No sooner had the sting from impact with the ground had subsided, Butch was already aware of another, more searing pain eking its way through his entire body. The Pokemorph’s hyper beam that had thrown him and the others apart had indeed been powerful – even without directly targeting any particular member, the sheer intensity of the light had cut into Butch’s skin like a million Carvahna teeth. Even now, it continued to prickle and burn, accompanied by a deeper, more gut-churning sensation where his limbs felt as if they were trying to escape. Shakily glancing down, the man yelped as his eyes alighted upon the mottled red skin of his now-clawed hands.

Then it clicked. The blast of light, it had to have been responsible for triggering his transition to a Kenjoko morph!

“Let’s see how they like it,” Butch began to smirk, in spite of the rising pain. Despite his presence in the midst of the battlefield, such unsettling mutation had gone unnoticed. Trainers, coordinators and gym leaders alike had their attentions firmly locked with those of the opposing side – throwing every attack possible in an attempt to prevent further advancement towards Tomary Tower.

Staggering to his feet, the fully-transformed figure twitched his massive wings and attempted to get a decent grasp of the situation. Despite now bearing heightened senses, Butch was unable to locate Cassidy or any of the others amongst the violently-clashing figures. In any case, he felt it best to lend his power and attempt to hold back the oncoming horde until he was reunited with his companions. However, before he had a chance to formulate some kind of strategy, a shadow ball shot by him, missing his leg by inches . Glancing at the withered patch of grass where the energy orb had made contact, Butch swung around to glare at the creature responsible for his attack from behind. He didn’t even have a chance to open his mouth before another shadow ball hit him in the face.

He knew he had to keep his cool - untamed anger was hardly something that would win the side of good any points against such obscenely-powerful opponents. But with temporarily-blurred eyesight as a result of the energy bombardment, Butch was finding it hard holding his temper under control.

“Now, Lerik!” came a forceful cry. Butch blinked as he realised the voice was coming from in front of him – it seemed that a passing trainer had mistaken his Pokemorph appearance and assumed him to be a member of the Team Rocket forces.

<Hey, whoa!> he exclaimed, forgetting his words would be undecipherable to most humans. <I’m with you guys! Save your attacks for those trying to DESTROY the tower, alright?>

Butch’s eyesight cleared, presenting him with the spindly form of an angry-looking aged woman dressed in a navy blue skin-tight bodysuit and golden tiara, accompanied by an equally blue Diguard holding a fluorescent-bladed staff. The Diguard was now wearing a rather puzzled expression.

“Lerik, what are you waiting for?” the woman spluttered. “This isn’t a gym battle!”

<I haven’t got time for this> Butch muttered, turning toward the continuing battle while Lerik waved his arms excitedly, causing the staff to jiggle in the process. The woman raised an eyebrow before closing her eyes, lifting out a hand in front of her and aiming the palm towards Butch’s receding figure for a moment.

“Well this is an unexpected surprise,” she smiled, glancing up again and dashing after the Kenjoko morph before stepping deliberately into his path. “But a pleasant one, nonetheless. I am happy to see the better intentions within you have come to light since we last crossed paths.”

<Huh?> Butch pulled a face. <When have we ever met?>

The woman noted her recipient's baffled expression and uttered a small chuckle. “Granted, you were unconscious when I found you back in Midna City,” she said. “My name is Azima Kenedith. I am not one to overlook a being in need, even if their current motives are questionable.”

Butch was about to ask how this odd figure had even been aware of his motives when a bolt of electricity passed close by. It was enough to return his attention, and Azima’s, to the situation at hand.

“Come, Lerik!” she called to the Diguard, before the two figures quickly vanished amongst the crowd. Butch took off in the opposite direction with a roguish grin upon his face.

This was going to be fun.

 

***~~***~~***~~***~~***

 

            As determined humans and their pokémon clashed repeatedly against the seemingly-tireless forces of the Pokemorph army, a dark blur sped through their midst. Stian the Douumaped navigated the tangle of limbs, passing streams of energy and clouds of dust and rock with relative ease while Caley hung tightly to his back, eyes shut. He didn’t feel afraid, and this in itself surprised him, but the rapid beating of the wind against his face and the flying debris dictated it was best not to look up if he could possibly help it. At least until Stian uttered an insistent grunt, prompting his trainer to pay attention. The tower boundary was unmistakably close now, its massively thick iron doors standing immovably for all to see. It was only at this close proximity that Caley got an impression of just how high the wall really was. Of course, this was to be expected - Caley seriously doubted a place as important as this would have cut corners when it came to security measures. But there were no Agrarian Seers to be seen, and this both puzzled and worried him.

            Surely they were expecting his arrival. How could he possibly get inside without someone to let him in?

Glancing over his shoulder, Caley gulped as he caught sight of a number of Pokemorphs which had broken away from any interference and were now charging after him. Flying types which had previously been grounded as a result of clashes with other trainers were taking to the air once again in another attempt to cross over Tomary’s wall. This time it looked as if they would be successful.

Caley held his breath, unsure whether he should cry out a warning or let things take their course. Then he spotted movement along the top of the wall. Seconds later a sphere of blue energy thrust its way into the air and made contact with the left wing of a nearby Yanmega morph, sending it spiralling into Pigeot and Swellow morphs that had been flying alongside. As the trio of creatures struggled to regain control of their flight, Caley squinted to try and make out what had unleashed the attack. To his surprise, it was not a case of what, rather than who.

The man with cropped, dark hair lowered his hand with a satisfied expression, before uttering a loud and forceful order behind him. Suddenly, the peak of the wall was occupied with the forms of many robed figures and pokémon that stood in readiness alongside them. Every face was draped in a stern glare, muscles were tensed, limbs held aloft – Caley knew the Seers and their apprentices were ready to defend their sacred monument at all costs. A second cry spurred everyone on the boundary into a noisy, energetic flurry of action. The trainer couldn’t help but watch in awe as he witnessed their efforts. To see so many humans with abilities like his own, all gathered in the name of preserving what was right – it was something that inspired Caley deeply.

Slowly, the doors began to edge their way open, the gap between them widening just enough for Caley and Stian to pass through. As the Douumaped streaked under the archway in the wall, some of the younger Seers paused momentarily to wave at Caley with excited cries of “You can do it!” and “We believe in you!” before getting a stern reprimand for their distractedness. No sooner had Stian entered the tower grounds, any means of entry were hurriedly concealed while a barrage of light and energy stunned the Pokemorphs attempting to follow. A short distance away, Rose, Jessie and Cassidy watched from behind Persep’s psychic shield, their hearts sinking as their chances of catching up with Caley vanished with a resounding metallic clang.

“Wow…” Jessie remarked, a note of admiration in her voice. “Those Seers sure know how to put up a fight.”

“And make a good, solid door, too,” Rose sighed, watching the Pokemorphs battering against it with frustrated cries. “Caley’s on his own, now.”

“I’d rather it was kept that way than those creatures getting in after him,” Cassidy murmured, letting her eyes drift away from Persep and scale the wall. “Everyone’s having enough difficulty holding them back as it is…”

She trailed off into silence, her mouth dropping open as she continued to stare at a certain point on the boundary’s peak. It seemed that two people in particular had caught Cassidy’s attention – a man with sleek russet-coloured hair that grew down the sides of his face in two impressive-looking sideburns and a woman with dark green eyes and long, flowing hair in a similar shade to her own. Both stood close to one another as they yelled commands to their obedient, determined pokémon. As Butch lumbered up to meet the trio of young women, Cassidy uttered a horrified gasp.

 

“No…”

 

Before anyone had a chance to inquire as to the reason for this statement, a Rocket Super Elite who had been scowling upon seeing the valiant efforts being put up by the Agrarian Seers bellowed a most dismaying instruction to the Pokemorphs near him.

“Level that blasted wall this instant! Tunnel under it, tunnel through it, tear it to pieces if you have to! We must get inside that tower!”

It was obvious those atop the boundary had not been prepared for such a powerful onslaught. As blow after blow landed upon the seemingly, invulnerable structure by a multitude of clawed fists, hooves and deadly blades, some of the Agrarian Seers refocused their attacks upon the humanoid pokémon responsible for the destruction. But there just wasn’t enough, and the dwindling support for those who had been throwing the flying pokémorphs off-guard gave some of the creatures a chance to escape assault altogether. With the majority of trainers occupied in conflicts of their own, the situation was looking increasingly grim.

“It can’t take much more of this,” Rose murmured worriedly, noting the tiny cracks beginning to snake up the wall while Butch stormed forward to try and pull some of the pokémorphs away. Jessie quickly released Sloane to help assist him, but before the Snorlar could reach the source of distress, a Swampert morph let out a harrowing cry before slamming itself into the rocky surface with all its strength. Cassidy let out a gut-churning scream as the portion of wall the creature had made impact with rapidly crumbled. Those atop it tumbled downward while the ground under them throbbed with the bodies of the pokémorphs forcing their way past. The golden-haired woman was falling also, her hands having failed to grasp those of the russet-haired man next to her.

Sensing Cassidy’s anguish, Persep immediately disengaged the shield and ran toward the descending people in a bid to catch some of them from the air using her psychic power. Cassidy dashed after the pokémon, more due to a reckless gut reaction than anything else, but a sideways swipe by a passing Khangaskhan morph knocked them both aside. It was at this point that Butch decided to take matters into his own hands. Leaping upon the shoulders of a Rhydon pokémorph, the humanoid Kenjoko used the unfortunate creature as a springboard - stretching out his arms under the falling woman while using his wings to slow his own descent once he caught her. The pair landed heavily upon a mound of rubble, Butch wrapping his wings around them both as he rolled back to the grass below.

“Amandaaa!” the russet-haired man called in anguish, having missed the rescue amongst the clouds of debris and stampeding brainwashed pokémorphs. Butch sat up and slowly opened his wings before glancing at his charge with a relieved expression. But the feeling wasn’t mutual – upon realising just exactly what it was that had her in its claws, the woman opened her mouth and uttered a bloodcurdling scream.

“Mom, it’s okay!” Cassidy spluttered as she ran towards them, dodging passing figures as she went. “He’s with us!”

“Wait a second,” Jessie blinked. “Has my hearing been damaged by all this noise or did she just say ‘mom’ to that Seer lady?”

“Nope, you heard right,” Rose nodded with raised eyebrows, equally surprised. But Cassidy was no longer concerned about what her companions may have been thinking. As the robed woman was helped to her feet, the once-ice-cold figure had thrown her arms around her with exclamations of joy and thankfulness. The woman pulled back for a second to examine the face of the one who’d embraced her so suddenly.

“Cassidy? Is that you?”

 

“Yes, mom,” came the soft, slightly awkward reply. “I…came back.”

 

James, Denise and Adam arrived just in time to see the continuation of this public affection. Inhibitions having returned, Cassidy was now looking rather uncomfortable about it all while Jessie tried her hardest to stifle her laughter and Butch winced and rubbed the side of his red, scaled head as he waited for the ringing inside it to fade away.

“So what did we miss?” Denise inquired brightly, despite the dire surroundings.

“Apparently, a lot,” Adam pulled a face. At this point, Cassidy’s mother released her arms from around her daughter and examined the figures surrounding her with a questioning expression.

“You came to defend the tower too, with the other trainers here?” she asked.

“We came to defend Caley,” Cassidy corrected. “But now the wall is damaged, he is in great danger.”

“We have to reach him before the pokémorphs do!” Denise cried.

“Caley? Is that the name of our Ahnloka?” Amanda exclaimed, receiving a nod for her inquiry. “In which case, let me guide you to where he’ll be heading. It’s the least I can do for such a valiant rescue attempt.”

One would probably have been able to see Butch blushing had his skin not already been a deep enough shade of crimson. Instead he turned to mask the uncomfortable expression upon his face, and as his human companions followed Cassidy’s mother through the gap in the wall, he began walking away in the opposite direction. James glanced back at him momentarily.

“Where are you going?” he asked. Butch grunted before waving a clawed hand back out at the battling pokémorphs.

“Good idea,” James smiled, catching his drift. “Try and keep them away from this hole until the Seers can do something about patching it up.” The man couldn’t help but chuckle at this point. “Never thought we’d be working together like this, eh Butch?”

<Never thought you’d get my name right either, but hey, miracles happen,> the figure smirked, more to himself than his lavender-haired companion. With that, James dashed swiftly after the others before the Agrarian Seers surrounding the wall rapidly sealed the gap with liberal applications of ice and rock.

 

***~~***~~***~~***~~***

 

            Caley continued his passage atop Stian’s back through the tower courtyard at high-speed, psychically fuelled by the enthusiasm of the young Seers he had encountered just a few moments previously. He knew the feeling was not his own and yet, it did not concern him in the slightest. During these trying circumstances, any help towards maintaining a positive spirit over what he was about to do was seriously appreciated.

            If Caley had but a moment to do so, he may have stopped to admire the beauty of the surrounding scenery. The gravel path Stian was following wound between lush green trees planted with some semblance of organization in mind. Under some of these trees stood stone carvings inscribed with delicate markings, bearing tapered components on long, thin wires that span furiously as the Douumaped ran by.

            The trainer felt himself lurch forward as Stian screeched to a halt in the middle of the path. For a second, Caley puzzled as to the reason for this unexpected stop - then it hit him. His senses had detected a culmination of darkness, more intent on him than the more primitive presences that amassed upon the field. It shattered the previous brave façade, sending a shudder down Caley’s spine.

            It was then that he realised – the pokémorphs had managed to enter the courtyard. And not only were they behind him, they were also approaching him head on. He was surrounded, with no knowledge of how to enter the tower and escape.

            Caley swallowed nervously and glanced around, unsure of whether to continue or go back, when there was a rustle in the leaves above his head. While his recently-alerted psychic abilities detected no threat, the rest of him instinctively went on the defensive as a robed figure dropped from the branches and landed soundlessly in front of him. As the figure glanced up, his crimson-tinted eyes met with Caley’s and the trainer flinched slightly in response. While they were not glazed over like those of the pokémorphs he had seen, there was something about them that, though trusting and kindly, appeared odd and somewhat hard to pinpoint. Regardless, Caley needed to find a way in, and the long-haired stranger seemed to know where it was. Waving one hand over his shoulder as a signal, the man took off to the left, between the trees. Stepping from Stian’s back, Caley nodded thankfully to his pokémon and returned it to its Pokéball before giving pursuit.

 

***~~***~~***~~***~~***

 

            “Are you sure he came this way?” Jessie asked as she ran alongside her companions and Amanda, who was leading them.

            “Undoubtedly so,” Amanda replied, glancing at Growlie as he sniffed intently across the ground ahead. “Your friend’s Arcanine has quite the sense of smell.”

            “As if the giant footprints weren’t enough of a giveaway,” Cassidy groaned. “Looks like a whole unit got in after that kid.”

            “Well then let’s hope Luthor found him first,” Amanda sighed.

            “Who?”

            “Luthor is one of our Tower Guardian’s assistants,” came the explanation. “He was sent to guide the Ahnloka to the peak, while the rest of us focused on keeping the ‘unwanted visitors’ out. Seems we had underestimated the force of these creatures, though.”

            “We all did,” Denise sighed. “In any case, the best thing we can do is keep things standing long enough for Caley to do his job. And that includes ourselves.”

            “At least we’re managing that part for the moment,” James reminded them cheerfully, despite the sounds of explosions and angered cries that echoed in the background. “Errol’s old enough to take care of himself, Cory’s smart enough to use his skills to his advantage and Butch’s power almost matches that of the mind-controlled pokémorphs. Besides that, everyone else is here with us.”

            “Hold that thought, James,” Jessie looked thoughtful and glanced over her shoulder. “I note a distinct lack of irritatingly-muttered comments.”

            It was at this point the truth dawned on Denise. She whirled round, her resulting anxious cry searching amongst the trees for some sign of the youth she had grown to respect so much.

 

            But he was nowhere to be seen.

 

            In fact, matters had proven all too much for the already-burdened adolescent to take in. He had stopped dead in his tracks, gazing at the clashing figures through yet another hole in the wall as sounds of remorseless fighting rang in his ears. The bodies of bloodstained human and pokémon figures were strewn along the wall’s base, having been toppled from their perches in their determination to preserve what was left of the tower boundary. Adam longed to run over and check whether they were still alive, but was frozen to the spot in fear over thoughts at the possibility of discovering they were not.

            Cyzel tugged persistently at the sleeve of his companion’s sweater, urging the boy to move on before his lack of movement drew attention to his exaggeratedly-vulnerable state. But Adam’s watery eyes saw only the scene of tumultuous battle and his heart, having forgotten his own existence for just a moment, crumpled in despair at witnessing something so wrong, so pointless.

            He didn’t want to run any more.

            Suddenly a dark shadow was cast over Adam and his pokémon, as a hulking figure with ashen skin and a face masked in a blue outer shell plunged its fist through the gap between the thick stone. It struck Adam a glancing blow, sending the boy flying backwards amongst the trees. As the Glalie morph leapt into the courtyard after its target, Cyzel hissed, bared his fangs and flung himself toward the creature’s neck. No longer was the pokémon considering the trapped human form underneath the transformed exterior – it was intent upon bringing the threat to his closest friend down as soon as possible. But Cyzel’s attack was stopped short, as the Glalie morph detected an attack from the rear and swung round, holding out a muscled arm in defence. Cyzel took this opportunity to clamp his jaws down on the outstretched limb instead, but this move proved to be unwise. No sooner had the Cyameez sank its teeth into the humanoid Glalie’s arm, than a sheer cold gripped its entire body. The pokémorph reached across, ripping Cyzel’s stiffened body from its own before dashing it to the ground, leaving the enhanced pokémon to shudder helplessly under a thickening icy embrace.

 

***~~***~~***~~***~~***

 

            He should have felt triumphant at the things he saw. He should have felt thankful, even proud to have been one of those leading an army of the most powerful fighting entities known to mankind. But as Darius Mayhew strode firmly around the tower perimeter, watching these entities tearing into vigilant human and pokémon opposition without a single thought for their actions, he felt nothing but confusion. For years, his morals had been forcibly smothered by duty and a wilful desire to prove his father wrong. To prove that he could make something of himself. And what had he made of himself? Nothing but an object of fear and hatred, even to his own son. To think he was even a part of such carnage…

Darius swallowed hard as unsettling emotions began to clutch at his gut - he wasn’t finding it so easy to ignore his conscience any more.

A strangled cry caused the man to stop in his tracks and glance around. Nothing posed any physical danger to him upon the field, as a Team Rocket Elite operative and army officer he was fully equipped with the strongest shielding money could buy. But what Darius saw in that moment was enough to shatter whatever remained of the barricade holding back his sense of righteousness. There, locked in the tight grasp of an ice-type pokémorph's claw, was the beloved son he thought he’d lost.

“Stop!” Darius yelled, almost tripping over the remnants of stone left in his frantic attempts to get closer to the humanoid Glalie. The creature glanced over its shoulder but did not loosen its grip - it was at this point the man realised he would need to calm down and regain control of himself. All soldier programming had been designed not only to ignore commands from anyone other than Team Rocket army leaders, but also to override orders from said leaders that would constitute an act of mercy. Such orders were easy to detect from a panicked tone of voice such as the one Darius had used previously.

“Listen to me, TY-X325!” the man reiterated, this time in a more forceful tone. “Release that boy immediately!”

But the damage had already been done. No longer trusting Darius’ instruction, the Glalie morph uttered a screech before unleashing a blast of ice at its perceived threat. Darius threw himself to one side, the frozen energy coursing over his head in the process. It seemed a more direct method of preventing further harm to his son would be in order. Not that the man was comfortable with the Plan B he had in mind – it had been a good few years since he’d put his soccer skills to use.

Praying that his accuracy was still as good as he remembered it, Darius dematerialized his shield, picked up a chunk of debris in one gloved hand and hurriedly stood up before tossing the item towards his right foot. The resulting kick gave the debris enough force to fly straight at the pokémorph's face, embedding itself the creature’s helmet-like outer covering and causing it to release its human cargo. No sooner had the adolescent’s violently-coughing body hit the ground than Darius let out an almighty bellow.

 

“Adam, RUN!”

 

Adam staggered blearily to his feet, aware that someone had yelled at him but unable to make out whom it was that had done so. Despite the voice triggering memories in his mind, they were as blurred and indistinct as the boy’s vision. Darius cursed under his breath while his son retrieved his pokémon and hobbled down the path, longing to go with him to make sure he would survive, yet annoyed with himself for sealing his own fate. The Glalie morph wasn’t about to wait for attentions to be returned to it, however. Darius cried out in alarm as the creature hit his lower limbs with another blast of ice, freezing the man to the spot.

So this was how it was going to end, huh? Darius forced himself to keep a grasp on some shred of determination, but it was fading fast. He knew he only had himself to blame for the situation he was in. It was every man for himself in Team Rocket – none of the other Elite officers would even think of rebelling against their own organization to rescue him from a certain fate. Why would they? With the death of a ‘comrade’, there would be more glory and accolades to fall to them.

 

And who amongst the resistance ranks would possibly want to help someone who had helped command the morph army in the first place?

 

“Well whaddya know…” Errol mused, having reached the scene just in time to witness this occurrence. “Dat Rocket guy seemed awful concoined about Adam gettin’ hoit.”

“He knew his name, too,” Cory blinked, attempting to read Darius’ mind as he kept the humanoid Glalie’s attentions diverted. He reeled back in surprise soon after. “And no wonder…that’s Adam’s dad!”

“Ain’t dis one big happy family reunion,” came the groaned response at yet another familiar encounter.

“So does that mean we should help him?” Cory inquired. “I know he’s been leading the pokémorph troops but he is one of Adam’s parents, and he has just turned against Team Rocket by saving his son’s life.”

“Dat weren’t wit’out risks ta his own, I admit,” Errol nodded thoughtfully. “Okay den, kid. Got a plan?”

“Well transformation is out of the question,” Cory sighed, glancing down at his purplish-coloured paws. “I used up that last lot of energy I received from that Aggron morph’s Hyper Beam just getting us both to this point.”

“Yeah…” Errol remarked in distant but amused tones. “Copyin’ one o’ dose Team Rocket Storm Sprinters was a sheer stroke o’ genius.” The man glanced at his pokémon companion momentarily. “Y’know…dere is plenty o’ energy comin’ off dose explosions on da udda side of dat wall.”

“Hey, I might be enhanced but I’m not invincible,” Cory spluttered. “And I certainly don’t have a death wish.”

“Touché,” Errol nodded, staring at the ground thoughtfully – there were very few options, and a dwindling amount of time to use them in. “But what else could possibly have a chance against dat overgrown ice cube?”

Without warning, Cory yelled - throwing himself from Errol’s shoulder and trying to use this momentum to pull his friend down in the process. The man fell forward onto his knees, just as a frigid blast flew over his head and into the darkness of the trees behind. The sound of an impact followed, combined with an angered roar.

“Focus, Errol!” Cory scolded. “ We can’t save Adam’s dad if we end up being frozen like him!”

Darius’ eyes widened a little upon overhearing this. Turning his head, he realised that his ears hadn’t been deceiving him – a highly wanted exile and one of Team Rocket’s experimental pokémon were contemplating his release! This momentary spark of joy soon sputtered out as the thundering of a large pair of feet was heard. A humanoid Magmar appeared from between the trees, embers escaping from its mottled beak and eyes aimed fiercely at the Glalie pokémorph that had happened to shower it in ice just a few moments before. Its programming hardly accounted for stray shots – any attack was automatically assumed a threat, to be dealt with severely.

The Glalie morph uttered a screech as a flamethrower engulfed its upper body. Noting the distraction, Darius’ spirit of determination was rekindled. He flipped himself onto his back, raising his legs just the right amount that the heat from the humanoid Magmar’s flamethrower melted the ice surrounding them. Then, with a quick glance in Errol and Cory’s direction, he was back upon his feet and running quickly out of sight.

“Feh, so much for helpin’ a guy in need,” Errol muttered, making his own retreat with Cory on his shoulder while the morphs were occupied. “Jus’ abandoned us - not a t’anks or anythin’.”

“Oh, he was more thankful than you think,” Cory smiled, recalling the expression he’d caught in Darius’ eyes, just before he’d left.

“He could have at least helped us out wit’ some battle tactics,” Errol remarked, taking shelter somewhere between the trees and the tower wall.

“No need,” Cory grinned. “We’ve already found out what we needed to know about how to fight back.” This earnt him a hard, puzzled stare from his companion.

“We have?”

“Yep!” came the excited reply. “Didn’t you see that look on the Glalie morph’s face when the Magmar one attacked it? That flamethrower was packing something awesome, enough to even hurt other pokémorphs!”

“So what’cha sayin’ is ‘morphs are like diamonds – dey can only be damaged by da strength of deir own kind?” Errol concluded.

“Exactly,” Cory gave a nod, clambering from his friend’s shoulder to the ground. The man gave out an enthusiastic cry in response.

“We’s gotta tell da uddas about dis! And fast!” he exclaimed. “But how could we possibly manage to get ta dem before any more pokémorphs do?”

“Did I mention I managed to catch a good bit of energy from that fire back there?” Cory smirked, his purple skin turning silver-grey as he spoke. Errol chuckled as he watched the resulting form emerge under his gaze.

“An’ yet anudda shape ta boot,” he commented. “You’re one tricky kid, I’ll give ya dat.

Let’s go!”

 

***~~***~~***~~***~~***

 

It seems I’ve been given one last chance, Darius told himself as he ran. Keeping himself unseen was a priority now, despite the urgency of his new, self-assigned mission. No one could know what he was about to do.

I never set out to let this happen, but pride got in the way of the most important matters of my life. This time I’m not going to mess up. For Janice, for Adam…and all those wanting some justice in the world.

 

He must be found and stopped before that button is pressed…otherwise all their efforts will be in vain.

 

***~~***~~***~~***~~***

 

 “So where is the tower entrance anyway?” Caley inquired in Luthor’s direction, realising just what he had done soon afterward. The mysterious figure hadn’t spoken since they’d met - perhaps he was incapable of doing so. With this in mind, the trainer turned his own thoughts to more unsettling matters. “I sure hope we won’t have to use any Warp Tiles.”

Luthor could not help but smirk to himself, but since Caley was following him and not the other way around, this reaction went unnoticed. Pausing by a small bridge, the man glanced over his shoulder to make sure the trainer had caught up, before turning to face the clean, white patch of wall in front of him. Caley took this moment to peer over the side of the bridge at the rushing water below – the channel was far too narrow to serve as any protection, so the trainer assumed it to be a means of keeping the gardens and those living within the tower sufficiently supplied with water. But where was it coming from? And where could it possibly go? If this wasn’t confusing enough, the bridge itself appeared to lead to nowhere.

As Caley stood there wondering whether to ask his muted guide what happened next, Luthor raised his hands toward the wall. For a split second, the trainer saw an odd flicker of light cross the man’s back, branching out into the air in two separate directions. Then part of the wall began to open. It was far from how Caley expected an entryway to be revealed to him, almost as if the very stone itself was dissolving into thin air, particle by particle. Hurriedly, Luthor ushered his charge through the small gap before quickly sealing it behind them.

The first thing Caley noticed upon entering was the sound of rushing water, which was far louder than it had been outside. Glancing up, the trainer’s eyes widened as at last, he was finally able to take in the illustrious splendour of the Tomary Tower. It had seemed like forever that he had been waiting to reach this very spot, but here he was, staring into the unfathomable heights of the tower’s inner structure without a word to utter over how awesome it all was. A massive central pillar reached from the painstakingly-set mosaic floor straight into the air, while water cascaded down it from the very same point above Caley and Luthor’s heads. Upon reaching ground level, the water was carried out of sight through a multitude of channels so tiny, they appeared to have been designed as part of the mosaic itself. Caley would have continued to puzzle over how on earth the water got up there in the first place, if Luthor had not grasped his wrist and pulled the young man toward the spiral staircase to re-affirm him of more important matters.

It was only at this point, as Caley continued to follow his silent companion higher into the tower, that he noticed something unusual about Luthor’s movements. While the edges of the robe he wore flapped and waved with his hasty ascent, his legs barely seemed to move and his feet glided over every passing step. Caley came to the conclusion that this Agrarian Seer must be a Psychic Cho’moken user just like himself, and silently wished he knew how to use telekinesis to scale a staircase.

As their course took the pair of figures to the next floor, Caley admired the tall, ornate shelves crammed with books while Luthor raced ahead, listening sadly to the airborne creatures outside. The conflict showed no signs of ceasing and it was more than apparent the side he most longed to prevail was losing strength. Another round of explosions and energy blasts sent a shudder through the tower’s foundations.

Time was running out.

Another floor brought another empty room filled with neatly arranged chairs and a book stand at its forefront. Despite the ferociousness of the outside assault, most of the articles within the tower had been kept relatively intact. Caley swallowed hard as he thought this matter over while he ran – every capable Seer was out there fighting to give him this chance, multitudes of trainers had gathered at this point to do the same. He couldn’t mess up.

The trainer blinked and slowed his pace a little - all of a sudden the surroundings had grown oddly dark, save for the intermittent flashes of energy that managed to permeate the tiny cracks in the tower wall. Out of the corner of his right eye, Caley spotted another, fainter glow. Turning his head, the young man approached a small glass panel before peering through it into the area beyond. Rows upon rows of differently-coloured lights shone back at him through the blackness. Upon closer inspection, Caley realised they were in fact the glowing eyes of Absol statues - each standing to attention on a pedestal, in poses that indicated their intent of whole-hearted guardianship. The trainer found this scene quite bizarre – what purpose could those carvings possibly have, all kept together in one room?

Before he could consider further, Luthor darted by with a deeply anxious face tinged with embarrassment at his own personal mournful pause. His own train of thought returning to the present, Caley pursued his silent companion once more. They were almost at the tower’s summit.

A deep, comforting aura was the first thing the trainer noticed surrounding him as he reached the next floor. The sound of water that had continuously gushed away in the background during his ascent was much louder here, accompanied by an ethereal hum. Glancing in the direction of these noises, Caley let out a breath of amazement at what he saw. It was obvious that this was the point where the water began its descent – the main central pillar had branched out into several smaller supporting beams here, and held snugly amongst the axis of these beams was a radiant, blue orb. This artefact was about the size of a beach ball and its pulsing energies within gave the appearance of it almost being alive somehow. Caley drew closer toward the balcony, transfixed – he couldn’t quite believe his eyes but it seemed the cascade of water was emanating from orb itself!

Luthor stood by with surprising patience, an expression of pride gracing his features. It seemed that while the rest of him was hurried in his matters of duty, part of him wished Caley to admire and appreciate the splendorous, yet curious sphere suspended before him. It was a pause too many.

The trainer swung round in shock and alarm as the wall behind him burst inward in a shower of rock and shards of stained glass. From the cloud of debris a Fearow pokémorph thrust itself forward, swatting Luthor aside and diving toward Caley with a bloodthirsty screech. A blast of light caught the creature a glancing blow on the side of the face. Shielding his eyes from the dusty swirl, Caley looked up to see a robed female figure with reddish hair standing in the doorway to the upper staircase, soft golden eyes full of determined anger. Opening her mouth, the woman let out a high-pitched cry before dashing toward the Fearow morph. Luthor got to his feet and copied the action, rising steadily into the air as he did so. While the awestruck trainer continued to watch, the same flicker of light passed across the man’s back, this time rising in its intensity. Two long, thin blue wings emerged from Luthor’s shoulder blades as the shimmering light passed over his entire body, encompassing his human features entirely. Then the glow faded to reveal a long-necked birdlike dragon with tiny feet hidden amongst its bushy blue tail feathers, a short pair of forearms and red-coloured triangle upon its chest.

“Whoa…” Caley murmured as he passed his eyes over Luthor’s companion, who had taken a similar, if smaller form with a blue chest-marking surrounded by red feathers. Unphased by these transformations, the humanoid Fearow swiped for the creature which nimbly dodged aside. Luthor responded by hovering backward, his crimson eyes backlit by a blue aura. The same aura within the room intensified as the orb behind Caley began to glow brighter. Then suddenly, a blast of water coursed over the trainer’s head, making impact with the Fearow morph and throwing it back through the hole in the tower wall. As this happened, Luthor’s companion flew down and tugged upon Caley’s sleeve, pointing insistently toward the door she had come from. The humanoid Fearow had been deterred but for a moment, now it was flying back towards the tower with other pokémorphs in hot pursuit.

“Guess I’ll have to take this one alone,” the trainer mused, with a thankful nod towards the two creatures as he ran for the staircase.

 

***~~***~~***~~***~~***

 

“They’ve broken through the pinnacle boundary!” came the anxious exclamation from a passing Seer to Caley’s companions as they brushed themselves down. An unexpected ambush from an irate humanoid Magmar had been swiftly diverted by Errol, who had led a Gyarados morph into its path of attack while riding atop a Magnezone-shaped Cory and returning Adam to Denise's side. Regardless of this small triumph, the group had lost the precious minutes they had so badly required to catch up with their trainer friend.

“That’s not good news at all,” Amanda shuddered. “With that shield down, there’s very little we can do to keep those monsters from flying into the tower.”

“In which case, there’s nothing to keep us from doing the same!” Jessie announced firmly. Cassidy and Amanda stared at her in shock.

“It would be an incredible risk to your lives,” the latter insisted.

“Nothing this trio hasn’t experienced before,” James grinned. “We go where Flayir dare not flay- er, I mean fly!”

“Yeah, where Wobbuffets dare not wobble,” Errol chipped in, while Cassidy pulled a face.

“And how do you all expect to get up there, huh?” she inquired. “You can’t all stand on the back of that unidentified flying oddity.”

“No one will be able to stand on my back at this rate if someone doesn’t come up with something,” Cory snapped irritably, causing Amanda to step back with an alarmed yelp. “My energy is running out fast!”

“So now what?” Adam exclaimed. “Where are we supposed to get a flight when every trainer with a flying pokémon is using it to fight for their lives?”

“Not every trainer,” a familiarly precocious voice cooed from up ahead. The group glanced up to see the cumbersome forms of a Dragonite and Salamence hovering overhead. From atop the Dragonite’s back a young girl with lengthy cerulean blue hair smirked triumphantly. “Someone request an airlift?”

“Alyth!” Denise exclaimed. “Man, are we glad to see you!”

“Speak for yourself,” Adam muttered, glancing the other way. Alyth raised an eyebrow at this response.

“Do you want to get to the top of that tower or what, Grumpig-features?” she inquired rudely, not even waiting for a retaliation. “Now get on. Keval will be able to take another rider and Artimus can handle two, no sweat.”

“In that case, some of us are going to have to stay down here,” Rose concluded, glancing around sadly at the others. Jessie and James looked at each other for a moment, before giving a unified nod.

“We’ll stay,” James said. “Sloane and Growlie will help us to do what we can.”

“I’ll stay too,” Cassidy raised a hand. “Butch is still out there and well…I…” She looked awkward at showing concern for her ex-operative partner, to which Jessie stifled a giggle. With that, Rose clambered upon Keval’s back and positioned herself neatly behind Alyth. Adam and Denise took position atop Artimus, the former grasping the Salamence’s shoulders while the latter held her companion tightly round the waist.

“Let’s go!” Errol cried as Cory rose into the air above the others’ heads. Alyth gave the signal and her two dragon pokémon took off in pursuit.

“We’ll spread the word of your battle strategy to the other trainers, Errol!” James called after them.

“Good luck!”

 

***~~***~~***~~***~~***

 

By this time, Caley’s legs were burning from the amount of steps he had ascended, his chest gripped by exertion as sweat ran down his forehead. Surely he was at the top now – if he wasn’t, then chances at succeeding would be even slimmer than they were before. It was hard not to get discouraged.

“At last, you have arrived,” came a voice from somewhere above him. The trainer looked up in surprise to see another robed figure standing a little further up the staircase, wearing a warm, welcoming smile. He looked no older than Caley and had wavy teal-coloured hair that reached down to his chin.

“You spoke…” Caley blinked as he approached. This caused the young man to chuckle heartily.

“That surprised you?” he inquired, before realising the reason for Caley’s astonishment. “But of course, Luthor and Rosu led you here.”

“Were they pokémon?” the trainer asked. “I’ve never seen anything like them before.”

“The Lati are pokémon of the most sacred order, usually resigned to their own portion of the universe,” came the knowledgeable reply as the young man turned and quickly ran back up the stairs from where he had come. Caley followed. “But if any do come here, they most always keep out of the sight of humans. You are privileged to have seen their true forms, but I would expect no less from the Ahnloka Omega.

My name’s Nikkos Artemas, I am Alia Summit’s Tower Guardian. My cousin told me all about you, Caley.”

“Your cousin?” the trainer looked a little taken-aback. Then realisation struck. “Do you mean Teiresias?”

“That’s right,” Nikkos gave a nod.

“I don’t mean to sound rude but you seem kind of young to be given that kind of responsibility,” Caley scratched the back of his head. Nikkos gave a small shrug.

“Maybe,” he responded. “But couldn’t the same be said of you and your position? Remember, age is merely a number – it is wisdom and the condition of one’s heart that really matters in this world.”

“Wow…I never thought of it like that,” Caley murmured, deeply impressed.

“As for my guardianship, it is my duty as a descendant of the one who first opened the gate,” Nikkos continued. “It would have been my brother’s responsibility had he the same faith as I do. But sadly he is not part of the Seerhood, so the position fell to me.

But enough of my difficulties. We must hurry – he is expecting you.”

“Who?” the trainer looked confused, to which Nikkos smiled warmly.

“Oh, you’ll see,” he said, quickening his pace.

 

***~~***~~***~~***~~***

 

            Eben Richt usually relished the opportunity to take a recklessly-fast ride across the Orre desert landscape. But as he clung to the back rim of a speeding hover truck, the young man knew this was way beyond the thrill-seeking even he was well known for. And that was saying something. Eben’s daredevil antics had earned him quite a name in the rundown streets of Eclo Canyon’s Tygye City. Though the company he kept was something of a ragtag group with mixed values, Eben had proved to be a warm and friendly guy who stood up to the fiercest of challenges. And with the challenge of reaching the sacred Relic Stone to fulfil his Nexus duties hanging over his head, Eben needed all the determination he could muster.   

A few hundred metres behind the hover truck, a small group of pokémorphs thundered in pursuit, occasionally firing blasts of flame and energy at the escaping vehicle. Eben had been managing to deflect the majority of the attacks by using his Ground Cho’moken powers to rip chunks of earth from behind the truck and use them as a temporary shield. But this was far from enough – the pokémorphs refused to cease their chase, drawing ever closer with each passing minute.

            “Can’t this thing go any faster, Mike?” Eben was forced to bellow over his shoulder to the figure in the driver’s seat, for the noise of the hover system’s aged energy generator was almost deafening.

“What? A Model 10-6 CargoMaster?” the driver responded with noticeable amusement in his voice. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

“Then why did you bring it?” Eben cried in disbelief, lifting his hands to tear another mass from the ground and bring it in front of him to stave off a blast of electricity.

“It was all they had available at work,” Mike shrugged. “Gotta make do with the tools you have, that’s what my friend Wes always said.”

There was a short pause while Eben eyed his older companion somewhat accusingly.

“You’re way too calm sometimes,” he muttered, rubbing his hands together to remove the dust that had been kicked up from the moving truck. “It messes me up.”

“When you’ve been around the block as many times as I have, things like this wouldn’t phase you either, kid,” Mike smirked, adjusting his glasses. “Don’t you worry yourself, we’re almost at Aga-

 

…uh oh.”

 

Just a short distance up ahead, a barricade loomed. It wasn’t a forced arrangement, more an unfortunate act of circumstance in which over a hundred pokémorphs and Team Rocket operatives in armoured fighting machines clashed head on with those who stubbornly opposed their actions. The area in which the conflict had spread directly blocked the route toward the bridge that the truck had to cross in order to reach Agate Village.

“We’ll have to drive round them,” Mike concluded.

“If we do that, I won’t get there in time!” Eben spluttered frustratedly. “I can see the village from here! This can’t happen now!”

“There’s no other option,” Mike insisted. “This thing isn’t designed to fly.”

“But maybe it can be customized to dig,” Eben smiled to himself, reaching up and slamming down the shutters on the back of the truck. Mike flinched as he overheard this.

“What? How do you possibly expect to do that?” he exclaimed.

“Well how much weight can this thing carry?” Eben asked.

“I don’t know…” Mike looked uncomfortable over thoughts of where this conversation might be heading. “Four hundred pounds or so?”

“That should do it,” came the affirmed reply. Eben quickly clambered from the rear compartment into the cab’s passenger seat before winding down the window and leaning out of it, Pokéball in hand.”

“Go low, Spindle!”

Mike uttered a cry of alarm as the front end of the hover truck tipped sharply with the weight of the Rhydon that had materialized upon its hood. As the vehicle became unbalanced, Spindle clung tightly to the hood before boldly thrusting itself toward the ground. The rotating drill-like horn upon its head made contact with the dusty ground at this point, sending Spindle and its cargo burrowing down into it at breakneck speed.

“What the-?” Mike’s mouth dropped open while Eben quickly ran to the back of the truck once again. “That sure was some ingenuity if I ever saw it.” He flicked on the headlamps to gain a better view of the surface ahead.

“We’re not in the clear yet,” Eben replied sternly, flinging open the shutters before reaching out both hands, tightly sealing the makeshift tunnel’s entrance. “It’s going to be a case of hit and miss as to where we surface. How you doing out there, Spindle?”

The Rhydon uttered a low moan over the combined sound of the hover generator and its own drill. It was obvious the intensity of the prolonged digging was beginning to take its toll. Eben returned to the passenger seat with an anxious expression, examining the rising agony upon his pokémon's face. How much longer could it possibly hold out? He knew Spindle was trying his best and couldn’t stand to see him hurting, but what else could he do? There was no way back, and no way forward should the Rhydon stop digging. No amount of potions could cure fatigue – encouragement was all he could give.

“You can do it, Spindle!” Eben called, leaning out of the window despite the thick clouds of dirt and tunnel walls racing past at dangerously close proximity. He reached out, grasping hold of the Rhydon’s foot as a way of letting the pokémon know he still believed in it. No sooner had Eben made contact, a white glow emerged from underneath his hand, spreading from the ends of his fingers and across Spindle’s body until the Rhydon was entirely encompassed in light. Mike squinted as the brightness lit up the sides of the tunnel to such an extent, one could see the detail on every passing rock. When the light had faded again, the Rhydon that had been clinging to the body had vanished, replaced by a larger creature with long, angular arms and red body plating.

“What’s happened?” Eben gasped breathlessly, watching the energized figure roar with renewed determination and burrow all the harder, increasing the truck’s speed somewhat. “Did Spindle just evolve?”

“It seems so,” Mike blinked, resisting the urge to take his glasses off and rub them in disbelief at what he had just witnessed. “But Rhyperior…a Rhydon’s never evolved without a protector attached! This certainly ain't no textbook case.”

Eben glanced down at his hand awkwardly - with his Rhydon’s evolution and his sudden onset of exhaustion, he couldn’t help but feel responsible. Had his Cho’moken abilities somehow managed to transfer the energy needed? He returned his mind to the more important matter of reaching Agate Forest – now Spindle was a Rhyperior, digging the tunnel under the battling figures on the surface was proving effortless.

It wouldn’t be long before they were back out in the open.

 

 

***~~***~~***~~***~~***

 

 

“Well, here we are,” Nikkos announced, pushing open a tall, wooden door before walking through it. Caley walked in after him – his hands had been shaking violently with his nervousness not long before reaching this point, but all of sudden those feelings of worry began to melt away. He was now standing at the edge of a huge pyramid structure, the walls of which were entirely composed of a glass-like substance. The trainer wasn’t entirely sure whether it was glass, since the surface of it sparkled and shimmered in a way he’d never seen any normal window do before. Round the edges of this pyramid room, ornate lamps hung from metallic stands, bathing the area in a gentle glow. Somehow, the light and sound from the outside world could neither be seen nor heard here.

Then Caley noticed the pedestal. It stood in the centremost part of the room and was carved in the shape of a feline creature with violet jewel-like protrusions from its shoulders and across its chest. He moved forward, captivated by the beauty of such articles.

“What is that creature?” he asked. “And what are those stones coming out of it?”

“That, Caley…is Tensoku, a most noble pokémon,” Nikkos explained with deep reverence, holding out a hand to take Caley’s satchel from him. “The stones you see are shards of Taragirite, the purest, most potent mineral on this planet. Every living thing has some amount of Taragirite inside it, but Tensoku’s Taragirite levels were far higher than any other. It was imperative, for it to be able to fulfil its duty as energy conduit for our world.”  

“Energy conduit?” Caley blinked, handing Nikkos the satchel.

“This planet heavily relies upon a replenishment of energy to keep it from dying,” Nikkos continued, with noticeable sadness. “That energy is gathered from the Millennium Comet, so called because it passes across our skies just once every thousand years. Tensoku’s duty was to gather this energy and transfer it to where it was needed most.”

“But I’m guessing it doesn’t do that now, considering you’re speaking in past tense,” the trainer bit his lip. His robed companion nodded slowly.

“Tensoku gave his life to stop the darkest force known to us from devouring everything you see,” he explained, motioning toward the top of the pedestal. Caley drew closer, peering over the stone tablet that rested there. It was inscribed with the letters of an ancient language which he could not understand, but even so, the trainer seemed to know exactly what it was.

“Is this…The Tablet of Origi?”

“That’s right,” Nikkos responded. “This very room is built at the exact spot the first Ahnloka stood to contact our creator all those years ago. You are standing upon that very spot.”

At this point the young man glanced up, as if urging Caley to do the same. He imitated the action and as he did so, his eyes met with a beautiful violet crystal suspended in the tower’s apex. He was certain it was the Oragon Ritchie had spoken of back on the SS Marion and the very sight of this breathtaking formation compelled Caley to raise his hands over the pedestal. His head lowered subconsciously as he did this, his eyes flickering shut. Suddenly the trainer felt a deep warmth from within, a living warmth that ebbed and surged through every limb of his body.

All at once, the battlefield gave itself to silence. Every head, be it pokémon, human or otherwise was raised – it was as if every figure upon the mountainside had suddenly become aware of what was about to happen. At the top of the tower, a bluish aura shone forth. Nikkos watched with a satisfied smile as this ethereal light projected itself from Caley’s body and across the surface of the stone tablet, growing in its intensity. The crystal above the trainer’s head began to glow with the signs of a mysterious presence, slowly descending from the ceiling towards the pedestal. As it drew closer, Caley slowly opened his eyes and held his palms outward, catching the jewelled object in midair. It was then, that the trainer realised what truly lay within.

A tiny figure with a star-shaped head crest decorated in green tassels was encased behind the translucent surface, caught in a state of suspended animation. Caley uttered a breath of disbelief at what he saw - its shape was identical to the design upon the tapestry the trainer had seen in Raisa’s cottage, back in Kuwayii.

“…Jirachi?”

You have come a long way, Caley, came the reply in tones reminiscent of a long-forgotten melody. And have learned so very much. There is nothing to fear, for you are ready.

“Ready for what?” the trainer spluttered. He knew the telepathic voice was coming from inside the crystal, but how? Jirachi looked as if it was asleep! Attempting to regain his composure, Caley asked in somewhat calmer tones, “What happens now?”

Now? Jirachi echoed. Caley could almost hear a hint of mischievous joy in this singular word. 

Now, they shall see.

 

***~~***~~***~~***~~***

 

Some distance from Alia Summit, carefully concealed by the swirling cloud and rocky crags of the Upper Mountain Range, a black Team Rocket aircraft hovered. It was far more impressively-built and equipped than any of the machines that had been sent onto the field, but despite this, it had not entered into the battle. The figure within had been observing the movements of his genetically-enhanced army the entire time, a darkly complacent expression upon his face. But now, as the light from the tower spread across the sky, the expression had been replaced with something less approving.

“So the prophecy was true,” he murmured to himself, while an anxious-looking Elite operative typed furiously upon the keypad of her console.

“The forces have ceased attack, Giovanni sir,” she reported. “I’ve attempted to hail them – they’re not answering. I think…I think we’re too late.”

“I am never late,” Giovanni responded with unsettling conviction. He reached into his pocket as he said this, bringing out a device no bigger than a credit card, covered in circuit patterns. Raising the device in the direction of the tower, the man began to chuckle evilly.

“Your efforts were valiant, boy,” he commented, lowering his finger toward the device’s singular button. “Valiant, but futile.

The key is about to be broken.”

 

***~~***~~***~~***~~***

 

            Suddenly Caley reeled backwards with a sharp cry. It felt as if someone had punched him in the stomach and the resulting pain from the blow smothered the once-comforting warmth that been flowing within him. Then he realised, something was terribly wrong. He could now sense it within himself – something that was not meant to be there, something that was now taking hold of every inch of his body and driving the psychic energies within it dangerously out of control.

            He had to let go of the crystal. He couldn't let what was happening to him reach Jirachi.

            The trainer tried to release his grip, but it was as if the sheer intensity of the energy had bonded his hands to the surface of the purple jewelled cluster containing his pokémon companion, locking them together in what seemed to be a ceaseless tide of agony. All he could do was scream for help, while Jirachi’s anguished high-pitched cries inside his mind only served to add to the gut-wrenching cacophony.   

            Nikkos ran forward to try and break the connection, but was driven away by the massive ring of blinding light that now surrounded the figure in the centre of the room. Cracks began to snake up the huge glass panels in the tower’s pinnacle as the very building itself shuddered from the force of this unseen power overload. As Caley opened his eyes, beams of blue light shone forth from them, blotting his pupils from sight entirely. At the very same moment, air behind him appeared to tear apart, revealing a mass of green, glowing lines.

 

***~~***~~***~~***~~***

 

            “Come on, you guys!” Denise cried, stumbling over her own feet in her frantic attempts to ascend the staircase to the tower’s peak. “Caley’s in trouble!”

            “And what can we do about it?” Adam spluttered, running behind the girl. For once, he wasn’t being apathetic - listening to the sounds of Caley’s agonized screams had instilled a deep sense of hopelessness within him. As much as he wanted to believe he could do something, this time, he couldn’t think of a single way how. He had relied so much on Caley’s ability to overcome challenges in the past, that he had forgotten that when it all came down to it, Caley was human too. Gifted, but human nonetheless.

            “Anything we can,” Rose spoke up, cutting into Adam’s sorrowful thoughts. The youth nodded, then flinched as a massive, ear-splitting smash was heard from above their heads. Deathly silence followed, accompanied by a distinct absence of light which caused the small group to become more panicked than they had been while hearing their friend in pain. Somehow this circumstance felt far more unwelcome.

            Picking their way carefully up the remaining darkened steps, Denise, Adam, Rose, Errol and Cory ran toward the doorway as fast as their legs could carry them. Adam was the first to enter, slamming himself against the wooden panel before toppling forward with the force of the impact. Denise dashed past him through the open doorway into the room, eyes frantically scanning the results of the previous occurrence.

            The sizable glass windows of the pyramid roof had been completely blown from their frames, their thick, shimmering fragments littered the floor and the body of a faintly-moaning robed figure that was sprawled face down nearby. Rose quickly approached this figure, carefully lifting him into a sitting position before brushing off the glass shards with her sleeve.

            “What happened?” she asked.

“…gone…” came the barely-audible reply. 

“Gone?” Rose reiterated anxiously, before noticing something in the man’s arms. It was a yellow satchel, noticeably scuffed and worn from miles of travel. Pulling the article somewhat roughly from the figure’s grasp, Denise unzipped the upper flap before peering momentarily at the contents within. Then the girl’s legs crumpled from under her, tears beginning to run down the sides of her face. She threw her head back, staring up distressedly through the shattered roof as her single grieved exclamation echoed into the cloudy sky beyond.

 

“CAAAAAALEEEEEEEEEY!”