Chapters 16 & 17
Well, since Razor is gonna post tomorrow, I guess I should post today (only 22 minutes left in today, so here we go...Chapters 16 & 17)
Yeah, Crystallugia, I think that we all wish that Serra could have blasted Dorian, but I also wanted her to know he was really Dorian, before she did so. It would have left Serra naive and would have caused her much more stress in the future, if she had blown him away. Of course, him touching her the way that he did, without her knowing the truth constituted a woop ***, but I'm sure that Spect and Razor have many more surprises in store for Serra and Dorian. Wouldn't it be something, if Dorian ended with a fatal blow by Serra's Gungnir (Chapter 21) and had the same impact on him as the ending of Kill Bill Vol 2?
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Chapter 16: Saving Raven
By: Spectreon & Razor
Gatene said:
Travelling along the road to find the lost psychic, another Andros attack waged itself upon our wary team. Followed by a hidden danger, the team learns not to trust their eyes on this adventure.
Tora walked in front, behind her Foluke. With a sigh, she noticed the annoyance of Terra behind her. She could do nothing to stop the shining Foluke’s ability; they would have to take their chances at being caught. Suddenly, information poured into her head. She smiled at Midiya gratefully, and recalled the Pokémon. The light was abruptly terminated, causing Shadow to yelp in surprise.
“Hey, what was that for?!” he asked, annoyed.
“We don’t need Midiya anymore, I know the way,” said Tora with a grin, “It’s a long walk though, so it’ll take a while.”
“How would you know the way?” asked Hydro, “Have you been down here before?”
“No, Midiya told me where to go. Raven’s on the lowest level, and somehow her presence seems to be muted, but we can find her.”
Terra let Dark Flame out of her Pokéball, and they continued down the dark passageway. The appearance of the small Vulpix led Tora to thinking of their previous conversation about Snowfire Ninetales, and she wondered if there were any other variations within species. She had heard of such occurrences, and knew that such creatures were rare beyond any imagining.
“Do you think there are any other Pokémon that have variations like Ninetales?” she asked curiously, wondering what the others would think.
“I don’t have a clue,” said Shadow, “But I think I may have heard of such things a long time ago. When I was small, I saw a wingless Altaria. I wonder if that was a variation?”
“It may have just been a mutation,” replied Hydro, “But I once read about rare Ekans, who lived in the high mountains and had skin darker than anything known.”
<When I was in Orre, I heard tales about Cave Arcanine. They were described as demons that killed the unwary.> signed Terra with a thoughtful look.
“I’ve head about Zubat that never see the light of day. They’re white, and have huge ears so that they can see in the darkest pits of their caves...” mused Tora.
The group rounded a corner, and found their way blocked by a large steel door. Tora stopped, wondering what they could do. There was a small console on the wall beside them, obviously meant for a password that would grant entry. Terra stepped up with her guns at the ready, but Hydro stopped her.
“Wait, there may be an alarm...” he said quietly, looking around them suspiciously.
A sound came from behind the door, and the group scuttled around the corner to hide. They watched as two Rocket grunts emerged, talking and laughing with each other as if they were at some convention.
They looked supremely surprised as they were faced with Terra’s guns and Shadow’s katana. They never suspected Hydro behind them. There was no trouble, as the boy had cleanly knocked the two out with swift blows to their skulls before they could react.
“Let’s get through the door before it closes,” whispered Tora.
The group made their way through the door, which obligingly stayed open. Shadow dragged one of the grunts to the other side with them, for use if they needed to get back through later. As Dark Flame passed the grunt, she yipped and leapt on his head, cracking it against the floor.
Terra looked at the Vulpix sternly, and the Pokémon looked up at her with innocent eyes. With a sigh, the group continued on into the darkness. Tora brought the map up in her mind, pinpointing where they were now. There seemed to be a fork in the road up ahead... and danger. The scale, still in her pocket, warmed slightly. There was some inimical force in the distance.
“There’s some danger near,” she whispered to the group, “be alert...”
“How do you... know...?” asked Shadow. His voice faded, though, as he saw two pinpoints of red in the shadows.
“An Andros Pinsir!” whispered Hydro with shock as the creature came into the blue light of Dark Flame’s wisp.
Steel pincers gleamed in the light, their sharp points creating an intimidating flash. The red eyes sensors scanned the group, and, finding them to be intruders, flashed with malice. Silver teeth gnashed, and the creature made its way towards them, claws reflecting the light that hit them as it walked.
Tora backed up with pocket flaring, knowing that she would be unable to fight the creature in this small space. Terra moved to the fore, but not before Dark Flame. The little Vulpix growled at the hulking bug, ready to take on the malicious Andros with her flame.
<Dark Flame, use a Flamethrower!> ordered Terra with a rapid motion.
The Vulpix nodded, and let loose a stream of black flame that completely engulfed the Pinsir. It screamed in a mechanical voice, body beginning to melt in the intense heat. When the attack finally stopped, the creature was glowing white, and the walls around it were sagging from the heat it generated.
The Pinsir staggered forward blindly, eye sensors long gone. The group retreated from the white-hot bug, already feeling scorched from the waves of high temperature air. Suddenly, they found themselves up against the heavy door. There wouldn’t be much time until the creature ran into them, killing them instantly.
Tora suddenly realized that they didn’t have any water Pokémon between them, and knew that unless some miracle happened, they would die in the hall. Suddenly, Dark Flame leapt forward again. Terra tried to call her back, but the Vulpix ignored the calls.
The Pinsir growled, still moving down the hall with body burning. The fur on Dark Flame’s body began to turn black and curl as the heat waves hit her, but she stood firm. She yipped, opened her mouth, and let loose a bright white beam that hit the Pinsir with a loud, screaming hiss that grew in intensity until everyone in the group except for Terra had to cover their ears to keep out the sound.
The light faded, and the group looked up to see the Vulpix standing before them, looking a little singed, but good as ever. There was no more heat; it was actually cold in the passage, if that was possible. Tora felt no more heat from the scale in her pocket, and took that to mean that the danger had passed.
The group, looking bemused, followed the Vulpix down the passageway. Suddenly, the light from the fire wisp hit something, and the passage turned into a beautiful display of reflected light. A large, clear pillar stood before them, and Terra moved forward to look.
Inside, barely visible, was the blackened body of a dead Pinsir. The deaf girl put her hands on the surface, and pulled back with a surprised yelp. Her hand was wet and cold, and there was the imprint of a palm in the face of the pillar.
“It’s a column of ice!” exclaimed Tora suddenly, realizing the nature of the pillar. Her voice sounded both shocked and awed.
“How?” yelled both Shadow and Hydro with astonishment. Both seemed overwhelmed by the occurrence. As everyone gaped at the sparkling pillar of ice, Dark Flame let out a soft trill.
“I guess the rumors were true,” said Tora, “Snowfire Ninetales do exist...”
Terra smiled and pulled Dark Flame to her, hugging the Vulpix tightly. The Pokémon wriggled and reached up the lick the girls face, eyes bright.
“How are we going to get past it?” asked Hydro.
The group looked, but there was no clear way around the ice. Suddenly, Shadow had an idea.
“Hey, why don’t we have Dark Flame or some other fire type burn a hole through the ice, so we can crawl through?”
<Dark Flame has used enough energy already,> signed Terra.
“I’ll use my Naihail,” offered Tora, “He has a good control of his fame.”
She threw the Pokéball into the air, and the lithe form of Reaper appeared within the red light. The Pokémon listened while Tora told him what to do, and nodded with understanding. The ice column shimmered with light as his flame bore through it, and soon they had a good-sized passage carved out.
“Well, let’s press on, shall we?” said Shadow with a smirk.
“Okay, then,” said Tora obligingly, “You first.”
Shadow froze, looking petrified. Terra and Hydro practically rolled with laughter at his fright, and Tora merely smiled.
“You do want to save Raven, don’t you?” she asked, eyes flashing.
“Of course I do!” scoffed Shadow.
With an indignant look at the other trainers, her bent down and crawled through the ice. The others waited while he made his way to the other side, and the Pokémon looked on curiously. Within a few seconds, Shadow’s voice traveled back to them.
“It looks clear; you guys can come through now!”
The rest of the group crawled through the cold ice tunnel in a line, with Dark Flame taking the lead. Reaper, who had insisted on staying out of his Pokéball, took the rear. It was slow going, but at least they weren’t being burned alive.
They came out in a dark area, and Tora could see two tunnels going off in different directions, just like the map had said. She accessed the mental picture again, looking for the right direction, but was surprised to find that both seemed to go to the same place. It seemed to be a matter of preference, but Tora knew better than to believe that.
“They both go to the same place,” she said aloud, “But I don’t trust it.”
“Neither do I” said Hydro.
Shadow shrugged.
“When in doubt,” he said, “Right is right.”
The boy moved quickly, walking into the right passageway with little regard for danger. The scale in Tora’s pocket flared, and she leapt forward to pull Shadow back by the scruff of his coat. He yelped, but was abruptly cut off as he saw the flash of metallic light. A huge scythe swept past the place where he had been, slicing the air. If he had stayed where he was, he would have been cut in half.
“Let’s proceed with a little more caution next time.” said Tora with a glare, “You’ll be no help to us or Raven dead.”
Shadow just looked at her with wide eyes, and nodded. Hydro helped him up from the ground, while Terra and Tora took the lead in the left passageway. Dark Flame’s wisp lit the path ahead, reflecting dully off the tunnel walls.
Reaper snorted and waited until Shadow and Hydro had begun to walk, then took his place behind them. It was a mostly uneventful walk, with few troubles. Once, Tora almost tripped on a rock, but Terra helped her recover he balance before she could fall and sprain an ankle.
Dark Flame’s light suddenly glinted upon a solid steel wall, and the group cried out in dismay.
“Does that mean we have to go all the way back?” asked Shadow with a snort.
“And take our chances with the traps?” asked Hydro doubtfully.
Tora looked at the solid object with disappointment; she sighed and turned to the others.
“I’m sorry guys, I guess I led you wrong,” she said with tears in her eyes, “There wasn’t supposed to be a wall here...”
Terra reached a hand to the shining, smooth surface as she turned to leave with the others, and yelped as it disappeared. She pulled back, and looked at her hand to make sure it was still there.
“What is it?” asked Hydro with concern.
<There’s nothing there!> signed Terra excitedly, <The wall is illusion!>
“Illusion?” asked Shadow with a growing feeling of hope.
<Go through, see for yourself!>
Shadow walked forward to the wall, and put his hand to it. He pulled back as his fingers passed through with no resistance.
“She’s right!” he said, “Let’s go through!”
Tora again took the lead, glad that she had not led them wrong, and they walked through the illusions together. There was a brief feeling of blindness as they passed, but they soon walked out of the image and into an area that was dimly lit from lights above.
Tora looked up where they had to go, and turned to the others.
“It’s not far from here, let’s go!” she said.
The tunnel took a slight curve as they walked, and doors began appearing in the wall. Hydro was curious as to what may be behind them, but he did not stop. Tora suddenly halted, making Terra and the others run into her. They almost toppled, but luckily Reaper had grabbed a hold of Hydro’s shirt and pulled them back from their precarious balance.
“This is it!” said Tora with conviction. She pointed at a door set into the wall.
Tora opened the door, and the group gasped as they peered in. Even Dark Flame and Reaper looked surprised.
“Raven?”
At the far end of the massive chamber, Raven stood slumped in an upright position within her bonds on the machine’s dais. A metal band encircled her eyes, and her hair hung loosely over her face. But the most incredible part was the glowing electric blue tentacles around Raven. They all originated from her head, and branched out, undulating gently in the air. There were about eight in all. Each tentacle seemed to be comprised of eerie bluish mist with a glowing core-shaft of light.
“What is that?” murmured Tora, shocked.
“I think that’s an embodiment of her psychic powers.” whispered Hydro, not wanting his voice to echo around the massive, skeletal chamber.
Shadow pushed past the group and ran to Raven, his boots echoing harshly upon the reflective metal floor.
He stopped as all the tentacles jerked towards him. Raven must have somehow sensed him.
Shadow maneuvered carefully amongst the tentacles and reached Raven herself.
Gently, he reached up and brushed Raven’s hair aside. With a swift slash of his katana, the band around Raven’s eyes parted. Hydro and the others, coming up behind Shadow, gasped in unison.
Raven’s eyes had turned a pure milky white. With a trembling hand, Shadow stroked Raven’s pale cheekbones.
“Raven?” he whispered, his voice trembling slightly.
How can you see into my eyes like open doors
leading you down into my core
where I've become so numb
without a soul
My spirit sleeping somewhere cold
until you find it there and lead it back home
In an instantaneous motion, Raven’s head snapped up. Her mouth opened in a silent scream.
Shadow leapt back as all eight tentacles flared and roared to life. They whipped through the air with eerie precision, ensnaring Tora, Hydro, Terra, Shadow and the two Pokémon.
They were swiftly raised into the air, and hung there. Raven jerked her head around, still screaming voicelessly.
Wake me up
Wake me up inside
Wake me up inside
call my name and save me from the dark
bid my blood to run
before I come undone
save me from the nothing I've become
Raven suddenly shuddered, and went limp once more. A stark blackness welled up from within her, and slowly flowed across everything around her, seemingly to absorb all light and life into its infinite depths. It spread over the chamber and the tentacles, along with their prisoners. The last thing Shadow saw before the darkness flowed over his eyes was blackness...
Now that I know what I'm without
you can't just leave me
breath into me and make me real
bring me to life
Blackness.....a void. There was no life, no time, and no space. A light flared, its bluish white rays piercing the darkness. And an abrupt shudder. The blackness spins.....
A white crescent opened in the dark void. It fluttered, then opened wider, light streaming through. Shadow gazed out blearily through his eyelids, and shifted slightly.
Bring me to life....
Shadow flexed his toes and fingers carefully, checking them to ensure he was still alive. Carefully, he sat up, and gazed around. His eyes widened with shock as he took in his surroundings.
Shadow sat upon a vast icy plain. As far as the eye could see, black ice stretched to and beyond the horizon. The land was flat, and dead. Even the air didn’t seem quite right. There was no breeze. The air stood, as dead as the plain itself, stifling and stale. The sky was slate grey and cloudless.
Frozen inside without your touch, without your love
darling, only you are the life among the dead
Wincing slightly, Shadow stood up, gazing around. As far as he could see, there was absolutely nothing in this dead land. Suddenly, a whisper sounded behind him. He jumped and whirled around, his katana flashing through the air.
Hydro clapped his hands shut upon the gleaming blade in midair, preventing it from slicing open his skull.
“Take it easy, Shadow.” His voice was easygoing and serene.
Shadow heaved a shuddering sigh and slid the blade back into its plain black scabbard. Tora and Terra trotted up behind Hydro, looking just as perplexed as Shadow felt.
“What is this place, anyway?” wondered Shadow out loud.
“Look! What is that?” exclaimed Tora, her finger snapping up to point behind Shadow. Everyone followed her pointing finger, and gaped at the sight, thunderstruck.
It had not been there before, but it was now. A giant, gleaming object rose majestically before them. It seemed to be made of black ice, the same as the plain they stood upon.
The object was shaped like a spire, with many other spires extending outward in a radius around the main spire’s base.
Shadow walked to it, and gazed up. It was about four times taller than him. As the others joined him, Shadow squinted at the core of the monolith. There was a faint, indistinct shape within it...
“Raven!” Shadow yelled, agony upon his face.
And so it was. Raven was entombed within, naked. She stood with her arms crossed, covering her chest. Her eyes were closed. She wore an expression of peaceful serenity.
all that this time I can't believe I couldn't see
kept in the dark, but you were there in front of me
I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems
got to open my eyes to everything
without a thought, without a voice, without a soul
don't let me die here there must be something more
bring me to life...
Hydro gazed at Shadow, wonder upon his face.
“I think....we’re in Raven’s mind. And she’s trapped.”
His voice echoed through the icy, eerie expanses of the plain.
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Chapter 17: Lost and Found
By: Spectreon
Gatene said:
The Goddess comes out of her shell, and is greeted by Aeris, and somehow is brought back to the reality that she does have friends, but the confusion of her existance is still heavy on her heart. Raven is found, but every attempt to free her was for naught. The Goddess receives some psychic messages from Raven, but will that help?
Serra was hunched over, still sobbing. The red force field continued to thrum around her, keeping Blade and Aeris away. Aeris eventually gave up and sat with her back on the wall, fiddling with her equipment. Each of the three Champions had the standard trainer tools-a PDA-Navi, and their pokeballs. The PDA-Navis acted as Pokedexes, too, and contained a trainer’s ID number, their personal information, and their contacts. Their color schemes were simple, coal black with steel grey accents.
Aeris idly flipped on her Navi, and the holographic display thrummed to life once more
"What are you doing?" asked Blade curiously. Aeris glanced up at the query.
"I'm going to see if I can contact Hydro and Terra." With that, she shifted her attention back to the Navi.
One of the pokeballs on Aeris' belt hummed, and Maverick flashed into existence, yipping indignantly at being kept in the ball.
"Sorry, Mavvy, but we had to be careful. You'd have tripped us up...” murmured Aeris, not taking her eyes away from the screen.
Maverick made a sound remarkably like a raspberry, and wandered over to Blade, flopping into his lap. Blade looked down at the blue reptile with amusement.
"Hey, little guy." he whispered, scratching Maverick's belly. The Totodile squirmed with pleasure, and bounced up as he noticed Serra. Cheeping worriedly, he trotted over to the red sphere, inspecting it curiously.
Both Maverick and Blade jumped as Aeris screamed a vehement curse and threw the PDA-Navi with all her might. Blade reached out to catch the soaring machine, but he missed by half an inch.
As the machine neared the wall, it gradually slowed as a rippling red aura surrounded it. The PDA-Navi revolved slowly and floated back to the dumbfounded Aeris.
The red sphere contracted, then spread out rapidly, fading as it went. The air itself rippled away from Serra as she stood up.
Aeris looked up nervously as Serra stepped towards her, her face emotionless.
"It's not your fault. Raven has taken them into her mind." Her voice was unusually quiet.
"So that's why my PDA-Navi can't track them? How on earth did that that happen?" asked Aeris, a tinge of disbelieving horror in her voice.
Serra simply shrugged.
"We can only wait for them and hope." With that final note, Serra stalked off and with a rapid motion, leapt to the ceiling. She slammed into the plaster, and her armored fingers stretched and sharpened into metal claws. Serra clung to the ceiling, spider like. Upside down, she crawled over to one of the ceiling beams, and dropped down on it. Serra crouched there, silent and brooding, staring off into space.
"Is it just me, or is she treating us like strangers?" asked Blade quietly. Aeris glanced up worriedly at Serra.
"I'll go see if I can talk to her." She stood up, stowing away her PDA-Navi. Aeris walked up to the end of the room, and climbed up on the desk. From there, she stretched up, her fingers brushing the undersurface of the beams. With a rapid motion, she jumped up, grabbed the edges of the wooden beam and flipped herself up agilely.
Crawling over, she sat down next to Serra. The girl simply glanced at her then looked away once more.
"Hey," said Aeris softly. "What's going on? Why are you acting like this?"
Serra's face whipped back to Aeris, and she was astonished to see Serra's eyes bright with tears.
"That man...the Giovanni...he told me I was the goddess of Andros, not Pokémon." Serra whispered, her voice soft.
"Is that even verifiable?" snorted Aeris. "Look, you of all people should know by now that we don't care what you were created to be. It's what you do with your life that matters."
"That's exactly the point." snapped Serra, the air around her instantly dropping to frigid subzero temperatures. Her breath puffed out in cold mist.
"I must do what I was created to do. That's the only reason I'm even here. That's all I'm good for. To do what I was created to do. Then I shall be satisfied. But now...I don't even know who I am anymore. It's very....confusing!"
Serra punctuated the last phrase with a snarl, her eyes flashing. For the briefest moment, her eyes shone with a red tint, and Aeris felt a twinge of foreboding. Her mind flashed back to when Serra had first acquired her armor. She had fought with the same mentality of a machine...cold, ruthless, and without emotion or mercy.
Aeris brushed the memory off, her eyes boring into Serra's with piercing intensity.
Serra finally looked away, her armor gleaming dully in the dim light. Aeris sighed, then perked up as she remembered something. Giggling, she poked Serra's bare side.
"Hey...hey...I wanted to talk to you about Blade. Tell me the truth. What do you think of him?"
Serra blinked, caught off guard by the unexpected query. She shifted uneasily.
"Um....he seems nice enough, I guess.." she mumbled, as the air returned to its usual temperature. Did it seem a little warmer than before?
"I really think you shouldn't treat him so coldly. He means well. Do it for me...please?"
Serra sighed, then glanced back at the young man, who as of now was playing with Maverick.
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt....But I warn you, if he does any funny stuff, I will personally rip out his trachea." she snapped.
Aeris grinned. "That's our Serra, the anti-Y chromosome."
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Hydro walked around the pillar of black ice, inspecting it carefully. He stepped back, and looked up its length dubiously. Terra drew her guns, and made as if to fire at the pillar.
"NO, Terra! You could hit Raven!" yelled Hydro. "Let me try.."
Running forwards, he performed a high-flying kick, thudding against the pillar. But it left no mark. The boy yelped and hopped back on his one good foot as Terra looked at him, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm not sure how we're going to get through that." Hydro winced as he rubbed his aching foot.
"I don't care. Raven needs me! She needs our help!" Shadow yelled the last phrase, his voice cracking slightly.
Hydro blinked slowly, his long lashes hooding his eyes. He looked up at the obelisk once more, and sighed. This only infuriated Shadow more.
Shadow whirled to face the pillar, his eyes flashing. He unsheathed his katana, its blade flashing in the light. With a yell, he charged.
Shadow slammed into the pillar, but it did not weaken. He slammed into it again....and again. Again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Again...
Shadow sank to his knees, sobbing quietly. Tora and the others could do nothing, helpless. All they could do was watch...
With a hoarse yell, Shadow dropped his katana and lunged forwards, slamming both his fists on the ice. He pressed his face against the cold surface, desperately seeking a reaction from Raven's stony face.
She gave none.
Shadow began crying quietly, tears coursing down his cheeks freely.
"Raven.." he whispered hoarsely. "I'm sorry.."
Raven did not move, did not react.
"I've failed you."
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Serra suddenly jerked, and her hand flew to her heart.
"Serra...?" asked Aeris, her brow furrowing with worry.
But Serra could no longer hear her. Her eyes took on a glassy, reflective sheen and slowly turned deep purple. Rich, royal purple.....like those of Raven's.
Ethereal mist collected at her back, forming two faint, wispy lavender wings. As they moved, they seemed to ripple and shimmer dreamily.
Serra spoke quietly, but it was no longer her voice. It was a different voice, but a female's voice still. It sounded like it was a long distance away, and echoed with loneliness and hollowness.
"No, Shadow...you have not failed. I will give you aid....Shadow."
Serra sang then. It was an amazing voice, husky and throaty, and tinged with deep sadness. Aeris was entranced. Blade also turned to watch, as her voice rippled with power, flowing through the room and seeming to make it glow with energy.
There's a hero
If you look inside your heart
You don't have to be afraid of what you are
There's an answer
If you reach into your soul
And the sorrow that you know will melt away.....
Shadow felt power stirring within him, faint and distant. But it was there. His eyes blazed with newfound determination, and he raised his fist, drawing it back.
And then a hero comes along
With the strength to carry on
And you cast your fears aside
And you know you can survive
So when you feel like hope is gone
Look inside you and be strong
And you'll finally see the truth
That a hero lies in you...
Aeris yelped as the room began to glow even brighter, everything becoming white. She hastily jumped off the beam, going to stand beside Blade. Maverick chirped with delight and sniffed at the blazing white floor. Serra continued to sing, her voice going strong.
It's a long road
When you face the world alone
No one reaches out a hand for you to hold
You can find love
If you search within yourself
And the emptiness you felt will disappear...
Within the black ice, Raven stayed motionless. But her face seemed to change somehow......it now seemed to have a pleading look to it. The ice rumbled slightly, while the sky rippled and grew convoluted. A shrieking wind whipped up, scouring the dead black surface of the plain.
And then a hero comes along
With the strength to carry on
And you cast your fears aside
And you know you can survive
So when you feel like hope is gone
Look inside you and be strong
And you'll finally see the truth
That a hero lies in you...
The room was now nothing but pure, blazing white light. Aeris and Blade could still see Serra's faint silhouette. Her voice rang clear and strong, thrumming through their bones.
Lord knows
Dreams are hard to follow
But don't let anyone tear them away
Hold on
There will be tomorrow
In time, you'll find the way...
Thunder roared, and silver lightning flashed in the distance. Shadow yelled one word.
"Raven!"
He plunged his fist with explosive force. As his knuckles slammed into the glassy surface, it rippled. Time seemed to slow down to an agonizing, meandering crawl...
The black ice crawled and writhed violently, as if in agony. It suddenly shattered, the surface becoming riddled and convoluted with cracks.
And then it exploded.
The world seemed to become white, blanking out everything else. For a brief moment, Raven stayed suspended in the center of the glassy shards, silhouetted in white light.
Time kicked in at last. There was a massive thunderclap, and the world faded to black, sinking downwards with a grinding whine. The last thing Shadow remembered before fainting was something warm and soft in his arms...
And then a hero comes along
With the strength to carry on
And you cast your fears aside
And you know you can survive
So when you feel like hope is gone
Look inside you and be strong
And you'll finally see the truth
That a hero lies in you...
The light faded away, and Aeris blinked, rubbing her eyes as they adjusted once more to the dim lighting. Serra's voice sustained the final note, then faded away to a dying murmur. Her eyes retained their usual icy blue hue as her wings stretched and faded into nothingness.
"What was that?" whispered Blade, his voice hushed with awe. Serra shuddered, and toppled off the beam with a yelp. Blade jumped forward and caught Serra in his arms. She was unusually light...and she smelled nice; like a blend of jasmine and sea breeze.
Serra squirmed slightly.
"You can let go of me now."
"Oh, right!" Blade said, flustered. He set Serra down as gently as possible and stepped back. Serra stood up, shuddering all over as her armor rippled and settled in small waves.
"What was that?" demanded Aeris, her eyes sparkling with wonder. "That was amazing!"
"I'm not sure...but I think Raven possessed me, and shared her wellspring of power with me. She has the most highly developed and powerful mind I've ever seen...her mind rivals that of the Alakazam themselves." Serra's voice held deep respect in it.
The trio jumped as harsh footsteps sounded outside the door.
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Shadow blinked, and opened his eyes. He started as he noticed he was back in the chamber. Shadow looked up, and saw he sat in front of the trapping machine. Or what was left of it, anyway. It had been reduced to a hunk of riddled, twisted metal. Broken wires hung off it, merely sad remnants now.
Shadow raised his eyebrows, and got to his knees, getting to his feet a little stiffly. He looked around, and saw his other three companions lying around the room. They were still out. Fine. But where was Raven?
"I'm here, Shadow."
Shadow gasped and whirled around. Raven limped out from behind the ruins of the dais, wincing slightly as she massaged her aching forehead.
With a joyous yell, Shadow ran to Raven and grabbed her tight. He ignored her startled yelp as he kissed her gently, but passionately, making sure she was all there. Raven's muffled protests eventually faded away, and the couple stood silently in the hallowed chamber.
After what seemed like an eternity, Raven finally broke off the kiss.
"Enough! Enough! You're happy to see me, I know." Her voice was stern, but her eyes danced with happiness.
"I was so afraid you would...you know.." gabbled Shadow, love making his toungue loose.
Raven grew serious.
"I'll not soon forget what you did for me. I've gained a good amount of respect for you now."
Shadow laughed as he pulled Raven close to him once more.
"Admit it. I'm not that big of an idiot. And you must know by now that I'm your biggest fan."
Raven simply smiled, her luminous purple eyes alight with happiness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Serra spun around, her hair whipping around.
"Hide!" she hissed at Aeris and Blade. The pair instantly ducked behind the Giovanni's desk. Maverick looked around, puzzled until Aeris reached out from behind the desk and snatched him back by the tail.
Serra straightened, and her armor rippled, congealing together to form new clothes-a Team Rocket outfit. The standard...black pants tucked into boots and a black sweater with a large, red R emblazoned on the chest. She looked the part of it, too.
The door flew open once again, and a sweaty Rocket grunt staggered in, panting fitfully. Serra recognized him as the same one who had commented on her body. His bloodshot eyes lit up as he saw Serra.
“Are you trapped, too? They’ve sealed all the exits, and I can’t get out! I thought I was the only one, everyone else’s evacuated...” babbled the man, obliviously in a state of panic.
“Sealed the exits? Evacuated? Why?” Serra spoke in a calm, icy voice, doing her best to imitate a classic female Rocket member.
“The Giovanni ordered the base to be evacuated. He said the Goddess was in here, so we all had to get out, and flush the wench out with Andros.”
Serra’s eyebrows rose slightly. Aeris murmured her thoughts to Blade.
“This isn’t good....damn that Giovanni. He’s a shrewd one.”
Blade nodded quietly, and turned his head to listen once more to the conversation.
“I see....so we are both trapped.” spoke Serra quietly. The grunt nodded, his eyes wide with fear.
“I’m not concerned about my safety or yours. However, it is your existence that worries me.” Serra’s voice took on a definite menacing tone.
The grunt blinked, puzzled. That woman seemed familiar....
“Oh, Jesus! You’re the Goddess! I recognize your hair!” The grunt backed up, his face contorted with fear.
“Damned right I am!” Serra’s clothes glowed and reverted back to the Armor form.
“Back off-I’ve got a gun!” The grunt pulled out his piece, and pointed it at the Goddess. His hand shook so hard, the gun wavered.
“Oh, please. I’m so frightened.” snapped Serra. In one fell motion, her leg shot up. The grunt shrieked in an unusually high-pitched soprano and clutched at his groin, his knees hitting the floor.
The gun skittered across the floor, then glowed with an electric blue aura and hovered up. It suddenly contorted, and the gun barrel twisted itself into a knot. Serra dropped the disfigured piece of metal with disdain, and turned to the desk.
“This guy isn’t going anywhere. Let’s go.”
Aeris stood up and quickly recalled Maverick, who disappeared into the Pokéball with a flash of white light. Blade stood up also, and the pair made their way around the desk to join Serra. Serra crept out the door silently, checking to ensure the path was clear.
The trio silently moved along, weaving their way in the endless maze of hallways.
“So how do we on getting out of here?” asked Aeris as they walked.
“I’m not sure.” Serra sighed, and for a brief moment, looked world-weary. Her eyes shone with ancient sadness. It seemed as if she had never known true peace. Which she hadn’t.
They grew silent once again.
Suddenly, loud footsteps echoed from a hallway to their right. Serra immediately flattened herself against the wall, and motioned for Blade and Aeris to do the same.
“What do you think it is? Andros?” Serra’s voice suddenly sounded tremulous. “I still don’t have the energy to fight one.”
“Don’t worry, Serra. Here’s what we do. We’ll ambush them...take them by surprise.” Blade grinned, and Serra began feeling a little better.
The footsteps continued to grow louder, until it was clear that whoever it was, would come around the corner any second. And they did.
“EYAAAAAHHHHH!”
“TAKE THAT, ANDROS SCUM!”
Loud screams echoed and a roaring stream of fire whooshed past Aeris’ ear.
“STOP! STOP! It’s not Andros!” she yelled.
“Bloody hell, Serra! You can let go of my neck now!” snapped Hydro from under Serra’s arm lock. She flushed with embarrassment and let go, mumbling apologies as she did. Hydro rubbed his neck and looked over the scene. Dark Flame snapped her mouth shut, putting out the fire within. Raven leaned on Shadow, her face ashen as she labored for breath. Terra held her guns to Blade’s head, while Blade’s sword was at her neck. Both lowered their weapons, looking embarrassed. Tora put back Reaper’s Pokéball on her belt. She had been about to release the fire-grass tiger.
“Nice to see you guys survived.” grinned Aeris. Raven grinned back, and the group milled around for a bit, exchanging information and greetings. Soon, the group began organizing, and moved forward once more, with Blade, Terra and Hydro in front. Then came Serra, Tora and Aeris, who also helped Shadow support Raven.
They moved forwards with mixed feelings. Joy to be reunited. But also uncertainty for what lay ahead.