Dark Sanctuary [Part 2 of 3]

[MHugs]

[ Series: ]

Dark Moon
Dark Sanctuary
Dark Finale

Dark Sanctuary


Reverse Moon Trilogy Part 2

[ Table of Contents: ]

1. Overture
2. The First Move
3. Challenge
4. The Forest


[ Rating: ]

PG-13 for action violence, occasional swearing


[ Introduction/Boring Stuff: ]

For all general series information etc., refer to the page for Dark Moon (handy links at the upper right of this post).

For all information about this story specifically, read it. I got nothin' to say here. Well, I guess I'll just copy something over...

It stars Darkrai and features a host of other Legendaries, and centers around a mysterious shift of the moon and a diabolical plot and a race to save the world and whatnot.

It has action, adventure, sprinklings of mystery and suspense, healthy doses of humor. It's probably not everyone's cup of tea, but if you like it enough to stick with it I promise it will be worth the read. There are plenty of energy blasts and over-the-top shounen-style fights--yet tastefully done, I swear!

Beta reader for this story is/was Kyuuketski Fang of a certain naneless fanfic site, a highly awesome person. Special thanks go to her.

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Chapter One:
Overture

The woods surrounding Sendoff Spring glistened—with the moisture of the morning dew, and with a hidden nonsentient anxiety that permeated every tree and every blade of grass. The world was growing strained, stretched taut under the malevolent lidded eye of the new moon, which had gazed coldly down upon it for a considerable time without waxing. This phenomenon, christened the Reverse Moon, was bathing the planet in relentless waves of unnatural energy, dark radiation which was causing nature itself to suffer, though it showed no signs of its distress.

In the forest, the trees still stood tall with their blue-green needles on display, but there was an undercurrent of distress in the ecosystem's natural rhythm and a vaguely threatening feeling of foreboding in the air that was not lost on the three who traveled now through the woods—well, maybe save one of them.

"This is beyond ridiculous," griped Darkrai. "Why did he"—with that word he jabbed a finger in the direction of the one indeed completely oblivious to the tension in the atmosphere—"have to come? Deoxys, I can understand you, but Rotom?"

The trio was bound for Turnback Cave, home to the Legendary Pokémon and master of alternate dimension called Giratina. He possessed powers of 'reverse' energy himself, and it was agreed he could likely help them solve the mystery of the moon's altered state…that is—and they had all (again excluding Rotom) caught this in the offing when Arceus had told them to seek Giratina out—if he wasn't the cause of it himself

Darkrai alone had a particular reason to suspect this, as he still hadn't told anyone about what he had seen through a dimensional rift that had opened briefly on the space deity Palkia's domain of Materia Island: the form of Giratina himself, set in grayscale but with ghastly, solid red eyes. He had kept the nightmarish vision to himself, even once the copy of him known as Reverse Darkrai (who had been killed by a dimensional collapse which it seemed he had lured them into) hinted that he was not the true force behind the Reverse Moon plot.

"Hey!" exclaimed Rotom, hurt by Darkrai's affront. "I saved you all!"

Deoxys laughed at that. "Didn't he save you life after you after you lost to your evil clone, Darkrai?"

"Lord Darkrai!"

"Then call me Lord Deoxys."

"Whatever! All Rotom did was finish Reverse Darkrai off after we did all the work!"

"Still," said Rotom, giving Darkrai an irritating smile which might have earned him bodily harm had Darkrai been looking his way, "you're pretty much only alive ‘cause of me!"

"You might just cease to be alive because of me," growled Darkrai, "if you don't shut up."

They reached Sendoff Spring, a low, recessed basin enshrouded in dense fog and further hidden by the way the curved terrain deterred line of sight from reaching it. The pines towered especially high around the spring, their imposing forms resembling nothing so much as a palisade, giving the distinct impression the forest did not want or welcome visitors there. The fog, coupled with what despite the water's crystalline clarity and cold temperature appeared to be steam rising from its surface, obscured the entrance to Turnback Cave inset in the rock near the water level, and they spent some time searching for it. They might not have found it at all if Rotom hadn't, after trying to use the ability Defog (which he couldn't use and wouldn't have worked anyway), floated through it at random.

As the three entered Turnback Cave, the light from the opening behind them seemed to be choked by the unnaturally dense darkness within, leaving the chamber they now stood in only dimly illuminated. Ahead they saw among the shadows a worn, ancient-looking pillar with faded ruins etched into its surface. Darkrai ignored it, Rotom gaped unhelpfully at it, and Deoxys went to the column and studied its engravings for a moment. "‘Turnback Cave,'" he read, "‘Intersection point of time and space. Enter and find only an endless maze from which none escape and within which many lose their tether to reality.'"

"Um, that sounds, uh, bad," said Rotom.

Darkrai was already heading toward the nearest of a dozen doorways set in the polygonal room's stone walls. "Hey!" called Deoxys. "How do you know that's the right way?" Giving no indication that he had heard, Darkrai continued through the door and out of sight. Deoxys and Rotom followed, one muttering under his breath about who they'd have to blame if they got lost and the other, all worries of losing tether to reality now replaced by thoughts of funny Magikarp, humming pleasantly.

* * *

Arceus had of course considered the possibility that it was Giratina who was responsible for the Reverse Moon; considered it well before the battle with Reverse Darkrai had even taken place…but he had not yet allowed himself to believe it could be true. He and Giratina had been nothing if not friends since the beginning of the universe itself, and he couldn't imagine Giratina secretly working against him. It was with something like relief that recently he had become aware of a reason to suspect the Renegade Pokémon was in fact not the cause of the altered moon, a reason he was now waiting to share with his Lieutenants.

Arceus stood, as always, in the Hall of Origin. The Hall was a large, ornate chamber of faintly luminous white stone, removed from ordinary time and space and accessible only through a temporary gateway to it that took the form of a glowing, ethereal staircase. These stairs would only appear if Arceus summoned them or if Mew, Celebi, or Jirachi played a certain song on their Azure Flutes. Those three were in the Hall with Arceus as well, sleeping quietly in a huddle a short distance away. Arceus waited patiently, as he had since Deoxys, Darkrai, and Rotom had left, until Mew stirred and raised her head. She slowly yawned and levitated slightly as though sitting in midair.

"Good morning, Lord Mew," said Arceus warmly. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did," said Mew, dipping her head briefly in respect. "You didn't sleep at all?"

Arceus smiled. "I don't really require sleep on a regular basis."

"You should still sleep when it's nighttime!"

"Ha ha…night in the Hall? I wasn't aware we had night or day here. Is that new?" he teased.

Mew was about to retort, but broke off and turned as Celebi awoke. He too yawned and began hovering. "‘Morning, Master Arceus, Lord Mew." Seeing Jirachi still slumbering on, he poked her none too gently in the arm. "You too."

Jirachi groaned and rolled over. "Five more minutes…"

"You sleep all the time," laughed Mew. "Get up already."

Jirachi assumed her usual floating manner, but kept her eyes shut. "Sure. I'm up. Really."

"I'd love for you to be able to sleep all day, Lord Jirachi," said Arceus, "but unfortunately we have several less-than-cheery matters to attend to."

"So much for sweet dreams," grumbled Jirachi, opening her eyes.

Arceus began. "Firstly, the natural disasters we've been seeing around the globe are worsening because a number of Legendary Pokémon with dominion over the elements have disappeared. It seems this happened while we were preoccupied with Reverse Darkrai; I was not even aware of the situation until Deoxys happened to check on his usual charges and found them missing."

"They just...vanished?" asked Mew.

"Deoxys cannot locate their energy signatures, and while he has told me his senses are impaired by the Reverse Moon, I believe he would be able to if they were not being cloaked specifically—by the moon or some other force. None are where they usually reside... I reassure you that if any were to die, I would know; none of them have." He paused. "Secondly: three new enemies have appeared."

"What?!" exclaimed Mew. "How can you be sure?"

"They simultaneously spiked their energies a while ago. There was no mistaking the intent; they were sending a message."

Jirachi frowned. "So they're the ones behind the Reverse Moon...for sure?"

"That's just it," said Arceus with a sigh. "They may be, and they may not be. Time will tell..."

"How powerful were they?" Celebi asked.

"It's difficult to say," replied Arceus. "Forgive me, but I am not skilled at differentiating energy levels so far beneath my own... I will ask Deoxys if he came to a determination when he felt the spike."

Mew had an equally reasonable query: "What were they? Pokémon, or...?"

"I wish I knew." Arceus seemed to concentrate briefly, as if recalling the moment when he had detected the three presences. "Their energy felt strange... I can't quite place it. But you should be on the lookout for something different."

"If I had to guess..." put in Celebi. "I'd say you want us to investigate the Legendaries' disappearances, and wait for those three to make the first move."

"Precisely. I don't know their locations anyway."

"Elemental Legendaries missing, natural disasters getting worse, and these three differents running loose?" Jirachi looked significantly at the other three. "I'd say they already made the first move."

* * *

Deep inside the twisting depths of Turnback Cave, Deoxys, Darkrai, and Rotom had finally reached the central chamber. Within that space, dark purple smoke seemed to bend around the cold stone walls like creeping fingers only to vanish in an instant and leave the question of whether it had been just a trick of the light. The air was musty with countless eons of stillness, and the ceiling—if there was one—was obscured by a veil of utter darkness that hovered over them like a physical presence. The chamber was huge. It was intimidating. And at its center was absolutely nothing; it was also empty. There was no sign of the High Lord Giratina, and apart from it unsettling appearance, the room looked to be in perfect order, showing no signs of a struggle. The six giant claw marks in the chamber's midpoint where Giratina had probably stood immobile for centuries were about the most interesting feature of the place.

"There are only faint traces of his energy here..." said Deoxys. "He hasn't been here for a while."

"And he isn't here now," noted Rotom.

"Your amazing energy senses couldn't have told you that before we slogged through this dust trap?" Darkrai growled at Deoxys.

"My senses are the only reason we didn't have to let you lead us the wrong way into an inescapable maze," Deoxys fired back. "This cave is a mess of dimensional warping and it's a wonder I can sense anything five meters away." He sighed, gazing at the claw marks and the ominously empty space around them that made their visibility possible. "This isn't looking good..."

They turned to leave and found the entrances had silently been sealed with large slabs of stone. Rotom yelped and began zooming around the chamber for any Rotom-sized hole which he might slip through to escape, all the while shrieking that they were trapped and doomed to die. "It's a defense mechanism," said Deoxys, volume increased to be audible over Rotom's shrill voice. "They probably only open when Giratina allows them to, but since he isn't here..."

"That," said Darkrai, drawing back a fist, "is a terrible excuse for a defense mechanism."

Cloaked in shadow and hidden from all means of detection by the cave's errant dimensional bending, someone watched them go. A pair of solidly red eyes glowed briefly in the darkness, then vanished.

[MHugs]

Chapter Two:
The First Move

Night fell greedily as Mew and the others soared together over the glistening sea to Hoenn's east, their destination a small archipelago far out in the waters, past even the island where the humans' Ever Grande City lay, a formation known as the Stellar Isles. The islands had been over the years a refuge for many Legendary Pokémon who found themselves out of their elements; there were many landmasses, some large and some small, and each of them seemed to imitate a different biome. Though none reached extremes like icefields or deserts, there was at least one island there that could meet the needs of any Pokémon, elemental or otherwise, who would reach them. It was over these miniature habitats that the Lieutenants flew, passing over several of the smallest, outlying spits of land and to the few central isles, which were bigger and played host mostly to temperate forests with a hint of some slightly more lush vegetation.

They could not miss the great white form lying among the tree of one island: an enormous, winged Pokémon with along neck, sleek body, and sharp angles drawing together to form his crested head. This was Lugia, lord over currents and storms; at the moment he appeared to be in a sleep, his broad blue-shaded chest and underbelly rising and falling slowly as Jirachi, Mew, and Celebi touched down beside him. The stars seemed to glint knowingly as Mew approached the Diving Pokémon, as if they were sending some signal piercing through the darkness which had so ravenously swallowed the daylight.

Celebi noticed the stirring first. "Watch out!"

In a blur, Lugia swept his colossal wing at Mew in a backhand motion and struck her with devastating force. Allowing herself to be knocked back, Mew moved to her previous position beside Celebi and Jirachi as Lugia sprang up from the ground with a roar, whipping up a great gust, and they could see that the Pokémon's eyes were blank; solid white in color. Loosing a cry that sounded like a tornado dismantling a protesting metal structure, Lugia began to charge golden energy in his mouth, the action accompanied by a strong humming sound.

"We never catch a break," muttered Jirachi, and Lugia fired the Aeroblast.

A shaft of concentrated light bright as the sun erupted from Lugia's gaping maw, searing away the very air like lightning. Calmly, Mew moved in front of the screaming laser of undiluted elemental force and drew back one tiny arm; as the light reached her, she swung at it and simply batted it away. The beam was redirected with a snap as if refracted by an unseen prism, and it shot harmlessly away into the heavens.

"Is the Reverse Moon causing this?" Celebi glanced upwards.

"It must be," said Mew. "If he wasn't in control of his actions, he wouldn't have come here."

With another piercing shriek, Lugia again readied an Aeroblast, this time holding onto the energy much longer, until it had built up into a great sphere floating before his mouth that all but obscured him from view.

Lit yellow by the glow of the energy, Celebi was as calm as ever. "We need to stop him without doing any real harm."

"Let's just hit him with the next one he sends at us," said Jirachi.

It was an array of golden energy streams that leapt from Lugia as he released the amassed power; the many lances of flight fanned out to sear gashes in the surrounding earth before converging into a far more intense, single laser-like focus of energy which rushed with a howl towards the Lieutenants. As it reached them, the three conjured a combined force field which caught the beam and directed it back the way it came. The energy struck Lugia in the chest and knocked him over backwards, and he was unconscious before he hit the ground.

Jirachi sighed. "So, teleport him back to the Hall?"

Before Mew or Celebi could respond, all three felt an aura of power descend on the area, manifested as increased pressure in the air, and they were instantly alert. A tense moment passed, and then around Lugia there appeared three figures, one after the other, each crouched slightly as if landing from a great leap. Together the straightened and raised their piercing eyes to the Lieutenants.

They resembled humans in every respect, but the energy that radiated from them like heat made it perfectly clear they were not. The first, who stood loosely with his hands in the pockets of the white garment he wore, had bright blue, spiky hair and jack-o'-lantern orange eyes which in the darkness seemed to glow, and a confident smile. The second's hair was short and dark red; he was himself slightly shorter and less lithe than the first figure, though still slender. His own faintly luminous eyes were lit crimson, and he had a wholly serious look. The third, however, wore a derisive sneer on his face. He had hair black as midnight that was slicked back and on the longer side, and mismatched eyes: one a dark gray, not quite black, and the other green.

The second, flame-haired human lookalike spoke first, his voice level and commanding. "Greetings, Lieutenants of Arceus. My name is Magus."

"I'm Grey," said the first with a laugh. "A pleasure to meet such tasty food!"

"Renzan," said the last of the three shortly.

"So we know your names. What are you?" challenged Celebi. "Why are you here?"

Magus spread his arms. "We are what you see. We're here…" He indicated the fallen Lugia. "To take this one with us."

Mew advanced. "We don't let you do that."

"Like you have a choice," scoffed Grey while Renzan laughed, an unpleasant sound. "No need to fight you. You three are already dead."

The three beings closed in on Lugia. Immediately Mew rushed at them, but before she made it halfway, they vanished in a blur, and Lugia with them. The strange pall in the air cast their energies was lifted in that instant as well; they were gone as quickly as they had arrived, like shadows melding with the darkness and disappearing into the nights.

* * *

Back in the Hall of Origin, Arceus's frown deepened as Celebi recounted what had transpired, and when Celebi reached his conclusion—their decision to return to the Hall rather than search for the other Legendaries—he did not respond immediately. He only stood in silence, allowing a terrible quiet to stretch within the chamber's marble-esque walls. At length, he spoke.

"I am…disappointed. I cannot understand why when they appeared you didn't think to secure your defenseless comrade's safety." His sharp eyes swept over them. "You should not have allowed that to happen."

Jirachi hung her head, instinctively drawing her shoulders tight. Celebi expelled a held breath, while Mew appeared almost frozen, her eyes gazing vaguely downwards but focused on nothing. Arceus went on. "If you exchange repartee rather than protecting others, you are not performing your duties." There was a hard edge to his voice.

"Master Arceus…" said Jirachi tentatively, looking up. "I won't try to make excuses. But we will bring Lord Lugia back, and I promise we won't let them take a single Pokémon more."

Arceus regarded her for a moment, and when he next spoke it was with a gentler tone. "I'm sorry, Lord Jirachi, and Lord Mew and Lord Celebi. I am sometimes frustrated by being unable to personally assist and I may…release that frustration in ways that are less constructive. I shouldn't blame you so harshly."

"You can't assist?" repeated Celebi, puzzled. "What do you mean, Master Arceus?"

Arceus sighed. There was great weariness behind the exhalation, and the silence following it was equally weighty. "Perhaps I should tell you. I am—strained. For a time now, I have felt a weight upon me greater than my usual sustenance of reality, and it is not merely the Reverse Moon. Since even before the moon was affected, I've been sensing something grow darker, heavier. I do not know what it is, but part of my consciousness is aware of it. I…have not slept in a long time."

"Master Arceus," said Mew, feeling a sudden swoop of an overwhelming, hollow helplessness. "If I'd known…"

"Don't worry, Lord Mew," said Arceus with a warm smile. "With the three of you around, I assure you my spirits are much improved." And Mew found that with that simple smile, the gnawing feeling left her.

"Do you think what you feel is the true cause of the Reverse Moon?" asked Celebi.

"That could be…among other things," murmured Arceus. Celebi was about to inquire as to what he meant when, at the same instant, they all felt a mental twinge as an enormous flare of energy sprang to life in the planet's atmosphere.

* * *

Darkrai, Deoxys, and Rotom were on their way back to the Hall, staying low to the ground since neither of the others could keep up with Deoxys's Speed form and Rotom couldn't hitch a ride if Darkrai used his shadow ability. The slow pace made the trip arduous, but this irked Darkrai less than, say, Rotom reminding everyone how he was their savior.

"I'm pretty much your guys's savior," remarked Rotom for no less than the tenth time that fifteen minutes. "You guys definitely wouldn't have ever gotten out of that dimension if I hadn't been there, so if you'd lived you woulda been stuck there for forever. And let me tell you, that'd be no fun! All alone forever and ever…"

"Actually being alone forever is sounding pretty appealing right now," quipped Deoxys as he flew even with Darkrai.

"And what if you'd still been there when the whole thing collapsed?" Rotom sounded horrified at the magnitude of the tragedy he'd saved everyone from. "Just sitting there when suddenly BOO—" And, at that very moment, the energy spike hit.

Deoxys was already looking up, as he had sensed the incoming presence a beat before the full force had registered, and Darkrai followed suit. At first it was visible only as a bright spot among the clouds, then as a small dot, and then as something much larger and more terrifying: there was a massive meteor hurtling out of the sky. It bore down straight at them, clipping an unfortunate Pidgey as it fell, wrapped in flames and so enormous even Rotom noticed it.

By all evidence it was an ordinary—if extremely coincidental—blazing chunk of space rock, but Darkrai noted that for some reason Deoxys appeared happy to see it (though it was hard to tell, given that his eyes were his only features). While Rotom ducked for the shelter a clump of bushes apparently provided, Deoxys shifted to Defense form and waited motionlessly as the meteor drew ever closer to impact. A split second before the rock was close enough to block all light—and an instant before Darkrai decided standing coolly next to him had been a bad idea—he shot upwards at it and hit it with his two right tentacles, knocking the meteor back up like an oversized cosmic volleyball. Just as the now significantly dented mass was about to fall again, he hit it with an Attack form blast and shattered the stone.

Amid the splintered fragments of rock was revealed a small, oblong, green gem which spun up from the force of the attack, catching the sun's light. Deoxys caught the crystal in his Normal form's hands as it tumbled earthward.

One could almost see the stone's sparkles reflected in Rotom's eyes as he returned from his hiding spot. "What is that?" Rotom had apparently forgotten all about the giant meteor, and was oblivious to the still dangerously-sized debris raining down (though Deoxys was redirecting them with his Psychic power, Rotom couldn't have known).

"Looks like yours," observed Darkrai.

Deoxys gave a mouthless smile. "Wait and see." He set the softly glowing gem on the ground; then the purple marking on his face began to shine, and a lattice of like-colored waves spread from it to encircle the green gem like a spotlight. The stone pulsed brightly and sent out a strong flash of white light, and when it cleared, there stood a roughly humanoid Pokémon whose angular, orange-red body bore four tentacles for limbs and whose face was featureless but for two eyes. She was identical Deoxys but for the crystal in her chest and the markings on her face and back—hers were a vivid green—and perhaps her coloration was redder than Deoxys's.

Both Deoxys gave cries of delight and embraced, laughing. Rotom, as usual, just looked confused, while Darkrai folded his arms and waited for the explanation he didn't particularly care if he received. The Deoxys pair broke apart, and they turned to face the other two. "Well," said Deoxys happily, "this is Deoxya!"

"Hey," Deoxya said. She spoke in a confident but pleasant voice that suggested she wasn't as serious as Deoxys. Darkrai gave a semi-sincere, small bow. "Pleased to meet you."

Rotom was still struggling to comprehend. "You're…" he said slowly.

Deoxys nodded. "Another Deoxys."

"…Deoxys's girlfriend?" completed Rotom.

Deoxys muttered something inaudible that sounded like 'Whismur,' but Deoxya winked and said cheerily, "Of course!"

As Rotom continued to stare at the two, Jirachi came into view in the direction, soaring over a ridge in their direction. "Now there's a familiar face," said Darkrai. "Shall I explain the situation while you three sit around chatting?"

[MHugs]

Chapter Three:
Challenge

"I was pretty far away, but I'd been keeping an eye out here," said the newcomer. Introductions had been made, and now Deoxya was recounting her reason for coming back. "As soon as I felt the moon's energies change, I knew something was wrong."

"I'm glad you decided to help," said Jirachi. "We should return to the Hall... I'll fill you in on the way."

"Okay." Deoxya smiled; just as with Deoxys, the action was complete sans mouth. "I have a pretty clear picture of what's been happening thanks to my senses, though."

"Doesn't matter. They'll provide you with every last minute detail they can think of," said Darkrai, gesturing in a random way that apparently represented minute details. "Like when Celebi showed up to 'fill me in,' moon this and moon that..."

"Is he always this grouchy?" asked Deoxya, raising an invisible eyebrow.

Deoxys rolled his eyes. "This is him in a good mood."

"Bad," corrected Darkrai.

"And why's that?" Darkrai didn't answer Deoxya's question, prompting another eye roll from Deoxys.

"Hey," noted Rotom, gazing at Deoxys. "You're really good at that."

* * *

On the way back to Spear Pillar, just as they had passed out of the forested area and into a sprawling landscape of rocky crags, Deoxys and Deoxya halted abruptly. "What's up?" queried Jirachi, turning to face them.

"Someone's closing in, fast," replied Deoxys, assuming a ready stance.

"They have some strange energy..." said Deoxya. "I'm guessing it's one of those three you met."

"He's alone?" Jirachi asked, and Deoxya nodded.

One tense second later, Renzan suddenly stood before them. As before, he looked as if he had just landed from a jump, and his feet even cracked the stone beneath him as he appeared. "We were interrupted last time," he said without preamble to Jirachi, leering. "Since I'm the only one now, we should be able to get the festivities started!" His tone was bloodthirsty.

"Forget your festivities; what are you planning?" barked back Jirachi. "And what did you do with Lord Lugia?"

Darkrai laughed. "Yeah, he's definitely going to tell you." He had his arms folded and was hanging back, apparently completely disinterested. "Beat it out of him."

"You weaklings couldn't even touch me," said Renzan scathingly. "You're living on borrowed time as it is..."

"Is that so?" Deoxys stepped forward. "Let's see."

Renzan sprang at him, hand extended like a claw towards Deoxys throat, but Deoxys wrapped a tentacle around his attacker's arm and turned sharply to whip Renzan around and at the nearby cliff face. Renzan flipped in midair and against the rocks like a coiled spring; he extended his legs the next instant and flew again at Deoxys, who sidestepped to avoid the dive. As Renzan touched down, his weight borne first on his hands so he could propel himself upwards and spin to land on his feet, Deoxys was already rising into the air, his form shifting to Attack. Just as Renzan turned, Deoxys fired.

A salvo of large energy pulses rained down all around him, but Renzan's speed was extraordinary. He dashed forward, weaving among the incoming bursts and skirting around their short-lived eruptions from the stone underfoot, and, finally nearing Deoxys, he leapt over the final missile and aimed an aerial kick at the DNA Pokémon. An instant before the blow connected, Deoxya rammed him from the side. Renzan sailed to the ground, somehow again coming smoothly out of the fall with a somersault and springing quickly to his feet, and they faced off for a second time.

"He can't fly," pointed out Deoxys.

"You're half right," Renzan snarled up at them. "If I were you, I'd be more worried about what I can do."

"If I were you," said Deoxya, "then you'd be me. And if you were me, you'd be about to make you regret your big talk." Together, as if on some unspoken signal, Deoxya and Deoxys morphed into their Speed forms and rushed at Renzan, striking at him with lightning-fast jabs their tentacles. He avoided several blows before Deoxya's flurry caught him in the jaw and he was knocked back to collide with the ridge. "That hurt," he growled as he slid down to ground level. "I'll make you pay for this...later."

"Oh no, you don't!" exclaimed Jirachi, her hands sparking yellow. "You aren't going anywhere until you tell us—"

"Shut up," interjected Renzan. "Yes—I'll tell you where Lugia is. That's the whole point."

"'Whole point?'" repeated Jirachi. "You're going to regret these games before long."

"You'll find Lugia in the Northern Ruins, in Orre." He smiled evilly. "I'll be going now."

Deoxys advanced, although Jirachi gave him an almost imperceptible shake of her head. "You don't think we're going to let you leave, do you?"

Renzan cackled at that. "No, I don't. But guess what?" His smile widened by several unnaturally sharp molars. "I'm leaving anyway." And he vanished with all the suddenness of an illusion.

* * *

Grey looked up from his reclined position atop one of the Northern Ruins's many decrepit pillars as Renzan appeared nearby and walked over. Magus stood atop a taller tower. "So?" he said without turning. "Are they going to accept our challenge?"

"Of course they are," said Grey. "Even though they know it's a trap."

"You know the fools will come to try and save him," said Renzan, gesturing at Lugia, who lay unconscious on the ground a short distance away, ensnared in ropes of light.

Magus nodded. "And how are they others doing?"

"Just fine," said Renzan with a thin smile. "Locked up nice and tight." Then, he frowned. "I still don't see why we can't just kill them."

"It's not your place to see or think about anything," said Magus. "Only to do."

Renzan glared burningly at the back of Magus's head, but said nothing. Grey spoke up. "Why kill them, anyway? They're not going anywhere."

"Shut up, Grey," scoffed Renzan. "What is this, morality?"

"It's me not liking your axe-murderer attitude."

"Who do you think you are?" retorted Renzan, a dangerous edge in his voice. "I don't care if you don't like my attitude."

"Enough." Magus spoke with authority. "Both of you—now."

Grey shrugged and lay back, stretching his hands behind his head. Renzan turned away, a sneer on his face. "We're heading out." Magus finally faced them, and in the indistinct after-sunset's light, his irises looked almost jagged for a moment. "Let's make this quick."

* * *

Darkrai, Deoxys, and Deoxya were now making their way to Orre, while Jirachi had teleported with Rotom back to Spear Pillar so he could inform Arceus of the situation; she, Celebi, and Mew had then gone on to search for Ho-oh, another of the missing Legendaries. The party bound for the Northern Ruins was making swift progress, having crossed much of Sinnoh already, but in truth the haste with which they were nearing their destination only increased the intensity of the griping that was taking place.

"This is ridiculous," grumbled Darkrai for the fiftieth time. "How could they have laid out a more obvious trap?"

Deoxys groaned. "Get it through your head—we know they're planning something, but it doesn't matter! We're still going to go there and get Lord Lugia."

"What's the matter?" said Deoxya. "Scared to fight them?

"No!"

"Then there's nothing to worry about."

"Exactly," agreed Deoxys. "We'll get there, they'll spring their trap, and we'll deal with it."

At the instant, the earth ahead of them erupted into a violet flare with a noise like lightning striking metal. They swerved to avoid the blast, and faced skyward to their assailant—Mewtwo, his eyes blank and mindlessly staring. The Genetic Pokémon hovered down and came to rest, an impressive cloud of dust whipping up around his corded purple body and making his arrival quite dramatic. Darkrai, however, ruined the mood somewhat as he could not resist a laugh at the turn of events. "You two keep going," he said, readying himself. "I'll take care of this."

Deoxys nodded. "Be careful." He changed to Speed form, as did Deoxya, and the two shot away together in a split second.

Without missing a beat, Darkrai rose up—summoning his own dust cloud—and launched himself at Mewtwo, wrapping him in a crushing grapple as they collided. Mewtwo sent a psychically-powered charge through his body in an attempt to shock Darkrai off, but Darkrai held on until at last halting their midair tumble by slamming Mewtwo into the ground. He drew back and swiped his arm through the air to send a crescent of Dark energy at Mewtwo, but the attack glanced off the purple energy shield he set around himself. "There's that bubble again," muttered Darkrai, and he dove again at Mewtwo.

The battle grew fiercer as Darkrai hammered relentlessly at Mewtwo, who repeatedly conjured short-lived force fields to block the incoming blows while Darkrai accelerated, pressing at his foe from all sides and striking him again and again. The thoughtless Mewtwo was unable to keep up, and soon a lunge made it past his defenses. Darkrai grabbed him by the head, his large hand fitting easily over Mewtwo's cranium, and flung him to the earth. This time he followed, flying even with Mewtwo as he fell, drawing back his fist and waiting. The moment before they hit the ground, Darkrai punched Mewtwo squarely in the forehead and knocked him down the final meter twice as fast. Unconsciousness was immediate.

Darkrai stepped back, a satisfied smirk on his face. Then, a horrible thought struck him: I have to carry him back to Spear Pillar…

* * *

The Lieutenants were atop a sun-bathed mountain so high that clouds encircled it in a sea of soft white a considerable distance below where they stood. No paths led up its treacherous sides, and its barren peak rarely saw but one inhabitant—the great High Lord Ho-oh. He was a majestic red-and-gold bird with plumage that seemed to shimmer in every color as it caught the light, piercing eyes, and a long and crooked beak with all the sharpness of a spear—but as they saw now, however, those eyes were white where their fierce red irises should have been. A translucent barrier separated the Lieutenants from Ho-oh, who was currently locked in combat with Grey and Renzan while Magus stood back a ways, sustaining the field and watching the other two battle the crazed Legendary. The Lieutenants had not yet attempted to penetrate the barrier, and the three inside were unaware of their presence.

Grey leapt over a stream of fire directed at him by the Rainbow Pokémon as Renzan attacked from the other side. Ho-oh raised a multicolored wing to block the human-like being's kick—as before, all their attacks were physical—and then retailed with a snap of his beak; Renzan caught Ho-oh's jaws and prevented them from closing around his neck, and jumped back to land beside Grey. Together, they ran at Ho-oh, Grey leaping into the air and Renzan ducking to one side as the golden Pokémon breathed another torrent of flames at them.

Grey flipped and came down with a scything kick, striking Ho-oh in the head and knocking him the ground, and Renzan pounced before the High Lord could rise. He held tight to Ho-oh's long neck as the powerful bird thrashed, until, finally, he toppled over and lay still. When they saw he wasn't rising, Grey and Renzan advanced.

"I don't think so," snarled Mew as she rammed her head into the force field. She burst through amid a shower of sparks and caught Magus in the head with a flying lunge. The barrier vanished, and Jirachi and Celebi joined her as Magus regained his balance.

"You aren't taking Lord Ho-oh anywhere," said Mew as they positioned themselves between Ho-oh and their three adversaries.

Grey loped forward. "Fight you for him."

"Wait." Magus looked at the Lieutenants as if sizing them up.

Grey turned back to him. "What's the problem?"

"If you fight them now, they may kill you."

"How would it be any fun if there were no risks?" replied Grey with a wolfish smile.

"We can kill them some other time," said Renzan dismissively. "Why don't we just grab Ho-oh?"

"Not a chance," snapped Jirachi, assuming a ready stance.

"You Legendaries," laughed Grey. "You're always laying down the law, but what if we do take Ho-oh and leave, just like last time?"

Jirachi glared. "Why don't you try it?"

Grey bared his teeth, and then in the blink of an eye he was in front of Jirachi, fist drawn back. Jirachi quickly raised an arm and halted the blow. Grey spun to the side and kicked at her head, but she ducked with time to spare watching Grey's leg sail overhead, and then struck him in the stomach with force enough to knock him back to where Renzan and Magus stood.

"Not bad," said Grey after a slight, winded cough, getting to his feet. "A little on the slow side, but strong."

"If I'm slow, what does that make you?" Jirachi built up an insubstantial sphere of light before her, and launched a hail of energy missiles. Grey pushed off the ground with one hand and cartwheeled out of the projectiles' path. Jirachi flew to intercept him, but Grey landed steadily and parried her strike, then retaliated with a series of jabs that forced Jirachi to retreat. He advanced, and Jirachi prepared for an incoming strike, but before he had reached her, Grey vanished.

Leagues faster than before, Grey appeared on side of Jirachi, then another, and then another, finally backhanding across the face as she whirled to face him. He followed and hit her again in the air with a swift knee.

The moment Jirachi was knocked the ground, Celebi immediately flew forward, a stormy mass of energy already charged in his hands, but Jirachi steadied herself and held up a hand. "I can handle this. He's fast, but his attacks aren't very powerful."

"That's true," said Grey with a smile. "But you don't know just how fast I am…"

"Speaking of which," growled Renzan, "why are we wasting our time here? Get Ho-oh, and we'll—"

"No," interrupted Magus. "We should return to the ruins now. We've been delayed too much already; we won't make it back in time if we take Ho-oh."

"Hah." Renzan sounded disgusted. "So we should have just taken him when they showed up, like I said."

He was gone the next second, and Magus the next. "We'll settle this some other time," said Grey, his tone nonchalant, and he too followed Renzan to the oblivion into which they seemed to disappear.

[MHugs]

Chapter Four:
The Forest

It wasn't long before the Northern Ruins of Orre saw Deoxya and Deoxys snap into visibility among its fallen stones, both returning to Normal form and looking warily around. A chill wind blew through the silent ruins and brought with it a low moan, as if the spirits of the castle's ancient inhabitants were calling out from beyond their graves. The decrepit remains were, however, apparently deserted—as far as the living were concerned, at any rate; there was no sign of Lugia or of his captors.

"We'll deal with the trap, huh?" said Deoxys. "I'm actually starting to wonder…"

"We can handle it," Deoxya reassured him.

"We are a regular unstoppable duo, aren't we?"

"There's no need to worry. Things will be back to normal before we know it."

"On that note…"

"Yeah we should probably do what we came here for…"

"See Lord Lugia anywhere? I can't seem to sense him."

"He's not here." They whirled around and beheld Grey, Magus, and Renzan each standing on one of three tall pillars. It was Magus who had spoken.

Neither Pokémon was surprised to see them. "Then where is he? Come on?" challenged Deoxys. "I'll get the information by force. You're fast, but I'm faster."

"Well now," said Grey. "I'd love to put that to the test, but some of us"—he threw Magus a dirty look—"have other plans for you."

"You told us Lord Lugia was here," said Deoxya, glaring at them. "Why lit? You needed us all the way out here just to attack us?"

"He was here," laughed Renzan, "when we told you that!"

"Wait…" Deoxys had his eyes closed. "I can feel it. It's faint, but he's definitely still here, and alive."

Deoxya had already shifted to Attack form. "Well, at least we didn't waste the trip. Now I think it's time we finished these jokers off."

"So you can sense energy signatures," said Magus. "No doubt that ability will be missed by your friends when you're gone."

"Sorry, not really planning on going anywhere." Deoxya stood ready alongside Deoxys.

"Once again, you don't have a choice!" Renzan raised his right arm as Grey and Magus did the same, and the motion was accompanied by a deep rumble within the earth. Both Pokémon felt an unseen force cinch tight around their bodies, immobilizing them completely, as glowing purple trails began to carve themselves into the ground underfoot. The lines curved, split, and intersected, all the while putting a sharp sound like blades on ice into the air, and they formed a large circle inset with intricate bands and spidery patterns.

Renzan grinned as ghostly rivulets of light began to flicker within the lines of the circle. "Good-bye, insects!"

A vast violet flame sprang up seemingly from the very depths of the earth, filling the circle and swallowing Deoxys and Deoxya whole amid the deafening noise of roaring fire. It spiraled skyward, spitting embers at the sky; then it fell and vanished, taking with it not only the luminous circle but everything in the entire space it had occupied.

* * *

They flew through a vortex of color, sound, and twisted shapes. The purple flames were replaced by an unfathomable tunnel through which they seemed to be plummeting headfirst on their journey to — Where are we going? wondered Deoxys, his thoughts broadcast to Deoxya.

We aren't dead, I know that much.

They sailed through one last swirl of nothing and abruptly halted. Then, the now-black surroundings split apart like a parted sheet of water, gradually fading and revealing a forested area. They turned slowly where they stood, each surveying the new landscape. Overhead, serene white clouds drifted lazily through the sun-soaked sky, a gentle breeze rustled the plentiful leaves, and the flow of a nearby brook was faintly audible—there wasn't so much as a remote threat in sight. There was even a Noctowl hooting peacefully…right above them?

Deoxys craned his neck to gaze up at the Owl Pokémon, an average-sized bird covered in a slightly scruffy brown coat dotted with black markings, who was perched on a high branch. "Hello?" he called. "Can you tell us where we are?"

The Noctowl cocked his crested head at a near-impossible angle, and his deep red eyes affixed on them. "Johto," he replied. "This is the Ilex Forest."

"Johto?" Deoxya turned to Deoxys, puzzled. "So…they just sent us over the ocean?" Deoxys gave an equally perplexed shrug.

"Who are you?" queried the Noctowl. "Where did you come from?'

"I'm Deoxya; he's Deoxys," responded Deoxya. "We were in the Orre region, across the sea, but we were transported here somehow."

"Ah, I see—you are Legendary Pokémon." The Noctowl spread his wings and nimbly fluttered to a lower limb for a better look. "I am called Knell. I will be your guide."

"Guide?" repeated Deoxys. "Thanks, but we're just going to fly up and head back to Orre."

"You cannot simple fly out of the Ilex Forest." Knell gestured skyward with one wing. "These woods are under the protection of Lord Celebi, and only at certain locations may you enter or exit."

"But we were recently with Lord Celebi, in Sinnoh," said Deoxys. "Shouldn't he be able to allow us through?"

"He isn't here in the forest? Well, I wouldn't know about that," said Knell, "but I assure you the fastest way out is to follow me."

"All right, then," said Deoxya. "You're our guide." Knell nodded, and took off.

* * *

"Mewtwo," spat Darkrai as if it were a curse. "I…hate…Mewtwo…"

He had Mewtwo slung over one shoulder and was making his painfully slow way back to Spear Pillar—it was the fastest he could go given his passenger. Every minute of the journey was stretching itself into an agonizing eternity.

"Maybe I should just kill him…"

* * *

The pair of DNA Pokémon skimmed over the forest floor, keeping pace with Knell as he weaved among the branches overhead. The noontime sun was directly above them; this struck Deoxys as odd, and he mentioned it to Deoxya as they flew.

"You're right," she mused. "The time zone's different, obviously, but…does it really account for this big of a jump? I though it was morning."

"My reckoning of the distance must be off…"

"Tell me," said Knell, "why is Lord Celebi in Sinnoh?"

"A strange energy began to affect the moon a while ago," Deoxys explained. "We think we've discovered something of a plot surrounding it, and we were in Sinnoh pursuing three beings we believe are connected to this ‘Reverse Moon.'"

"Beings? Of what sort?"

"Not Pokémon, not humans," said Deoxya. "Although they look human, and they have powers a lot like ours."

"I see." Knell was silent for a moment. "I haven't noticed anything strange about the moon myself, but if what you say is true, I know someone who may be able to help you." He abruptly banked left and alighted on a conveniently located branch, and they stopped as well.

"Who, exactly?" said Deoxys quizzically.

Knell only held up his wind, pointing off into the forest. "Simply move in that direction. I will go no further."

"And if we got lost?" Deoxya spoke with a raised eyebrow in her voice.

"You won't."

Deoxya half-shrugged and set off in the direction Knell indicated, Deoxya right behind him. As they went, they entered a swirling mist that grew denser the further they progressed, and the sunlight was lost in the whiteness. Soon, the air was heavy with moisture. Light from an indeterminate source caught the tiny water droplets of the mist, creating shimmering rainbows throughout the area. Everything shone; the mist was now a spectral white and even the trees seemed to emanate a faint, liquid, blue-green glow.

"Shiny," muttered Deoxys, looking around.

"I wonder who he wants us to meet." Deoxya examined one of the luminescent tree trunks. "I don't see any regular forest Pokémon, so I'd guess the one who lives here's…"

"A Legendary?"

"Most likely."

"Actually, I can't sense anyone in this entire section of forest…"

For the second time, he and Deoxya turned swiftly at the sound of a new voice behind them. "So I'm nobody?" This time, however, the newcomer was not one of their three enemies.

Stepping out from among the trees, silent as a ghost, was a graceful canine Pokémon with skin of an almost translucent aqua hue, a flowing violet mane, and brilliant, streamers trailing from her body. The mist seemed to wrap around her like a blanket or cloak, and it was obvious how she had approached them unnoticed.

"Suicune! I didn't know you lived here!" exclaimed Deoxya. She wrapped her arms around Suicune's neck and gave her a squeeze. "How are you? It's been such a long time!"

"I'm well," said Suicune, smiling. "It hasn't been that long—I'm surprised you're back so soon, actually."

"Special circumstances," said Deoxys, "but she was gone a while all the same. Hello, Lord Suicune."

"Lord Deoxys." Suicune tilted her head upward and gave him a playful haughty look. "Didn't I tell you to call me Lady Suicune?"

"Perhaps," replied Deoxys with an equally unconvincing air of indifference. "I see your talent for hiding your presence is still strong."

Suicune shot him a look clearly intended to mean something like That or your energy senses just suck before turning back to Deoxya. "However long you were gone, it's great to see you again. What brings you here?"

Together the two of them presented Suicune with a condensed version of the events that had taken place since Mew had first noticed the Reverse Moon. "A Noctowl named Knell said you could help us," concluded Deoxys.

"Well…" said Suicune, a mischievous smile spreading across her elegant features. "I might just be able to help you…but I'll need you to do something for me first."

"And what might that be?"

Suicune turned and took several steps into the vast expanse of forest, her feet making virtually no sound as they padded against the grass, then looked over her shoulder. "Follow me."

* * *

Suicune led them to the edge of a great chasm, the bottom of which was so far below them that it was not visible—though the depression was open to the sky, the tall trees surrounding it coupled with the gradual dip of the sun meant only a small portion at the top of one side received direct light. The hole was roughly circular, and its sides had a slight incline to them. "Thousands of years ago, an enormous meteor impacted here," explained Suicune. "There's a legend that says a certain stone lies at the bottom of this crater…"

"What kind of stone?" asked Deoxya.

"The ‘imbued-with-an-ancient-power' kind," replied Suicune, a gleam in her eye. "It's called the Aurorastone in the legend. It's a very special piece of rock which I could use to increase my powers of purification and symbiosis with nature." She gazed down into the pitch-blackness below. "With it, I could easily neutralize negative energy affecting even the moon, and I've been trying to get it for some time besides."

Deoxys sighed. "And you haven't been able to because…?"

By way of an answer, Suicune spat a beam of irised energy into the crater. It rushed down at a blazing speed, its illumination on the dirt walls gradually growing dimmer, and eventually it winked out of sight. Suicune looked sidelong at Deoxys. "We won't even hear the explosion. You think I'm just going to jump in? Supposing I didn't die upon landing, how would I get back out? What's the matter, anyway—have you forgotten how to fly?"

"All right, all right," said Deoxys. "Point made."

"Come on," said Deoxya, hovering out and floating over the crater. "Let's get to it."

Together they began their descent into the depths of the depression, Deoxys sending a steady pulse of light from the gem in his chest to provide visibility in at least their immediate vicinity. "It doesn't make sense," said Deoxya as they went. "Why just transport us away? It's true we're delaying now, but we could fly back Speed in half an hour."

"It certainly is strange," agreed Deoxys. "And there's still the time issue…"

"A really slow teleporting ability?" suggested Deoxya with a shrug.

Still the plunged downward. As the errant reflected light from above was reduced almost to nothing, Deoxya lit her own crystal, softening the eerie glow of Deoxys's purple light. After a few minutes more of silent travel, the wall began to level out, and, after slowly curving more and more, became parallel to the mouth of the crater. They had reached the bottom.

A ways ahead of them, at the very center of the basin, was a strong, dimensionless glow. Moving closer, Deoxya saw it to be a smooth, polished stone, clear but colored from within by pulses of a vibrant blue light. She picked it up, and as she turned it in her hands, a rainbow—Or an aurora, she thought—of colors played across its surface despite the dimness and single hue of the light shining on it.

Deoxys gazed laconically at the Aurorastone. "And back up we go."