Radiant Void

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa hurled golden tethers at every trapped soul she could. A meganium she recognised as Thyme, but who she knew must have a weapon for a name, stirred at the touch of her whiplash. Others, too, followed. The souls of Telum were coming free.

Above her, dwindling every second, was a hydreigon. Higher than the rest. Could that be—?

Voice of Life.

It had to be.

You're the Voice of Telum, ain't ya? We're here t'save yer world. The souls that comprise you. We came to rescue a Voice named Blade... Is that you? Or do you y'have some other name? Are you Blade? Arsenal? Some other soul? It don't matter none so long as you wake up. Wake up, Voice of Life.

And then the tether faded, stretched too taut. Did it even work...? Dry wind whistled past her ears as she fell, further, further, from the heights of the radiant void. It was all she could do to orient herself, look down, focus on the battlefield...

And watch, helplessly, as a red-pink thing took hold of Starr, entered her, became her. She grew, gave a wrathful bellow, had chitinous tendrils burst from her flesh just like Darkwhite, just like in the sands.

You could lose her. You could lose her right now.

Brisa set her teeth so hard her jaw sparked off. Like hell was she gonna let this pass.

"It hurts. I'm sick of it. Sick of being in pain. Sick of acting like I've changed. You're all supposed to be here, helping people, protecting people. All I fucking know how to do is hurt people."

Starr was loud enough to hear even over the powerful winds as Brisa plummeted towards her. The voice was low, distorted, corrupted, dripping with a hateful contempt Brisa recognised.

"I did that. Deliberately. Still think I'm better than you?"

The pain Starr carried...

...had Brisa really done so little to spare her from it?

It's nearly time. Are you ready?

She didn't know. She couldn't. But she'd fight as if she were.

Beneath Brisa, Astrid – Astrid! – was at work, using that madding new attack of hers. They'd all trained together to use it. All three of them. It had been so good, and they'd beaten a deity together... They'd become friends, truly. Like they ought to be. Hadn't it been good?

I’m sorry I haven't been a good friend!!

Did Astrid really feel that way? She'd struggled with Radiance more than anyone, she'd fled from dealing with how things turned out, but she was still good, she was still extraordinary, she was still Astrid.

But this, too felt familiar...

Brisa's mind was at once here, hurtling towards two people she loved, striking each other down, and there, in the pit, in pain, wishing she hadn't hurt people, believing herself a bad friend, a bad person, a violent animal. Begging to be put down. They were all losing their minds together, Blacklight corruption and battle-fever and the weight of worlds on their shoulders, all driving out every pained thought, every drop of yearning, wishing for things to be right.

Well they can be better than this, if you set yerself to it. Ain't that somethin' Astrid believed about you...?

Yeah. They both believed in her.

Brisa drew back a fist, holding a thunderstorm inside her paw, and screamed hope, and fury, and love.

Something resonated between Brisa, Astrid and Starr… Brisa used Bolt Strike! It hit Starr for CRITICAL, Ultra Effective damage!

Her own ears rang with the thunderclap of the attack, and for a moment, she thought maybe Starr had staggered from it. Maybe.

This is yer chance.

She could call Starr to her senses. If anyone could do it... Surely it was her?

Could be wishful thinkin'. She knows you better'n y'know yerself, in some ways. Remember how the parasite bent Owen's mind away from his connection to you? It'll do the same to Starr. She'll have an answer fer anythin' y'put t'her. She'll hurt you.

Maybe she would. She certainly could.

She's going to hurt you.

So what?

Brisa had hurt her. In the dojo, because she'd hated her. In the field of shadows, because she'd wanted to be put down. If Starr could forgive her for that, Brisa would forgive her for whatever happened next.

Brisa stepped forward and thrust a paw out, yet more shining tethers whipping out and latching onto Starr's body. Radiance pulsed, piercing, somehow, Starr's every defence.

Maybe she'll let you in after all.

Brisa opened her heart.

Starr, please, fight it off! Let us get that thing outta ya! Let us help you! I wanna help you, I wanna protect you!

The emotion welling up inside was so strong it was gonna ruin her. Gods, wind, thunder, she loved her, she loved her, she loved her. And she just wanted to end that pain, that awful, sickening pain in Starr's voice. Somehow. Please.

I don't want you to be in pain any more!

 

[Fusion]

Getting blasted by a gust of wind, hyped up on corruption and also by a pair of wings that might make a Wailord feel small, in the middle of them rearranging the team and stuff, turned out to be pretty not fun. Like, fuck did it hurt. If it wasn't for that damn bomb, they knew they would have tanked that hit like a damn legend!

But that rage was good, gods knew they'd need it... After everyone unloaded on that parasite, all hell broke loose! Starr grew giant and mentally fucked, spewing some nonsense about only knowing how to hurt. As if no one else felt the same! Hell, it looked like some of the team was gonna jump in and show her just how much more they could make her hurt, and they wanted to join in too! It's been so, so goddamn long since they've been able to really let loose on someone!

"Hehe, I see ya, Starr. Losing your cool just as we're about to wrap this all up, huh? Your timing couldn't be any better! I was ACHING to throw down myself, all this legwork was getting boring," they scoffed, burning a dark purple aura around them. Their flame crackled with power and corruption, and excitement over it all. "Let's see just how much stronger I am no--!"

Unfortunately, Puddle had to intervene. It tugged on their tail, pouting. "Man, I'd hate to butt in but..." it sighed, hopping up to their shoulder. "The others need a boost, ya know? That's what Vix always did when shit got like this. We need 'em all to hit hard, and to save some from, you know, the giant fuckin' fire cat."

"B-But..!" they sputtered, throwing their claws out to Starr. "B-Big lady! Big STRONG lady!"

"I know! It's just... we can't risk not hittin' hard enough, so--"

"The hell do you know about hitting hard? Didn't know I needed a lecture from a pond's younger cousin," they hissed, glaring at Puddle, then grinned. "Now, if I was in preschool..."

Puddle rolled its eyes, groaning. "I'm gonna be nice and ignore that. Just buff the fuckin' team before I drown you in myself. And don't you think I fuckin' won't. I dunno 'bout you, but Vix is used to dyin'. You wanna pass her record? Keep talkin' shit."

That threat was quite effective, it seemed. With a defeated growl and a sigh, they snuffed out most of their flames and their aura, and sent coatings of wax to some and pure burning rage to others. "Man, what a letdown... I bet I could've beaten her on my own," they spat, crossing their arms. They were being serious about getting bored, it seemed, as they started dozing off soon after. "I might as well... just... shut my eyes, and... Zzz... Zzz..." They would have felt a revitalizing surge of energy, if they didn't stay asleep.

 

[Chibi Pika]

Starr saw them all in in a haze of red. The team gearing up to take her down. They thought they could stop her? Pathetic. She could take on any of them as her normal self, but like this? She was unstoppable.

Why should she have to pretend like she didn't enjoy having power?

“I’m sorry!” Astrid screamed up at her pupil-less eyes. Of course she couldn’t hear her. She was wasting her breath. But dammit, that was what Astrid was good at. “Starr, I’m fucking sorry! I thought you hated me so, so I lost my mind! I j—just wanted to bring the team closer, not tear it apart more! I’m sorry I haven't been a good friend!!”

Meaningless words, screamed from the Ninetales, the one who'd been determined to think the worst of her from the very beginning. And now she wanted to act like they were friends? Laughable.

Then the Ice Burn hit, engulfing Starr in cold flames that seemed to chill her very soul. And with it, a flash of clarity, like an arctic wind through a pure white expanse. For just a moment, she could feel the truth.

Truth.

Truth?

The truth is that you don't give a shit about hers or anyone else's feelings, and you shouldn't have to feel BAD about that.

(But hadn't things been resolved between them? They'd both misunderstood each other from the very beginning, but.)

That doesn't matter. It doesn't matter, IT DOESN'T MATTER.

Starr used Blue Flare! It's Ultra Effective!

Starr, please, fight it off! Let us get that thing outta ya! Let us help you! I wanna help you, I wanna protect you!

I don't want you to be in pain any more!

Golden tendrils appeared from nowhere, fastening around Starr's arms and torso. Minuscule threads, she could snap them effortlessly. But with them came words, resonating in her mind as if they'd been spoken straight to her soul. For a moment, she couldn't move. Then her resolve hardened.

"You want to help me? Of course you'd want that, desperate as you are. You think I'd hold back just because it's you? You know damn well that I didn't hold back before. Maybe you just need to FEEL IT YOURSELF."

Starr used Brilliant Flarestrike! It's Ultra Effective!

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"You want to help me? Of course you'd want that, desperate as you are. You think I'd hold back just because it's you? You know damn well that I didn't hold back before. Maybe you just need to FEEL IT YOURSELF."

"Go on, then!" cried Brisa, clenching the fist that held the Whiplash tethers so tightly it felt like her fist would never open. "Do it! Hurt me!"

Starr told her, once, that she'd hurt her best friend. No, tortured her. 'Deliberately'.

She's gonna do the same to you.

Brilliant flames this time, burning, searing Brisa's body. Not electricity like Starr had used on her friend. Still, it hurt. A good attack could hurt like a motherfucker. The Flarestrike hurt like an end to a time without pain.

Something resonated between Brisa and Starr…

Do you still believe in her?

Yes.

She did.

Brisa screamed, every hair follicle ablaze, and refused to give in.

Brisa toughed it out to show her belief in Starr...!

A 'mon not quite luxray, not quite zeraora, was on her knees, still clutching a fistful of shining tethers.

The pain was mind-numbing, even now.

She looked up at Starr, and still saw someone worth loving.

No matter what you think you're really like...

You still did all the good you've done for your friends...

For Cibus...

For me...

And you can't go back to the way things used to be... I ain't gonna let you!

 

[Chibi Pika]

No matter what you think you're really like...

You still did all the good you've done for your friends...

For Cibus...

For me...

And you can't go back to the way things used to be... I ain't gonna let you!

The threads were back. Tedious. Annoying. Like insect bites. And with them, more useless, meaningless words.

"Back to the way things used to be?" Starr echoed with a laugh. "Do you honestly think that ever STOPPED being me?"

Brisa was still standing. Still facing her down. Unafraid. Why couldn't she just be afraid?

"You think I ever changed? I left because I was FORCED to. I wouldn't have done it otherwise. I had power, I had presitge. Turning my back on it all made everything harder. It would have been so easy to stay. I wouldn't have to feel ASHAMED all the time. I'm fucking SICK OF IT!"

She could have snapped the threads. It would have been easy.

But she didn't.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Still trying to pass yourself off as hopeless? That's the easy path. Then you don't have to do any goddamn work. You're gonna deal with this shit the hard way--there's no shortcuts. And I'm not afraid to beat that into you if I have to."

Brisa looked up at the colossus bearing down on her, and still was unafraid.

"But you are ashamed," she gasped, pain making the words come out raw, bleeding. "You care that you hurt people."

When she gets through this, she'll have hurt you the way she hurt people before. She'll hate herself for it. You can't spare her that.

Brisa made a sound that was neither a snarl, nor a sob. She couldn't give in. Not ever. Either Starr would come back to them, or Brisa would die.

Even after helpin' so many, after changin' yer ways, you're still ashamed. So what if you ain't killed every last vicious impulse in yer mind? So what if you meant it back then? You've been better, you've helped people, you've gotta keep at it, and if it takes kickin' yer teeth in to make you see that, then that's what I'll fuckin' do!!

 

[Chibi Pika]

"But you are ashamed," she gasped, pain making the words come out raw, bleeding. "You care that you hurt people."

The words burned. Burned harder than the searing Radiance all around. Why did she have to make this so hard? Why couldn't she just let Starr go.

"Don't you get it? I don't give a shit about anyone but myself. Not really. It only bothers me because it hurts. My own pain is all I care about. No one else's."

Her thunderous, booming voice didn't have nearly the conviction that it had before.

Starr is preparing an attack...?

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"I don't give a shit about anyone but myself."

Then kill me. Prove me wrong.

Brisa bowed her head, and vowed to survive.

 

[Cresselia92]

Amidst the utter madness that was the black sky, a barrier of summer energies cloaked the firmament and filled it with a rainbow veil.

So brilliant and glorious, reminiscent of the pleasant moments spent by the beach: playing and laughing with friends, living life at its fullest, and letting the sun embrace everyone with its warm caresses.

The light flickered, twisted by the dark forces of the Voidlands, and threatened to vanish and be lost in the void…

But it didn’t. It held firm. And then, another force joined it.

First there was summer, then it was winter.

A bright snow filled the skies. It reminded people of the time spent building snowmons; throwing snowballs at each other; lying down and making funny shapes on the white veil; the time spent at home watching the snow crystals fall, while drinking some warm tea and cheering each other up with holiday songs.

Two opposing seasons. Two opposing powers. And then, they converged… in a massive quasar.

The impossible was possible.

Opposites attracted.

Light embraced dark.

A shower of Radiance and melodic energy bathed the fighters, boosting their prowess and healing their wounds. Words of inspiritment and echoes of bells drowned the cries of battle, if only for one split second. And one last bell tolled for one more soul…

“Miss Maple. Voice of Life and one of our most trusted allies. Heed the words of this humble warlock.”

With a bell in his paw and burning from both Radiance and Shadow floated the Cosmic Warlock.

The living oxymoron, that somehow existed thanks to his sheer willpower, was there. Staring at the soul with two glowing stars of friendship.

The center of his black hole pulsed with a golden light, which poured out of his cosmic winds. This energy reached into the bell, which rang again.

“We are not thy enemies, Miss Maple. We never were. We desire to help this world, and to help Telum, too.

Light. Darkness. Summer. Winter. They all have something in common.

They are a part of life.

Pure, raw, at times misused and misunderstood, life.

As the Voice of Life, thou should know the importance of balance. How the opposites are essential to make sure that the other side can shine and stand out. So that the other side can also share this beautiful gift and universe. So, even though we are made of darkness, there is some light within us…”

A blinding Blacklight overtook the Cosmic Warlock’s entire body.

“And if thou cannot see it…”

The bell chimed louder.

“Then… allow me to show it. Here it is — the melody of life!”

A sonic wave of revitalizing and rejuvenating energy resonated with Maple’s soul. Pure, glowing and soothing energy to restore her broken spirit. The winds of the quasar surrounded the not-so-titanic dragon, welcoming her into the team of misfits.

A cosmic hug from a friend.

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave hung onto the gigantic Starr, struggling to poison her with his teeth. She was barely reacting, exchanging words with Brisa about how she didn’t give a shit about anyone. And Brisa, of course, didn’t yield, daring her to attack.

He started to reach for Radiance… and then stopped, mouth dry. He couldn’t. He had to save it. Just for a little bit, just until they…

For a moment he was about to just go fuck it, shield her anyway. But if he did, it would go for Brisa. The parasite leaping with the last of its strength towards the Zeraora standing facing her, the closest target, who’d never back down—

Brisa’d taken worse. She got pummeled by legendaries for fun. She would be fine.

Dave gritted his teeth and tore into Starr’s shoulder. Come on, come on, just fucking throw me off!

 

[Namohysip]

Icetales’ Misty Diamond Quasar healed and protected the entire team!
Nip’s Revitalizing Moonlight healed Mellow, Koa, and Brisa!
Dave’s Shining Burden...
Mellow’s Summershine Veil protected the entire team!
Mellow’s pure words rallied a lot of fighters!
Vix’s Justice drained Saltriv’s corruption!
Vix’s Ire boosted Cynthian, Brisa, and Koa!
Icetales’ Revitalizing Heal Bell healed Saltriv, Brisa, Vix and Maple!
Icetales’ Brilliant Inspirit boosted Brisa, Koa, Dave, and Vix!
Brisa opened her heart to Hydreigon…!
Koa’s Brilliant Conduit let Astrid shoulder his and Saltriv’s corruption!
Koa called out to Maple! His pure words reached her!
Saltriv’s Morning Sun healed Koa, Vix, and Astrid!
Saltriv’s Connection Call rallied Koa, Brisa, and Dave!
Saltriv’s Brilliant Autumn soothed and protected Koa and Vix!

Nip’s Triple Axel dealt 77 damage to Starr, and pickpocketed some Accuracy!
Dave’s triple Crunches dealt a partially-CRITICAL 347 damage, 1800 Poison and -2250 Defense to Eternal Starr!
Brisa’s Titanic Bolt Strike dealt a CRITICAL 13933 damage to Starr! It’s Ultra Effective!
Brisa’s Shining Whiplash got through to Starr!
Brisa opened her heart to Starr! It’s Super Effective!
Brisa’s Tenacity inflicted 400 Paralysis to Starr!
Koa’s Hyper Battlecry dealt a CRITICAL 1672 damage to the Eterna Parasite [Critical, SE, Charge]
Astrid was Inspired by Koa and Brisa!
Astrid’s Null Sweeper Freeze Shock dealt a CRITICAL 1007 damage to the Parasite and 6696 to Eternal Starr, but the Parasite kept Starr from falling!
Astrid’s Null Sweeper Stored Power dealt a CRITICAL 3546 damage to the Parasite, hitting its Resolve, and 18217 to Eternal Starr, but the Parasite kept Starr from falling!
Astrid’s Voidbound Explosion dealt a CRITICAL 1758 damage to the Parasite and 11795 to Eternal Starr! Maple was targeted… but Astrid’s Blast Control shielded her from the attack! It looked like it would have dealt 3674 damage to Maple!

It was the final exchange. Spirits above watched the spectacle in a daze. The Hydreigon stirred and looked down. "Mmhh... what in the world... is this...?" He squinted, looking tired, groggy, like he wanted to return to sleep, but after the explosions below, who could...?

Past him, countless meteors fell and bombarded the surface.

Blinding Starfall fell from the sky!
Brisa: Skara took two hits, left behind a Protect, and then Brisa took a single grazing hit for 60!
Cynthian: Dodged a few, then took 362!
Dave: Lauchs took two, left behind a Protect, and then Dave protected against the rest!
Icetales: Dodged a few, then took 188!
Koa: Protected, Dodged, then took 186!
Conduit: Destroyed!
Mellow: 576, KO!
Nip: Blocked a few, dodged a few, and then took 109!
Saltriv: Blocked one, then took 279!
Vix: Blocked one, dodged one, then took 245!

Starr's Blue Flare was aimed at Brisa, Dave, and Icetales!
Brisa: 89
Dave: 136
Icetales: 61

Starr's Brilliant Flarestrike was aimed at Brisa, Dave, and Saltriv!
Brisa: 546
Dave: 551
Saltriv: 257

Starr used Blacklight Z-Burst on...

Then kill me. Prove me wrong.

Brisa bowed her head, and vowed to survive.

...The air!

It flew over Brisa's bowed head and across the great wastelands before suddenly leaving a shockwave that rattled all of the threads in the aether. Several trapped souls trembled awake. And then the blast steadied; Starr started to shrink in a haze--though it was impossible to tell what she looked like within that dissipating fog.

But Dave could see one thing clearly, and what he'd been planning, what he'd been hanging onto, came to pass.

The Parasite broke free of Starr and lunged ahead, fleeing for whatever that Z-Burst had done. There was roaring coming from where it had disappeared--and light. Dim, but it was light of Cibus. Had the blast somehow...?

Dave let out a curse and a determined growl, sending Radiance toward it and risking his body be ripped asunder. But he held firm--as did the barrier around the Parasite, the same way Owen had trapped the other.

It would have escaped into Cibus--but Dave had stopped it...

Maple, meanwhile, was shaking, looking like everyone around her was an enemy. But she didn't attack.

"Telum... I must... protect..."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa toughed it out to show her belief in Starr . . . with 25 hp left!

"Starr!"

Brisa ran towards the site of Starr's collapse, wishing, again, that she could be in more than one place at once. Ten places at once.

I can go to Astrid, came the voice of Sombra, in Brisa's skull.

I can go to Maple, came the voice of Luz, sending from her core.

Fine.

Luz melted out of Brisa's satchel, and Brisa grunted with effort and let her Shadow peel away from her body. Her zeraora form collapsed too, her plasma burn dissipating in the wind, as she hurried to her friend's side. Please, please, please be okay.

---

Meanwhile, Sombra rushed silently to Astrid's unconscious form. She nudged Astrid onto her flank, checking for wounds, for signs of life. Sure, they'd trained to use her unleashed form for exactly this, but still, still, had she survived?

...Yes. There it was. A shallow breath. A heartbeat.

Of course you survived. Thank gods.

---

Luz sprinted toward Maple, mind near-blank. She'd focused so hard on channelling energy all fight she'd barely had time to think...

"Telum... I must... protect..."

"Maple!" shouted Luz, affecting a pant of exertion (—she was exhausted, it wasn't fake, it was real—) as she approached. "Come t'yer senses! Don't y'recognise me? It's Luz! I'm gonna join yer team! Save worlds with y'all! C'mon!"

She slowed down, holding her paws up, palms forward, in a gesture of non-hostility.

"Telum's safe, Maple! Its souls are all around you! We captured the parasite!"

Luz threw her arms wide, and beckoned Maple to the ground.

"It's gonna be okay."

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave dragged himself to his feet and stumbled over to where he’d trapped the parasite, examining it. “Anyone got a more permanent way to contain this thing?” he said, looking around. Brisa was all right. Starr was down but back to normal. Mia examined the parasite curiously from the other side.

Radiance thrummed in his veins with a triumphant buzz of victory, but the Shadow undertone behind it refused to celebrate too early. He tried to focus and calm his breathing. Would he have to keep generating barriers to get this thing all the way back to Chip’s lab or somewhere?

 

[Cresselia92]

A deafening boom, and then hell broke loose —meteors brimming with Blacklight rained all around the landscape, mixed with waves of eternal fire.

The falling stars and flames tore through the barriers of cosmic matter, mattresses or mist, and summer-like air. Those shards became smaller, but were still threatening and powerful.

And yet, the Cosmic Warlock refused to budge, still keeping Maple closer to himself with his gravitational pull.

“I shall not let go of thee…”

He closed his eyes and braced himself for impact.

“Because… friends never abandon friends…”

The volley of weakened attacks crashed down on the half-daemon. While Icetales had never faced a cosmic storm, he had the feeling that wasn’t too far off from the real deal.

His plasmatic body burned, fizzled, exploded, tore, released dust. There was so much at once that pelted his entire being.

…But Icetales didn’t yield. The bell kept chiming, even when it got cracked by a stray meteor.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

Sooner than expected, the storm stopped, and Icetales took a sharp breath to not scream in pain. He shuddered and focused to keep his body together. How hard was that… but he had to persist.

For his friend.

Maple, meanwhile, was shaking, looking like everyone around her was an enemy. But she didn't attack.

"Telum... I must... protect..."

“It… It is all right, Miss Maple…”

Despite his body protesting and burning from its wounds, Icetales managed out a black grin and flashed a warm starry gaze.

“Telum is… is fine. I know thou want to help Telum, but let us help thee…”

Slowly, he reached out for Maple with his paw, which glowed with Radiance.

“We wish to help… To keep both worlds safe. Have some faith in us, Miss Maple…”

 

[Namohysip]

Wishkeeper drifted toward Dave and, slowly, struggling, seemed to conjure up Protects of his own. They were flimsy and blackened, but present, and he attempted to replicate Owen's power next. It seemed to sting... but Wishkeeper managed it, applying further Protects onto it.

"This will have to do for now," he said.

--

Maple snarled at anyone who tried to come close, backing away as more and more of her body evaporated, leaving behind a smaller and smaller creature--though she still towered over all of them many times over.

"You... are here to... take them... from me..."

"Oh... now this just won't do..."

A Hydreigon drifted down from the sky. In the background, a Haxorus was riding down one of the threads like a fire pole, while several more were swinging about in an effort to jostle more of them awake, slowly, but eventually.

"Who... are..."

"...Goodness... oh, dear... Oh, dear, what's happened...?" Hydreigon wasn't afraid and, in fact, he moved closer, bringing those two smaller heads wide to hold Maple's cheeks. She did not fight back, too stunned at the approach. "Oh, what time has done to you..."

"Time... I..."

"Shh, shh." Hydreigon pulled the leviathan closer, as minute as the gesture would have been to her. "Deep thoughts. Within, and then without."

"Within... without..." The overwhelming glow of her body was weakening. The blackened sparks coursing beneath her scales became tranquil streams. The red sparks were just a gentle crackle. "Within... without..." It sounded like a chant that perhaps only she knew.

Hydreigon coaxed Maple to bring her head down, and her body followed. She was actually on the ground, lying down, legs curled, wings folded. She was tense, everything about her was tense, but her attention was focused on Hydreigon, who was so masterfully calming her.

Then, never taking a head off of Maple, Hydreigon addressed them.

"Hello, everyone," he said. "I'm... very sorry for what happened here. You all went through a great effort to rescue us, haven't you? My name is Blade..." He gestured to the leviathan next to him. "And this is... also Blade. Or, should I say... Dark Eternatus."

Maple made an odd sound between a snort and a confused growl.

 

[Flyg0n]

Save her. I did this I have to fix this- strike her down- save her -end this you have to make up for everything.

I just want have to save someone.

His teammates cries echoed in Koa's ears and he felt the toxic lure of his powers begin to ebb. he blinked, almost dizzy from the sudden calm of his corruption slipping away. For a moment, he felt a brief sense of anger. He needed that power back, he wanted it-

The sky shattered and a hail of meteors rang down. Focus! He admonished himself.

The dark thoughts thoughts faded to a dull buzz and his head felt clear, maybe clearer than it had since the fight started. Maple. They here to save Maple. He distantly heard the voices of his teammates calling out to her, but he paid them little head at the moment.

"Maple." His voice rang out, loud and clear, unburdened by corruption. Two words came out, even as maple seemed to be returning to her sense.

Words he wanted to hear?

"It's ok."

Even as he spoke, it was over. Maple was recoiling, drawing away. The Hydreigon, suspended above, now freed, drifted down. The two spoke and Maple seemed to calm.

As the Hydreigon spoke, his confusion grew until he simply stared at her, dumbfounded, exhausted and reeling.

"Dark... Dark Eternatus?" he stammered. "I don't understand. Who is she?"

 

[Ambyssin]

"What the hell is going on in there? I sensed an energy spike out in the tree and I know it wasn't me or Owen. If things aren't going well, you all need to bail and leave Maple to Dark Matter."

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave kept a wary eye on the contained parasite as Wishkeeper added more layers of barriers. Hopefully it'd hold at least for a little bit.

"Hello, everyone," he said. "I'm... very sorry for what happened here. You all went through a great effort to rescue us, haven't you? My name is Blade..." He gestured to the leviathan next to him. "And this is... also Blade. Or, should I say... Dark Eternatus."

Dave stared at the Hydreigon. "I fucking knew it," he snarled. "Dark Eternatus, huh? Let me guess, the Eternatus that hid in Telum's Tree of Life absorbed its Dark Matter and you and that's how Maple happened?"

 

[Fusion]

With the onslaught of attacks that came, the ones Scrafty dodged and tanked to be precise, one would assume they'd be awake. Instead, gentle snores left their body. For as bombastic as they were before... it was almost, kinda-sorta cute to see them asleep.

"... Oh shit, are you actually still out?" Puddle asked, poking Scrafty's cheek. Again and again, each time bracing for some kinda retaliation... but no, nothing came. "Huh, see? That wasn't so hard! Now we both can kick back, relax, and let the team do their thin--"

"To hell with that!" Scrafty suddenly exploded with energy, a dark, ethereal cowl forming over their head, the wax around their body condensing into a far more toned figure, and the purple flames turning a crimson red. "I came here to do one thing and one thing only!"

Puddle, holding on for dear life, exclaimed, "Goddamnit!"

"Aw yeah, someone's in for a beating no--?" Scrafty spun around, eyes darting every which way... but Starr wasn't big anymore. "...the hell..?"

"W-Wait... were you actually asleep?!" Puddle sputtered, tightly gripping onto Scrafty's shoulders. "The fight's already over, we won! Gods... pay attention, dickhead!" it popped, walloping the back of Scrafty's head.

It didn't do much, that punch, other than tilt Scrafty's head a bit. They stared at the battlefield, the at-ease Maple, the knocked out Starr with Brisa standing over her... the rest of the team regrouping around some Hydreigon... then pouted. "What the hell..." they grimaced, pulling back their cowl. "All of this for nothing? Really? Tsk..."

Puddle let out an annoyed grumble, oozing off the Scrafty's back. "Yes, really. I told you the others had it handled, idiot."

Scrafty rolled their eyes, crossing their legs as they floated in the air, angrily gripping their arms. At least they were right, Team Spectrum doesn't lose.

 

[Namohysip]

Blade, the Hydreigon, finally let go of Blade, the leviathan, and she did not strike back. Instead, she stared, watching quietly, obediently...

"I think... there is a lot to explain. She is telling me everything, now, and I am... getting some of the memories back, too."

Hydreigon was about to gather everyone before hearing something from the other side of the portal. "I am Blade. I think... I've met you before, now that she is telling me." He gestured to Maple. "In these Voidlands, she and I are separate. But in the world of the living, we are one and the same. Or... we all are. Yes... I understand, now... I'd been sealed for so long..."

Something rumbled.

"Ah... there isn't much time. I think your friends need some help in the living world..." He gestured to the portal. "Don't worry about us. We can explain later."

"Are you sure?" Wishkeeper said.

"I think you have it handled." Hydreigon smiled and gestured to the Parasite locked away in layers of Protects.