Author's Note: Well, this is it. That chapter it's all been leading to. I never made it this far in the old version. You have no idea how long I've been waiting to post this chapter. But now it's finally time. Please let me know what you think!

Chapter 36: The Guardian of the Waters

My breathing was shallow and my heart was pounding. I couldn't move; I was frozen on the spot, barely able to think.

Lugia called me here to kill me. That was the only thought my brain felt like generating, and it repeated it over and over again until I felt like I was going to be sick. The Legendary dragon-bird slowly emerged from the pool in front of me, trails of water streaming down silver feathers, eyes glowing blue with psychic energy. I'd seen it countless times in my nightmares, but here it was, in front of me, for real.

I clenched my fists, swallowing hard. This was just like last time. Not like the Rocket conflicts, not a struggle for survival. There was nothing I could do. Nowhere to run, no way to fight back. Helpless. I might as well have already been dead.

But somewhere deep within the spiraling vortex of fear and panic, there was a tiny voice arguing that this didn't make any sense. Why now? Why after so long? Why had Lugia let me live in the first place? Why was Mew in on this? Too many questions, my head was going to burst.

Lugia raised a brow. [No response? Are you content to allow fear to control you? How pitiful.]

I bristled. Had to do something, anything. I clutched at a Pokéball and held it up, my arm shaking. I'd battle. Yeah, that was it. We'd battle, and we'd… well we wouldn't win, but we'd find some kind of opening that would let us escape. Any way out. We had to. The vaguest notion of how unrealistic this plan was prodded at the back of my mind, but I didn't care.

Lugia's eyes narrowed. [A battle. You want to battle. That's… amusing.]

My fingers gripped the ball so tightly I could feel my pulse through them.

The dragon-bird tilted its head ever so slightly. [But then… perhaps it's a good sign that your first instinct is to fight.]

I paused. Confusion drifted to the front of mind. But it felt more… puzzling than the barrage of panicked, unrelenting questions from before. Had… had Lugia been trying to get a rise out of me?

But then… then the sights and sounds of what happened last year hit me in the face like a truck. I was standing in a grassy field, lit by moonlight and the glow of Viridian City on fire. I saw Lugia, but it was no longer standing in front of me, but rather, looming high above me, mouth curled into a smirk, eyes flashing hatefully as the psychic energy tore through my body. A sudden jolt of nausea overtook me, and I was sure that I'd been hit with the attack for a second time. But no… Lugia hadn't done anything. Yet again, I'd been dragged back to what happened last year. Why did this keep happening. Why. Why. Why—

[Are you quite done with your meltdown? I haven't got all day.]

The words snapped me back into reality. I was here, right now, standing in front of the Legendary in a water-filled cavern. The attack in Viridian was last year. I had to focus on the now.

"What do you want with me?" I croaked.

[For starters, I'd like you to pull yourself together.] It almost sounded annoyed.

A surge of anger shot through me, shoving the terror aside. "Stop toying with me! You called me down here in order to get revenge, right? Are you gonna taunt me some more or just kill me outright since it didn't work last time?"

For some time, the Legendary gave no sign that it had heard me. I stood there, fists clenched, breathing hard, waiting for its response. It was like nothing existed here but us—we might as well have been in total, crushing silence.

[Are you under the impression,] Lugia began slowly and menacingly, [that I tried and yet failed to kill you on that day?]

I froze, lost for words. It had sounded almost offended by what I'd said. For so long I'd wondered how I survived, and the only one I could talk about it with, the only one who even knew what had happened, was Chibi. But he hadn't seen how it ended. I'd replayed it in my mind, over and over, unwilling to accept that the Legendary had just decided to let me live of its own volition. It didn't make any sense. Not after I'd seen the unbridled fury in its eyes.

"I… I didn't think—" I started.

[That much is evident,] Lugia cut me off. [But had you given it a second thought, it would seem obvious—even to you—that had I really wanted to, it would have been all too easy.]

"I know that!" I exclaimed, a wave of heated frustration washing over me. "And after today, what does it matter?!" It was like talking to someone who had a knife to my throat. I was trembling, muscles shaking no matter how hard I told them to stop. No matter how badly I wanted to appear unmoved by my total lack of control over the situation.

With a reserved tone of voice, the dragon-bird replied, [If you must know, I had Mew call you here today because I wished to speak with you in private.]

I took a step backward, muscles relaxing ever so slightly. It just wanted to talk? I couldn't remotely expect it to be a pleasant conversation, but… alright. I could handle that. But still… why had Mew looked so anxious about sending me here? And why couldn't I shake the feeling that I was still in danger?

[Now is not the time to dwell on past events,] Lugia went on, waving a wing dismissively. [My concern is the here and now. Mew tells me that you think you can stay out of this war, even after all that has happened.]

I blinked. That wasn't what I'd been expecting at all. "Why do you care if I'm involved with the war against Team Rocket? Why the hell would it matter to you?"

[As a matter of fact…]—Lugia's words were quiet and meticulous—[it matters a great deal. The actions and attitudes of all the humans who have opposed the so-called Team Rocket are very relevant to the Order's interests. I was told you had read the words inscribed upon the ruins of Midnight Island. Or did they slip your mind?]

I stared, still trying to work through the conversation taking such a bizarre turn. "What, the thing about seven Legendaries making an alliance with humanity? Don't tell me you're one of them?"

Eyes narrowed, Lugia replied, [And what if I am? Is that so hard to believe?]

I paused. My mind pulled up the image of the silver bird soaring high over Viridian City, firing off brilliant orange beams that tore through whole city blocks at once. That wasn't the image of a guardian who'd been tasked with keeping balance in the world. But I didn't exactly feel comfortable saying that.

"No… I guess not."

At my words, Lugia gave a sort of self-satisfied nod. [Good. Now pay attention. The conflict between human and Legendary has been steadily worsening the past few years, and it is likely to reach all-out war by summer's end. There are those on either side who have dedicated themselves to preserving the balance. But that alone is not enough. Two sides working separately toward the same goal are unlikely to succeed. But together… they might have a chance.]

My eyes widened, and I dared to let a glimmer of hope rise within me. "You're talking about the alliance, right? Are the Legendaries going to help form a new resistance against the Rockets?"

[No. I do not trust human organizations.] My face fell immediately. Lugia continued, [The potential for conflicts and schisms and betrayal is too high. It was already disastrous for one of our number who rushed in too soon after several humans betrayed the Rockets two years ago. Some of our order—like Mew—are willing to take that risk. I am not.]

What was it talking about? One of the Legendaries had tried to ally with a human before Mew? And it had backfired?

"So… if you don't want to join us, then how are you supposed to form the alliance anyway?"

Lugia paused, shifting its wings while it considered its words. [The alliance between human and Legendary is intended to be between individuals, not just the two sides overall. It was believed that this would allow a more unified core when that alliance is put to the test.]

I nodded. "You mean like Ajia and Mew, right? I heard her referred to as being 'chosen.' But… I thought that meant, I don't know… that she had some kind of destiny in all of this? And it seemed to fit in with the prophecy, so—"

With a scoff, Lugia said, [I've never put much stock in 'destiny.' Fate is nothing; action is everything. Your friend took action toward protecting the balance, and Mew selected her as a result. It's as simple as that.]

I sighed, running a hand down my face. Alright, it clearly didn't intend to explain anything more than the bare minimum. And I had to stop thinking about the legend like a prophecy, because it obviously wasn't. So… seven individual humans would get chosen because they had protected the Legendaries. And none of them were predestined. And it was based solely on their actions.

But why was Lugia telling me all of this?

Unless…

I stared at the silver Legendary in wide-eyed horror, unwilling to believe it. It couldn't be possible. It couldn't be…

"So… so you're saying…" I swallowed hard and continued, "that I'm chosen? Even after what I did?"

[Perhaps moreso because of what you did, among other things. You have connected yourself with the legends as few others of that rebellion have,] the dragon-bird answered.

"Because of it? Why in the… how—" I struggled, the full effect of what I'd just been told hitting me in the chest like a truck. This didn't make any sense. Lugia was supposed to hate my guts—why else would it have done… that? But now it wanted me to be its chosen and this didn't make any sense.

Lugia closed its eyes in frustration and said, [Let me explain this as simply as I can. You are an interloper. You have no inherent significance in the legends, but your interference in the conflict between human and Legendary has forced you to become a part of them. The seven patrons of the Order are obligated to seek out those interlopers deemed to have the strongest connection to both the conflict, to the other interlopers, and to themselves."

My stomach had melted away to nothingness. "And I'm one of them. I've helped save Legendaries. I'm friends with a bunch of others who are also involved. There really is no way I can escape from that mess, is there?"

[I doubt it. Unless you are willing to allow your allies to risk their lives while you save yourself,] Lugia said, giving me a rather disgusted scowl.

"Of course I don't want to do that! I just… I don't know if I'll be able to. Ever since the rebellion ended, I feel like I kind of… broke something. Like I couldn't fight them anymore, even if I wanted to." I stared at the floor miserably, my face burning. There, I'd said it. I couldn't tell Ajia, but I'd told a freaking Legendary that had tortured me.

Lugia's expression softened. [In the end, it is your choice. I cannot force you. You're connected to the conflict whether you like it or not, but your role in the legend is up to you.]

I glanced up at the dragon-bird incredulously. That was a weirdly… understanding response it had given me. "I don't get it. How do I have a choice?"

[Simple. I cannot be your patron if you refuse. I would then select another.]

"And you really have to pick a human to side with?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Lugia let out what almost sounded like a growl. [I do not wish to go against the instructions given to the Order so long ago. Neither of our sides can prevail without the other. That much is obvious, from what we've seen of the conflict thus far.] It winced slightly, as though the admission was painful. [In particular, Mew seems to believe we will fail if we do not embrace our human allies. And of course, the humans will fail without our strength.]

It was such a weird thing to consider—that Legendaries could actually benefit from having humans on their side. But then… in this sort of fight, there were a lot of advantages to being human, weren't there? We didn't have a humongous target on our back just from being spotted anywhere. We could sneak into Rocket bases, gather information, avoid traps, figure out the Rockets' weaknesses… Not even Mew could get into a Rocket base undetected—not without help.

[So. What will you do?]

I froze. This had all happened so suddenly—I wanted more time just to process all of it. But then… I'd already spent all day agonizing over whether or not I should help fight the Rockets. And even throughout the past nine months… I'd always felt like I was hiding from it all.

"This agreement… it's not something that can ever be taken back, can it?" I asked slowly, my voice shaking. "I'd basically be saying that I'll fight with you until we put things right for good, wouldn't I?"

[The alliance requires patron and chosen to have their spirits physically bound together. So yes, I would say this is kind of a long-term commitment,] Lugia said dryly.

Right… I should have figured as much. Part of me always knew that I'd be drawn back into the fight whether I liked it or not. But then… if it really was inevitable, wouldn't it be better to have a Legendary Pokémon on my side? Wasn't that the best possible way to survive the war and protect everyone else?

I took a deep breath. "Alright. I'll do it."

Lugia's piercing gaze seemed to bore a hole right through me. It motioned for me to step forward, and I did. My legs no longer dragged like lead as I moved them—already it felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from me.

The avian dragon craned its long neck down until it was eye level with me, and for the first time I was struck by just how huge the Legendary was. Its head was small in comparison to its body, yet even that filled my entire field of vision as Lugia stared at me intently.

[This decision cannot be made lightly, and it absolutely must be your choice. Do you swear to fight alongside the Order of Legends to protect the balance of the world?]

The words echoed within me, sending my mind back to that day. The day that Stalker asked for my agreement to join the Rebellion. This was the same as that, wasn't it? I had been uncertain at first, but then knew that it was something I had to do, for myself. This was no different.

I nodded forcefully. No turning back.

Lugia pressed its forehead against mine, and then the world came apart.

A blindingly bright flash of light shattered my field of view as a wave of psychic energy shot through my entire being. I was ripped apart, flipped inside-out, put back together, and then shredded once more, over and over into infinity. What felt like white-hot metal coursed through my veins, dissolving any and all sensations in a spiraling vortex of pain. And then my brain split open, unleashing a torrent of images from the past year. All of my panic, all of my uncertainty, every hesitation I'd ever felt from the moment the fight began suddenly bombarded my mind simultaneously, fighting for dominance.

It was too much. Too much failure and misery and despair at once. Impossible to sort though. And with each memory, the agony only twisted into me more and more like a burning spear. The ambush on Midnight Island, countless rebels brutally murdered. Trapped in the Rocket base with no way out, staring down death in the form of Mewtwo. The horrible mistake of using the Master Ball. Lugia flying high above me, glaring murderously, ready to end me.

No. No, I'd already had to endure all of that. I had already survived all of that! Not again! I wasn't going to run away anymore!

I reached out blindly, but I couldn't feel my body anymore and my limbs didn't exist. Still desperately trying to claw my way out of the whirlwind, still feeling the tendrils of despair licking at the edge of my consciousness, I suddenly realized that I had actually grabbed hold of something. And that's when I felt it. A vision of Lugia's eyes radiating an aura of sheer calm that didn't seem possible. It swept over me, engulfed me, and let my resolution bubble to the surface, unhindered.

I was going to fight alongside the Legendary Pokémon, and we were going to prevent the conflict between human and legend from escalating to all-out war. This was actually happening, and all of my uncertainty was meaningless now. I had made my decision!

And then my senses snapped back into focus in an instant. I was standing in the cave once more—no, kneeling—Lugia's face still directly in front of me, still wearing that expression of pure calm that had dragged me free of the nightmare. I was holding tightly to its eye crests, almost hanging from them at this point. The legend didn't seem to mind.

[It is done,] Lugia said. [You are marked. The two of us, legend and human, are one.]

I let go, allowing myself to slump to the floor, utterly drained. I sat there for several seconds as a light, airy tingling started building in my fingertips. Weird. I was pretty sure my legs weren't going to obey when I tried to stand up, but then… it suddenly felt as though my entire body had become weightless. Was it an actual feeling, or just the contrast from the crushing weight of despair being lifted? I couldn't tell.

"What… what actually happened there?"

Lugia hesitated. [It's been described as our fates being intertwined. Obviously it's something more real than that, but I don't know what the actual process physically entails.] The last bit sounded uncomfortable to admit.

I nodded distantly, not really keen on relaying what I'd just experienced. It stared at me for a few seconds, but then seemed to realize that I wasn't going to share the details, because it drew itself back up to full height and went on, [Right. So… about being chosen. I should tell you what some of the unique effects are. All chosen and patrons have a psychic link that allows them to communicate mind-to-mind, regardless of distance. We'll also be able to feel each other's presence—since I'm already a psychic, I can feel yours through the link, but it might take you a while to do the same.]

"Presence?" I asked. "What do you mean?"

[Condition. Energy. The state of your mind. For example, if you die, I'd be able to sense it from not feeling your presence.]

Great. Just what I needed.

Lugia's expression sharpened as it pondered what to say next, tail swishing back and forth. [Be extremely careful who you tell of this—you cannot know who to trust unless they themselves have sworn a pact as well. Even your fellow rebels could be targeted by the enemy in the hopes of getting to you.]

I paused, shuffling a foot against the rock. "But I can tell Ajia, right?"

[Correct. You already know she is chosen anyway.]

That was a relief. I couldn't imagine going through something like this and not being allowed to tell anyone. It must have been maddening for Ajia to endure that last year—constructing that whole elaborate plot to free Starr and Mewtwo, and not even allowed to explain how it was going to work. Having to trust that I would just go along without question.

"She tried to keep it a secret from me," I said slowly, rubbing one arm with the other. "Did the fact that I knew about her being chosen have anything to do with why you picked me?"

[Yes, that was… a factor. Remember that I said the strongest candidates for chosenhood would be connected to other interlopers.]

There was that hesitation again. And there were still a few more details that didn't quite add up. I squinted at the legendary and asked, "Why did Mew look so… down about sending me here?"

Lugia turned away, as though it had been hoping I wouldn't ask. [Mew was… concerned for you. You had far too much knowledge of the legends and the patrons for someone who I didn't think could be chosen, not to mention you were closely acquainted with Rockets who have captured some of our kin. I was certain I'd have to kill you for these things, as well as for that capture last year, but Mew was the one who suggested that I might reasonably be able to choose you instead.]

I didn't know how to respond to that. Lugia had looked genuinely upset about it too.

[Also… there is the choosing itself,] the dragon-bird continued, pawing at the stone floor. [It has to be of your own choice. So of course, if you knew you might die otherwise, your consent would have been forced, and the pact would not have worked. And with how conflicted you were about joining the fight… the pact might have failed anyway if your resolve wasn't strong enough. It might have torn your soul apart. There were a lot of risks. Again, you have Mew to thank for convincing me to go through with it.]

I shivered. Well that wasn't a pleasant thought. But it was over and done with now. No point dwelling on what could have been. Although… there was still one last thing that had been bothering me all this time, and this was as good a time as any to learn the truth.

"Was Mew the reason that you didn't… that night in Viridian… you didn't…"

[Mew convinced me to spare your life, yes.]

And there it was. The answer to the maddening question that had hung over my shoulder for nine months. In the end, it was as simple as that.

[I am glad they did,] Lugia went on. [It would have been difficult to find another candidate with as strong a connection as yours.]

That was a weird sentiment to hear from it. I mean, yes, it was purely a practical concern. But before that, it had sounded genuinely glad that it hadn't needed to kill me, which was still so surreal after… after what it had done that night in Viridian. My mind had basically split the Lugia from that night and the Lugia standing before me into two different people just to have any semblance of being okay in its presence.

[I will inform Mew,] Lugia announced suddenly. It craned its long neck upward and opened its beak, letting out a shrill cry that echoed throughout the cavern. "*Mew! It is done!*"

Mere seconds later, Mew appeared in a flash of light, glancing around frantically until her eyes landed on me.

[She has agreed?] Mew asked, throwing an anxious look at Lugia.

[The pact is complete… we are linked,] Lugia answered with a reserved tone. But then the slightest trace of a grin crossed its face.

And then in an instant, Mew's eyes lit up and she swooped down right in front of my face, looking absolutely overjoyed.

[That's wonderful!] she cried, grasping my hand with both paws and squeezing it tightly. The psychic cat made eye contact with me, and her expression softened. [I know I shouldn't sound so pleased that you'll be following such a dangerous path. Or that anyone should, but… I'm just so glad it worked.]

"Why?" I found myself asking. Why did a Legendary Pokémon care about the wellbeing of a single human? This was still so weird.

[Why?] Mew repeated blankly. [You are one of my chosen's closest friends. I couldn't bear to hurt her.]

Oh. Right. Yes, that made sense. Why was I reading more into it than that?

[I imagine you must still have many questions,] Mew said with a sympathetic smile.

I laughed slightly. "You can say that again." Although one in particular had decided to surface in my mind, now seeing two of the patrons side-by-side…

"Who are all the patron Legendaries, anyway?" I asked.

Lugia blinked in surprise, then gave Mew an imploring look. She glanced back at it, nodding. The dragon-bird then said, [You already know Mew and myself. There is also Ho-oh, Raikou, Suicune, Zapdos, and Moltres.]

I tilted my head. "So you're all guardians of Tohjo? Is that… important?"

[We're not sure why,] Mew said simply. Lugia narrowed its eyes slightly, but didn't comment. I wasn't really sure how it was possible for them to not know. After all, weren't they all pretty open with each other about this stuff? At least, it had seemed like it.

"So… which of them have already chosen a human?" I asked.

Lugia made a slight huff that I took as a sign of disapproval. [Out of respect to them, I will refrain from answering.]

I frowned. Okay, I hadn't realized that was an invasive question. Except… the moment I gave it even a second thought, the answer became obvious: Ajia had already told me she was the only one.

Mew had clearly pieced that together. [She already knows.]

Lugia glanced away, looking mildly annoyed. [Alright, fine. Mew and I are the only ones, yes.]

In other words, I was the second chosen. What a strange thought. For so long I'd assumed that there were a bunch of other people out there allied with Legendaries, and that Ajia had been doing secret chosen missions with them. But no. It was just us.

And then the glaring red flag jumped out at me. "Wait… Raikou and Moltres. Both of them have been captured. How is that going to affect us?"

[Yes, that is going to be… a problem,] Lugia said, nodding slowly. [That is the reason that I didn't wait to choose you. With the Rockets stepping out of the shadows in such a big way, we decided to accelerate our plans.]

I stared at it, perplexed. What did it mean by that? What plans?

Mew's gaze turned steely. [We want to use this opportunity to free Moltres.]

My mouth fell open. "What? How?"

[We still have yet to work out all the details, but the input from our human allies will be critical,] she explained. [I'll be speaking with Ajia at length after I return you to the ranger station.] Oh right. I had somehow forgotten that she had teleported me here to begin with.

"Where are we, anyway?" I asked, glancing around the cavern.

[Underneath the Whirl Islands, in Johto,] Lugia said, gazing upward with an odd sort of fondness in its eyes. [It's one of many places that I call home.]

Those rumors that we'd all heard as kids… that Lugia had been spotted by the Whirl Islands. They were actually true. There was something weirdly comforting about that. It made interacting with the Legendaries feel less otherworldly, knowing that ordinary people saw them from time to time.

Mew glanced back at Lugia. [I believe that's everything for now?]

The dragon-bird nodded. [Everything else can be handled long-distance.]

Mew turned back to face me, fixing her clear blue eyes on me. [I can take you back now,] she said, holding out her tail.

That… sounded nice. With all the fear and adrenaline having worn off, the cold, wet atmosphere was becoming more noticeably unpleasant. Mew offered her tail to me, and I held onto its tip. Our surroundings melted into shimmering light, then just as suddenly, we were back in the ranger station, like nothing had ever happened. It was wild to think that for the past half hour or so, I'd been clear across Johto, and now I was suddenly back in Kanto, back in the middle of the crisis hanging over Indigo. I never, ever would have expected half of the things that had already happened today. And the day wasn't over yet. Not even close.

The weight of it all was starting to press down on me from all sides. A pressure building in my head suddenly flared up, and I couldn't help rubbing my eyes in an attempt to relieve it.

[We're glad to have you. And that includes Lugia, even if they won't show it,] Mew said earnestly.

I paused, swallowing hard. "It's a lot to take in," I admitted. "What do I do now? Am I supposed to just go back to what I was doing before?"

Mew fidgeted with her tail. [I can't really know how this must feel. Do you want to talk to Ajia?]

I inhaled deeply. "Yeah. That'd be great."

Mew's expression relaxed. [All right. I'll tell her to come here.]

And then Mew vanished, leaving me alone with nothing but my thoughts and the overwhelming feeling that my life was never going to be the same again.