Dungeon 50 – Nightmare
by NavarLance let the rain fall on him, hide the tears on his snout, and his emotions run wild. How long had it been since Brian left? Time didn’t seem to mean anything anymore. Nothing did.
Hah. I really am… a monster, aren’t I?
It was almost pitiful, really. Lance clenched his fist and punched the grass on his side. Bits of it flew in the air, getting larger the more he struck, with no intention of stopping it.
I’ve had… enough . I’m getting to the bottom of this. And then maybe, just maybe , I can go back. I don’t think it’ll be possible, but… I need to try.
Lance continued to punch the grass, but he suppressed the urge to scream, to shout at the top of his lungs.
I’m not a hero. I’m not a savior, or a messiah. I’m a monster. I’ve always been one, haven’t I? Ever since the kidnapping…
Only the sound of the rain gave him company. Lance was alone.
Ironically, it was that same noise that made the footsteps approaching so dull he couldn’t notice them.
“Hello, Percival.”
Scar. It was always Scar.
“…He stole my crown.” Percival said, not giving his supposed mentor the chance to ask.
“Ah.” If Scar was surprised, he didn’t show it. The Marowak simply scratched his chin, and his tail gently flickered. Percival had the impression Scar was holding back any angry thoughts. “…You are still emotional. Your bonds with Brian are clouding your judgment.”
Percival bit his lip. How easy would it be to knock that Marowak out?
…No. It was a reckless decision, and Percival hated these types of decisions.
“Hm.” Scar offered him a hand. “I will deal with this. It is clear that you are not fit for this particular conundrum. I shall ask the Knights to do it for you.”
“I refuse,” Percival took his hand, standing up. “What is a king if he can’t even defend his honor? This was the last time. Next time I see Brian, I will do what I need to.”
That wasn’t, technically, a lie. It just so happened that his definition of what he needed to do was different from Scar’s.
“Are you sure?”
Scar looked at him, and Percival could feel the judgment on the Marowak’s eyes, fierce, fiery, even. Was he still holding back?
“Yes,” he replied, nodding. If he still had any doubts, the reaction from his so-called mentor threw them all away. “…I will do what needs to be done. Brian has committed a crime against the crown.”
“Hmph. I suppose the fact you know him for so long would be a reliable asset.” Scar turned back. “Come, we need to make preparations to find him.”
Brian. Please… find a place to hide. There’s only so much I can do.
Per—Lance bit his lip. He had to trust his brother, for once. Brian knew how to take care of himself. Lance took a deep breath, taking one final look at the rain around him, and followed Scar inside the castle.
During years, Scar mastered keeping his emotions in check, learning patience, endurance and most of all, perseverance. All for their sakes. For his wife, for his son. For them, he would do anything . And he was so, so close to seeing them again, to having his wish granted.
Lies and deceivery marked so many decades of his life he grew used to them. And everything was starting to fall apart, with the crown—the Darkinium-Z stolen from his grasp… he wanted to scream. Scar couldn’t. Shouldn’t. What was left was doing damage control. Related to the Lucario in front of him, that was.
“Percival,” he said, burying all the emotions deep inside, except for one: disappointment. “…Did you at least fight back? We cannot afford to lose your crown, and the crystal contained in it. It is part of your side of the bargain.”
In hindsight, helping someone unseal something that was sealed was an incredibly stupid move of my part. Percival sighed. “No, I did not. And what exactly do you need it for? It’s just a piece of jewelry.”
“Do not worry.” Scar added, thoughtful. “I have talked with my Lord multiple times across the years, He is kind. And you should be the first to know appearances can be deceiving. After all, you deceived your comrades so many times.”
“I know.” Percival raised a brow. Now, it was so much clearer. His brain began working. Thinking, coming up with a plan to get as much information as possible. “…And perhaps I wish for some of His kindness as well. If it were not for my duties as King, I would go with you and help you release Him.”
His mentor seemed to consider that. Scar wondered… if he could trust Percival with this. Something was off about it. Was it a trick? He never expressed any interest in Necrozma before. And he didn’t know what Brian told him, or what the Zoroark knew.
But perhaps he was thinking too much about this. Even if Percival was planning on betraying him, it would hardly matter if they managed to get the other crystals. A smile spread on Scar’s face, his typical, gentle smile that Percival knew all so well.
“Ah, I understand. You wish to help our cause,” he rubbed his chin, thinking. “Very well, I can show you information about the locations me, Maxwell and Lilith will travel to soon.”
Given this was sensitive information, known only to them, there were a few possibilities: Brian discovered the locations on his own when he broke in the castle, Percival would tell them after finding out, or he was not telling his beloved brother. Scar hoped for the third option, but began planning contingencies in case the first two proved to be right.
Even if he was being betrayed, Scar didn’t mind. He had faith things were working out in his favor. And once Necrozma was free, betrayals would never matter. No crime would matter. More importantly, he’d see his family again. That alone was worth every betrayal.
Running for his life, for Lance’s life, for his friends’ lives. That was Brian, using his illusion to make himself invisible as he dashed across the streets. His heart was pumping so much Brian barely breathed, and barely heard anything other than the thumping of his heart.
His grasp on the crown was tight. As tight as he could, yet his body trembled, screamed for Brian to stop and calm down. Calming down happened to be the last thing on his mind right now.
Need to—gotta… gotta keep going. Gotta run, need to run… where are those two? S-Show up, please…
With the storm going on, Brian had little to no expectations that they would be waiting in the same spot he left them in. All he had was hope.
Panting, Brian’s eyes darted around, checking the now empty streets, watching Pokémon run inside their houses, merchants closing their stores, but no signs of his friends.
Note to self: make…m-make a communicator. Something ranged, so shit like this doesn’t happen!
He finally stopped, panting. Brian saw some Trubbish cleaning up the place where the crow was, and figured that was the spot. Now all he needed to do was wait.
And wait he did. Through the rainy wind that blew on him, through the cold that brought shivers across his spine, Brian waited. They were nowhere to be found.
Maybe it’s ‘cause of the rain. They probably took shelter somewhere, but… where?
Brian blinked, putting his goggles on. He stared in the distance, seeing a large tree. No, multiple trees and some benches. A park!
If I had to hide from the rain, I’d hide there! Brian fiddled with his goggles, adjusting the lenses to zoom in on the park. Just as he thought, he saw the familiar figures of Dexter and Meggie under one of the trees. Brilliant work, but… I might catch my breath before.
Brian took deep breaths and slowly walked towards the park. After so much running, he figured taking slow steps to get to his destination was the best option.
That is, until they were more than silhouettes, when Brian could really see them. The Zoroark ran, still holding onto the crown. Meggie was the first to notice, seeing splashes of water as the invisible fox made his way towards them.
“Hey, he’s here!” she said to Dexter.
Dexter grinned right as Brian dropped the illusion, showing himself to them. “Goggles! Yer finally ‘ere, dumbass! I’ve missed ye, ye sunuvabitch!”
“Nice seein’ you too.” Brian sighed in relief, then took a look at the crown. “There’s little—probably no time to explain. We need to find somewhere to hide, and fast. I’ll catch you up on the way.”
“I figured it,” Meggie shrugged. “We found a warehouse nearby. You better tell us everything!”
“Ye mean I found it, popsicle.” Dexter pouted dramatically.
“…I know it’s only been a few minutes, but I missed you all.” Brian let out a faint chuckle. “Lead the way, Dex.”
The warehouse was empty all around. It had been for a while, from what they gathered. Mosses and weeds pushed through the compacted ground, breathing for the light given by the shattered windows above. Rusty pipes ran along the rotting walls; clearly a far cry from the days of usage they once saw. The ceiling, too, was rusted and collapsing. Suspended by failing beams, this warehouse was not long for the world.
At least Brian managed to easily lock the entrance with some of the tool in his bag. They were safe, for now.
“Phew. Was getting kinda tired of all the rain. Now I smell bad.” Brian sighed, shaking the water off his fur.
Dexter did the same. “I know, right? Now me bandana’s all messy an’ wet.”
“…I’m doing fine, thanks for asking, boys.” Meggie rolled her eyes. At least she didn’t have to worry about wet hair, or… any hair at all. She descended to the ground, sitting. “And uh, Brian? What’s with that crown?”
“Shit, good point. Goggles, what did ye do?”
Couldn’t they just talk about other things?
…Probably not.
“So, uh, long story short, Scar and his goonies want to unleash some weird thing called Necrozma, which will make Lance be its vessel? And I kinda… told him about it, so now he’s no longer with them, but he can’t join us yet?”
Meggie locked eyes with Dexter, then looked back at Brian. “You don’t sound… sure of what you’re saying.”
“Easy, Goggles, easy.” Dexter sighed, leaning in and touching Brian’s shoulders. “Take it easy. Slow steps, aight? Start with that there Necrozma guy. Who be ‘im?”
“I, uh, don’t know… I followed Max and Lilith into a room, and they started explaining that they needed some crystals to let him out.”
Meggie raised her arm. “I remember Scar talking to me about it before, when we were in the desert.”
Brian blinked. “Wait, really? That’s… huh.”
“From what I remember, Scar seems super devoted to him, religiously so. I wonder… these guys sound like a cult.”
“Pup got involved with a cult? Shit, that’s… that’s awful.” Dexter stepped back. Sure, he didn’t know most of the details, but he did know cults were evil.
“R-Right.” Brian cleared his throat. “So Scar wants to set this Necrozma guy free… which is like, good for him I guess, but also, they said that Lance will be used as a vessel when they do unleash him. I don’t know exactly what they mean by vessel, but it… it can’t be good, r-right?”
Meggie looked down. “And… you told Lance about this?”
“Yes. We, err, we had a fight. I told him all I knew!” Brian’s fur poofed up, and he suddenly flashed a smile. “He believed me! He told me to punch him, steal the crown and run! So that’s what I did! Lance’s on our side now, but he mentioned—wait. No, he didn’t put it in those exact same words, but what I got was that he’s gonna be working as a double agent for us.”
“Lovely.” Meggie sighed, relief visible in her eyes, as was the exhaustion from the boat trip. She wanted to sleep, but hearing Brian was more interesting. “…Good to know.”
“The crown…?” Dexter looked at it, still on Brian’s paws. “Wait a minute. The crown ‘as a crystal in it, the same thin’ them cultists want?”
“Pretty much.” Brian sighed, clutching the crown tight. “If we could destroy this crystal, it’d be great . Think I’m gonna run some tes—”
Another deafening thunder struck, somewhere far from them.
“—tests. I’ll try to do some tests, don’t have my equipment, but I’ll figure something out. We should get some sleep.”
“Sleep’s good,” Meggie nodded. “You’re on the run, right? We should take turns.”
“Agreed,” Dexter added. “I slept the most o’ us on the boat, I can take the first shift.”
“Suit yourself.” Brian yawned, stretching his arms. “…This place sucks for sleeping, but we got this. G’night, guys.”
Their night was peaceful, if a bit painful due to the lack of proper beds. Thankfully, it took a long time for Dex to even feel tired, let alone sleep. And in the meantime, Brian and Meggie had slept closer together, the latter giving an excuse for Brian to share body heat with her.
Brian was the first one to wake up, yawning. The sunlight entered through the broken windows, illuminating the entire warehouse. He still heard a few drops of rain.
As for the crown, it was right next to him, and to Meggie. Brian finally stopped to take a closer look at it, more specifically, at the black stone. It was mesmerizing, shiny and… and it was powerful . Somehow, Brian felt that. Weird, he wasn’t even used to aura stuff like Lance was.
That thing’s powerful. Really powerful.
Nobody was awake except him. Brian could make some tests on it if he wanted.
Did he want to?
Ever so slightly, the crystal glowed. Brian gulped, unsure. If he could find a way to destroy it, then all their problems would be over. But… that aura was so enticing, so relaxing. He could use its power, surely he could. And it would help them all!
If… if this gives me the power to save my friends, then—then I need to take it! I… I need to.
His paws shook, trembled, part of him still scared of the prospect of taking in something so raw, so primal and powerful that it had to have consequences.
Another part of him wished, welcomed the power. And that part won.
Brian stood up, picking up the crown with one paw. With the other, shaky paw, he slowly pressed the crystal.
Thump, thump, thump.
Heart racing, Brian grunted, pressing his claws on the crystal, trying to pull it out. It was unmoving, unflinching. Still, he kept trying, struggling to even move it by an inch.
“Urgh… Brian?” Meggie yawned, opening her eyes just in time to see him doing… that. By all means, it was probably part of the tests he mentioned earlier. Still, Meggie couldn’t help but stare, her own heart sinking.
Next, it was Dexter, coughing up drool that accumulated on his throat. “Fuck… fuck, the hell’s goin’ on?” The Floatzel stared as well, feeling the same way as his Froslass companion. “Goggles?”
“I… I can sense the power this thing has. It’s gonna help us! So I’m removing it!”
“That—Brian, stop it. I don’t like—I don’t feel well about this!” Meggie pleaded.
Brian snarled, continuing to pull on the crystal, even as Meggie ran towards him. The sight of her running gave him the strength necessary to yank the crystal off the crown.
Inky darkness began pouring out of the Darkinium-z, forcing Meggie back. Her heart skipped a beat, then another. Maybe… Maybe things were going to be fine?
Brian panted, holding the stone on his paw, and dropping the crown. The darkness kept pouring, he kept his gaze on it.
“See? All good and dandy. It’s a-oka—GAH!”
He stumbled back, screaming, shouting , the crystal seemed to sink inside his very skin, piercing through, making drops of blood fall down. Those droplets, initially red, slowly turned back once they fell.
“B-Brian!”
“Goggles!” Dexter clenched his teeth, then charged forward, figuring his strength would be enough to subdue him.
…He was wrong. Brian grunted, barely moving his arm, and a black, shadowy arm erupted, shoving the Floatzel aside. Dexter crashed on the floor, screaming in pain.
“G-Get out! Get out! GET OUT!” Brian screamed, falling to his knees and slashing at the ground beneath him. The darkness kept pouring out of the crystal, now fused to his arm.
His short mane began to poof out, turning from its usual black into a shade of white, and extended all the way to his feet. Brian screamed, tears streaming down his face, blood dripping from his right arm, where the crystal was. Brian was surrounded by a pure black aura, covering him in its entirety, and his screams turned distorted. The area on his neck began to protrude forward, turning red and spiky.
“J-Just—get out of here! Get… get… g…e…t… o…u…t…”
Brian lowered his head backward, ceasing to move. His body twitched slightly, and part of his mane poofed down, covering one of his eyes, while the other began glowing ominously.
“Goggles? Goggles, can ye ‘ear me?” Dexter struggled to stand up, clenching his jaw in pain. “…Go—Brian!”
“Brian?” Meggie trembled, looking at… whatever Brian had become. She extended an arm. “Brian, answer us! We’re worried!”
“G-Graaah!” Brian—or the thing that looked like Brian snarled, getting on all fours, mane swishing unnaturally in the air, despite no strong wind currents in the area. Even his fur looked wispy.
“The fuck ‘appened to ‘im?” Dexter finally stood up, still grunting, but struck a battle pose, ready to fight. “Popsicle, we—I don’t ‘ave a good feelin’ about this here.”
“You.” The thing tilted its head towards Dexter, and a single tear fell down. “Not… guilty. Friend.”
The beast roared, running towards the exit. Dexter grunted, putting himself in front of Brian, and getting ready to punch him with both arms.
“Brian, I dunno what’s gotten into ye, but ye gotta stop! Now!” Dexter shouted, hoping his words would get through to his friend. He then turned to face Meggie. “Ye too! Help me! Something’s not right!”
“I-I… I can’t—” Meggie floated away trembling.
That was enough. Dexter stepped forward, focusing, the vaporous water in the air around his arm began to liquefy and shape itself into a gauntlet. “Don’t know what’s gotten into you, Goggles, but it ain’t right! I—what the fuck are ye now?!”
Dexter recognized… some aspects of the beast. Like the wispy mane, the protution on Brian’s neck… but he couldn’t put it into words.
Meggie, meanwhile, trembled. She couldn’t react, attack, or do anything. Just watch with teary eyes.
Brian roared, extending his left arm. It turned wispy and began to stretch, his claws turning sharper, larger as he slashed Dexter, who only barely reacted in time to dodge, and was still struck on his arm. The Floatzel jumped with his water-coated arm, punching his friend’s wispy limb with all his strength.
To no results. Brian didn’t even flinch. In fact, he stopped, raising his head and sniffing the air. “Not enemy.”
“If I were yer enemy, I’d be pretty fuckin’ surprised!” Dexter aimed at the bag and punched it off of Brian, making it roll on the floor.
Brian hissed, then ran forward, disappearing in the blink of an eye, and producing a shockwave so strong it blew both of his teammates towards the walls.
He was gone.
Dexter coughed, falling down again after hitting the metallic wall. He grumbled, turning to see the other side, and ran towards Meggie.
She was looking towards the exit, mouth opened and trembling, the words never managing to escape it.
“Aaaaaalright. What the fuck just ‘appened?” Dexter grumbled, looking for Brian’s bag. It was only a few feet away, easily accessible once he walked to it. Dexter zipped it open and grabbed two oran berries, tossing one to Meggie, and eating the other one.
She began to shiver. “…That wasn’t him. It—it can’t be him. I know him, Dex. I know Brian. He’s not like that.”
“I ain’t arguin’ with ye about it,” he shrugged, sitting down next to her. “Goggles ain’t the type. ‘Sides, he looked weird. Like… somethin’ outta a nightmare.”
Meggie looked at him, tears falling down her face. “I-I know. I know that, but… what happened? And—we can’t just leave him like that. Whatever it is.”
“Aye, aye. We ain’t leavin’ him.” Dexter nodded. He began working on trying to pinpoint why Brian looked familiar. Gears were grinding, but it was hard . “Gah, too much fer me brain. Can’t ye ‘elp me out, Popsicle?”
Meggie didn’t bother paying attention. Her mind was busy with other things, like… feelings. The feeling, the drive to protect Brian, to save him from whatever was causing him harm. It was like a fire in her heart, a flame that burned so brightly it was suffocating .
“…I love him.” she finally said. “I love Brian.”
Dexter instantly tilted his head. “…Popsicle, I know that, Goggles knows it, the entire fuckin’ world knows it. What’s yer point?”
“The point is that we’re gonna save him. And Lance.” Meggie took a deep, frosty breath as she locked eyes with him. “We’re saving both of them, even if it means moving heaven and earth!”
“Hey, hey, slow down there!” Dexter shook his head. One thing was to help them save their friend, the other was endangering his life for… for what, exactly? It didn’t sit right with him, he wasn’t a hero. “I’m not sure… if we can even go up against a cult.”
Yet, seeing her so pumped up, so full of life, of love, he couldn’t help himself. Dexter sighed, shaking his head. This was surely going to get him killed. That much was obvious.
“We need to move, Brian’s gone crazy and we need to find him asap!” Meggie grabbed the Floatzel’s hand and tried to push him.
“Aye, aye. Let’s go already!” Meggie grabbed the crown left behind, putting it on the bag, and ran.
Screams filled the air, and panic ensued as the beat walked, slowly, towards the castle. His claws scratched the rocky ground with ease, leaving marks wherever he went. Drool dripped on the ground, evaporating as soon as it made contact. His steps never faltered, never slowed. No, if anything, they were getting faster.
But so was the security. In mere seconds, Fraxure circled around the beast, some with spears, some with nothing but their fangs, and ready to strike at any moment.
The first one did. One that held a spear, charged towards the beast in an attempt to strike. And hit it did, right on Brian’s arm, but he didn’t flinch, budge or move, even as black, inky blood poured out.
What he did was contort his face and stare . Deep, deep into the Fraxure’s body. No, all the way into his soul . The dragon’s eyes widened, and he dropped the spear, tears rolling down his face like a waterfall.
“N-No. S-Stay ba—”
“GrrRAH!” Brian barked, his paws beginning to glow in a crimson and black hue. Spheres formed around them, and the beast jumped in the air, completely ignoring the spear on his arm. He roared, unleashing a high-pitched scream that shook the earth below as he fired the spheres towards the Fraxure.
At that point, the dragon started running, running with all the might his body had, to the point his legs were nothing but jelly. If he could just run faster , he’d be safe. If he kept going, He would be alright! All he needed to do was do—
The sphere struck, grazed his skin, and right away the dragon replied with a blood curdling scream of his own, well beyond what should be possible, or normal. As he screamed, the sphere began to envelop him, sticking together like goo, until it covered him completely.
Not once did the screams stop. Not even as the gooey wrap began to glow, bursting open in a crimson explosion, unleashing smoke all around it. The beast dropped to the ground and yanked the spear off of him.
Once the smoke settled, the guards saw that the Fraxure was still there, badly wounded, with eyes and mouth open, but otherwise… unmoving, inert. Like a statue.
“G-GrrrAHH!”
Brian turned his gaze to the rest of the guards, and something inside him told him they were the enemy, they were prey .
And predators knew what to do with prey.
Dexter was limping, waiting for the healing effects of the berry to kick in, but Meggie? Meggie was floating—no, flying as fast as she could, which happened to be much more than Dexter could keep up with, even if he was healed.
“Fuck me… why did me muscles ‘ave to make me so slow?”
He started running, hoping to at least catch up with her, but Meggie was faster. When he got to a spot, she was already multiple feet away. When he reached that area, she was gone. This kept on going on and on, Dexter panting, but Meggie was showing zero signs of stopping. Not even to catch her breath.
“We don’t have time to waste.” Meggie glared , the coldest glare she did towards him. The fire in her eyes kept burning, and Dexter wondered how much she cared for Brian. It had to be a lot . With capital letters, probably.
“I know, I know.” Dexter sighed. “But I be ‘urt, Popsicle. Ye can’t expect me to put on a marathon .”
She kept glaring, now with cold, almost dead eyes. “You’re right. I can’t—if you won’t help me, then at the very least, don’t get in the way.”
“Fer fuck’s sake—” Dexter groaned. “Meggie, Meggie, stop !”
He shouted, and she finally stopped glaring and listened . Meggie looked at him, angry, bitter. Tears were on her face, frozen, becoming snowflakes.
“What?!”
“Can’t pretend I know the full story between the three o’ ye, but ye gotta slow down! We’ll get there when we get there. There’s no point in ‘urryin—”
“What? Meowth got your tongue?”
Dexter shook his head, trembling, and slowly pointed to her back. Her whole body shivered , and something, some feeling crept its way onto her. Hesitation. Meggie gulped, trying to speak, but it fell on deaf ears. She slowly, slowly turned her back to see what exactly Dexter was talking about.
Bodies. Multiple Fraxure, or their bodies, on the floor. WIth their eyes looking like they were about to pop off their bodies, mouths opened. They were almost in line, picked off one by one.
That wasn’t the end of it. Because it made her gasp. It made Meggie fall on her rear. It made her cover her snout.
Brian. The beast. Holding one of the Fraxure by his throat, snarling and drooling on the floor. Plop. Plop. Plop. He never noticed her, or if he did, Brian didn’t bother.
“B-Brian?! C-Can you hear me…?” Meggie said. No, shouted at the top of her lungs, to really get his attention.
“Pop—Meggie, he ain’t listenin’ to ye, back off!”
But oh.
Brian did listen. He contorted his head backwards, bones cracking and popping, and stared. “…”
“F…ri…”
“Fri? From f-friends?” Meggie smiled. “Y-Yes, we’re your friends!”
“F-F riends?” Brian tilted his head. He dropped the Fraxure and smiled, but then he screeched , falling on his knees and scratching his forehead, using so much power black blood dripped from it. “G-GrrrrrAH! GRAAAAAAH!”
The beast snarled, his wispy mane flowing unnaturally as he got on all fours. Brian’s snout dripped with more drool and he stepped forward, ready for the strike, for the kill
But just as he was about to do it, the beast grunted, looking down at his feet. Ice was covering them, sturdy. Brian snarled, flexing his legs with enough strength to shatter it like glass.
“Hiyah!”
Brian blinked, only to be hit by a strong kick right on his snout after freeing himself from the ice. It forced him a few feet to his left, but he stuck his claws on the ground, slowing down until it came to a halt.
Meggie looked at who did it, and saw someone familiar.
“Hey, Meg. Sounded like you needed some help dealing with your boyfriend,” she said, hopping around. “Unless that pirate guys is your—”
“Feck off, Carrots.” Dexter grumbled. “Not into women. An’ it doesn’t matter, cuz we gotta get that there crystal off o’ Brian!”
“Is the party done already? Or can I come in?” Max stepped from the other side, putting his hat on and cracking his neck. “Four against one. I do like our odds.”
“You’re… the enemy.” Meggie said, barely holding back from attacking them on sight. Dex had to hold her back.
“Maybe, but the enemy of my enemy is my… ally.” Lilith shrugged.
Brian finally shrugged off the damage inflicted on him, and took a look at the four, roaring. Blood dripped from his forehead and arm.
Max opened his bag, taking a looplet and throwing it towards Lilith. “We might need you powered-up for this.”
She caught it without breaking a sweat, wrapping the bracelet on her right arm. “Ya bet.”
“The fuck’s that…?”
“Dex, stay back. And in case you can, feel free to punch them.” Meggie stepped forward, focusing. Water condensated around her arms, bobbing like a pulse.
“I missed ya too.” Lilith touched the emera on her arm, letting the energy rush into her, her body transforming. Her ears elongated and knotted up, and hard fur surrounded her paws and feet.
Max focused as well, but instead, his body doubled, forming a substitute to fight alongside him. Dexter blinked, then decided he really had to fight. He prepared a battle position and waited for the others to do something before stepping in himself.
Brian roared, rushing towards Lilith, his blue eyes glowing with anger, and his sharp teeth showing themselves.
Lilith simply smiled and charged as well.
She jumped, spinning in mid-air, then fell faster than what should have been possible, aiming a kick at Brian. The beast simply rolled to the side, dodging what would have been a very powerful attack, judging from the dent on the floor where Lilith kicked. She grunted in pain.
Yet, she simply yanked her foot off the ground and cracked her knuckles. “Ya ain’t so bad after all, kid. But—actually, who the hell cares?!”
“Grrrrrr…” Brian opened his mouth, a ball of pink, psychic energy began forming inside it. His fur frizzled with the move, until Brian roared out loud, the shockwave and the beam of energy sent towards her.
Once it hit Lilith, she simply faded into nothing. Brian groaned, just as multiple Liliths popped up all around him. They all moved in together, with pink hands, and unleashed a flurry. Punches, kicks, and bites… rolling, tussling, and clawing.
“…Do we need to ‘elp Carrots?”
“I… don’t think so.” Meggie deadpanned. True, she was willing to help. But did Lilith even need it?
“God, I wish that were me.” Max said, seeing Brian getting punched. It made the other two stare at him like he said the dumbest thing possible. “Double Team’s really cool…”
Finally, Brian had enough of that. He punched the ground with an arm just as it began to burst with energy, sending an enormous shockwave across the area where Lilith and her copies were. The ground burst open, sending numerous crimson black spheres to the copies, destroying them one by one.
Lilith bit her lip, moving, backflipping to dodge all the spheres. She didn’t like how they looked, and it was obviously something bad . With her swift movements, she was able to avoid getting hit. Then, she kicked the ground with force, jumping high in the air. Then, Lilith lowered her head backwards, unleashing a freezing beam towards him.
“ WEAK !” Brian retorted, puffing out his chest and unleashing a gigantic stream of flames that downed any chances Lilith had of freezing him.
Not just that, but it hit her, before exploding in a flash of flames, sending her straight into the ground. Bits of rock were thrown upwards as she crashed, screaming in pain.
“…That’s enough !” Max charged, his wires moving around, crackling with energy, and he promptly zapped Brian with it.
“K-Kuh!” Brian stumbled back, feeling the electricity run inside of him, especially once he tried to move.
Dex thought otherwise. “It can’t be all we needed to do to restrain ‘im.”
And just like Dex said, it wasn’t. Brian roared louder than before, shaking off the electricity. His entire body was covered in a black and red aura, his mane began swishing faster, and his fangs got sharper.
“G-Grrrr… RRRRRAAAH!” Brian created two more of the spheres from before, one in each hand, before combining them together into a larger ball, Then he threw it in the air.
The sphere fizzled, unstable, looking like it would pop off at any moment.
And it did. The attack exploded, unleashing a large wave of red energy that blinded Dexter, forced Meggie back, and made Brian laugh like a maniac.
Everything hurt. It all ringed, sounds muffled. Meggie didn’t bother trying to move, having a hunch she couldn’t. She grunted, trying instead to focus on the sounds she could hear. Voices, apparently. Someone… calling out her name. Shocked, desperate, angry. She could feel it, despite not knowing who the voice belonged to.
Then, the voice’s owner shoved down something… an Oran Berry, down her throat. And in seconds, it was all getting better. Her hearing, her sights, it was all coming back…
…Dexter began crying tears of joy, hugging her tightly. “Meggie! Yer back! Holy fuck, I missed ye, ye lil popsicle!”
“W-Whoa, hold on, hold on! Your hugs are too strong, sto—” Meggie squeaked just as he let go of her, rubbing the back of his head.
“Me bad.” Dexter smiled sheepishly. “Oh, and yer gonna want to see this here…”
Meggie slowly stood up, gasping. For starters, Lance , with a flowing cape, and with that… damn Marowak next to him. But that part was fine, she was expecting to see them anyway.
What she didn’t expect was a large crimson done in front of the two, crackling, bursting with energy.
“Hm?” Lance’s ears flicked, and he turned around. “Meggie, good. You’re awake. I need to know—”
“We require an inquiry of what has happened around here.” Scar said, firmly, grasping his bone club. “There have been reports of our guards going missing, the public is in panic, and my sub— teammates have also gone missing. Care to explain?”
Dexter snarled. “Like I told ye before, Brian has gone crazy ! He took that rock outta yer crown and went nuts!”
“Yes, but I wish to hear it from her .” Lance added. “Meggie, is that true? We may not be seeing each other anymore, but for the sake of my people, I am willing to help you deal with this. Whatever this is.”
Meggie frowned. Was Lance really on their side? She didn’t know for sure, but Brian trusted him. So she could do the same. “…Yes.”
“Hmph.” Scar faced the dome again. “I cannot begin to fathom how powerful that rock is. It resonated with Brian because he is a dark-type Pokémon, and the stone… it is pure dark-type energy. Not to mention… another detail.”
Dex raised an arm. “I told Bones about the knocked out Fraxure. He said—”
“They are asleep.” Scar added. The club’s tip ignited in green flames. “…It is not a normal sleep. They are under the effects of a powerful Pokémon, considered a myth. Darkrai.”
Meggie tilted her head, the name was unrecognizable. Dex, on the other hand, shivered just hearing about it. She concluded it was bad.
“My colleagues and I have reasons to believe that crystal contains the spirit of Darkrai, who has now bonded with Brian. That is why he acted so odd. He is nothing more than a beast now.”
This could also serve as a test for Percival, Scar thought. “…Your Highness, he needs to be put down. For the greater—”
“No.” Lance shook his head. “We will find another way.”
Hmph, as I suspected. Scar sighed.
Lance looked at his former teammate, and the Floatzel. “Meggie, Dex. Scar and I are going inside. Inside… the eye of the storm. Will you help us?”
The Floatzel had already made up his mind, so he looked at Meggie, waiting for her to decide something. “It’s yer call. Yer the boss, boss.”
“…My decision?” Meggie smiled. “Let’s go save him.”
Scar nodded. “Very well. I will give you my full support, and… for now, at least, ignore the fact you committed treason.”
Lance rolled his eyes. “Focus on the now , Scar.”
The Marowak clenched his teeth. “Yes, your Highness.”
At least this was a good opportunity to see the extent of the Darkinium-Z’s powers.
As soon as they entered, Lance dropped to his knees, or rather, was forced to his knees. The pressure that place exerted on him was enough to keep him that way. He also started crying, tears flowing down his snout. And once he looked at the ground… Lance saw snow. No, not just saw.
He felt it. The texture, how it was cold against his paws… that was real snow. Not an illusion, but actual snow. How? How was that even possible? Illusions were just that. Not real, and Brian was certainly not capable of adding tact to them.
“F-Fuck!” Dex fell down the same, as did Meggie.
Only one didn’t; Scar. He stood up, proudly, looking at them like he was thinking, theorizing on what that meant. There was a theory, one that needed confirmation, and to help with that, he looked forward.
A blood-red sky covered all his eyes could see, and every so often, thunder roared in the sky, and the cor—the unconscious bodies of the guards were there, floating in the air and coated in black aura. As were the bodies of Maxwell and Lilith.
“This place… it is a nightmare. Literally.” Scar stated. “It pins you down, it focuses on your deepest, darkest fears to control you. Brian is no different.”
“W-What are ye sayin’?” Dex tried to stand up, force himself to get up, but the pressure was stronger.
“I-I think… I think I got it.” Lance added, grunting.
“B-Brian’s possessed by the spirit of Darkrai, and that’s making his illusion powers s-stronger!” Meggie blurted, getting a nod of approval from Scar.
“Correct. And I am not affected by despair because…” he sighed, looking up. “I already have enough despair in my life. Come. Move on from the shackles that bind you down, and overcome despair. Get up. I cannot win this on my own.”
Lance grunted. Despair… he felt that. During most of his life, he was in despair. And now his brother was too. He couldn’t take it, he had to fight! Lance roared, slowly, but surely, getting up.
Meggie watched it happen and the fire in her eyes returned. Brian needed saving, and just as he helped her, she was doing the same. Once she accepted that, standing became much easier.
“H-How are y’all so good at this? I—” Dexter groaned. He had no personal stakes here.
Or so… he thought. This was a fight to save a friend, someone that trusted him, that he fought alongside with, that accepted him on that team. The pressure was strong, but Dex realized he wasn’t alone. He wasn’t a hero, but this… this wasn’t about being a hero. It was about helping a friend. The same one that believed in him.
And despair? “To fuckin’ hell with despair!” Dexter finally stood up, roaring loud and proud. “Aight! Popsicle, Pup, Bones, we’re savin’ him! I hear all of y’all, loud an’ clear!”
Now that they were all free from the pressure, Scar managed to smile. “Good. We must advance. Something tells me this will not be easy. And… I still believe Brian must—”
“I said no .” Lance snarled. He walked in front of them all, going ahead without saying another word.
Scar let his club burn brightly. If this was real snow, then they needed some source of heat. Except for Meggie, of course. He walked behind all of them, wanting to keep an eye out for any funny business. At this point, he didn’t think they would do anything, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
Lance clutched his cape, ears drooping. His own brother… turned into a monster like him. His heart was shattering just by thinking about it. And all because Brian wanted to help him. What kind of brother am I…? Hah. Hah… still a monster. But Brian, I promise I’ll save you.
He wished Scar wasn’t there, so Lance could talk to his friends. There was something he needed to do for them, if he was helping. All that was left was a window of opportunity.
Meggie eyed him, frowning. Can’t pretend I know what’s in his head, and I can’t even say that I forgive him. Not with Scar around.
As they walked, the snow became thicker, colder, and a blizzard surged, slowing their movements even more. It was so strong that Scar’s flame fizzled out. Or perhaps it was due to the sight.
“…It cannot be.” Scar said.
“What?” Dex looked forward, squinting his eyes.
There, in the distance, stood a house. A tattered, wooden house. Its walls were dry of any painting, where there were broken windows, shattered glass fell into the snow, a door that was broken in half… who could live there?
Scar. Scar recognized it. Right away, flashes of memories splayed on his mind, of that house, of his family. His dead family. That was the last place he saw them. Scar only held back the tears because he was used to it. But that house… it had to be empty. This was just another illusion. It had to be. Was there anyone inside?
The answer was yes. They heard a child giggling, along with another, feminine voice, giggling as well. There was another detail that caused Scar’s blood to boil . An Exploud walked towards the house, mouth opened, as a tiny ball of energy began forming, charging, growing.
Scar grabbed his club tighter than ever before, igniting it once again. “N-No— No ! Anything but this!”
The other three all turned to check what was going on with Scar. He ignored them, rushing ahead, body wrapped in flames that melted off the ever-thicker layer of snow.
Lance’s aura sensors twitched, sensing distress. Distress, fear, anger, despair… all emotions that he could detect on the Marowak. “S-Scar! This isn’t real! Hold on!”
The Exploud got closer, and the white energy ball stabilized as he took aim. Scar ran, almost there, almost there, almost the—
A roar was unleashed alongside the ball that turned into a long-ranged wave, completely evaporating the house.
Scar fell to his knees, both what he just saw and the pressure from this place forcing him to stay , no matter how much he struggled.
And he screamed. Until his voice failed, until his throat ran dry. Scar didn’t care, didn’t think.
Lance frowned. What they witnessed had to be…
“A memory,” he said. “Scar, who did those voices belong to?”
“My wife, my son.” Scar said, clenching his fists. “T-They… they were murdered, just for some Exploud to feel amusement. He was… the worst of the worst.”
Dexter gulped. His own parents had disowned him, but if he were to see them killed… he’d feel the same way. “S-sorry, Bo–Scar. This here place’s messed up. We gotta get Brian outta ‘ere as soon as possible.”
Meggie didn’t react. She was thinking, pondering. That was a memory, like Lance said. A memory specifically chosen to torture Scar, to break him. “This… Darkrai, who is he?”
“Maker o’ nightmares, an’ a boogeymon fer every child.” Dex answered. “Ma told me stories ’bout ‘im so I’d behave.”
“Hm…” Meggie whined. “I’m pretty sure this Darkrai’s trying to get us worked up. We gotta go, Brian’s waiting for us.”
“That was my theory as well.” Scar snarled, slowly standing up. “I am fine. Let us continue.”
Lance felt bad for him, despite everything being a lie. He almost wondered if the memory was a lie, but… no. The feelings of sorrow were true enough. He kept on walking, pressing forward, along with everyone else.
This time, Scar was the one upfront. His reasoning was to not let something like that happen again, as the most level headed member of this… hm, it couldn’t be called a team. A gathering? Outcasts, misfits? Perhaps for the Floatzel and Froslass. Him and Percival were nothing close to outcasts.
Said Floatzel stepped forward, passing by Meggie and Lance. His twin tails flickered as he stood side by side with Scar. At the very least, he had some questions to ask.
“The fuck did ye do to Pup? Now, I don’t know ‘im all that well, but… he seems different.”
“You should work on your tongue. I can hardly understand you.” Scar stated, rolling his eyes. “As for Percival? Nothing. All I did was open his eyes. Tell him the truth, something that your comrades seemed unlikely to do.”
Sheesh, sounds like somethin’ a cultist would say. Dexter refrained from expressing that thought out loud. “…Sorry. About yer family.”
Scar took a deep breath, and let out an equally deep sigh. “…While I understand that you are feeling sorry for me, that is an empty gesture. You do not like me. Perhaps… you are stating this due to a similar experience?”
Dexter shivered. Fuck! The guy read him with just some words!
“Your reactions speak more than your words, and unlike them, I can actually understand reactions.” Scar nodded. “…But refrain from interacting. You are not my friend, nor my ally. We are merely acting on the basis of a truce.”
“Fine, fine!” Dexter grumbled, walking forward, muttering some curses under his breath. Prick…
Scar didn’t bother following. “I would highly advise against going too far. Unless you wish to experience a nightmare of your own.”
Dexter begrudgingly stopped, letting them catch up, and then continued to walk. No wonder Brian wanted to deal with this so soon, Scar was a dick .
…Meh. I’ll just calm down. Gotta keep calm to get Goggles out o’ this place.
Honestly, what would his nightmare be…? He didn’t have fears. Nah, Dexter was a strong man. No fears! Not any that came to mind, and if none came to mind, the dungeon—if that counted as a dungeon—wouldn’t fuck him up!
“…Fascinating.” Scar’s voice, unfortunately, moved him back to reality.
“What’s fascinating?” Dex said.
“The water.”
“What?”
Dexter looked down, and it was true. Instead of snow, water rushed. It felt cold, eerily cold. And it smelled like… death. Or a rotten corpse.
“Must be another nightmare,” Lance said, sighing. “…But whose? I don’t remember this.”
“Me neither.” Meggie hovered down, trying to freeze the water. It worked… for just a few seconds, until it melted again. “Then again, I hardly remember things before all of this.”
“It is not mine either.” Scar added. That only left…
Dex. He frowned, watching the water all the way his eyes could see. Slowly, he saw a boat forming, materializing in the distance, and stepped back.
I can’t—I ain’t confrontin’ this now! There’s no time! I wanna find me friend!
Scar looked at Lance and nodded. The two walked a few steps back, while Meggie floated towards him, frowning.
“That’s… what’s that, Dex? You can talk to me.”
He knew that. It didn’t make things any easier. A lump formed on Dex’s throat. “Don’t got much o’ a choice, eh? If I do nothing, we’ll be stuck ‘ere. An’ goggles will… yeah.”
“Well, yeah, but I’m your friend. I like talking to you, and, if it weren’t for you, I’d—we’d have rushed in.” Meggie held his hand, sighing. “…So go ahead, lay it on me.”
“That’s… me old house.” Dex explained, looking at her. “Before I ran away from me parents. They were pressurin’ me, wantin’ me to take o’er the family’s business, but I… didn’t want that. I wanted to get outta there.”
So that was it. Scar sighed. Perhaps he misjudged Dexter. He sounded like a good kid, but as a parent… Scar could understand what they did. They thought that was the best for him.
“And that’s not a bad thing!” Meggie answered, clutching his hand. “You grew stronger, you went to places, you’re with us! Isn’t that worthwhile?”
Dexter blinked. Then, he laughed. So hard he shed tears. Getting a pep talk from Meggie? Unbelievable. He loved it, however. “Fuck… Popsicle, yer great. Don’t ever forget that.”
Lance and Scar saw the water evaporating, but the others didn’t seem to notice that at all. Well, he could leave them that way for a few more minu—
“Are you done? We still have to find Brian.” Scar said. Perhaps… perhaps killing Brian was not necessary.
“Yeah, yeah, sure, Bones. We—”
An earth-shattering roar got their attention, while the place shook. They all tried to hold their ground—except Meggie, who simply tried to help Dex do that—while the skies crackled with black lightning.
The roar got closer, coming from way above, as Brian fell.
He hit the ground, standing on all fours, and met eyes with them, drooling.
“He found us first.” Scar said, twisting his club. “Be wary. We do not know the full extent of his powers.”
Lance braced himself, eyeing the looplet on his arm, and decided to save it for a life-or-death scenario. One that he hoped would not come to pass.
Brian tilted his head, staring at them. His expression was neutral, but yet… there was a tint of pain. Not from his wounds, they had already healed, but perhaps, it was Brian, trying to break free from the thing that took him over.
“The odds are in our favor.” Scar said, but shook his head. “…However, Meggie and I are at a disadvantage. We will support you in any way we can. Percival, remove the Darkinium-Z from your brother’s arm, and it should bring him back to normal.”
“Should?” Lance grumbled. He focused, creating a large bone staff, made of pure, purple aura. “…You’re not exactly boosting morale. Dex, follow my lead. We can do this.”
“Aye, aye!”
“Meggie, I shall create an opening.”
Scar jumped in front, moving his club as to direct the fire elsewhere, namely, himself. He let the fire envelop him, and watched as it changed from orange to green.
“My apologies.” Scar charged, spinning his body like a wheel and clashing straight into Brian.
The “Zoroark” was forced back, snarling and grunting, trying to block the flaming wheel with both of his arms, only for it to end in him being burnt. Brian stumbled.
Scar muttered. “Meggie, now!”
She nodded and charged forward. Brian snarled, lunging in as well. He was fast , but Meggie had the power of flight, meaning she could outmaneuver most of his slashes and attacks. But the beast was angry. Brian lowered his head and unleashed a stream of flames right towards her.
Barely, that was. She floated upwards, clapping her hands together. The air surrounding her hands froze into a compact shard of ice. “Brian! I’m… really sorry!”
She yelled, unleashing a strong blizzard down, right where Brian was. Ice shards fell. Brian grumbled, dodging left and right. One of them was larger, and he had to jump to avoid being hit.
Dexter charged, wrapping both of his fists in water, shaping it into gauntlets. The Floatzel clenched his teeth and ran towards Brian just as he landed, trying to punch.
“WEAK!” Brian stated, blocking the punch with one arm.
“C-C’mon!” Dexter roared, punching with his other fist. Brian blocked that one as well. However, Dex smiled, roaring until his body started bulking, and from that surge of power, he was able to put more pressure onto the punch.
“G-Guuuurgh!” The Beast answered, legs shaking, but still holding the punches. His fierce, blue eyes glowed.
Lance took a deep breath, then ran forward, leaving nothing but dust where he stood. With his extreme speed, Lance was able to make short work of the way towards his brother, and with club in hand, he parried Brian’s knee, then the other one, and then jumped back.
His plan worked, Brian groaned, now struggling to stay upright. For Dex, this was great, as he was able to free himself from Brian’s fists, and answer with two of his own, hitting the “fox” with force.
“We’re doing this! But it’s not done yet!” Lance urged, moving his club and rushing in again.
…Close.
Closer.
Closest.
Brian stared at him right as Lance got close enough, with dead eyes. The Lucario stuttered, his sensors picking up the faintest sign of his brother in there.
The beast grinned, spouting up flames again, and Lance was tossed backwards.
Lance sunk his claws on the ground to slow down and lessen the impact, screeching to a halt. He panted, ripping off his cape.
“Scar, Meg, Dex,” he said, grunting. That wasn’t a normal fire. It was so strong . “…Stay back. Even with combined efforts, Brian’s not do—”
The Fox lunged, spinning around Lance and firing multiple balls of ghost energy towards him. He grunted, dodging some and striking others with his club.
Scar nodded. “Very well.”
Dexter wasn’t sure what Lance was even talking about, but after a nod of affirmation from Meggie, he, too, stepped aside. Lance, while dodging the strikes, kept advancing, kept getting closer to his brother. He snarled, tapping the stone on his arm.
With the burst of energy surrounding him, Lance was able to run faster than ever, his body enveloped with purple aura while the mega evolution happened. Brian answered to this with a burst of energy of his own, and tried to slash his brother away.
“N-Not today!” Lance blocked with one arm, or more precisely, with the spike on his right arm.
Their powers collided, making a large shockwave that spread across the area.
Brian and Lance kept putting pressure, each trying to knock the other off. Lance focused, taking deep breaths. Then, he roared,finally able to push Brian back and stun him, albeit temporarily.
“I am… so sorry.” Lance gathered energy in his right paw, forming a purple sphere that was shot towards Brian. It homed in on him, hitting the beast without any issue.
“Rrrrrrrrrrrurgh! RAAAARGH! ” Brian hissed, his stomach full of smoke around the area he was hit in. With a flicker of his paw, Brian launched that crimson sphere again.
“Not now…” Lance dodged to the side, rolling, and then charged, creating a second staff on his other hand, launching quick, but powerful strikes in succession.
Meggie almost protested, but Dex stopped her, grabbing her arm. “I think… Pup’s winnin’.”
“He has the power of Mega Evolution on his side.” Scar added. “…Observe. We must find an opening to help him finish this fight.”
Lance’s body burst with aura as he put more and more strength into his strikes, each one getting faster, harder, stronger than the other. Brian, having blocked most of the first one, started to get more defensive, and was slowly being pushed back by the flurry of moves.
“Come back to your senses, Brian!” Lance said, blocking a Shadow Ball by crossing the staffs in an X shape. “…You have dreams! You have aspirations! Don’t let something, some monster strip you of all that makes you who you are!”
Brian stopped fighting back. He panted. “L-L…ance?”
The Lucario’s ears flicked. Yes, yes! “Brian! Stay put, I’ll get that thing off you!”
He smiled back at Lance, but then fell down, screaming again. Sparks of black electricity crackled around him. “A-AH! G-GRRRRAH!”
Brian lowered his head. And stood still. Perfectly still. Lance gulped, instinctively backing away, little by little. “B-Brian?”
With another snarl, the crystal on Brian’s arm began to glow and pour energy to the outside, flowing to a single spot at the top of his paw. At first, it was the crimson sphere again. But then…
“Weak. Weak. WEAK ! I… strong. I… protect. I… defend… the seal.”
Scar’s eyes lit up. “The—”
Brian began laughing maniacally, the sphere in his hand fizzled. Changed, turning into a mix of black, red and purple. The mere air around it looked like it was being sucked inside.
“Black Hole…”
Lance didn’t bother letting him finish that. After creating another Aura Sphere, he charged, ready to clash with whatever that attack was.
Brian kept laughing, even as the spheres collided. “ECLIPSE!”
It didn’t last long. Brian’s attack enveloped the Aura Sphere, and with a swift movement of his arm, the Zoroark laughed, striking his brother with the sphere. Lance screamed in pain as the sphere began sucking him inside. Even while it happened, Brian didn’t stop laughing. All he did was throw the sphere into the air, where it exploded in red and black.
A giant cloud of smoke covered the area, blocking everyone’s vision. Dexter coughed, rubbing his eyes to try and get rid of that smoke, when he heard Meggie scream.
She pointed to the sky, or at Lance, falling down, his body full of injuries, until he crashed next to them. Meggie rushed to his side, opening the bag and quickly scanning for any berries.
Scar was about to protest when he saw Brian jumping at him, only giving him enough time to put the club in front and block the claws. “M-Meggie! Heal him already! I cannot hold Brian for long!”
Dexter tried to pull Brian away from his behind, but was simply slapped aside.
Lance grunted, pulling… something out of the bracelet, and showed it to Meggie. “Q-Quick… keep this, it’s important.”
Meggie nodded, finally grabbing the berry, and helping him eat it. “P-Please be well… please be well!”
Scar was distracted by literally having to save his own life to notice any of that. “Come on! We are pinning him down! Use this opportunity!”
Dexter rushed again, putting his arms around Brian’s stomach to hold him, but the fox began to struggle, trying to set himself free.
Lance swallowed the berry, panting. He looked at Meggie and ran ahead. “Let’s go!”
Meggie sighed, following him. She focused all her power to freeze Brian’s feet, at least to help restrain him more. Lance ran to Brian’s right side, where the stone was located. He saw it, pulsing, bursting.
“Alright, Brian. This might hurt, but it’s the only plan we have…!” Lance touched the emera, mega evolving again, and then grabbed the crystal, trying to pull it out. He grunted, feeling the stone piercing his skin.
Brian kept struggling, moving, attacking Scar. The ice on his legs began to crack, but slowly… he was getting weaker, just as Lance began to remove the stone.
“Push!” Lance said, groaning and putting more force, more power. “Push!”
“ Push !” Lance shouted, finally yanking the gem off his brother. The sudden energy release shoved him to the ground.
The crystal began to fizzle again, trying to get a hold of Lance. Meggie gasped, then opened the bag, picking up the crown. Now… or never. “Lance, catch!”
She threw the crown at him, and Lance managed to raise an arm to grab it. With his remaining strength, he let the crown and crystal close. Like magnets, they were attracted to one another.
Clunk! The crystal was perfectly slotted inside the crown. Lance panted, falling down. The battle was over.
Brian’s body glowed, the black aura surrounding it being transferred back to the stone, and he was back to normal, but passed out, being caught by Dexter, who wrapped his arms around the fox’s shoulders.
Scar also panted, catching his breath. The area shook, and the entire construct got sucked inside the Darkinium-Z, unleashing a white, bright light.
When the light faded, everyone saw themselves back in the street. The guards slowly got back to their senses, as did Max and Lilith. Scar set his priorities on his comrades—no. He went to check on Lance.
“Percival.” Scar said. “I… am glad you are alright. However—”
He turned to the ones that helped during this entire scenario: Meggie and Dex. They were tired, barely able to stand up. Even Meggie wasn’t hovering. But she had her hand inside the bag.
“—Hmph. Are you attempting another trick?”
“No trick. Dex!”
“Aye!” The Floatzel scooted to her side.
Meggie picked up an orb from inside the bag. There wasn’t even time to look at it before she smashed, teleporting the three away.
“Tch—Warped.” Scar immediately turned his attention to the guards. “Find and bring them to me.”
They appeared at the entrance to the city. Dex finally sat down, slowly putting Brian on his side. The Zoroark was still very much unconscious. Meggie leaned against the wall.
“Goddamn it… this was exhausting .”
“Ye do this here every day?” Dex asked, but if she decided not to answer, that was fine too.
Meggie shrugged. “…Usually, it’s a lot more contained. This was too much.”
‘Course it is. Dexter sighed. “Did Pup give ye somethin’? Don’t think Scar saw it, but I’m curious.”
She managed a faint smile, messing with the bag. “Yeah, he did. I don’t know how I had the time to put it in here, but…”
Meggie pulled a letter, and folded it open. Inside there were two names, and coordinates.
“T-They’re dungeon names. And… coordinates, I think. I can’t read them very well.”
“Must be what Goggles was talkin’ about.” Dex said. “…We’ll deal with that there later. We should look after ‘im.”
She couldn’t agree more. Meggie looked at Brian, unconscious, and slowly floated to his side. Dungeoning could wait. She needed to be by his side.
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