The sky was tearing itself apart. Rifts into the Null Realm encroached upon the world like a spreading disease, leaving cracks in the aether. Blacklight projections were looking like they were about to crawl through, weakly, dissolving in the Cibusean air. But every time they tried, they seemed to get a little further inside.
All around the world, people could see what was happening… The end of Team Spectrum was at hand…
“Then it is time,” Pop said, closing his eyes. “Our last resort… But I can feel it in all of Cibus, watching now.” He raised his head and, even as his Legends all fought against the portal, reached out…
People of Cibus… you can all see it, can’t you? The Heroes of Darkness who have fought to save our world countless times over the past year. They are struggling. Now is the time. Now is when we must pay our dues. I have all approached you in a vision… a vision for us to share.
Please, now is the time to fulfil that promise. It is time for us to save them…
Maple was about to physically enter, but stopped suddenly when she spotted something coming toward her—something only she could see. Next to her was Buffet, who had sensed the same thing.
“Is that—”
Maple reached toward this invisible object, grasping it, then holding it like something was in her palm. She was wide-eyed, mouth slightly agape in surprise. “…I… I see,” she said. “Then… that is your answer?”
A pause, and then she closed her palm. Buffet looked respectful, giving a light bow, and then stared forward. “Good luck, Maple,” Buffet said.
“It’s not me that needs it.” Maple’s paw brightened,
and then she sent something forward and into the Null Realm like a blazing comet.
<><><>
Thyme and Pepper were relaxing on the beach when the sky tore itself apart. They, with Surf and Turf, were staring skyward, nodding with a grave certainty.
“Go, Team Spectrum!” Turf called, the Croconaw making clumsy waving motions in the air while splashing in the water. “Don’t you stop now! You keep fighting!”
Surf got up next, thrashing her tail behind her. “You guys aren’t gonna give up NOW, are you?!” she said. “Yeah, right! You’re better than that!”
Golden orbs rose from the two of them, as well as Thyme and Pepper. They all stood up, like they knew what was about to happen, because they’d seen it in a dream that felt too real.
“Team Spectrum helped us when they’d first arrived,” Pepper said. “And then that one kid… Saltriv, right?”
“Yeah, they visited a while back. Haven’t seen another Meganium in a while. Never saw leaves like that, though.” Thyme trotted forward, limbering up. “That Colosseum fight made me feel outta shape. But, we’ve still got it… huh?”
“I think we do,” Pepper hummed.
“One last fight?” Thyme asked Pepper, who smiled.
“Guess so.”
They disappeared in a wash of gold.
<><><>
“Gooo Astrid… gooo Astrid…”
In her home, in the dark comfort of her room, Kyurem waved her arms listlessly. She blew into a party whistle without expression, but her eyes were brighter than they’d ever been. When she disappeared, the party whistle fell to the ground with a puff of frost.
<><><>
“Guess some things no single person or team can accomplish,” Zeraora said as the thunder boomed, drowning out the sounds of Blacklight phantoms failing to enter her realm. She stood up and held her paws high. “Guess that means it’s time for us to return some favors… Zeraora of the Outworld.” She chuckled a little, toying with the Blacklight orbits around her paws. "Or, should I say... Brisa."
<><><>
Meringue ruffled his feathers, hardening them until they became scales. “We’ll need to do what we can, too,” he said. “Lugia… I…”
“You’re ready,” Lugia said, staring at the darkening horizon. “Let’s go. It’s time to fight.”
“Cabot…” Meringue nodded. “Right. He needs our help. All of them…”
The two ascended, disappearing into the light.
<><><>
Resting atop a great summit, Ho-Oh was giving Brulee some last-minute notes. “It seems they need help,” she said, nodding. “Do you think it’s time for us to go as well?”
“I’m thinking about that one Absol… Celeste. He seemed to really value our position. Do you think he’s doing alright?”
Ho-Oh’s eyes shined like a smile. “Perhaps we don’t need to wonder.”
<><><>
A little Mimikyu with blazing Radiant eyes waved her tendrils in the air, nearly knocking away her disguise toward the darkening sun. Waving in her arms were varying dolls, all of them resembling a Roserade with black and white flowers, as golden orbs of light drifted off of her. Realizing what has happening, she hastily threw the Cynthian dolls into her pile and disappeared for the fight.
<><><>
"Not much of a fighter," Cream said with a nervous titter. "But... but the interviews I've held have inspired me a little, you know. Puff? ...Puff? Where'd you go?"
He was punching the air, smiling enthusiastically. "Getting ready for the biggest fight of my life. How about you?"
Cream hesitated. "...If... if Shiron, who thought so little of himself, can do all of this..." She nodded firmly. "Then maybe I can, too!"
<><><>
"Hm!" Joule nodded to himself, looking up at the others. "We are ready! And all thanks to so many of their efforts..." He saw Maple preparing something near the portal, but he seemed to be thinking of Team Spectrum as a whole. There were quite a few of them, but one in particular... "It's odd how even stragglers can do so much. I remember Kate, how she had been summoned with just the information to rescue Diyem... Maple told me of that." He glanced at Maple again, humming, and then at the sky, like it was listening. "She must have been strong to endure that for so long, and then deliver that message to us... I'm thankful. And now, to return the favor, right away!"
<><><>
Karat was having a conversation with himself mentally, chattering silently. "...They're all so odd. Perhaps... I should have joined them after all." He huffed, then looked away. "Some of them... were... odd. Do you remember Seyka at all? Look through those memories, Deoxys... ...Yes, that one... Such a strange, strange Skarmory. Yet... Perhaps he was the only one who could understand me, in the end. Maybe now, with how different we are... I understand him, too."
He paused as golden lights surrounded him.
"Well... no. Not really."
<><><>
Giratina curled around her bedding in the deep depths of the Reverse World. she, too, heard the call, and she was ready to go. She still remembered that fiery look in Koa's eyes from their fight, something that she wasn't going to forget for many, many years. "I wish I had that kind of drive," she mumbled. "Maybe... maybe I can start now."
She saw the golden orbs appear around her and she nodded. It was time to battle. Just like they did!
<><><>
Breaker was mildly irritated that this was happening in the middle of her paperwork, but it would have to do. She had actually been just looking over her notes for one of the patients she'd had--Cuicatl, of Team Spectrum. Verifying that things were still going well for her, and more importantly that she was fit to battle against this Blacklight scourge. As far as she could tell, she was.
"And now, I join," Breaker said, putting the files away. "Blacklight has... a shattered mind. Perhaps I... can fix."
<><><>
Zinc was tending to Protein after yet another scuffle and sparring match gone too far when the call to action came. Hastily, she put her supplies away and got ready to go, lingering on spare ointments and supplies that Mellow had left behind. She frowned, determined, and said, “Mellow… you were the best assistant I ever had. I hope I can find someone nearly as good as you one day…” Blushing, she focused, ready to go.
<><><>
Far in a high mountain just north of Destiny Village, the bird of death cooed with the wind. “Something is calling for the end of Cibus yet again,” she said between her trills. “But this isn’t by any natural order… I think one of my followers of another realm is trying to prevent this unnatural end. Nip, was it? …Perhaps, then… I will help, too.”
<><><>
Fugu stood nearby, hopping onto the rooftops of the therapy offices to see Wheat already standing there. “So this is where you went,” she said.
Wheat stared at the sky. “It is time.”
“When was the last time you’ve fought in a battle at all?” Fugu remarked, drawing her blade.
The Xatu didn’t answer her. Instead, he said, “…I was ready to fight for Owen’s innocence once. One of my most complex patients. Now, I fight for him.”
Fugu had thoughts on some of her patients, too, and she smirked. “Yes. I believe I feel the same.”
<><><>
Cold chuckling echoed from within the cells of Poppin’ Arms as a Lunala sat in the dark corners. “Oh? Is it time?” he said, thinking. “The team that thwarted my plans is trying to save this world… In some way, they’ve earned my respect…”
His mind drifted to particularly defiant eyes.
“Starr… That defiance. That fire. Just like my son…” His smirk was firm and cruel, but there was pride in it, too. “I think you deserve my help… just this once. I’m not a fan of owing favors, after all.”
<><><>
”Hmph.”
Standing near Destiny Tower, already prepared to go in on his own before the golden lights surrounded him, was Silver. The Mewtwo flicked his tail, testing some of his Psychic abilities, before remarking, “I get the feeling if we lose, we’ll be stuck in the same horrible realm for a long, long time… I can barely stand Nate as a roommate. So, this?” He flicked his tail. “C’mon, team! Let’s help them out!”
And some small part of him wanted to see Nate smile with his team again.
<><><>
“Goodness, goodness,” S’more said, filing the last of his papers away. He turned to his doppelganger, the one who inhabited his old body, who nodded back. “It really is difficult without Vix helping with the filing,” remarked the Machop.
“We better get used to it,” the former parasite added. “Shall we get going, then?”
“A proper sendoff, hm?” They both nodded as the golden lights came.
<><><>
“He’s fighting too,” Balm said, looking skyward. “That strange Ninetales with chaos in his heart… Whatever that means.”
“He’s had a lot of darkness to climb through. Not too different from you, huh?” Cepa turned to face the Sceptile.
“I guess not,” he said. “I haven’t saved the world in decades.”
“Not every era you get to do it twice,” Cepa added, giggling. “Want to do it anyway?”
“As always.”
<><><>
"...Interesting," stated Zygarde, looking at the sky. "So this is their answer for the Blacklight threat." His eyes flickered, emotionless in appearance, but perhaps there was something more after all. "...Well. I've already bent the rules with Dill. Considering the circumstances... I think assisting here would be approved... retroactively." The Overseer dug into nothing, pulling out a notepad. A few words were jotted down. Then, it dropped, disappearing, and Zygarde vanished in a similar golden veil.
<><><>
“I expect I will be seeing a lot of you in the future, Bahamut,” Pop said to himself, aloud, as he stared into the portal, weighing what he should do. “Despite that emptiness and despair, despite your inherent otherness, you still find the duty to battle. And for that… Perhaps you’ve inspired me.”
In the end, he made his decision, and as a sea of golden spheres of light flooded the Null Realm, Pop followed them in with the Legends by his side.
<><><>
No matter what happens, I'm always gonna be thankful for what you did for me, Dave.
Shit, I really threw away that extra chance, didn't I? But I don't really have any regrets. I know I saved your life. I saved everyone's life.
Maple asked me what happened to me. Wouldn't you believe it... All I said, with a smile because I couldn't hide it... was, "Karma."
Funny how that works.
Maybe I finally made up for all this.
...Don't stop yet, buddy. I'm not. Now watch my greatest illusion yet...!
<><><>
Something brushed against Dave’s side, but there was nobody there. It didn’t feel or smell like anyone was there, either. Yet, it was too real. Something passed by like a cold breeze. It was almost like the Worldcore again. A whisper:
Missed me?
The Lunatic Cannon sailed through the realm, missing absolutely everybody, despite the rare flash of confidence that their foe had displayed when firing. It passed through nothing and its expressionless face was somehow bewildered, arching its neck, clenching its claws.
“Hey!” a sharp voice snapped the air.
Owen blinked several times, squinting, tapping his horns. Something wasn’t right. He could see, with his eyes, that someone was there, and somehow it didn’t look like an illusion, either. But his horns, his Perceive, his grasp of the material world, was telling him that nothing was there.
White fur made up the base of this creature, accented with red tips along with piercingly yellow eyes, glowing with Radiance. Red sparks crackled along his body, controlled Eterna energy, like it had been reawakened. But like Xernatus and the others who had dealt with this power, it was under control. Quelled.
This strange, red-white Zoroark pointed at the Eternal Blacklight.
And he glanced down at Dave with a confident smirk. His eyes said,
You thought I’d be gone that easily?
The haze disappeared to silver apparitions behind them. Familiar forms in a whole swarm, flying like a dream. The heroes, the Legends, and even the allies from another world had pushed through as spirits to fight. Rallying cries rang out and they clashed with the puppets and swarmed the powers—it was all of Cibus, fighting for their rights to exist.
It was hard to tell, but Diyem noted, somewhere in the back of his mind, that there were too many Zygarde in the crowd to just be Bean…
Ionys has appeared! He activated his new ability, Servant of Life!
The spirits of Cibus appeared as a horde! They’re battling alongside Team Spectrum!
Team Spectrum is filled with Hope, each FL unit gaining 124 points!
A new action has been unlocked: Call of Hope. Spend up to 100 points per turn for a Call toward Cibus, or someone specific, to assist in the battle with a Hopeful Action!
Team Spectrum gained +2 Valor, and will continue to gain Valor over time!
The Eternal Blacklight is losing hold of the realm! It can no longer heal! However, it still gained another +1 Valor!
The buff cap has been raised to +20!
The Eternal Blacklight: 150,000, Damage Reduction 100%
Powers: 10,000 each
Puppets: 10,000, reduce to 0 to stagger!
The true final battle for Cibus, with Cibus, has begun!
Owen’s Insight: This thing’s attacks hit too hard if we’re huddled together. Don’t let it strike too many of us at once!
The haze was gone. The enemy was clear.
Finally, they could see their foe...
"So this is what you truly look like," Diyem said, looking at those pained faces--echoes of all the painful memories Cibus had endured.
"...One way or the other, we intend to put you out of your misery."
It roared a wordless roar in reply.
"Team Spectrum!" Diyem called.
"Cibus! And all souls beyond! This is our final battle! Destroy this Blacklight scourge and end this nightmare, forever!"
