It was deep into winter. The world had nearly ended during the harvest season, and there was a massive shortage of supplies for all the refugees. Emily, the Shadow Lugia, was still blindly rampaging throughout the world, but due to her complete aimlessness, she was treated more like a weather phenomenon or natural disaster than something to actively flee.
Thanks to advice from Owen, as well as the Charizard himself leading some of the charge, they learned that Pokémon with gold Protects held a particular advantage when it came to diverting her to harass somewhere else. Due to a silver lining of Dungeons still expanding and Anam in perpetual recovery, Kilo Village had become the last bastion of civilization. Tiny pockets of villages remained to be gathered back, but not many dared leave the mountain. Word from Pyrock confirmed that they would be in need of supplies there as well, but it had fallen into local villages self-ruling.
Wild Pokémon had grown hostile, due either to residual effects of Dungeons becoming more spiritually corrosive than before, or simply from the worsening environment without more intelligent Pokémon controlling the landscape. Civilized Pokémon had, in a way, become their own keystone species to the environment. Now that it was disrupted, wild populations were in danger of outpacing the dwindling winter resources, should that persist into spring.
So many factors led experts to determine one thing: While they would narrowly survive winter, they would not survive the next season without serious losses and an even greater permanent blow to world stability.
To Owen, that was a timer. By his hand, only a few seasons prior, he had grasped the Grass Orb and put the careful stasis set up by the world's Elite Hearts into total upheaval. Now, they had nowhere to go but forward. If they failed, the world would collapse one way or another, and Alexander would rise again to reclaim the ruined lands.
If Kilo degraded too far, Alexander would catch wind of it and try to make his move. South Null and North Null Village were the main strongholds and connections into the living world. They also knew that Cipher Castle held a direct connection through Void Basin for an invasion at any time. Surely, by now, Alexander's forces had discovered the uses of the light crystals to escape the Voidlands, now that the Dungeons were totally unsealed.
Owen wasn't really sure when it happened. But with Anam's general absence, Nevren missing, Rhys united with Dialga, and James tending to Anam, all of the Elite Hearts had suddenly... disappeared. Owen had filled that vacuum with the help of Elder and Rayquaza, still yet to unite, and others who pitched in where they could.
To many who knew Owen, his countenance had changed significantly during his work managing the Hearts. He acted formal; he had a serious but attentive expression any time someone spoke to him. Not once did he stumble over his words or openly second-guess himself. He was like a completely different person.
But really, Owen was one and the same, screaming in his mind about how he was supposed to handle the next hour. He was just scrambling to figure out what it meant, at night, in the quiet with Zena.
This was one such night, back to the ground in a field in Yotta Outskirts. Leo apparently helped take care of his parents here, and Spice visited often, so it seemed like an idea place not too far from Kilo Mountain. Distantly, Leo's parents were shouting over some board game they were playing with their son and Spice's family.
The wind blew, but mercifully it was not snowy. No ice coated the fields, so the two of them were simply enjoying the bare land.
"Stars. I still can't get used to them again," Zena said. No snow and no clouds made a clear night sky.
"Yeah," Owen replied with a relaxed smile. "Not having to worry about all that... even for a little while, is nice." But he always felt a pang of guilt knowing that as they enjoyed this, there were still countless souls suffering in the Voidlands. Every day resting felt like a day wasted, even if he knew, on a practical level, they couldn't feasibly do anything yet.
The scouts had determined that Cipher City was crippled from the onslaught, at least for its leading forces. Without Leph, Mhynt, and Aster at Alexander's disposal, he must have been plotting for some other assault. But the Kiloan forces making any moves now, when Kilo Village was still recovering and Legendary halves were still fusing, would be a blunder.
Zena curled around him, but gingerly avoided the black sphere resting under Owen's wing.
"Don't worry," she said. "I'm restless, too. Maybe not as much as you, but... you need rest. You're still completely on edge. That can't be good for a tactician, can it?"
"It can't," Owen relented, rolling so he rested against her.
She encircled him one more time and focused on the dark egg under his wing. Owen lifted it so she could see it easier.
"How is it?" she asked.
"No idea. But it's wiggling and getting a little bigger, so I think it'll hatch soon. Perceive still can't see what's inside... which is weird, because I don't usually have that problem."
"Could it be absorbing whatever mechanism you use to see inside things?"
"It was the same way when it was lodged in my chest, so maybe," Owen agreed. "Still, whatever hatches, it came from when Diyem defended my life. I don't think it's evil, and... I want to give it a chance."
Paws on grass in a familiar rhythm caught their attention. Owen's Perceive caught the body shortly after—Manny.
That was unusual. "Manny?" Owen asked, not turning his head.
"What about Manny?" Zena asked.
"Yo."
"Gh—skies, Manny," Zena said with a sigh. "Don't sneak up on us like that..."
"Ain't no sneakin' with Owen." Manny somersaulted through the air and landing a foot away from the couple. He collapsed on his rear and leaned backwards. "Aaah, that's the ticket. Nice 'n relaxin' nighttime."
"We were just about to go to sleep," Owen said. "Is something wrong?"
"Just checkin' up on ya," Manny said. "Sorta became nocturnal in a little ways." He raised a paw, which suddenly shifted a spectral black before going back to normal.
"O-oh. Oh, goodness, you..."
"Yeppers. I'm united. That's what we're callin' it, yeah?"
Owen slowly sat up to give the subject the respect it deserved. "You mean... you're Marshadow right now?"
"Eh, half. Maybe two thirds. I ain't good at measurin' that out." Manny smirked. "Just call me Manny. All m' spirits still do that, an' Yen prefers it, so I ain't gonna object."
"Oh, gods, that's right, Yen..." Zena winced. "That must have been a difficult discussion."
Owen's flame dimmed. That Drampa within Manny had essentially been his mate, right? They must have spent a lot of time quietly talking when nobody else would know. "Was he okay?"
"Oh, totally," Manny said. "Turns out Marshadow 'n Manny didn't diverge all that much. Yen clicked real easy. So, when we fused, zero issues. I think Madeline an' Giratina're the same, but they ain't fusin' yet ter give Xerneas a hard time."
Zena sighed. "I can't believe someone as agreeable as Anam came from someone so... um, dedicated to proving a point."
"How many curse words did yeh jus' cycle through in yer head?" Manny asked.
The Milotic quickly looked away, ribbons curling.
"Heh." Manny let up, staring at the sky with his paws behind his head. "Nah. They're alright. Get the feeling they're just a little afraid themselves. Madeline met James when she was already split. Giratina ain't got any feelings fer 'im yet, I bet. Maybe they're tryn'a foster somethin' fer Anam's sake. Y'know, since..."
Since Anam still refused to make public appearances after all this time.
"Right," Owen said. "I can't blame them. Imagine if I split in two Owens and spent too much time apart. I wonder if Hecto as contingencies for that, since there are literally a hundred of him wandering around..."
Manny shrugged and kicked his feet in the air.
"Alright," Owen said, sighing. "What's bothering you?"
"Nothin' gets past you, eh?" Manny said.
"It was pretty obvious," Zena said, "when you came here so suddenly."
"...Yeah," Manny finally admitted. "Restless. And you kinda became the lead tactician fer our whole... whatever we're calling ourselves. Team Alloy Extended?"
"Restless. Right." Owen nodded. "Tomorrow, I was actually planning to get everyone together for a talk. I wanted to tell everyone what's been on my mind, in case there's any information missing. Then give it another few days to process, and then we'll start mobilizing again, at least some of our teams."
"Already breakin' it down into teams," Manny said in an almost mockingly impressed tone. But Owen knew Manny; he was just giving him a hard time to be fun. "Look at you. Ain't no rest fer the endlessly dyin' Charizard."
"Right, well," Owen pushed on, "point is, when I go over the four goals we need to achieve, you can pick the one you'll be a part of. Knowing you, it'll probably be... Legend recovery. But we'll see."
"Sounds about right." Manny rubbed a pawpad under his nose. "Wouldn't mind gettin' all those old friends back."
"Are any of them particularly different?" Zena asked. "Do you know which ones are paired off?"
"Been askin' around. Pretty sure Brandon's Reshiram, fer one. Kyurem and Zekrom, they're the others of the Trinity. Ain't sure which one's which though. Aramé seems like th' sort ter be Kyurem with how nihilistic she is, but y'know, who knows?"
"Aramé never seemed like the nihilistic type," Owen said. "Back in Kanto, she was the one who helped me and Eon, you know, become stronger, back when we were just a pair getting stronger for the League. That sounds more like a Zekrom ideal."
"Yeah, no clue what any o' that stuff is," Manny replied flatly. "But sure. Anyway, aside from that, ADAM's got a weird spirit but he ain't a half. Willow's a half—yeah, terrified o' that one too—an' so is Valle."
"And Valle, we know, is Necrozma's half," Owen added. "From... my memories of that."
"Yep. Guess that explains why his glow is way brighter than other Mystics."
"Um." Zena cleared her throat. "Are we sure Willow was a Legend? That's... disturbing to think about."
"Hopefully her half was sane an' they balance out," Manny said. "Eh, alright. I'll get outta yer hair." He hopped to his feet and paced toward the main village of Yotta Outskirts. "Strategy meeting t'morrow, yeah?"
"Yep. See you then." Owen sighed, feeling something rumble against his wing. He lifted it to see the egg still shaking. But not yet. It would be any time at this point, though...
"You've taken a real shine to that. I hope you aren't growing too attached," Zena said, curling around him again. "It'll be fine, right? If it turns out to be something evil, we, er..."
"Diyem said it was fine, and I trust him," Owen said. "He had no way of knowing this would have happened."
"Mm..." Zena rested her chin against part of her long body.
"I know it's hard to trust him," he went on.
"Oh, don't use your Perceive like that," Zena murmured.
"N-no, I wasn't!" He might have, subconsciously. "Just... I figure it's only natural to not trust him. I have a history with the guy, y'know? That's all."
She seemed tense. He quickly reached for his horns so he wouldn't have to read her more. But then, she quickly grabbed his arms—like she knew it was coming—and kept her ribbons firmly around them.
"It's okay," she said. "I... understand, too."
He let go of his horns and nodded. "I guess another reason I try to sleep in fields lately is because I think my Perceive has people nervous. Ever since I told Jerry that he should try eating less fatty foods during lunch, he's been giving me weird looks."
"Well, yes, Owen, but that's usually because people don't like others seeing their internal organs," Zena explained gently, rubbing his shoulders.
"It's just practical, though, isn't it?"
Zena gave him that pitying smile. "Well... it is," she admitted. "Maybe we can think of ways to get that across without reminding them of how much you can see."
They settled down against the ground again, eyes to the sky.
"Mispy loves it," Owen remarked. "She's fascinated by... organs, and how everything works together. Maybe it comes with being a healer. I think it's a little weird, but I get the feeling she wouldn't mind fusing with me now and then."
"Oh, so that sense transfers?" Zena asked.
Owen nodded. "And I get her aura sense, too," he said.
"Perceive and aura sense?" Zena repeated. "That basically means you can detect anything."
"I think that's the point. Giving Mispy something to sense auras was a major thing Nevren had..." He winced. Right. Nevren. That was still a sore subject for a lot of them; they still weren't sure where exactly he was hiding.
Perhaps sensing this, Zena gently held his shoulder again and leaned into him.
"Well, it's just useful," Owen concluded. "Sorry. Talking a lot and it's already so late... You aren't too cold?"
"I'm never cold with you," Zena pointed out.
"Oh, that's right. I'm hot." He stretched his wings and pulled her in. After making sure the egg was in its usual, secure spot, he closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift off, letting the comforts of Zena's rhythmic breathing coax him to slumber.
<><><>
They'd repurposed an old room in the Thousand Hearts HQ into a main conference room. It had once been used as a gathering place for data, reports, bounties, and other immediate request to be processed and disseminated. Now, it had a central table, many seats or all-purpose nest-bags for any body type. The newest addition was a straight-from-Void digital board that Owen had spent several days on-and-off wrestling with the interface to get working.
Cutting-edge technology from that decrepit place had been migrated to the living world. With it came huge developments in all kinds of technologies that Owen didn't know the start of. But now, it was just another asset in this new phase of the Third Dark War.
Owen stood at the front. And in front of him in this room held the most important people in the world. He knew every single one of them.
Only then did he realize how massive this could be. How this really was going to be their last shot at stopping Alexander and the remnants of Dark Matter from destroying the world, or worse.
It was one thing to think about it. To have the memories of what had happened, to finally escape that cycle of repeats. But it was another to see so many of his friends in the context of their positions in the world's balance. And then he had to wonder, how had it fallen down from so high up to land in his hands?
The person standing before them should not have been Owen. The only reason he was there was because of the properties of his spirit. Some kind of divine right. How hypocritical was it that such blessings had been the sole reason for him standing there instead of someone like Anam, who—well, he'd lost his powers and morale. But there was of course Barky, who—well, his ego had rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. Marshadow could have—well, he was with Manny now, and neither of them were particularly interested in major leading... Trina? No, that was mostly hypnosis...
Gods, was he really there by default? Barky was standing near the back—he refused to be shrunk down—and Star was resting on his back. It seemed so wrong, even if he'd been irreverent of them for a while.
The last of them were starting to gather up. Nearest to him, at the front of the table, were some of his closest friends. Team Alloy, back during his final life as Wishkeeper, brought to him simply because of Jirachi's generosity. A little toying with coincidences, somehow, made them happen to meet him, starting everything.
Next to them was Zena, whose eyes always calmed him. They'd started off unhealthily obsessed with each other because they were their only sense of normalcy; everyone else lied, or was caught up in it. But they were able to be truthful to each other. But then, the Voidlands took away her memories. It helped them see things for how it truly had been, and they'd rebuilt from scratch, even after those memories returned.
The Voidlands had been a blessing in disguise for them, hadn't it? Selfish as it was to look at it that way.
Rhys—or, Dialga, taking the form of a Lucario—watched over them. 'Rhys' was gone, but maybe some echoes of his personality compelled Dialga to watch over Team Alloy anyway. Palkia was standing next to him with a cheery smile, but without Nevren, he could not revert to an Alakazam. Instead, he was uncharacteristically... small, almost Rhys' height. In fact, a lot of them were abnormally small to fit here.
That was thanks to Willow. While her powers could be dispelled by a stiff breeze, it was useful in a conference room. The Joltik was proud and openly bragging to how useful she was to the others, using Valle as a stone pedestal to be seen. ADAM buzzed and was apparently recording the meeting. Somehow. Owen wasn't sure how that Porygon-Z worked.
Next of their currently allied Legends were Yveltal, Xerneas, and Giratina. While the first two had united with Ra and Step, Madeline stood beside her Giratina half. Next to her was James, and—oh, Anam had made it. Good. He was even smiling today, and it looked at least half-genuine. Owen tried to ignore both Jirachi and Eon staring at him, the latter taking the form of a Charizard, of course.
The surviving Guardians were all there, too. The one that stood out the most was Trina, with Har and his own Team Alloy duplicate as representatives of their small squadron of what was left of them. Most of other mutants had been lost to the Voidlands.
There was also Amia—she was getting used to the name again, even if Evelyn seemed distantly familiar—and her mate and his father, Alex. Perhaps to keep Owen's nerves calm, he still assumed the form of a Magmortar, now that Amia's Fire powers were back from recovering a gemstone in Amia's old body's statue. Owen wondered if Alex had grown used to that form anyway.
"I think that's everyone who's coming," called a meek voice from the far back of the room, who closed the door behind him. This was a Smeargle that Owen didn't immediately recognize, but he was probably with the part of Team Alight who had gotten involved with this whole mess. Leo, whom Owen had vague memories of, and Spice, who was...
And there was also Jerry, murmuring to Diyem about something. Diyem, still a Charmander, refused to use anyone as a booster, and simply sat on a high seat. He gave Owen a little nod and stared, looking bored.
He'd probably paused long enough. He felt like a few people were still missing, but hopefully they would be caught up later on essentials.
Seeing every single one of his friends in one room, staring at him, former foes and new allies alike, left him feeling paralyzed.
Seconds passed. They stared, patient, perhaps thinking that he was waiting for something. He wasn't. His mind had just gone blank.
But he couldn't call for another meeting. That'd just be silly.
The door opened.
"Sorry, late," Hakk muttered. "So bright out. Couldn't see a thing... Brought these guys with me."
And behind him was a smaller Arceus, a Mewtwo, and... Mhynt. All freed from the Void, but now that they were up against everyone else, they still seemed, somehow, relatively darker.
But Hakk, a simple glance at that icy Sandslash, brought a new fire in Owen's chest. His gaze hardened.
And finally, he found his momentum.
"You're right on time," Owen greeted. "Thank you, everyone, for coming. For anyone who misses this meeting, please convey the news to them if they are relevant. None of this information is necessarily confidential, but don't share it freely if you can afford it.
"This is going to be a strategy meeting on what needs to be done about Diyem's four remaining fragments. For those unaware, Diyem is the remnant of Dark Matter that had been given some of my light. With it, he can feel things that... he simply was unable to feel before—positive emotions—without it harming him. If we can defeat the other four fragments, extract them, and siphon them into Diyem, then he will be the dominant force... thus saving him. Any other way, and he will return to the Voidlands and cause trouble for us in the future... and we will lose Diyem himself. Everyone following so far?"
Jerry raised a wing, and Owen nodded for him to speak. "What is Diyem?" the Aerodactyl asked. "Not trying to offend, but, c'mon. On a cosmic level, what is he?"
"Diyem is something that was born when the world was created. A stray thought from the Creators had gave him awareness, and... that resulted in the dark forces that permeate this world. We can't really get rid of that. It's baked into reality. But we can give it to the best of the Diyems and hope that's enough."
The black-flamed Charmander nodded. "I'm sorry if my existence is inconvenient for you. To be frank, if I could die properly, I'd allow it. But that is something the gods currently cannot do."
"Mm." Jerry sat down again and nodded. "And that's where my dark powers come from. Or, what my lineage is, before it was taken from me. For better or worse." He glanced at Anam, who stared at the ground.
"Yes," Diyem said. "That is something that can be explored later. Owen, there are four fragments aside from myself. Continue."
"Right. We know where two of them are. One is in Lugia Emily; her body is still wandering around Kilo, but we've figured out how to drive her away thanks to some help from Gold Aura Pokémon, and Nate."
A gurgling sound came from some black, shadowy thing near Smeargle.
"Y-yeah, him," Owen went on. "Treat him like a protector of Kilo."
"That's literally what he is," Diyem murmured. "The term he came up for himself was a 'Voice of Kilo.' He was born at the same time as I was. From what I can tell, he seems to embody this world's will to live. And I am its will to die."
Demitri rubbed his head, looking confused. Mispy comforted him with a few pats with her vines.
"The next fragment," Owen said, "is Alexander himself. He stole a part of Dark Matter. He might have several fragments, but they're all 'one' piece that we need to recover by defeating him and extracting the piece. We aren't ready to take him on directly, but that's related to the first team, led by me.
"I will be leading the charge to Necrozma. According to Darkrai and Cresselia of North Null Village, he is across an ocean of black water, but they have a ship that can take us across. Flying would be too risky, even for Mystics."
Owen pointed at a collection of names on the screen. "Team Alloy will be going. We obviously make a good team for this, and we're strong enough to defend against whatever comes our way. That will also include Eon, Zena, Rh—Dialga, and Mhynt."
"Sea can't be that far," Jerry said. "Can't Aster just Teleport there?"
"Um, I wish I could, but the sea is huge," Aster said. "It feels even bigger if you try to Teleport... I don't know why..."
"Sounds like some kind of psychic field," Barky hummed. "Are you sure Necrozma wants to be found?"
"He wanted me to go that way," Owen said. "Oh, and also, we will leave Valle here, but... we will be bringing him with us directly after we set up one of Palkia's Teleporters there. I think, for the same reason Aster can't Teleport, Palkia can't go there, either. But if we bring one of his pearls inside, that should bypass it."
"I'm quite confident that will be sufficient," Palkia said. "Even if it isn't, that only means bringing Necrozma back with you the old-fashioned way. Inefficient, but it gets the job done."
Owen sighed, then moved on. "The second team will handle something else that is essential: Voidlands scouting and Titan slaying. We're going to be using the power of light and Legends to take down as many as we can. The strongest ones have Legends at their center, and we'll be gathering them up because some are halves of people here with us. And, hopefully, that will help bolster our forces when we make a final assault against Alexander and Emily.
"Leading this will be Manny, who has fused with Marshadow. He knows the Voidlands very well and has the strength to fight Titans alone now that he's merged, but backup is what he'll need if Alexander tries to strike. All Legends we have will be fighting alongside him, aside from Star and Barky, who will remain Kilo-side."
"Yep, I'm ready fer that," Manny confirmed with a wave of his arm, leaning back. "I've got Necrozma's light in th' form o' th' Fightin' Orb, lots o' spirits, an' all that. Channelin' that light ter empower other Pokémon, I'm pretty talented at that, too, y'know. I'll be great fer this."
"Thanks, Manny. And to all the Legends—I know you just got out of the Voidlands, but you'll be needed to get all your friends out, too." Owen faced the crowd as a whole again. "Our third team is going to be Kiloan scouts. They'll be scouring all of Kilo to find straggling mutants, settlements, and possible leads on the two missing Dark Matter fragments. Diyem is pretty sure that only Alexander is wholly within the Voidlands as a fragment; the other three have their piece either partly or fully on Kilo. And we only know of Emily. There are two more lurking around, and they would have to be powerful."
"Well, I hate to point fingers, but," Brandon said, "doesn't that mean it'd have to be a Guardian, Hunter, or some immortal person we've lost track of?"
"You're right," Owen replied. "That's possible. But Diyem has checked everyone here already, and there wasn't a reaction."
"Any way to hide it?" Brandon pressed.
"Possibly, yes," Diyem said. "Those with Necrozma's light could possibly hide it. But it wouldn't be easy. I also want to check Ghrelle, Aramé, and potentially the fallen Guardians. There is a chance my fragments are not on Kilo, either, but across the aura sea."
"No," Hecto said. "I am certain that there are no fragments of you across the aura sea. The true afterlife is safe of your blight."
"You're certain?" Diyem asked, eyes narrowing at the green canine across the table.
"Yes. I have specific checks in place. I did not know what they were for until recently when memories of it were resurfaced, but they did not go off. You are exclusively on Kilo or the Voidlands."
"Well. That simplifies things," Diyem said. "Good."
"Is this a recent development?" Owen asked, slightly annoyed.
"Apologies. I only got this news in the morning."
"Well, alright. Let's talk after about details," Owen said. "Anyway, third team, the Kiloan scouts, are going to be led by Team Alight and those close to them. They've proven themselves for a while at being good at traveling Kilo, and going by wing alone will miss a lot of ground. Palkia has also set up Waypoints to start simplifying travel again. While scouting around, they will also be re-blessing Dungeons to seal them off. We'll only keep strategic Dungeons open for Voidlands travel."
"All handled here," Spice said. "Void Shadows won't attack as long as I'm around."
Various eyes uneasily turned toward her, and she scowled.
"Everyone, please trust Spice," Owen said. "I don't know if it's been told to everyone yet, but she is... a reincarnation of someone I trust. Or, part of her is."
"And me!" called a Zoroark that suddenly appeared next to Leo. "I'm also me!"
Smeargle had nearly passed out from fright.
"And do not forget the third," Xerneas pointed out. "Have you discerned who that is yet?"
"I gave my spirits to Zena, who then gave them to Enet. Eventually, that final piece will show up, and... hopefully things will work out." Owen shifted uncomfortably. He still felt conflicted about it all. Spice, Enet, and the third piece... If they became Remi again, what would happen to 'them' afterward? He supposed, after seeing Rhys or Manny... he knew the answer.
Somehow, it felt different for Remi...
"And finally," Owen said, "our fourth team will be defense and communications. Barky, Star, and everyone else will remain here in Kilo Village or South Null Village. We have a lot of refugees, rebuilding, and defense to do in case Alexander or another fragment launches an attack to destabilize us. Even if we need to win against Alexander, we can't lose what we have. It's not as glamorous, but I hope you'll all give it everything to defend what we have while we rebuild."
"Hmph, not glamorous." Barky shook his head. "Defending your home is of utmost importance. It's why I will be leading things for it and communication between all parties. My telepathy is unparalleled. You only need to pray my name and I will be able to answer."
"Hopefully, we can also establish a cross into the Voidlands, too," Owen said, "but right now, that isn't working."
Murmurs of agreement and contemplation rippled over his team. Most of them seemed to understand. He could sense the usual pangs of uncertainty in their body language, but he knew he hit all the right notes. He didn't think there would be a way to assuage all of their fears when, frankly, everything was so uncertain to begin with. The fear was justified.
"This is the point where we can ask any overarching questions," Owen said. "Does anything come to mind?"
Jerry raised his wing again. Owen nodded, and Jerry said, "Say we defeat all the Dark Matters and Diyem is the dominant fragment. What then?"
"Then... we will have Dark Matter in one place. We can evaluate him, and..." Owen trailed off. "Save him."
"I have a piece of light within me," Diyem said. "That alone is more than enough to not only dampen my powers from what they used to be, but is also a weakness that, if fostered, can kill me like a poison from within. So, if you're worried about my rebellion... I will not be able to rebel at nearly the magnitude I had in the past. Additionally, I have spoken to Hecto on this." Diyem closed his eyes. "...When this all comes to an end, the Hands of Creation will be used to destroy my soul."
Ice gripped Owen's chest. It had caught him so off guard that he couldn't mask his flame dimming by half.
"That—" Owen searched for the words in the split-second he had. "That's not part of the agenda," he dumbly finished.
"I apologize. I should have saved it for after everything, not after the overview." Diyem's eyes were closed. Everyone else was staring in stunned silence, one way or the other. Some had gaped at Diyem, like Mesprit and Demitri. Others seemed contemplative, like Uxie and Mispy. Others looked insulted, as if the idea of considering it was an affront to them specifically, like Azelf and Gahi.
But some also looked right at Owen, like Zena. And there was no hiding how badly he wished to protest.
"Is there any other way?" Zena asked.
"Perhaps," Diyem said. "We can find an alternative. But that is the safe default, and I accept it."
"I should explain," Hecto said, "that the destruction of a soul is not precisely what one would assume, in the grand scheme of things. The act of destroying someone utterly in a world will eject them from that reality. They will never, under any circumstance whatsoever, be able to return to that same plane of existence. 'Dimension,' to use simpler terms. So do not mourn him. This will be what he wants." Hecto's eyes dimmed. "He will then be under my care and out of your hands."
"This also means even if I die," Diyem said, "you still have a means to erasing a more evil Diyem the same way. No matter what state I leave the world in, the result is the same for you."
"But..." Demitri couldn't finish. He lowered his claws and stared at the table.
"You should be thankful," Diyem said. "It isn't often that the least ideal victory can still leave all parties intact."
"How is that intact?!" Owen exclaimed, but then winced at his voice echoing back to him. He wasn't conducting himself well. "I—we can strategize about this later."
"Of course." Diyem bowed his little head, claws intertwined.
"...If I may ask," Mhynt spoke up, leaning forward on her incredibly high seat, "Hecto, shouldn't you answer just who you are in relation to all of this? I believe it went over the heads of some of us listening, but your talk about a soul's rejection from a realm implies the existence of realms beyond."
"Well, yeah, there's across the aura sea, right?" Demitri asked.
"That," Hecto said, "is still within this dimension. I am... from a place beyond. I am a scout for a force that is not relevant to your current struggles. I was partnered with the one you know as Necrozma. The two of us were a team of Overseers, from a place called the Overworld. It is beyond even the network of Ultra Space that connects this world to others within the same dimension, such as the world it splintered from, the one of humans."
Demitri and Gahi both looked confused by that, while Owen noted that Smeargle and Jerry's eyes had nearly completely glazed over.
"The point being," Mhynt clarified, "you are not even native to Star and Barky's creations. You are... the most otherworldly beings in this room, even more alien than the divine, the humans, and even those from the world of humans like Owen."
"That is correct."
"And the conflict in this world is so troubling that it required outsiders such as you to intervene?"
"Yes."
"I believe that is relevant," Mhynt said.
"I suppose in the context of the magnitude of the problem, yes, it is. An entity such as Dark Matter has a risk of spreading to other parts of this reality and, if it permeates strongly enough, may even try to expand into dimensions beyond this one. As it stands, that threat is far and away. However, the risk existing at all is cause for concern. If Dark Matter's primal, chaotic power goes to someone fully sapient such as Alexander, it is very likely that the Overseers will take decisive measures to put an end to it."
"H-how decisive are we talking?" Demitri squeaked.
"...Some diseases leave certain parts of the body in such a state that there is nothing to do but remove it and hope the rest of the body may persist. In that way, all of Kilo, and all that it has touched, will be... removed. Erased. Destroyed utterly, as I mentioned prior. It is not cruel. I will assist your destroyed selves in recovery. But your home will be gone. It must be, in this hypothetical."
Owen thought back to Necrozma's approach to ending Kilo's population. Was that... the same? Was this the more direct approach they'd told Necrozma not to do?
Then it would just be another failure state.
Mhynt snorted in disapproval. "As guardians of all realities, I suppose I see your point. I could say a few things about how impassively you convey it to the natives, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you think we can handle the facts without sugar-coating."
"Then in the end," Spice said, her black embers flaring a little, "that just means if we want to avoid Alexander winning and Hecto's little Overworld club killing everything... we just have to win." Her yellow eyes seemed to focus on Owen. She gave him a wry smile. "So, none of this affects your plans. No pressure."
Owen stiffened. "I—I guess it doesn't." In fact, I guess it's a little comforting. Even if we lose... at least it won't be more of the Voidlands... right?
But it would still mean his world would be gone. It'd... just fail. Nothing.
And he'd have to live with that failure forever. Well, 'live.'
"I apologize if this puts a damper on your morale," Hecto said. "It was not my intent."
"You did your best, dear," Amia replied. "It must be so hard to relate to us mortals."
"Barely anyone here is mortal," Jerry muttered just barely enough to be heard.
"Will we be getting any resources from the Overseers to assist in this?" Mhynt asked. "We could use all the help we can get."
"As it stands, myself and Necrozma are the best you can get. Others are likely in other corners of your reality rallying assistance in other ways. I do hope it becomes useful, but I have lost communication with them for some time, and do not know their current status."
"How long?" Demitri asked.
"Since Kilo was created."
"Oh."
"It did not help that for a time, I forgot my duties. The first Dark War's end resulted in much of my self being forgotten for some time, along with any memory of Necrozma. That is the pitfall of directly entering the domain of someone's world. I am subject to their rules. At first, I thought it was because someone was destroyed, but it seems this world either has no mechanism to properly destroy someone as I described, or it has not been discovered yet."
"Just like when Star or Barky become physical," Owen guessed. "They aren't really at their strongest here, but they also can't do a whole lot without descending, right?"
"Yes. It follows similar principles."
"At least that means we're on even footing," Owen hummed. "Or... closer to even footing."
"Yes. I suggest you try to work around that when trying to defeat Alexander and the others," Hecto said. "Just like the Overworld, the world of Kilo operates on domains. So long as you are battling the ruler of a domain within their realm, you are at an inherent disadvantage."
"Easier said than done to get someone out of their domain," Jerry remarked. "That means you need to pull Alexander kicking and screaming out of the Voidlands."
"That is correct," Hecto said. "Even battling him in a Dungeon, rather than the Voidlands proper, could be sufficient to weaken him. But within the Voidlands, he naturally, perhaps even subconsciously, draws from the power that permeates the atmosphere there. That corrosive power that makes spirits within unable to survive outside... and the same power that draws their spirits back into the Voidlands. A prison that makes them not only dependent on its energy to survive, but turns them into more of the same energy with time."
"He probably knows this better than we do," Owen said. "It'd have to be a trick and then forcing him out. But... that is a possibility. We'll strategize about that once we have more strength and resources."
"Of course." Hecto nodded. "I will assist you however I can."
Owen took a steady breath. Some unexpected developments during a meeting of all times, but Owen maintained most of his composure. And despite the shift in context, there wasn't a lot that actually changed for their immediate goals. They could continue.
"Now that we have the overview taken care of," Owen said, "let's get into some logistics. . ."
<><><>
They'd started the meeting in the morning. It went on up until Jerry noticed that Angelo was looking exhausted and uncomfortable. That was when Spice reminded the other ninety percent of the room that there were still some people who were mortal and needed basic things like food and breaks.
Had it really gone past noon?
A little embarrassed, Owen called for a break for two kilos. He translated for Hakk that meant a little more than half an hour.
Owen took the time to get some sunlight near the back of HQ, at the edge of the crater, flying with Zena to enjoy the view. Once they landed, she coiled next to him and raised her head to the breeze.
"I feel bad," Owen admitted. "I totally lost track of time during the meeting and forgot about the others again. And they were all sitting on the far end of the table. Must have been out of my Perceive range. That room is big..."
Zena smiled, but it was in a way that she was trying to humor him. "You were very passionate about... planning," she said. "Combine that with Mystic stamina and you can get nonstop days of planning. I think that would be enviable to a lot of people... though I do still like to sleep."
"I, er, I'll... I mean... planning is fun."
Zena rubbed a ribbon between his eyes. "One of us needs to have fun with it," she said. "I have no idea how you kept all that in your head. Surely your spirits helped take notes."
"Oh, I... actually gave them all to Enet."
"What—still? I thought that was only for Alexander."
Owen shook his head. "Enet's still sorting through all of them to figure out who the final third of Remi is."
"Still?"
"It's not as easy when they're all spirits in the Orb. Klent, Amelia, all the Grass Spirits are Electric Spirits now until they can sort that out. Then I guess, anyone who was friends with that part of Remi can stay with Enet, and the rest can return to the Grass Orb. At least, that's the plan. I'd be fine if it was just me again."
"Won't that make you nearly mortal without them?" Zena asked.
"Mutant. I think I'm already immortal without that kind of power. But... I do need that extra power, too, I guess. I just don't know how I feel about using spirits for that..."
"It isn't like they mind," Zena said. "Many spirits just want to rest. They don't mind if their power us being used for a good cause in the meantime. That's how almost all of my spirits are at this point."
Owen shifted uncomfortably, turning his head away. "I guess so," he said. But there was more to it. The way Zena continued to stare, he had to elaborate. "I just don't know if my own personal feelings are leaking into theirs, influencing them. There's no way Klent would have forgiven me for killing him and his daughter if it wasn't for the fact that I was influencing them."
"Were you?"
"Not intentionally, just... that's obviously why they forgave me," Owen said. "You don't... forgive someone for that. I know I wouldn't."
"I don't think it's that simple," Zena said. "Are you sure it isn't simply a result of feeling how you had felt?"
"I mean, they'd have to do that... right?"
"Exactly. But not in that you're forcing them." She wrapped her ribbons around his shoulders. "If they're part of you, then they also know exactly how you feel. They know your honest feelings. And you'd know theirs, if you peeked, right?"
"I'd never do that to them."
Zena wrapped once around him. "All the more reason for them to trust you," she said. "You can't hide your feelings from them. That they remained with you means they know you care. Isn't that better?"
"...I'll ask," Owen said. "Right now, they're with Enet. If they all return to me willingly, then..."
"Exactly." Zena nuzzled him. "You'll know for sure."
Owen sighed, wrapping his wings around her and staring at the sky. "Yeah. Thanks."
Something invisible entered Owen's range. He turned his head back. "Oh, hey, Enet."
"Oh? Enet's here?"
The illusion dropped, and the Zoroark landed next to Owen, affectionately nipping at his arm.
"Finally taking up flight, are you?" Owen asked. "Hope the meeting wasn't too boring."
"Very boring," Enet replied honestly.
Owen tittered. "Yeah, sorry... I think the rest of the meetings will involve just the key strategists and leaders. It probably wasn't that helpful to have everyone there in the first place."
Enet dug through her mane, feeling around for something Owen couldn't quite Perceive. That meant it was the egg she'd been caring for while Owen was at his meeting. With a pang of guilt, he realized it had slipped his mind.
"Oh, Enet, I'm sorry—I was supposed to pick that up after—"
"Hatching!" Enet declared, pulling it out.
The black sphere had a darker crack in it. The color of the crack made him feel like he was going blind.
"Oh!" Zena whispered.
The egg wobbled and the crack widened.
"Uhh, put it down, just in case, Enet," Owen said uneasily. "We have no idea what's inside, so..."
They found a nice spot on stable, flat ground near the crater's edge where it wasn't in danger of rolling or tumbling away, and they waited silently. Owen told Enet to go and let the others know, but she refused, far too interested in watching the egg hatch.
Then, with one final CRACK! the shell broke apart. Each piece of that blackened outer layer dissolved into smoke, and then nothing at all. Inside, a black blob coalesced into solid material. A head. Arms. Legs. A tail.
Zena gasped, leaning forward. "It's..."
Color came next. Orange scales and a cream belly. Big, blue eyes, just like Owen's. They even had that more feral, reptilian face shape to them compared to others of his kind. But, most of all, the flame that ignited a moment later was not orange or even dark like Diyem's, but a strange mixture of white and black, like two kinds of material burning under the same flame.
Enet crawled toward the confused Charmander, the last of her black egg dissolving from the scales. She sniffed her, nuzzling her, but Charmander was focused more on Owen and Zena, the first two they'd made eye contact with.
She grasped Charmander and raised them skyward. "Healthy girl!" she declared.
Charmander squealed and kicked her legs, spitting little flames the same black-white color as her tail's ember. At first, Owen was worried that Enet was scaring her, but then he noticed something else. Something that almost confirmed she couldn't be the same as Diyem...
She was laughing.