Chapter 186 – Cooling Down

Alex took in a slow, deep breath. He floated in front of Xerneas, and beside Alex was Amia with her hand on his back. Hydreigon… Owen was fine with it. Everyone else, too. As much as he'd been a Magmortar all this time, he couldn't shake the preference for being his old, true self. Even if he loathed the species… if he was going to be revived, he wanted to be in that body. The shame of his lineage was something to bear, not flee from.

"And you're sure about this?" Xerneas asked. "Once I revive you, there will be no going back, short of dying again."

"I'm sure." Alex nodded. "All I'm unsure about is… why me? Why do I deserve a revival?"

"The reasons are… still being sorted out to articulate. But in part, your death was due to Alexander… and you are still going to be a key component in that fight, due to your close relation to him. You must be revived for it to be the most effective."

"I… I see. Okay."

Amia held his back a little more firmly. "I'll be right here," she said, and Alex felt her confidence. It had taken some time, but Amia felt… normal again. Even if her past was a haze, the Amia he knew was still in there. It was just a matter of starting over.

"I'm ready, Xerneas. Will it hurt?"

"It usually doesn't," Xerneas replied. "These revivals are… not as ceremonious as you'd think. You'll feel a newfound heaviness. Even with your corporeal forms as Guardian spirits… it's not the same. Things will feel stronger again. Don't be startled. You'll get used to it. Now, with that out of the way… close your eyes, if you wish."

Alex opted not to. Amia held his shoulder a little tighter.

The wave of light started at his snout and trailed down his neck. A warm, tingling feeling accompanied the wave. By the time it reached his other heads and over his shoulder, the feeling was enough for him to lose his balance in the air. It was like every tiny piece of flesh was being reactivated from a long slumber, turned from spiritual material to real bone and blood.

Once it reached his tail, finishing, Alex shuddered and breathed a sigh of relief. His first breath of life, cold in his lungs, but so refreshing. The sun on his scales felt so new. The grass on his belly when he'd fallen onto the ground, he felt every detail of pressure against his scales. He wanted to curl up there and enjoy the feeling of being alive again.

"Oh, I… I wasn't expecting that," he said, turning. But Amia wasn't there. "What?"

Xerneas nodded like nothing was wrong. "I'm busy. Good luck."

"Ah—wait!" He frantically looked for Amia. She was gone. When he called for Xerneas again, so was he. The sun dimmed. His breaths became shallow. He couldn't hear anything but the wind.

And then he couldn't breathe at all.

Alex gasped for breath and shot out of his nest, slamming his head into the ceiling with a dull thud.

"Agh—ah, ah…"

"Alex! Alex, it's okay," Amia whispered, pulling him down by the tail like a runaway balloon. "What's wrong?"

"I… I…" Alex shook his head. "I'm… sorry. I must have slept oddly… had trouble breathing…"

"You were mumbling in your sleep again," Amia said. "Are you okay?"

Alex looked at his arms, then his wing tendrils. Everything was in order. "I… I think I'm okay," he said. "Sorry."

When Alex looked down, he realized he had no idea where Amia was again. She could have vanished. His head jerked up—but she was right there. She had a concerned look, but it was more clinical than he was used to. He couldn't see how she was feeling anymore.

"Hmmh…" Amia sighed. "I'm going to make you something to eat. Something light. Okay?" She stood up.

"I'll—may I help?" he asked. "I… I just need…"

He had no idea how to articulate himself. In a way, he didn't know what he was feeling, either. Maybe he was… out of his mind.

"What did you dream about?" Amia asked gently. "Was it… about your father?"

"No, nothing like that." Though he didn't like thinking about him, either. "It was of my revival again. It wasn't anything bad, just… suddenly you disappeared. That's all."

"Ohh, honey…" Amia pulled him in for a hug. He yipped slightly, still surprised after all these years by her strength, but melted into her embrace once she rubbed his back. "I'm right here. No Titan to take me away, alright?"

"Right… right, okay…" Hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around her dainty back the same way.

"Every day, that time before I woke up is a little clearer," Amia said. "Okay?"

"Y… yes. Okay."

She let him go. He didn't want that yet, but he didn't want to be needy. Amia smiled and turned around, and a small part of him worried she'd be gone the moment he blinked.

But, of course, she was still there, cooking a light lunch. Alex sank into his nest again and stared at the blue mushrooms on the cave walls. They dimmed and glowed with the Gardevoir's humming. Slowly, he lulled himself into another nap…

Madeline let out an uncharacteristically melancholic sigh as she gazed at the empty crater that had once been Nate's home. The monstrous Eternatus himself was coiled around the opposite edge of the crater, apparently making preparations after a crash landing—he hadn't expected gravity to be so strange as he landed.

"What's wrong, Mom?" Anam asked.

"Oh, just… thinking about this place again. It was a simpler time." The Giratina-Goodra picked at her amber armor. "I used to live under the Tree's roots. I doubt I'll be able to do that again, but it was… a simpler time."

Anam turned his attention to the bucket of crystals next to them. "How are you feeling, um, Mister Necrozma?"

"The light of the sun is… very helpful," the bucket's contents replied.

Madeline squinted toward the sky, using her bag to cover some of the light.

Anam stared directly at the sun.

"…Don't stare directly, Anam," Madeline said.

"But I'm divine."

"One day, you might not be. We can't start bad habits and suddenly be weaker."

"Mm…" Anam looked down again. "…Do you think that's going to happen? Us giving away our powers? Is that… possible without it going to someone bad?"

"I don't know," Madeline admitted. "But… it's something I've thought about. Do you think it's the natural outcome of all this?"

Anam shifted uncomfortably. "I mean…"

"Would you rather have a world where there aren't those with such extraordinary powers, but everyone can band together and battle against forces at their level? Or is it better to have a world where gods may settle matters absolutely? Gods that follow a code, or honor, or virtue…" She chuckled sadly. "We were never meant to be gods for long, Anam. It was all… temporary. No matter how you frame it… being gods past this crisis would be an insult to those of Kilo."

"But what's a world like if they don't have someone protecting it?" Anam asked.

"Most mortals live just like that, Anam," Madeline said. "Before Kilo, that was the norm. And… don't you think what just happened against Emily could be a sign of things to come?"

"Against Emily…?"

Just then, the ground trembled again, enough that Anam lost his balance and fell onto his back. James emerged from the shadows and helped Anam up.

"It's starting," Madeline said.

The great darkness that had returned to the Chasm swirled with a faint, pinkish glow. Xerneas approached the Tree of Life while Yveltal instructed everyone else to fall back. From the vortex of darkness and flecks of light, the earth collapsed inward and filled the Chasm. That dark miasma overflowed but evaporated before it could reach where Anam and the others stood a good hundred feet away.

And then a pillar of light—Nate's Eternabeam—pierced the heavens. Several rings formed from the blast, orbiting the column of energy as shockwaves rocked the ground. This time, Anam fell directly on top of James, who groaned and sank into the shadows.

Tendrils of light flaked off the main beam, hardening into a spiderweb of branches that threatened to scrape the clouds. From each branch, bunches of leaves grew in an explosion of light and color, golden radiance flaking off in dust clouds. The light dwarfed even the nearing sun as an ocean of stars dotted the sky.

The world shuddered. Anam felt lighter. He watched the slime on his body rise as if he was falling, though it was faint.

"Steady, now," Madeline murmured to herself. "The planet is sturdy, but the people on it can't take that kind of force…"

But weight eventually returned to him. It felt normal again.

"What was that?" Anam asked, eyes still adjusting as the light dimmed.

Madeline hummed, shielding her eyes as she looked skyward. "Nate… must have pushed everything back. He's returning the planet to its proper distance from the sun."

"So, it worked?! The planet's safe?" Anam asked.

"That pillar of light," Madeline said, "propels the planet away from the sun. And from there… it will return its orbit to normal. With his vast knowledge of everything to do with the planet itself, Nate should know the precise trajectory required through the Worldcore. Yes. I think the planet is safe."

"Wow…!" Anam's eyes sparkled against the pillar of light.

"Don't stare too long," called a gruff voice from behind.

"Diyem!" Anam tore his eyes away and spread his arms. "You're here!"

"Was a bit further away," Sera added, standing just behind Diyem, "but I caught the best part."

They both held leaf umbrellas over their heads. Sera tentatively stuck her hand out from underneath her shade. Pleased, she dropped the umbrella. "Agh, finally!" she shouted. "I don't burn under holy light anymore!"

"…More like, the holy light has stabilized," Diyem corrected, folding his umbrella. "I'm not leaving home without one of these for a while."

Anam went for a hug but Diyem easily sidestepped him.

"Unfortunately, I think Nate is going to be occupied for a while maintaining that light. We shouldn't wait for him… But it was good to confirm all of this." Diyem folded his wings behind him. "Where is everyone else?"

"Observing from other angles in case something went wrong. We'll all be returning to Kilo Village soon."

"Mm. We want to do that. We made some… discoveries."

"Anam told us." Madeline's expression darkened. "Nevren has been playing us the whole time, has he? Acting unassuming, yet from the shadows…"

"Yes. That has been his strategy to this day. We completely ignored him as a minor nuisance until now, but I have reason to believe he is building for a critical strike when it's too late to defend. We must strike first."

"Another meeting, then?" Anam said glumly.

"Now more than ever," Diyem said. "Approaching Nevren now could jeopardize the mission entirely."

"Is it that perilous?" Madeline asked as they walked and talked on their way to the Waypoint. From the colored specks in the distance, many of the others had the same idea.

"Yes. I'll explain on the way." He offered no further courtesy.

Eon slammed his fist onto the table. His body was a shifting amalgamation of a Charizard and Alakazam, eventually settling back to his normal, Charizard form.

Sera found it wise to track down Eon, Palkia, Jirachi, and anyone they happened to be with for this meeting. Team Alloy also came in, with Diyem, Anam, and his parents closing the door behind them.

"It wasn't a 'lucky charm' at all!" Eon spat. "That… that was a giant, ninety-second retry button!"

"I can't believe he had it all this time," Jirachi whispered.

"Dialga is going to be very upset about this," Palkia hummed, bending low so his head didn't scrape the ceiling. "All that time as Titans… We couldn't remember any of those details."

Gahi's wings vibrated rapidly. "Maybe if I'm fast enough, I'll jus' get 'em right there, eh? Out cold befer he c'n react!"

"I'm sure he has some kind of dead mon's switch," Diyem stated.

"Okay, well, why don't we get Dialga to disable it?"

"He certainly has a detector for that," Palkia said, raising a claw. "You see, when Dialga first sensed it, he was driven to disable it, but Nevren vanished the moment we got too close. Far before Dialga could disable it in any range."

Diyem grunted. "I suppose we should have expected as much." He harrumphed and flicked his tail, thumping it on the ground a few times. "Any ideas, Tactician?"

"…Oh—that's me." The potted plant raised its flower.

"You seriously still a plant?" Gahi asked.

"Yes," Diyem and Owen both replied.

"Sorry," Owen went on. "I'm… still recovering. It's actually better like this than in my normal body right now. Necrozma really did a number on me…"

"And where's Zena?"

"Oh, I'm here," Zena called. "I've been using some healing techniques that I'd been practicing in the human world."

"Mm." Diyem flicked his tail. "Well, do you have an idea?"

"Still thinking…"

"I have one." Diyem looked at the others. "We can use the properties of his resets against him. Our minds do not remember the time that was rewound. He does. Do you suppose there would be a way for us to pursue him so that we intentionally set off his charm ourselves? From our perspective, we would only be doing it once. From his perspective, he would be experiencing the same things over and over… We will drive him insane enough to give up in seconds."

"No, that won't work," Owen said.

"What?"

"Every reset, he'll know exactly what you're about to do and will find another way to escape. It won't work. He'll seemingly evade us every time we try to set up an attack. The same would go for any kind of direct confrontation. Even if he sees no escape… then we'd just never find him. He'd flee before we can engage."

"That's… cheating, though!" Sera said.

"I know. But that's how he's going to fight. It's probably how he's always fought."

"And having Dialga in range will instantly make him flee, so that's out," Diyem said. "Hmmh… annoying."

Mispy's eyes were closed for a while. At first, it seemed like she was asleep, until her thoughts broadcasted to everyone in the room. "Ninety seconds…"

"…Oh!" Owen whispered. "Mispy, that's… that's exactly it!"

"Ninety seconds?"

"Yes! That's the limit! I—hang on, I need my hands for this—Zena, one sec, let's—"

The potted plant shifted as the vines of Owen's body unfurled from within the soil, growing and growing as it shed Willow's residual effects. Soon, the Charizard grew back to his full size and reformed, partially healed.

The whole room instantly erupted into a horrified uproar.

"What? What?" Owen said. "Hang on, let me write this out—"

"Oh, Gods!" Gahi shouted. "Go back ter a plant!"

Demitri fainted against Mispy's side. The Meganium, meanwhile, tilted her head in fascination.

Zena, once Owen left his plant form, had also quickly returned to her watery self and poured from the flower pot, firing Heal Pulses into Owen's body.

"Did that settle?" Anam asked worriedly.

Even Madeline looked perturbed.

"Am I glad I don't have a stomach anymore," Sera said. "Dad—I mean, Owen!"

"Hey, is everything alright?!" Mu suddenly appeared in the room from a warp of light. "I heard a jump of negativity and—" She looked at Owen. Her cheeks puffed out and she covered her mouth. She disappeared into the same rift.

The initial shock transitioned into an awkward silence as Owen remained standing there. His Perceive was very aware of how injured he was, but… he'd been through worse, right?

"Flesh-rending burns on a Fire Pokémon," Diyem muttered, breaking the silence. "We should be honored at this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Owen rolled his eyes. "I'm healing. And the pain isn't so bad."

"Probably because the part of your body that has nerves burned away," Diyem quipped.

"And I need to write something down at full size. Can we just… focus, please?"

Mispy gently set Demitri on the floor and slid to Owen, nodding at Zena. "Help me heal while he works."

Owen offered a thankful smile to both and started to write things out.

"We can't have Dialga in range, but… do we remember how far away Dialga was before that happened? If we can get that, we can station him nearby. The other question is, how is Nevren getting around, disappearing, and reappearing? It can't be a Teleport, right?"

"No," Madeline said. "The Waypoints would pick that up. Anam had people watching for activity in areas he'd be in and they never activated."

"That's good. That means I know exactly what he's doing. He's using the same technology he used to tear open a rift into the Voidlands from Quartz HQ… And he probably keeps going there as a safehaven."

"Not to mention resources," Madeline added.

"Oh, yeah…" Sera nodded. "I remember trying to get you through that place and then Star took over your body for a bit…"

Owen didn't like thinking about that one. "Nevren's… someone who thinks differently, but he's still a Pokémon. He'll go to places he thinks are safe and he'll be more confident in them."

"He has over five hundred years of experience evading us and knowing how we behave," Diyem pointed out. "He knows more about us than we know about us."

"That's… that's true, but we still have to try something."

"And what about the fact that he will just undo each time we get him?"

"We'll make it so he can't." Owen grinned. "…Here's the plan. First, we lure him into Quartz HQ. I'll go in, alone. And then . . ."

The heat of Hot Spot eased Alex's mind after the aches and pains of a strenuous afternoon. The Hydreigon was still getting used to being alive again. In his bedroom, meant for a Magmortar when he wanted to sleep even as a spirit, the nest of leaves had gotten flakey from not being replaced after so long. He'd have to get some better brush from outside soon.

Luminous Orbs that a kind handymon had installed now accompanied glowing mushrooms. It was much brighter in the caves now, though part of him preferred when it was dimmer.

Amia's Guardian glow was weaker recently. Perhaps losing her lead spirit had done it, or perhaps the foggy memories of her past had also weakened her ability to draw from it.

Part of him felt guilty for utilizing any part of Xerneas' power, but apparently, his death at the hands of his father qualified as a divine incident thanks to the powers involved. It was clearly playing favorites, but he wouldn't deny such an offer…

"Here you go, dear," Amia said gently, entering the bedroom and placing a few cool cloths on a few wounds on his back. Each one was flecked with echoes of marks and fairy dust that had sliced through his scales like butter.

"Ah… thank you," he said quietly. The pain was a phantom one even after Amia's Heal Pulses, but… he liked the reminder, in a way. He wondered if that was a problem. "And… how are you feeling?" Alex asked.

Amia sighed and smiled. It didn't fit her the way it used to.

"Every day is a little better," she said quietly. "I remember a lot of what happened. Maybe all of it. But it's all so… Oh, dear, I don't know how to phrase it…"

She adjusted her hair, which she'd kept blue. For a moment, Alex was transfixed on it.

"Did you… feel anything?" Alex asked. "You know, when…" The phantom pains throbbed along his dark tendrils.

Amia tilted her head, smiling faintly. But… it was apologetic. Alex's heart sank.

"I'm sorry, dear," she said. "I'm trying to get back to normal, but when I think back to those memories… It's like I'm, oh, it's like I'm looking at it through a thin window. I can see and hear it all, I was there, I know that's what happened to me. But there's this… barrier of separation. Something… cut in the way when I was restored.

"Maybe… it's because I'd stolen my mother's name. Maybe I just had to give it back."

"I'm sure she would've been fine with this," Alex said. "Haven't you been… 'Amia' for far longer? Wouldn't it feel strange? That's what you told me…"

"It is strange. I guess I do like the name." Amia laughed at that. It echoed through the empty cave, the mushrooms' glow shifting with every giggle. "I guess I was thinking aloud. That's all."

Alex sank lower, dropping his natural levitation to feel the nest's crunchy comforts.

"It was ever since Xerneas revived me," Alex whispered. "I didn't even realize it at first. But when I think back, when I trace things… That's when it felt like we were drifting apart."

"…Ohhh." Amia's expression lit up with the mushrooms. "Oh, dear… Oh, Alex…" She gently placed a hand on his arm, then pulled him in for a hug. "Alex, dear, is that all?"

"What?"

She squeezed him tight. Alex squeaked as the air was pushed out of him. Mercifully, she let go.

"It's because you aren't my spirit anymore, dear," Amia said. "That must be it."

"What?"

"When you were a Guardian spirit, you were linked to me, dear. In a way that… a normal relationship simply can't do. When I feel a certain way, so do you; and, maybe to a lesser extent, the same was true in reverse."

"I… that's true, but—but I always thought…" Alex looked down. "But if… no! That can't be it."

"What?" Amia frowned. "But, Alex—"

"No, that's not it," Alex said again, this time adamant. When he saw the shock on Amia's face, he shrank away and said, "I'm… I'm sorry. I need to… figure out my feelings on this."

She wanted to say something. Even without that link, Alex could tell. But… she didn't.

"Okay," she finally replied, nodding. "You take the time you need, dear…"

It occurred to him that he could… just leave. He wasn't tied to Amia anymore; she didn't need to expend extra power to let him wander the same way Owen could. In fact, it was easier for Owen since he was usually weaker, until he'd become a Guardian. Now, he could just… go.

"I'm—I'm not mad at you," Alex said. "It's just something I need to process. I'll be back tonight."

Amia nodded. "Oh—but be careful out there."

"Right. I know. Nevren, my father… I'll keep near Waypoints."

He drifted awkwardly near the exit to their home. The mushrooms were a lot dimmer, the Luminous Orbs making up the difference. Finally, Alex floated backward and then down the main cavern, now lit by the hole left behind during Dark Matter's attack—only to see Xerneas approaching from Hot Spot's entrance.

"Oh?" Alex stopped. "Oh—Xerneas. You…"

Atop Xerneas' back was Owen. Slithering after them both was Zena.

"I healed his body. His spirit needs more time."

"Hi, Dad," Owen groaned, flopping off Xerneas and onto the rocky ground. Spontaneously sprouting grass had broken his fall. "I'm still broken."

"He was worse during the meeting," Xerneas grunted. "They said his face was still half falling off. But he insisted on cementing some plan of his before passing out mid-explanation. They called for me."

"Really? Not even Mispy could heal him?" Alex fretted.

"He is fine now," Xerneas said firmly. "…But no. Turns out being attacked by two Shadow demons, one an Overseer and another a Legend, does more than physical harm. It took a god's work to undo it." He raised his chin high. "You can thank me, if you wish."

"Um… y-yes, thank you."

"Don't be a Barky," Owen grumbled. "But… thanks for saving my everything. I didn't realize how bad it was, but I guess that explains why I didn't want to leave my plant form on instinct…"

"That preserved you," Xerneas commended. "You would not have survived without that transformation. Hmm… Speaking of transformations." He faced Alex, who shrank back. "Adjusting to living as your proper self? You were a Magmortar for a long time."

"Ah, er, yes. It came back… naturally enough."

"Good. I actually agreed to come here because I wanted to speak with you."

"Ah? Me?"

Xerneas nodded. "I'd prefer if we spoke somewhere private. See me at Yotta Outskirts this evening. Yveltal will also be there."

"Huh?" Owen weakly perked up from the ground, though he was still almost entirely flat on his back.

Zena tried to help him up and asked, "Is it something we should be there for?"

"No. You recover," Xerneas said. "And it's not… immediately relevant to most others right now. This is something for Alex and Alex alone. Once he's finished with the meeting, he's free to tell you what he wants."

Owen gave Xerneas a skeptical look at that.

Xerneas tensed and said, "No Perceive. Respect this."

Owen sighed, knocked his head against the rocks, gently turned his head, and popped out his horns.

"Thank you." Xerneas nodded at Alex again. "I'll see you then."

With that, he left, and Zena helped Owen to his feet. While he arduously stood, Owen asked, "Are you doing alright, Dad? You seem… I mean, even without my Perceive, you look a little down."

"Oh, ah, yes. Sorry, Owen. I've had a lot on my mind. Maybe being alive again is… getting some gloomy adjustments."

"Gloomy adjustments," Owen echoed. "I guess having to eat and sleep again would get annoying if you've spent all that time as a spirit."

"Can't say I've enjoyed feeling hungry," Alex admitted with a murmur. "Or having a sensitive stomach again…"

"Yeah…" Owen popped his horns back in. "Speaking of which… might want to prepare for that tonight."

Alex groaned, rubbing his forehead. "I needed the extra Roseli Berries, but it didn't agree with the fish I had earlier…"

"Roseli Berries, huh?" Owen asked.

"What do those do, again?" Zena asked.

Alex's dark tendrils sizzled with his embarrassment. "…Protection against the fae."

"Oh." Zena blinked. "…Oh."

"I get it." Owen smirked. "You were sparring with Mom, weren't you?"

"Y… yes! Yes! I was. She's strong as always."

"I knew it." Owen patted Alex on the back and started limping past him. "Well, when I'm stronger, I think I'll do some sparring, too. How's that sound, Zena?"

Owen hobbled all the way into Zena's home.

Alex stared at Zena. "…Was that one on purpose?"

"I'm still not sure."

Owen shifted into his Grass form and splashed into Zena's pool.

Part of the plan involved acting natural. Mhynt wasn't privy to many of the details, only that somehow Alexander was no longer the big worry on everyone's minds. That was… insulting, in a way, but Mhynt didn't voice her opinion on the matter. Instead, after recovering a bit from the Shadow Sky that had pelted her aura, and after the sun's heat eased up, Mhynt went for a walk in the evening.

It was still warmer than usual, but bearable. She took deep breaths and relished the clean, sweet air, how she could smell the subtle aroma of flowers growing in ancient mountain soil. Just the other day, she had seen a tree and nearly cried, but had settled instead for resting beneath it.

And she wanted to go under that tree again. The caldera of Kilo Village didn't have too many tall trees, but small ones that provided enough shade for her—especially as a Treecko—were ideal. Not too far a walk. Teleporting took energy. Sometimes legs were all she needed.

Down the road, evening-shift Hearts moved out to cover troubles of the day. While Dungeons were mostly gone, trouble had its way of showing up regardless. They adjusted well to new dangers. Rowdy crowds shuffled into bars down the other road.

The energy was different. Even though the same kinds of unsavory personalities existed in Kilo just as they did in the Voidlands, the sun and the light made things a little better. Her scales were greener, and she soaked up every bit of it.

In the back of her mind, she savored it because she wondered how much longer it would last.

Mhynt opened her eyes after what might have been an hour's powernap. But what she saw froze her to her core.

A Hydreigon hiding just behind a building, and she only happened to see him at that moment. Any sense of peace lost, Mhynt sprang to her feet and channeled her Lunala energy into a Teleport.

She grasped the air beside her, materializing Grass energy into a Leaf Blade, and disappeared. Her focus was on the space she could see just in front of the sneaking Hydreigon.

In an instant, Alexander was right in front of her.

"AIEEEE!"

The Hydreigon screamed at Mhynt's uppercut slash, narrowly dodging it. Mynt followed up with a series of cuts, the Hydreigon doubling back with each one. What? Alexander never fought so evasively, why—

"Oh, gods!" Mhynt dropped her blade, which dissolved into the air.

Alex—the innocent son—pressed against the alleyway wall, his six dark tendrils practically glued to the stone.

"I… I didn't…" Mhynt's post-nap clarity returned to her in sizzling shame. Her scales felt withered as she played it over in her head again, even as Alex regained his composure.

"I—I'm sorry. I'll g-get going," Alex said.

"No, I—I'm sorry. That's… That was horrible of me. I shouldn't have—"

"I understand. I… I really do. I was hiding because someone else had a panic at my sight… Oh, dear, it's such a mess, my father being the prime threat…"

At least they were on the same page. "For some reason," she said, "the others are more concerned about someone else. Alexander is secondary. I can't believe they'd see it that way. He's… a tyrant who overtook an entire realm. What's worse than that?"

"I couldn't know." Alex sighed. "…A-actually, my father was… the reason I came here. Or, well, before I got distracted. I have to see Xerneas about something in the evening about him."

"Evening?" Mhynt glanced at the sky. "It's barely past noon."

"I… needed some time to think about something."

She cocked her head to the side. "About what?"

The apprehension was there. Did Alex not want to talk about it?

"Well, I won't pry," Mhynt said. "I'll—"

"I need to talk about this," Alex said, though it sounded more like he was saying it to himself. "Could I… bother you with that?"

She had been taking a break, but spending all that quiet under the tree apparently made her anxious. A talk with the son of her tyrant was… somehow better.

Maybe it'd be therapeutic.

She gestured to that same tree. "Let's talk."

Alex talked a lot. A lot a lot. They'd started under the tree as Alex spoke of his past and upbringing to Mhynt, and Mhynt listened respectfully and, admittedly, with some interest. She'd never had the opportunity to hear this kind of detail from someone so close to Alexander. The insights to Alexander as a person back then were eye-opening. How he feigned kindness so well, how he seemed to have his own little concerns over such petty things.

It was so different from how Mhynt knew him as the Void King, when he'd attained dominion over his kingdom in the dead forest.

Alexander had been a stern father. He was bent on training Alex to be as strong as possible, certainly so he could add him to his army of offspring within his spirit realm. But Alex seemed to compartmentalize all of that, tried to rationalize that his upbringing wasn't merely to be yet another power source. Mhynt couldn't blame him. It sounded like an awful upheaval, a scar that never left Alex for centuries.

But then Alex started talking about his mate and things became very awkward for Mhynt. She sat politely by the tree, wondering if he'd be offended if she Teleported away—of course he would—but remained glued to the trunk.

"…So you're nervous about your relationship with her," Mhynt said, "because all this time, you've been linked to her Fire Core?"

"Y… yes, that's the basics," Alex said. "I… I don't know how to sort myself. How much is me, and how much was Amia's influence? That… that must have been what my dream was telling me. That the moment I revived, my connection was severed. Now that I think about it, that's also when Owen started getting more rebellious…"

"Well, it had to happen eventually," Mhynt murmured. "He has a habit of rebelling after ages of being docile."

"He… certainly has that flair," Alex said fondly, sighing. "…I just don't know how much of this is me, and how much was Amia… unintentionally manipulating me. It couldn't have been intentional, could it?"

"Mm." Mhynt closed her eyes. "…Well. Do you want someone to listen to you, or do you also want answers and opinions?"

"What?"

Mhynt opened her eyes, no longer bored. He was going to listen? "Sometimes, people just want to vent but they don't really seek solutions. They just want to feel better temporarily because they think the situation is otherwise hopeless. Talking about it is… cathartic. In the Voidlands, there are a lot of hopeless situations, you see. Most problems you want to vent about are a lot harder to fix, if not impossible. Here, though…"

"I see. I, well, maybe you'd understand… Did you, er, have any ideas?"

"I think you're lucky," Mhynt said flatly.

Alex flinched.

"For a very long time, I was the puppet of your father. Shadowy strings tied to my soul, and should I pull to far away, Alexander threatened to claim me outright. I was useful to him if I held my own will. I'd be just another Void Shadow without it. I… For a long time, I chose to follow his commands just so I could retain my 'self' against him. So he couldn't take that away. But as the years went on…"

"…You started to wonder," Alex said, "if you were 'you' anymore. Even if you had your mind… your actions were dictated by him."

"Meanwhile, the opposite is true for you. You aren't sure if that 'self' was retained, yet you happily did as you pleased while with her. Hmph… And you don't look much like a Void Shadow to me. In my opinion"—Mhynt crossed her arms and leaned her back against the tree—"You're overthinking this. The disconnect you feel was because you and Amia no longer share a tangible connection. But that you're worried at all… I think it means your bond was genuine. Even when she lost herself, she still cares enough to rekindle her flame with you.

"I don't think you understand," Mhynt said, "how rare it is for someone to recover from Voiding so soon, and so well, like your mate has."

Alex shuddered as if he was cold. "…She's hardly the same," he said. "She looks at her family like old friends. She's… trying, I know she's trying, but…"

"That's natural. And I don't think it will ever truly be the same," Mhynt said. "This usually happens over centuries in the Voidlands, but those who lived in the Void had a long time to wait. They had nowhere else to go. They didn't age or have families, or… even eating seemed optional at times. Much less than you'd expect. Even the dirt would suffice. We were all made of Void down there."

"That sounds awful…"

Mhynt shrugged. "I'm sure to a foreign life far, far away, the idea of us eating fruits and flesh would be just as strange. And I'm better now."

Alex hovered rhythmically, though his gaze was pensive.

"…What?" She didn't like that stare. It reminded her of him when he was suspicious of something.

"It… bothers you more," he said.

Mhynt's grip squeezed the air. She used to have that hollow Honedge to keep her hands busy.

"You don't have to be tough for me. I… I never spent much time in there. But it must have been awful."

She kept her guard up as a small gust blew stray grass blades through the air. Alex winced and wiped some from his main eyes.

"It was," Mhynt finally admitted. "…Regardless. Don't wait for the old Amia to come back. But don't let your broken bond mean the end of it all, either. Just… try again. Start anew. She's still the same soul. Echoes of her past can inform her future. You don't have to drift away automatically if you don't want to."

"Y-you're… very well-spoken," Alex admitted. "Do you think about this a lot?"

"I've read—" Mhynt stopped herself. "I've been alive for a while. You pick up a lot of phrases."

Alex nodded like it made perfect sense. Mhynt checked the sky. It was starting to turn orange. "You're supposed to see Xerneas?"

"Oh, goodness…! The time! Oh, dear, I am supposed to—"

Mhynt sighed. "I'm morbidly curious what this is about. May I follow you?"

"Oh, of—of course." In fact, Alex seemed relieved at the offer. He was probably a bundle of nerves without someone to guide him. She had no idea how someone like him could possibly have been the spawn of…

Then again, he also inherited Remi's traits…

"Come," Mhynt said, hopping to her feet. "Yotta Outskirts, right?"

The sun painted the sky a brilliant orange dashed with purple streaks of clouds. Billowing winds sent excess snowfall into the air. The winter was coming back already in a cold snap. Alex hoped the winter crops would survive it. At least spring was near… But the cold was awful. He missed Hot Spot already.

Mhynt sat on the top of his head, impossibly light in weight. Occasionally, he felt like something was crawling on his back, but Mhynt cryptically assured him that it was 'just her shadow.'

The avatars of life and death lived at the far edge of the Outskirts' fields, several lots past the homes. They'd just passed Leo helping with chores around his parents' home, his parents apparently having a one-sided debate on who could take on the sun faster. Further out, Xerneas rested amid a bed of flowers that defied the winter, while Yveltal roosted in a makeshift nest of fallen trees like a harbinger of misfortune on her throne of death. Didn't help that she was literally made of cold ice…

At least her personality was much warmer than Step's. Oh, he shouldn't think that too loudly. He had no idea how well the Legends could read him…

"Good. You're here," Xerneas muttered, standing up to his full, imposing height. Alex shrank away, wishing he'd brought some Roseli Berries again.

"Don't worry," Yveltal soothed. "It's just a talk."

"S-sorry. Reflex. It's cold and… I've been nervous."

Mhynt hopped off of Alex's head. "I hope you don't mind if I'm here, but Alex needed some moral support."

"Mm. As long as he's fine with it," Xerneas conceded. He turned his attention to Alex directly. "…We need your help. And you are one of the few who can be the key to one of our contingencies against Alexander."

"Y-yes! Yes. I want to help," Alex said immediately.

It didn't matter what he had to do. If he, a weakling, could take his father on and turn the tides of this horrible war… finally put an end to that legacy he thought had already been buried…

"What can I do?" Alex asked. "What do you need?"

Xerneas and Yveltal exchanged a look. The gods of the cycle of nature were… hesitating. Mhynt shifted her weight, too. "Mm. A grave request, then," she theorized. "Say it. Don't leave him waiting."

"Right. Sorry." Xerneas grunted. "This is… not something I have ever asked before. It was a resolution made between the two of us and the Worldcore, Nate. We have a means to create something that can potentially kill Alexander with just basic exposure to its glow. But, even if that fails, it would severely weaken him to the point where even the army of souls he'd absorbed wouldn't be enough to fight against us. Even as the god of the Voidlands, this will defeat him.

"And what about me do you need?" Alex asked. Such a perfect weapon, just for Alexander? It sounded too good to be true. If they needed Alex, then it likely had to do with blood kinship, or something along those lines. But the fact that they were hesitating to say it…

"Speak," Mhynt demanded.

Even with her tiny body, her presence made the two shift their weight again.

And finally, Yveltal was the one to break the silence. "The final ingredient," she said, "is something you are the best candidate for, Alex. We need… a soul. Your soul, Alex… as his strongest and most recent kin."