola commented, posing to cast her spell.
"I don't really get what's going on, but I think she's right!" Kari said, running over to Kayla's side. "There's no way I'd ever side with a bad girl like you, so why bother asking?"
"Silence mortals!" Mathildaath's voice boomed loud enough that wind blew against the team. "You are not worthy of my pity. Only the Dreamer is."
"Then there's your answer," Kayla said, feet glowing white with energy.
"Impatient, overconfident, lacking any sense of great ambition… that is the greatest shame out of all of this," Mathildaath said as she leaned back in her throne. "How fate chose you of all Pokémon, one who cannot see to use her powers for greater designs… and yet you truly think that you can defeat me?"
Kayla sighed. "I'll entertain this one. It doesn't matter whether I can defeat you and your self-proclaimed power or not."
That got the archfiend's attention, and she looked down at Kayla again.
"The fact of the matter is, you're a danger to the entire world, more than you probably know. Things can't stay the way they are, and if I have the power to fight back, then I'm going to use it," Kayla answered. "You might look down on us, but all of us made it here. That much is fact. So don't disappoint me thinking you can hold back. If the world of your dreams is this important to you, then you should be doing everything you can in the face of the one force that can stop it: me, Kayla Brunswick!"
"Well said, Kayla. Likewise, we will do the same," Ashe joined in, tightening her grip on her weapon.
"I'll admit I'm curious about this master plan of yours, but that is nothing more than childish curiosity. In truth, it doesn't matter, just as Kayla says," May started fanning her face with her weapon. "Your reign might as well already be over, because it ends here today, with us!"
"So all of you share this girl's conviction. There must be some leadership I'm missing. So be it," Mathildaath responded. Her third eye opened, which matched the eyes of her Woobat – dark with a glowing yellow iris and a pitch black pupil. "They call me a delusional archfiend, but in truth, I am a goddess, who is shaping the fabric of reality itself into a world I see fit. You will rue the day you decided to confront that!"
A heavy gush of wind burst from Mathildaath, and her tails appeared from behind her, coiling around to her front. They were long, pink, and flowy, but curled and sharp at their tips, resembling scythes. Being forced back like that put Kayla into her world of battle, one she was looking forward to so much. The pillars, the windows, even the cursed moon faded into fast flowing patterns matching the colour of the night sky, while the floor was a glossy swirl of cloudy blues and whites. She couldn't see the walls anymore, but she didn't need to. All that remained was her, her friends, Mathildaath and her shrine, and those two Woobat on her shoulder.
"Go. Dispose of these foolish mortals," Mathildaath ordered, unmoving. She remained relaxed in her throne with one leg still crossed over the other and a maddened smile of glee on her face. The Woobat fluttered off her shoulder and screeched before swooping toward the team.
Kayla already had her feet charged with Quick Attack, and was surprised by how easy this looked. The wind, the way the Woobat wound up for their attack, they were child's play to dodge. She bolted toward Mathildaath, zigzagging left and right to avoid the Woobat as they attempted to tackle her, and then leapt straight for the archfiend. To her surprise, Mathildaath didn't seem to react, besides her third eye releasing a bright gleam.
The next thing she knew, Kayla's mind jumped, almost like she had skipped through time. She was skidding across the floor again, and gasped. She coughed and gurgled as she lost her balance and fell back, unable to form a coherent sentence. It didn't last long, and she shook herself back into focus.
"Lucky go," she grumbled, shifting a foot back again, and then gasped. Her world of battle was gone just as suddenly as it appeared.
She was back in Mathildaath's throne room, staring down the archfiend and her two Woobat minions who were wildly fluttering around the room as they fought the other girls. They were a nuisance to Kari, avoiding her attacks while biting and tackling her as she coiled and stretched to try and fight them. Pola called out for Tri Attack, but her beams missed their mark completely. Shannon jumped forward and managed to hit one with Thunder Wave, which brought it down for Kari to slash it at last.
While they're busy with them, Kayla told herself, turning her attention to Mathildaath, who watched just as boredly. Kayla tensed up and charged, only to not approach as quickly as she should have. "Wait, what?"
Even worse, she tripped up and face planted, which hurt more than it should have, too. She cringed and shivered on the floor, feeling like she might cry.
"Hey, pull yourself together!" Pola called out.
Kayla managed to get to her feet at the order, but even that felt hard to do. She faced Mathildaath again, and this time, that want to cry was coming on huge. Only the archfiend was clear in her vision, while everything else was wavy, like tears were obscuring her vision. She shook her head and tried to focus, but it only made her eyesight worse.
What the heck is going on? Why can't I… Quick Attack, just use Quick Attack. C'mon Kayla, this is nothing, she told herself, and posed to do the attack. However, it wouldn't come. Her feet wouldn't charge. Even trying to use the move normally, the energy wouldn't come. Her mind was a fog of self-doubt, and she couldn't concentrate on her moves.
C'mon, c'mon, anything. Jump Kick, Ice Beam, Quick Attack, why the hell can't I move it? Kayla hissed at herself as she performed her usual motions for each move. Nothing came out, not a frosty breath or a spark of energy in her feet. She forced herself to run forward anyway, hoping she could pull a miracle and use a move regardless. Instead, she saw how close she was getting to Mathildaath, and fear filled her heart. She was staring up at a figure many times her height with powers she hadn't even seen yet. She might as well have been staring up at death. In fact, she was running towards it. The fiend's tall figure and three eyes glared down at her, devoid of mercy or apathy.
"N-no!" Kayla let out a panicked gasp as she skidded to a stop again, and fell on her backside. She scrambled away, and Mathildaath let her. Now she was panting in panic.
"Hey, something's wrong with Kayla," Kari called out worriedly as Ashe stomped down on the second Woobat. The others glanced over.
"Then it's up to us. Ashe, back us up with a chorus," Shannon suggested as he ran off to the side. He pointed a paw high and used Follow Me, actually taking Mathildaath's attention for a moment. She merely stared at him however, and her eyes narrowed. Moments later, Ashe's cursed lyrics echoed through the room, and purple energy surrounded Mathildaath.
Finally, the move prompted a reaction out of the archfiend. She breathed in briefly, and then her lower jaw expanded to the floor as she barked. Out came a terrible noise so loud the entire room shook. Not only was Ashe's song drowned out, but the Jigglypuff cringed hard as she was blown back. Even worse, two more Woobat formed beside her, who promptly charged into battle.
"No you don't. Surf!" Pola yelled at the top of her lungs as she raised a paw high. Her magic came out at full force, and a massive wave of water towered before her. The two Woobat screeched in shock, but were engulfed by the wave. Mathildaath grunted as well, turned to the side as if to shield herself. However, she was still sat in her throne.
"Insolent fools. So you do have some fight in you," she commented, and then shouted that horrible noise again. Two more Woobat appeared.
"Ugh, how many of those does she have?" Kari complained.
"Kari, Ashe, focus on the fiend. The rest of us will keep the minions at bay," May ordered.
"Right!" the girls replied in sync, and then charged ahead, while Pola got to work on her next spell.
"Well I needed this sooner than I imagined," May mumbled to herself as her cheeks crackled. One Woobat came at her, and she tensed up, shocking it with a Thunderbolt attack. She barely used it for a few seconds however, and coughed and shivered. Electricity crackled over both herself and the Woobat. "And this also never gets any easier…"
Meanwhile, Kari charged straight at Mathildaath. With a war cry, she thrust her claws to stretch and slash with them. She slashed Mathildaath's front twice before they retaliated, leaning forward. Their third eye flashed an eerie purple, causing Kari to flinch. Next thing she knew, she had no balance and gurgled gibberish she started stumbling about.
"It's Hypnosis, or Confuse Ray," Ashe realised, stopping her approach. She bounced up and gave Kari's head a light kick, which seemed to jolt the Furret back into action. "She can stop my songs, and any combos are cut short by that eye."
"Then it's up to Pola," May demanded, joining their side. Another shout summoned a couple more Woobat to fight for her. "Whatever you do, just stay on your feet."
While all of this was happening, Shannon rushed back to Kayla, who was still panicking on the floor. "Hey, stay with us. You okay?"
"Shannon… I… I'm still here," Kayla whimpered.
"What's wrong?"
"I… I-I'm sorry. I'm trying. I can't concentrate, my moves just aren't coming out," she cried, scrunching up her face. Shannon glanced back over to the battle to make sure everyone was okay, and then cupped his hands by his mouth.
"O divine embrace that fosters health, I beseech you… Aromatherapy!" he recited. He threw his paws up, and out came a swirl of pink flower petals that began to circle the room. Kayla quickly felt a pleasant scent from the air, one that cleared up her nose of sniffles she never knew she had. Her head cleared up a little too, and she could stand.
"When could you—"
"I got it after we beat Cerbereon. Feeling any better?" he spoke fast.
"Yeah but… I don't think it was that kind of problem," she replied, facing the battle. Her world of battle still wasn't forming, and she could barely keep up with her team's actions. All she knew was that moves were going off, both from them and Mathildaath, resulting in some serious blasts. She couldn't even tell what anyone was saying, besides Shannon. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry… I dunno what's gotten into me. I just… it's like my body's shut down or something. I can't fight, I can't focus!"
"But we need you! Can't Jirachi do something?" Shannon cried.
"Go and help the others. I'll figure something out, I promise. Go!" Kayla nudged him away. He was uncertain, but ran off to return to the fight. "Do I have to fall asleep again? Or is this the effect of the blue moon? Something, anything, please!"
She fell on all fours and struggled to look up at everyone. Her view fluctuated with tears in her eyes. "Please… they need me. They need my power."
But nothing came. Jirachi came out and floated beside her, but he didn't say anything. The dark thoughts were coming back. This was it, the home stretch, the defining moment, and here she was, face down crawling on the floor like a helpless Wurmple. After all that big talk to Mathildaath, promising Gema, standing up to the teachers, Netherworld, and wanting so hard to prove herself to everyone and herself, it was all for nothing.
Am I not strong enough? Would this be different if I were a Lopunny? She growled and clenched her eyes shut to stop more tears. She wound up shivering, and punched the floor in rage. That made her cringe as pain burned up her arm, making her tear up anyway. And then it hit, and she gasped.
She was looking down at her hands. They shivered in cold as the pain dulled down. She curled them to get a better look at them, those fat arms that grew wider at the paws. She could even wiggle her digits, and clasped them together. Her touch was soft and delicate, despite the size of those paws. Her mouth hit the floor.
"Why now?" she whispered in disbelief. She looked up at her friends. The haziness of the battle had faded. Everyone besides Mathildaath was covered in marks of dirt and bruises, but they fought on, barking commands at each other as more attacks went off. What am I saying? Does it matter now, when, or how? That's how I've always lived… that's who I am.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then focused hard on Mathildaath, cracking a smile. And if that's who I am, then that's who I am!
At last she returned to the fight, bouncing her way towards Pola. "Hey, you got anything stronger? What'd you get from Cerbereon?"
"K-Kayla? Uh, yeah I can do that, but it takes a lot longer to cast," Pola replied, keeping her eyes on the battle.
"Go for it. Trust us, we'll keep 'em busy," Kayla gave her a pat on the back. Pola gawked at her as she bounced forward into battle.
Instinct was driving her, now. Instinct so natural she never thought to question it. Her ears weren't as precise as she was used to, while the lighting made things difficult to see in detail. However, she could still tell who was who and where everyone was. That was all Kayla needed.
Firstly, the Woobat. She decided to stall here, dancing on her toes as she playfully punched the air. Her taunting got the smaller bats to swoop toward her, one after the other. She danced aside the first one, and then rolled up an ear in preparation for the second. She swung her head as hard as she could, unrolling her ear at the same time to punch the Woobat as it attempted to tackle her. It was knocked up into the air, enabling Kayla to jump up high after it.
"Teriyaa!" Kayla yelled as she spun to kick with all her might. The enemy Woobat was sent flying straight into Mathildaath, who flinched and shielded her face, though the bat hit her in the stomach. The moment Kayla landed, she bounced towards Mathildaath, meeting those vicious, dark eyes with a cocky smirk.
"Useless minions, get off me!" Mathildaath hissed as she used a wing to brush off the Woobat. She brought her tails to her front and swiped at Kayla with them, but the Buneary was too small to hit. Kayla began to bounce around Mathildaath and her throne, chuckling to herself as if she were playing rather than fighting. Somehow, she dodged every swipe of those tails. Even when she bounced up high and Mathildaath attempted to use Hypnosis, Kayla was too busy laughing to be affected. "Make a mockery of me?"
Mathildaath leaned forward to try and raise a leg, but couldn't move it. Kari was wrapped tight around her legs, and stretched up to Mathildaath's face to surprise her with a Slash attack. Ashe was right behind her, and thrust at the archfiend's stomach with her Otamatone, and right when Mathildaath roared to blow them all away, Shannon was beside her throne and crackling with electricity. His Thunder Wave sizzled over her, making her grunt and slump.
"Pola, now or never!" Kayla shouted, giving the Plusle an eager grin.
Pola was surrounded by orange and brown crystalline light, but far more crystals than her Visionary Magic had ever produced before. Even her eyes were aglow with a blinding shimmer, and she raised her paw high to gather that energy into her palm. "O roar of the earth, bring forth the fangs of the mighty dragon!"
Her cast caused the light to turn into a sparking, unstable ball of orange, bubbling magma, all contained within her paw but bursting at the seams. With all the enthusiasm she could muster, she threw her body weight into a punch, slamming the orb into the floor, where it created a tiny eruption around her. "Earth Power!"
Mathildaath could only watch and utter a noise of slight panic as the crystalline floor panels dented upwards in a trail that headed straight toward her, as if a beast were travelling beneath the floor. Once it reached her throne, steam, fire, rocks, and more crystal energy began to sizzle in the air around her, giving her only a moment to brace herself. The floor erupted with a deafening boom, followed by a stream of lava pillaring into ceiling, and massive stalagmites of molten rock shooting from the floor. The stalagmites sprouted from all over, and each of them crossed over the eruption, piercing everything in their way, even the other stalagmites. Seconds later, all that was left was a large crest of rock, lava, and energy, which also exploded into an even bigger blast strong enough to shake the whole room. The team had to shield themselves from the heavy wind that ruffled against them, but couldn't help themselves from staring, anxious for the result.
Soon enough, a harrowing breath alerted them to the archfiend's survival. Mathildaath slumped in what remained of her throne, devastated worse than Kayla had ever seen of a Pokémon, ever. Body parts were loose, connected by strands of melted skin, her fur and robe were in tatters, and even her jaw appeared to be broken, half-melted and stretched to the floor. Despite all that, she had the most livid, feral glare she could have.
"You know what? I was talking out my mouth back there," Kayla admitted, cracking a smirk despite. Mathildaath's eyes twitched, and her pupils locked onto Kayla. "Turns out it wasn't just me. My friends were all we really needed to take you down!"
"Be careful now, Kayla. You must know the saying, there's no telling what a cornered beast might do," May warned.
"Don't worry, I've got this," she replied, glancing at her. In that moment, her world of battle seemed to be returning, making her smile even more. Seeing that, she began to approach Mathildaath. "All that talk about destiny and worthwhile Dreamers was a bit of a stretch, huh? All you really needed to knock you down a peg was a well-coordinated team. Anyone could've done it!"
The others gawked at the provocation, while Mathildaath's eyes twitched violently.
"So, how's about it? Ready to call off this whole thing? I'm happy to let you keep these powers if it means I get a rematch," Kayla half turned away. "But it means you've gotta be on your best behaviour."
"DON'T YOU MOCK ME YOU—"
Kayla cut her off with a flash of a movement, one she could only do in her own world of battle. A Quick Attack faster than a blink, aimed straight at the archfiend's core. Kayla had kicked her so hard that a large indent could be seen poking out Mathildaath's back. Silence fell, and Kayla remained frozen in that pose with her foot pressed through their chest. A sound was uttered, and then Mathildaath's form began to fade, becoming completely black. Kayla stepped away after a moment, watching as the form vanished into the air as black flakes. The others silently joined her side, staring in disbelief until it was fully gone. All that was left was the ruins of the throne, complete with the ravaged floor from Pola's attack.
"Can't say I didn't give you a chance," Kayla quietly.
"Uh, that was mostly me, right? Did I just slay an archfiend?" Pola asked in disbelief.
"Pretty big contributor," Kayla smirked at her.
"You…" Pola replied, and then blushed, scratching her back. "Ahaha, yeah, right! 'Cos I don't fuck around and stuff. How's that for putting my money where my mouth is, huh?"
"You're the best, Pola!" Kari cheered, jumping onto her.
"Rack- Kari you're ruining it!"
"I mean it was everyone's effort and we all did our part and stuff but—"
"Stop," Kayla hushed, making them both freeze. She turned around, and her eyes widened. She was still in her world of battle, and her ears were vibrating. "It's not over."
"But I don't see or…" Ashe replied, and then tensed up all the same.
The vibrations were slow and gradual, but they could be felt. The group stepped away from the throne and had one another's backs, but nothing else seemed to be coming.
"The window!" Kari cried.
A whirlpool surrounded the shrine, violently splashing and swirling against the walls and even the floor. All Kayla could see were currents of blue and white scroll past the large windows, while the floor shook and tilted every which way. It was enough to earn shouts and cries from the group, and they all fell down. Before she could shout an order, an explosion went off below them, and everyone was sent flipping into the air.
Oddly it didn't hurt one bit, but the shock of it took Kayla out of it. She screamed and flailed as all that seemed to be around her was this whirlpool and the waves of water. Gone was the shrine, the throne, the orchard and even the moon, replaced by storming currents no matter where she looked. She was eventually caught by Ashe, who was inflated enough to float in the space.
"Ashe! Thanks!" Kayla shouted on top of the raging waters.
"What's going on?" Ashe asked.
"I dunno!" Kayla cried, crawling on top of Ashe's hair to try and get a hold of herself. "Wait, look!"
Seemingly not far in front of them, but behind the water, three curved lines began to appear. The lines opened up into eyes, enormous eyes, each one bigger than a Tyranitar. All three were pitch black, lacking pupils, but had deep, golden irises. Above the noise of the water, a low, monstrous growl began to sound out, followed by a violent slash through the water that sent a wave of it toward the two girls.
"Argh," Kayla growled as she was drenched, and then gasped. Flying before them was the beast those eyes belonged to, and no doubt a hidden appearance of Mathildaath.
Mathildaath now resembled the shape of a Swoobat a lot more, though monstrous in every single one of their features. Their mouth was wide and lined with fangs, two on the lower jaw larger than the rest. Their horns had grown far longer, while their feet became clawed. Their fur was no longer a robe, but flowed behind them in a split, and was rough and ragged. Their wings had grown dramatically into great bat wings, tipped with claws and nails. Lastly their tails hung loosely below them, ever longer and more scythe shaped.
Kayla's glare intensified. Everything about this new form screamed viciousness. Mathildaath likely wouldn't allow Pola to use another Visionary move either, assuming Earth Power would even work here in this realm of storming water. "Where are the others?"
"I don't know!" Ashe cried.
Kayla cursed under her breath and searched frantically for them. She spotted Pola and Shannon off to her right somewhere far below. Somehow the duo was stood on top of the water, at an angle no less. They looked like they were wading through the water, too.
It's not real? Kayla whispered.
"You truly believe you can defeat me?" Mathildaath spoke. Her voice was low, monstrous, and seemingly telepathic, echoing into Kayla's mind rather than coming from the beast's mouth. "You are nothing more than mortal. This is my realm, my world and reality. I am a creator, a goddess! I cannot be defeated!"
Kayla gasped. Of course it's not real! It's Mathildaath's Dream World gone outta control!
She turned back to the archfiend, who glared at her, letting out a low, aggravated growl. Her magnum opus. In this realm, anything she wants flies, no exceptions.
"Yeah right you big bully!" Kari cried from somehow below. Kayla spotted her directly underneath them, once again stood on top of the water. "Grow as big and mighty as you want, we'll still find a way to stomp you!"
"Kayla, how do we fight this? She's huge!" Ashe cried.
"It's simple, Kayla smiled, seeing Kari and May refuse back down. Pola and Shannon didn't either, and had already spread out to fight their own way. "We do our best!"
Several orbs of rainbow coloured energy formed in front of Mathildaath, from her eyes, her mouth, even her horns. Kayla didn't need to wait to know what they were, and kicked off Ashe's body to shoot away from them. Beams fired from the orbs, which knocked Ashe away and engulfed her in a blast. "Sorry about that, Ashe!"
"Kayla!" Kari cried.
"Don't mind me, keep doing your thing, girls!" Kayla called out as she landed. She landed right on top of the water, just like the others. The moment she did, she kicked off with Quick Attack, speeding off to the back of Mathildaath.
Several more beams came her way, almost as if the orbs were chasing her, so she didn't stop running. Not one attack came close to hitting her, making her snicker. Even cooler was the messed-up gravity in this realm, which seemed to allow her to run up the side of the swirling water. As she zigzagged and slalomed between Mathildaath's Psybeam attacks, she wound up running to the beast's side, and could even see May and Pola upside-down.
"C'mon, I'm barely breaking a sweat! You're telling me you're this slow?" Kayla teased, jumping high. She looked like she might tackle Mathildaath, causing them to rear back a wing with claws bared. Kayla kicked herself in mid-air and wound up slipping between the nails instead, making sure that Mathildaath could see her laughing as she passed. When she landed, the archfiend's attention was on her fully, complete with another round of Psybeam attacks.
Now's their chance! Kayla told herself, concentrating. The beams were getting closer and more accurate, and with all of them aiming solely after her, smoke from the blasts was obscuring her vision. If it weren't for the perception her ears gave her, she might have been hit already.
Three beams to her left in a triangle formation, grazing her with a burning sensation as she veered right, where four more beams hit just to her left and right. She slalomed between them, darting side to side so smoothly it was as if her feet were gliding over the water. She quickly planted her feet and performed a backflip, avoiding another spray of beams that would've hit her if she hadn't stopped. One was still coming at her, so she panicked with Ice Beam, colliding with it. A frosty blast went out and energy singed her form, but she braced it with a growl.
C'mon Kayla, faster! She told herself as she landed and kicked into a run. Wherever she went, Mathildaath's Psybeam attacks followed, each one as destructive and deafening as the last. Kayla grit her teeth and held her breath, putting her all into her speed. Faster Kayla, faster! You've got to move faster!
Her world was changing as she sped up even more, losing sense of the patterns and surroundings. All that became important was herself, Mathildaath, and those beams. Everything else was a windy blur. Unbeknownst to her, Kayla was changing, too. Her shirt began to glow, mostly around the edge of her sleeves by her wrists. Blue light trailed behind her hands like bladed flames, getting longer and longer as she grew faster. Eventually she looked like a small comet tearing across the whirlpool so fast it was difficult to follow, causing Mathildaath to stop attacking.
"NOW!" Kayla chanted, shooting straight towards the archfiend foot first for a mighty kick. She was so fast she felt like she'd jumped a skyscraper, and her mind bathed in the ecstasy of the thrill. It didn't even take a second to impact, hitting Mathildaath square in the centre of her eyes, just above her heart-shaped nose.
A beautiful storm of energy erupted from Kayla's attack, blue energy and sparkles swirling off of her point of impact, almost resembling a blue rose for a second. Kayla herself felt her skeleton rumble from how hard she'd hit, and shivered hard from the discomfort. And yet, she remained locked in place. Mathildaath didn't move an inch.
"What?" Kayla whispered. Her senses came back, and she kicked herself away in fright, expecting more beams to come her way. Instead, Mathildaath vanished in a brief flash of colour. Her giant form disappearing from their sight so suddenly made an optical illusion briefly. Before anyone could comment, Kayla was hit in the back, and everything blanked.
She had no idea what she was hit by, but it hit so hard that everything was knocked out of her. She saw blood, blurs speeding past her, and then the heavy impact of water jolted against her. She was breathless, and somehow had been knocked underwater, not that she could breathe even if she wasn't. It wasn't even pain. It was as if her very conscious had been knocked out of her body quicker than the snap of a finger.
It didn't take much longer for reality to hit. Her eyes remained open, desperate to focus and grasp what had just happened, or what was happening right now. Her body yearned for control, lacking the energy to so much as twitch. Kayla's body was limp and idle, unable to react to the water she painfully inhaled. There was nothing, and then there was intense burning, more intense than anything she had ever felt, and then her view faded, her foggy view of blurry figures in the ever-distant surface.
…
…
"I warned you about this," a familiar voice spoke up.
Kayla didn't know where she was, or what she was anymore. There was nothing here but black. A void of darkness. She had thoughts, but she also didn't. She was here, but also not here. It was the strangest sensation. No feeling, no thoughts, just the conscious that she had those things. As if understanding those conscious factors that weren't there, the voice continued.
"I told you to stop holding back and to abuse everything of who you are, and what do you do? Be a cocky bitch that gets herself this close to ruining everything."
…
"I don't want to die yet. You don't want to die yet either. Neither of us want to die yet, and yet here you are, not taking this seriously."
Light appeared. Light and warmth, gold and more relieving than anything she had ever felt. Complete and total euphoria.
"I hate you so goddamn much. And yet, here we are, our body, mind, and wishes in sync. It'll take more than the deepest pits of Hell to stop me, and the confines of Heaven to restrain me. And that means syncing up with the likes of you."
…
"Don't complain. Let's just get this over with."
…
…
Kayla's return to reality was gradual, as if she was waking up. Yet still, she also felt as though she was in a pleasant dream, one where she was primed to make a comeback from the pain she had just endured. She was still deep underwater, but she was full of energy, more than she knew what to do with, and she didn't need to breathe at all. Golden light emanated from her, while streams of light in lighter shades flowed around her like beautiful streams in a warm wind. There was nothing here until she realised what needed to be done, and glared up. She could still see the blurry silhouettes of the Pokémon fighting somewhere above, and slowly began to rise.
For Kari and the others, the battle had devolved into desperation. Kari was stretched as tall and wide as she could manage, and anxiously grappled Mathildaath to try and lock her in place to no avail. Pola released Tri Attack, but with the size difference between them, her blasts didn't even get a reaction. Ashe, May, and Shannon watched on in fury, hesitant on what to do. That was until Kayla began to emerge, splitting the water where she surfaced. The gold light immediately got Mathildaath's attention, and stalled the battle.
"You?" Mathildaath's voice echoed in annoyance. "Why won't you stay dead?"
"Wait is that? That's… Kayla?" Kari whispered in disbelief.
Kayla didn't say anything. She stayed just above the surface, glaring up at the mighty archfiend, who glared back in livid silence. She was taller and more humanesque, and her fluff was replaced by illusory, flowing clouds. Her hair flowed loosely around her, while shades of golden light warmly surrounded her. She almost looked like a gothic painting in motion, with a built form clothed in ancient threads that could only be described as majestic. Most of all, ignoring the warm hue granted by that fiery aura of hers, her eyes were a deep red and lacked pupils.
"This is my world, my realm!" Mathildaath roared at her, and then erupted with energy as if to charge an attack. "No one will take that away from me!"
The Psybeam attacks came first. Dozens of rainbow-coloured beams rained down toward Kayla, but this time, she didn't move an inch. Instead, she performed a series of lazy slapping motions. Each and every beam didn't so much as ripple the water below her, and instead was reversed straight back into Mathildaath at full force. The archfiend let out a reptilian screech as the beams burnt into her wings, halting the remainder of the attack.
With a growl, Mathildaath's massive form vanished in a flash, leaving behind a sparkle of excess energy that distorted the air. Kayla still barely moved, continuing to look up at where Mathildaath was. Just as suddenly as she had vanished, the archfiend reappeared, and kicked with tremendous force. It sounded like an explosion went off as the water erupted all around the point of impact, clashing against the swirling currents. Moments later, Kayla remained unharmed, and effortlessly held a hand up against Mathildaath's foot, completely ignorant of the absurd size difference between the two.
"Wha-what?" Mathildaath eyes widened.
"Girls," Kayla said quietly and calmly. She had a cool smile on her face. "Brace yourselves. I'm gonna destroy this thing."
A bright flash occurred, and Mathildaath yelled in reptilian fashion again, this time far louder and more agonizing. A blast went off again, and her right foot looked as though it had been torn off. Streaks of golden energy ran across the scales, nails, all around its surface before it exploded into light that disintegrated soon after.
Kayla had flown straight through it, and positioned herself face to face with the archfiend. Mathildaath got to give her a maddened growl, to which Kayla replied with a furious frown of her own. There was nothing but fury in those red eyes, and the way her golden aura spiked and flowed, along with the merciless scowl, it was clear what was about to happen. Kayla looked like she wanted to watch the world burn, and wouldn't do a thing to stop it until not a crisp remained.
That was reflected in her attack. She was faster than any eyes could follow. One second, she floated before Mathildaath as a golden warrior that was a speck in comparison, the next, the archfiend had a gaping hole in the back of her mouth, while a line of golden light showed where Kayla had gone. Another shot slashed through the air, and then the body, and then several blinding flashes went off at once. Mathildaath had been torn to shreds by Kayla flying through her at lightspeed, leaving behind a bright web of gold lasers everywhere she pierced. There wasn't even a moment to scream before a white light began to grow around Mathildaath, like a steady explosion of light. The others shielded themselves as the light engulfed them and the world, seemingly disintegrating everything.
…
Everything seemed to have been taken over by this white light, but there was a floor. There was a floor, and shadows, but nothing else, as if the entire world was now nothing but white. In the centre sat a Swoobat, her cries and wails filling the space as she covered her eyes with her wings. Tears drenched her face, though they only came from her natural eyes, not the third eye between the other two. A few moments later, Kayla appeared before them, still in her golden form.
"You're still crying?" Kayla said. Her voice was impossibly calm. "It's over, now. It's time for you to wake up and come back to reality."
"But I don't want to!" the Swoobat cried, looking up at Kayla. Her eyes were normal, though filled with tears. "I was so close… and my world… everything, everything in my world is gone."
"The world out there's not so bad," Kayla held out a paw. "You haven't seen it in twenty years."
Swoobat took in a breath. "You're cruel."
"Come back to reality. Come back and live life."
"Will you be there for me?" Swoobat whimpered.
Kayla paused. She was still frowning. "The only ones who will be there for you are who you allow and those who want to."
"You wouldn't understand," Swoobat turned away.
"Actually, I do. Just as much as you," Kayla finally smiled, getting her attention. "It's hard. There's lots of hardship, and evil, and bad luck. But when you find the right people and do the things you want to do, you don't need to be a Dreamer… 'cos you're living your dream."
"I'm not you, though. I'm not strong enough…" Swoobat looked down, and tears filled her eyes again. Kayla shut her eyes, and light began to fade. "I don't want to go back. I'm not strong enough…"