The ship groaned and creaked as it reached the isle and the crew let down the anchors. Owen quietly told the currents to slow down as they made landfall.
It had indeed only been another sleep before they'd arrived, and there was still no update from the team in Kilo Village, only that ADAM had gone missing. That wasn't good. Hopefully, they would find him after finding Alexander, as morbid as it was. There was nothing Owen could do about it now, as much as his hands shook at the thought of what it could mean.
"So this is the Voidlands' Zero Isle. Uh, Void Isle, I guess," Owen said, looking ahead to see a small island of sparse, thin trees with dark purple leaves and even darker trunks. In the center of the island, only a handful of kilos of flight away, there was a great spire of rock as black as obsidian.
Lumbering through the forest and around this rock were Titans. Owen counted at least ten, and some of them vaguely resembled familiar Legends. Several of them he recognized from their dim, glowing, six eyes in peculiar patterns. Though, he never met any of the Regis in person before. They were meant to be guardians.
"We aren't seriously gonna fight all of those, are we?" Demitri asked, whimpering.
Despite how pathetic he sounded, he was hauling Valle over his back like it was petty luggage. Valle himself was content with being a statue, as always, and nothing convinced him to move otherwise.
"If Owen gives the command, we gotta," Gahi stated flatly, sounding like he still hated that fact.
Mispy only stared at Owen.
"...Are you waiting for an order?" Owen asked.
"What else?" Mispy stated.
Owen sighed. He supposed she had a point there.
"My order is..." Owen closed his eyes. "Tell me what you think."
"I think this is somethin' doable, but I ain't gonna like it," Gahi said.
"There's only a few of us... we're nearly outnumbered by Titans!" Demitri pointed at them. "And we can tell these are all Titans with a Core, too! Isn't this, um, isn't this sort of the job of the other group?"
"I'll admit," Mhynt said, "I wasn't expecting this number. However... we can sneak past them, too. A shame Enet didn't come with us."
"Do we have any other ways to hide?" Demitri asked.
"Speed's another option," Trina suggested. "And, Owen, is there not that gift Xerneas gave you?"
"Gift?" Owen asked. "He never gave me a gift."
Trina stared. "No marble with blue in it?"
Owen slowly shook his head. "We were going to get a bunch of blessings, but Alexander's sudden attack expedited it and I couldn't get too many. I just have some from Azelf. Besides, Xerneas can't give blessings; he didn't get Necrozma's—"
"This is with Xerneas' power alone," Trina said. "Did he really not give it to you? I was speaking to him about my own 'Team Alloy' and how well they'd come along. I'm surprised."
Despite this, the Snivy looked pensive. "I suppose it was a long talk while he was having me evolve... But he mentioned that his power over life also ties into evolution. He can apparently give some sacred power that goes beyond... oh, never mind." She sighed. "We can ask him why he didn't give it to you later. I have my suspicions."
Owen gave Trina a tired look. Picking his battles, he refocused on the mountain, so near, yet so far.
"Let's just go," Owen said. "We'll try to sneak past the normal way. Hide my flame, and..."
Mhynt sighed. "That is our best strategy. We are not equipped to defeat so many Titans at once. One of them is likely Emily, too, and she will be especially powerful, even if it's only a piece of her."
The last thing Owen wanted to deal with was an aggressive Emily.
With the danger of being eaten again—to add to the uncomfortable number of times Owen could already recall something similar in the past—looming over him, Owen hid his flame with a simple black veil he'd brought. They checked one another for any glowing they might have forgotten about—now that they knew the Orbs were related to Necrozma, it made sense why it always happened—and they were confidently dim.
"That's everything," Owen said.
"Ladies first," Mhynt said, gesturing for Owen to take the lead.
"...I was a girl in a few rebirths, you know," Owen muttered, taking the lead.
"I know. You told me before."
"You were?" Zena asked.
"Did it hurt?" Demitri asked.
Mispy gave Demitri a befuddled look.
Owen rolled his eyes. "Nevren didn't perfect the Reincarnation Machine for a while," he explained. "Sometimes, the body my spirit was put into wasn't the same. To be honest, I don't think he was able to restore it to how it used to be at all. Too many variables, he said."
"Fascinating... He really did just grow a new body for you, just like that?" Zena tilted her head.
"More than that," Owen said. "To be honest... I think one thing Nevren did was give me a sharper mind. I used to be pure feral. I always wondered if..." He trailed off.
"Oh." Zena glanced away. "I... That seems like something complicated to think about, considering how he is now."
"Yeah." And Owen still didn't know how to wrestle with that thought.
They'd found a favorable patch of gnarled trees to sneak through. The soil was incredibly soft and dampened even Demitri's heavy footsteps. Eventually, over harder patches of dirt, Demitri elected to ride atop Mispy, who could glide over the ground with her countless vines. Zena was silent along the earth. Mhynt, so small, simply rode atop Mispy's back. Trina rode on Gahi's shoulder, occasionally speaking to him about something or another.
Gahi floated, because, according to him, he wanted to show off that he could. Azelf did as well, and Uxie quietly reminded him that he could always do that. It didn't seem to register. Mesprit nervously stayed close to Mispy.
Owen had tried the same with his conjured gusts, but the soil, while soft, was also loose. His gusts kicked up dirt and would easily give them away.
"Have you considered becoming a Charmander again?" Mhynt offered. "It shouldn't be hard for you. Being small is probably favorable now."
"I know," Owen said. "But... if we do get attacked... it wouldn't be good, now, would it?"
Mhynt crossed her arms. "I don't remember you ever devolving intentionally before."
"Hey, y'know, now that I think about it, yer right," Gahi said. "Hey, c'n I do that?"
"Anyone with divine power has control over their bodies. Old shapes are easy, just as younger ages are maintained." Mhynt hummed.
"Well, I ain't gonna," Gahi said. "Flygon's cool."
"Gahi gets it," Owen said.
Mhynt squinted. "But it's much more practical to remain small," he said. "You out of all of us would be spotted easily, Owen."
"She has a point," Zena said. "Owen, can you? Just for a little while, before we get closer to the Titans."
Owen sighed. "...Fine, fine," he said. "How do I do it?"
"You haven't at all?" Uxie asked.
"No," Owen said shortly. "So just tell me how to do it already."
Mhynt gave Owen another disapproving look. "You've done it before, surely..."
Now, he could feel all their eyes on him, closing in on all sides. Their inquisitive stares, every curious muscle of their bodies.
Except for Trina. "Does it hold bad memories?" she asked.
He flinched. That was absurd. Sure, being a Charmander was humiliating, and being a Charmeleon was awkward and too gangly for his liking. But bad memories? That was... silly.
But Owen couldn't reply as the words sank in more. Bad memories. "They weren't bad," Owen said, more as if he was trying to convince Trina than anything. "But... I mean, well... I don't know. I doubt that's it..."
"Owen," Zena said, her voice a little softer. "It's okay if... it reminds you of the 'Reset' times."
The rest of Team Alloy flinched and looked away; Trina only bowed her head in understanding.
"...I'll do it," Owen said, an odd heaviness in his chest. "I'm not gonna let some... fear of that... get in the way. It's... irrational."
Despite this, he didn't change. It was an act of will, wasn't it? And he couldn't find that will. He'd crossed whole oceans of darkness and pushed through all that came before, and yet now he was wavering? What would the others think?
Mhynt suddenly hushed them, and all went quiet. Owen made sure his flame was veiled. The ground rumbled; one of the Titans was nearby. Were they spotted?
Each slow step rumbled the ground. A little louder. Each one a little harder. And then softer. It was leaving... Simply passing by.
"Okay," Owen finally said. "Give me a second. I'll... do it. I'll do it."
He steadied his breath, envisioning a smaller self. Smaller, smaller. He lost his height; while he wasn't as bulky as a normal Charizard, he was still bulkier than a Charmeleon, let alone a Charmander. His scales shifted to red. Realizing he could also hide his flame, he shifted to Grass as well and finally sighed. "That's better," he said.
Charmeleon was an acceptable middle ground. Long strides, but no bulk. That lankiness it had was an advantage here.
"And you feel okay?" Zena asked, her voice more delicate than usual.
"Yeah. Thanks," Owen said. "I'm... it's fine. I was psyching myself out for nothing."
"Not for nothing," Mhynt hummed, pointing forward so they could continue. "I'm sure there are some things that I'd hesitate on, too. Like the opposite of your problem... I'd rather not evolve for a time."
"Eh? How come?" Gahi asked.
"Mm." The Treecko shook her head. "I'm sorry. I'd rather not talk about it."
Gahi and Azelf both squinted, but Mispy and Uxie respectively tapped them on the shoulder and shook their heads.
"Let's sneak by. Keep quiet," Owen said, and suddenly, Team Alloy went dead silent. Owen sighed. "I mean... you can talk if you want. Just be careful."
The sooner they could be free from him, the better.
<><><>
In Kilo Village, an emergency meeting was called after realizing that ADAM was missing. Nate explained what happened from his perspective, and Barky used that to scan for ADAM's aura. While his Orb didn't perfectly resonate with his power as they'd believed before Necrozma's erasure had been lifted, he could still search for it a little.
That was when a scout returned with some news of activity in an old, abandoned temple that had been a small Dungeon. That put all the pieces together—that was the same temple they'd found ADAM almost a year ago. However, it had become shadowy in nature... They had a strong suspicion that Alexander only used ADAM to return to the Voidlands where he would no longer melt in the light. However, in his wake, ADAM had been corrupted. They had to find a way to purify him before he became another Emily.
Based on those findings, it was clear ADAM had fled to his original hiding spot—the little Dungeon that had formed within the abandoned temple southwest of Kilo Village. There was a Waypoint there, but it had been destroyed with Dark Matter's attack and not restored. It would take a short trip to get there.
"Well, that's great," Star said, crossing her arms. She was still nervous around others, but compared to before, her spirits had been lifted. She figured it was because her talk with Owen had helped resolve some of that unspoken guilt. "I guess we could get a small group to Teleport in, but we can only do that to the Dungeon's edge. Even worse, I'm pretty sure Emily is starting to drift that way, too. If we linger outside, she might get drawn to us."
Essential team members were hastily gathered in the Heart HQ office. Those who could make it were Anam, Hecto, herself and Barky, Spice's team, Marshadow Manny, Eon and Jirachi, Willow, and Nate, who was curled outside the caldera and projecting a little Mimikyu wraith to represent him.
"It's troublesome either way," Barky said. "We can either send a team forward to navigate while I try to support you from the air with my stored divine energy to keep Emily away, or we warp in swiftly with a smaller team and hope that's enough to subdue a Shadow Guardian."
"An' it ain't any normal Shadow, either," Manny added, arms crossed. "This is Alexander we're dealin' with. He may not have Hands, but he's got the primordial power o' Kilo's evil forces behind'm. 'S far 's I'm concerned, that's a match fer you, big guy." He gestured nonchalantly to Barky.
The god of gods harrumphed and looked down. "I can't dispute it. I've lost hold of my domain, and now I know why."
Star knew it was largely because of his temper. She could remember some of those scattered memories of Necrozma, now. After he'd lost it and killed Quartz Isle, Necrozma had shown up to investigate the cosmic disturbance as an Overseer. Nothing but a bureaucratic nut who claimed to manage the gods as part of some upper organization. Like they needed their help.
Okay, maybe they did. But she wasn't going to admit that to someone so haughty. 'Give me some of your power for regulation; the two of you in a deadlock is not constructive.' Yeah, that turned out well.
Hecto was fine, though.
Star had zoned out from the logistical discussions and tuned back in.
". . . attacking directly. Is Alexander still there, for example, or are we only dealing with a remnant?"
"We should probably get someone with blessings to go in," Barky suggested. "Necrozma's, specifically. He had tuned himself to counter Dark Matter's power with his own, and that carries into Alexander's."
"He c'n jus' do that, eh?" Manny said. "Always wondered how that worked."
"We allowed him to access the tapestry of Kilo itself. Its 'core,' you could say, of the world. And when he saw the flaw, he began to research ways to tune his energy the same way. But... we couldn't remove it directly without breaking everything... and we didn't want that. Hence, his light became something to counteract the darkness. It was very... symbolic, but I'm not against it."
"What, yer sayin' that if he wanted, he could've made a special song a counter instead?"
"Well, er, perhaps," Barky said. "We're getting distracted."
"So, someone with blessings," Star piped up. "That'd be... Owen, who's out, or any of his... er... descendants." She glanced at Phol, part of Spice's team. But he wasn't especially powerful. One strong Shadow strike could do him in. Spice could help, but she could only guard so much...
"One problem with tuning his energy in such a way," Barky said, "is that it made him mutually vulnerable. Just as Shadow is weak to Radiance, Radiance is weak to Shadow. That's why he fought from great distances so his opponents had no chance to get close."
"The warping and wormholes helped," Star murmured, recalling scattered memories of trying to fight something that disappeared into odd portals any time she got close. It was slower than her Teleport, but Necrozma could do it to her attacks, too. Reflecting attacks. Annoying.
"Hmm... Who is our most powerful fighter right now with blessings? Any Legends?"
"They're still in the Voidlands helpin' out," Manny said. "Titan huntin' and all that. Got kinda cut off when the rift over Hot Spot disappeared, so that's cut most communications back..."
"Well, that just means we remain with our old problem," Phol said. "Hmm..."
Something was crackling near the entrance of HQ, down the hall. It was getting closer.
"Excuse me! Where is Heart of Hearts Anam?" called a voice, sounding unpleasantly staticky. Star realized moments later that was panting, or simulated panting. Something like that.
In came a Porygon Z, accompanied by a Rotom who had possessed a ball. Did that make him move faster?
"Hi?" Anam called, waving a slimy hand. He sat awkwardly on the far end of the table, so he stood up and waddled across the room.
"We... we heard that it was that strange Porygon Z Guardian who had been in trouble, right?" Porygon Z asked. His eyes flickered and became what looked like six lines meeting in the middle, with each line darkening in a rhythm, one after the other like tracing a circle. "Hang on, hang on... ADAM! Right?" The eyes returned to normal.
"Do you know him?" Spice asked.
"Y-yipes!" Each of his eyes became an exclamation point in a triangle.
Spice growled. "Answer."
"Yes! We, um, we tried to treat him before with, uh, some bad programming in his operating system, or something, but that didn't work out. But! But we know the layout! Let me load it up..."
The circling lines reappeared. Meanwhile, Rotom-ball-forme rolled forward.
"Sorry for my partner's forwardness."
"Oh!" Anam clapped. "You're the specialists for all things electrical, right? You're our lead techs!"
"Oh! Y-you remember us! That's wonderful!" Rotom fizzled around the ball like he was holding it to fidget. "Th-thank you. Um. Yes. And well, the Porygon line happens to be derived from ancient human technology, or, um, that's the tale, and so we help with repairing them when they're hurt, too. Or, er, hurt in ways that Orans and traditional therapy don't help with."
Porygon-Z was buzzing a lot. Star's ear flicked. Annoying. But he was probably just thinking very hard. She had a soft spot for Porygon.
"Unfortunately, I don't think your kind of help will work here," Phol said with a hum. "This is more than... technological malfunctions."
"The same energy that made me look how I do," Spice said, "is flowing through him. It's gonna take more than... technology repair to fix something like that."
"Complete!" Porygon-Z pointed his beak downward and blasted a tiny and oddly-shaped beam into the ground, scorching it. The Hyper Beam pulse had Spice reflexively on guard, but Anam only walked closer to see what the scorch was.
To Star's surprise, it was a map. Once Phol seemed to realize what this was, he pulled out a notepad and began to copy it down.
"This is what the inside of ADAM's programming looks like. It is completely unlike anything that I'd ever been to before and resembled a Dungeon in shape, except for one aspect of its behavior. It did not appear to shift or change. All the segments were the same dimensions, perfectly square, and separated in identical distances with hallways of identical width. It was..." Porygon-Z's eyes became teardrops. "Beautiful."
"...Right... So..." Spice crawled to the map. "There aren't any markings except for the start."
"Ah, yes. We'd been ejected very quickly, but that was the most my scans showed during our brief time inside."
"Hmm... I think this could still be useful," Phol said. "If we're supposed to be navigating through that Dungeon and finding a way to purge him of that darkness, a basic map would be helpful, even if unmarked."
"He does have dimensions," Spice said.
"Yep. ADAM's internal Dungeon is a perfect 32-by-32 two-dimensional array."
"I'll pretend I know what that means."
"I believe I understand," Phol said. "Thank you. Now, as for our plan..."
That gave Star an idea. "If we're dealing with a superpowered Guardian, I know one way this might work," she said. "It's the same thing that did me in when I tried to possess Owen."
This earned a few uncomfortable or dirty looks.
"E-eheh, look, we made up. And now that's useful!" Star shrank back. "We need to attack from both sides. A team on the surface to keep him busy, and a team on the spirit side infiltrating the Dungeon from my realm, the Ethereal Forest.
"Um, we may be... lowly mortals... but, err... could we also help?" Porygon-Z asked.
"Hmm..." Barky spoke up, making himself known by standing taller and glowing.
Star suppressed an eyeroll. "Yes, Barky?"
"I will grant you a temporary boon of protection," Barky said. "That way, you will have a chance to flee if things become too dangerous."
"O-oh! Thank you, Original One!"
Barky radiated a little brighter. Star decided to make all of his things in his room slightly askew again later.
"Well," Barky said. "Let's get to logistics.
<><><>
Getting through the entire dead forest of the island had been a fantasy. Especially when they were encumbered with carrying Valle's statue.
They'd made it so far. Maybe halfway there, slowly and steadily, with only a few spots where they had to crouch and hide in what little cover they could find.
But Demitri had to sneeze.
Owen didn't resent him for it. Mostly. And in some ways, it was Owen's fault for hesitating in commanding him to stop. He didn't even know if that was possible, but perhaps it had been. But he never commanded Demitri to stop—and he also wasn't sure if his command would have drawn too much attention.
But after that horrible second of silence, wondering if they'd been spotted, they'd all heard the rumbling of two Titans changing directions. Yes, they'd been found.
Owen panted heavily; they'd been running for a few minutes at top speed, with Gahi leading the way.
Massive beams of darkness carved through the forest, once ancient trees now part of the damp void mulch of the island. Diagonal fissures from near-misses became cold ditches for them to hop over before the lingering corruption singed their scales. Occasionally, Gahi had to go back to divert them as Demitri hurled Zena and the others over them—they'd noticed some time ago that something about the island's atmosphere kept them from going too high.
They were all half-covered in purple soot by the time a straight shot was visible to them. The base of that strange mountain. The sense of 'north' to Owen was stronger than ever, and that was enough.
"Almost!" Owen cried. "Keep going! I'll hold them back and follow after!"
"This is risky!" Mhynt called.
"That's why I'm only doing it once!"
He skidded to a stop and turned around. He had about ten seconds before two Titans would be within strong firing range. By his estimates, the team had a whole minute before they'd get to the mountain.
"I'm stayin', too," Gahi said. "I'll help y'run an' catch up."
Azelf flew by Owen's side as well, determined.
"C'mon!" Azelf said. "We'll all hold 'em off!"
"Azelf, we can't fuse," Owen said. "Get back with the others!"
"I'm sick o' runnin'!" Azelf said, headbutting Gahi. His eyes squeezed shut, but nothing else happened.
The Titan on the left—its angular and bulky shape suggested Regirock—charged up a crackling ball of blackened electricity. Owen held a hand out and prepared to time his Protect. His other hand was ready to grasp the energy and throw it at whatever the second one—Regice, probably—was going to throw.
"How do we fuse?!" Gahi shouted, hugging Azelf, but nothing seemed to work. "Ain't the same!"
"Why now?!" Owen, befuddled, shouted back.
Regirock fired the Shadowy Zap Cannon. Owen brought up his Protect—a shield of black this time to resist the strange incoming element—and then reached toward the incoming blast with his other hand. First came the impact, the barrier's force recoiling back against his body as he dug his heels into the ground. Then, he tried to grasp that energy as it crawled around, zapping his scales. His tail thrashed on the ground, kicking up more dust. The burning coursing through him was familiar. Not as bad as Alexander's. But still painful.
Then, in another breath, he hurled the energy toward the other one just as it fired. The collision left an explosion followed by a vortex of darkness and electricity that singed the forest in a crater, taking out a wide cluster of trees. A jagged crater riddled with black electricity was all that was left behind.
"Azelf," Owen said. "Start running now. Gahi!"
Gahi's head flicked to him, attentive.
"Just as they charge up a second blast, fuse with me and run."
"Okay."
Azelf growled and tried to send some enchantment toward the two Titans. A pink wave washed over them, but they were either too strong or still too far away for it to have much of an effect.
"Don't die!" Azelf ordered, flying to catch up with the rest.
Owen remained on his guard. The second volley was coming. He didn't want to risk parrying another one; the first was already harsh.
"I didn't overstep by ordering you, right?" Owen said, still watching cautiously.
"Nah."
Regirock jolted.
"NOW!"
Gahi tackled Owen and melded into him. They fell backward, but then, in a flash of light, they Teleported away.
This fusion felt different. It was like Owen had total access to all of Gahi's abilities while still feeling like himself. He felt a smidge of confidence, too, but he couldn't tell if that was because his plan worked, or because of Gahi's influence. In another Teleport, he disappeared again and flew onward, rapidly gaining some distance.
They'd made it to the others in seconds, the Titans a half-minute away. Only the longest shots would reach them.
"Congratulations," Mhynt said. Despite her flat tone, her eyes had the light of being at least slightly impressed. "Your calculated risk paid off."
Owen split away from Gahi, both halves flopping into the dust.
"Gahi, are you okay?" Owen asked.
"Gehhh..." Gahi rubbed his head. "What happened?"
"Do you not... remember?" Owen asked.
"I tackled you, 'n then..." Gahi shrugged.
Owen gulped. So he'd completely...
"It's alright," he said. "We bought some time. Let's get to that spire."
Though when Owen looked back, the Titans hadn't advanced. About three hundred feet from where they stood, the Titans merely resumed their patrol.
It felt brighter, too. Naturally, Owen checked the sky... but it was the same dim red.
Everything was brighter, and not because of the sky—the ground, the trees... Aside from the obsidian spire itself, everything around them was a little brighter.
Mispy, Demitri, and Gahi seemed ill, shaking off lethargy in their own ways. Mispy shook her head; Demitri rubbed his eyes; Gahi beat his wings.
"We're definitely in the right spot," Mhynt hummed. She raised a hand, materializing her Leaf Blade. It glowed with golden light. "It's much easier to draw upon Radiance in this place. Makes sense, being right next to its source."
"Necrozma's... somewhere in this mountain?"
"Likely, there's a cavern to enter. We should go that way. We will be safe here... so let's take a moment to gather our bearings."
Trina dusted herself off but then called for Zena to help wash them all down instead. It'd be much easier that way. While they all bathed from light bursts of water, Trina remarked, "I'm glad I was taken for security... but it seems like all of you are handling yourselves well," Trina said. "I was hardly needed to calm you. Though, I nearly did with you, Owen."
"It's... uh... nice to know?" Owen didn't want to rely on Trina's hypnosis just to stay calm. Though, if he did panic, maybe...
Thoroughly washed, refreshed, and most importantly no longer in danger of being chased by Regi Titans—Owen wondered where the Lugia one was supposed to be—the team took their final steps to the obsidian spire. Up close, it felt warm, like the sun on a summer afternoon. Trina and Mhynt kept their distance, but Owen appreciated the warmth and went even closer, reaching out to touch the stone.
He could tell it was hot. Scorching, like metal left too long in Hot Spot.
Something called out to him. He recognized it as a psychic pull. It told him to push some of his power into the crystal. Suspecting who it was, Owen obeyed.
That warmth redoubled. A sigil of Necrozma—a lengthened, eight-pointed starburst—appeared in bright gold light where Owen had touched. And then, the wall sank inward, melting into a new hallway for them to enter.
Or, so Owen thought. Demitri, Mispy, and Gahi had hissed and backed away all in unison.
"Hmm." Mhynt closed her eyes. "Trina, you should calm them."
"Right." The Snivy walked first to Gahi, the fastest and flightiest, and said, "Gahi... keep calm. What's wrong?" Even in her diminutive state, her hypnosis was still their asset to keep them steady. Perhaps the small size was useful here, for stealth...
The Flygon's eyes darted toward the obsidian spire, then at Trina, rapidly. "...Dunno. Don't like it," he said. "Prob'ly the light. I'm a Void Shadow now, yeah?"
"You're well put together for one," Trina said. "Come. Let's keep you calm for now..."
Whatever Trina was doing, it was relaxing Gahi's muscles enough that he collapsed where he stood, slouched over. Owen's Perceive couldn't detect energy, so he could only guess it was her specialized Hypnosis.
"Trina," Mhynt said, "if Owen, Zena, and I enter here, will you be able to handle these three on your own?"
"I believe so," Trina said, looking next to Mispy, then Demitri.
"Um." Mesprit raised a hand. "We'll help, too. Figure we should, you know, stick to our doubles..."
Azelf looked unnerved, perturbed by Gahi's sudden behavior. "Yeah," Azelf murmured. "You guys be careful..."
Zena picked up Valle's statue again, hefting him onto her back. She slithered forward.
"The four of us, then?" she asked, nodding at Mhynt and Owen. Though, just before Owen wanted to go, when he took another glance at the spire, he couldn't help but feel an odd sense of unease.
"But... are we sure it's okay?" Owen asked. "There's something... uneasy about... I don't know."
Trina gave Owen a more cautious look. "You aren't destabilizing, too, are you?" She glanced at the rest of Team Alloy.
"No, no, I—I'm okay," Owen said. "Just, you know. It's a little weird."
"I also have a sense of foreboding," Valle reported. "I suspect it is because I might cease to exist soon as 'Valle' and the weight is beginning to catch up to me."
The way he said it so nonchalantly didn't suggest otherwise... Owen didn't comment.
"I feel fine," Zena said. "...Which is surprising. Usually, I'd not like any of this, but I don't sense any... foreboding. No more than when we got on the ship in the first place, at least..."
Mhynt sighed. "Foreboding or not, we're here. Just stay on your guard. So, Owen... are you ready?"
"Yeah." Owen folded his wings back. He didn't like it, but they'd come far enough. And they had no other leads. "Let's go."
The quartet approached the passageway of the obsidian spire. Necrozma's sigil still glowed like a hologram in the middle. Finally, after all this time, they were going to see him.
Once this was done and Necrozma was restored... they would finally be able to take out Alexander. One more step. Just one more step.
Please, just work out for once.
<><><>
The spire went downward. While on the surface it had been about the same size as the Spire of Trials that Manny had once lived in—and now, Destiny Tower—this place seemed vaster beneath the island's surface. After a minute of walking, Owen, Zena, and Mhynt could walk side by side with ample room for Owen to stretch his wings.
"So, now that we're here," Zena said, "what is Necrozma like? Is he... stern, like Barky? A, er... free... spirit, like Star?"
"He's a little closer to Barky," Owen said. "Stern, sure, but he's not... haughty about it. He's more businesslike. Sort of how you'd imagine some entity that was powerful and way above mortals, y'know? But still... working to help them."
"There isn't a chance he's still bent on destroying the world once his power is restored?" Zena clarified. "I understand that he is the direct counter to Dark Matter and our best shot at defeating him. But... I don't really..."
"I think it's okay," Owen said. "Necrozma was only trying to look out for us when he sensed Dark Matter... and he's learned since then. We want to live. He'll only get his power back if he promises to fight to save Kilo."
"And the chances of him honoring that?" Zena clarified. "Are you going to ask for a Divine Promise?"
"Would he accept that?" Mhynt hummed. "Gods do not take that very lightly, you know. Divine Promises."
"Obviously," Zena agreed. "You wouldn't want divine power to be siphoned into someone who doesn't have the aptitude for it. We already see echoes of that problem in some of the Guardians."
"Yeah..." Owen sighed.
"Not only that," Mhynt said, earning all three of their quizzical looks. "Necrozma, Star, Barky. All three of them are the gods of this world and are tied to it with that power. Unlike mortals, who can live without that power because they are of that world, gods are only here by that power. They temporarily gain bodily avatars to represent themselves.
"Do not forget: Kilo is only a side project to them. Their true domain is the world beyond. And while I don't know Necrozma's relation to all this specifically... I know that for Star and Barky, they would never make a Promise. It would mean the loss of their power, yes... but it would also mean the end of their existence in Kilo. A Lockout."
"Lockout..." Owen echoed the word. "What we thought happened to Necrozma before, when he was erased from history. When a soul is destroyed so the world can't recognize it anymore, it can never return. Right?"
Mhynt nodded. "From what Necrozma told me, they will then be ejected into the Overworld and will need to find a new universe to inhabit. But, yes. There is no hope in returning to the universe they'd been destroyed within. It simply does not acknowledge their existence, forever.
"Due to the way Star and Barky set up the Divine Promise system, they are beholden to that flaw. Breaking that Promise would result in a total Lockout. And a god certainly would not want to be removed from their world permanently."
"That's... quite a grave flaw," Zena said. "Why would they design a world like that?"
"It's intended," Mhynt said. "Should a god ever lose confidence in themselves, perhaps they must pass that power on. Let the world run without them, and let a new god take their place."
Owen stopped walking. That... that couldn't have been Star's true intentions. No. That...
"But it's not guaranteed, right?" Owen said.
Mhynt gave him a knowing look. It felt like pity. "I suppose not," she said. "A Promise is just that. They can choose to keep it. But unless it's revoked, a god has an eternity to break it. It will, inevitably, happen."
"Then, when Star gave me that Promise... I wonder if..."
"It's possible," Mhynt said.
"If that's the case, I can't take a Promise from Necrozma. It'd have to be one of you. It's... too risky for me to take any more power. Just—just having one is too much. Is there a way to revoke a Promise?"
Owen tried to hide his panic, but near the end, he slipped. The gravity of what Star had done... Maybe it hadn't fully registered until then, as Mhynt outlined it. Not only would Star cease, but he'd... No. He can't allow that. His entire purpose, the way he'd built himself up, was to oppose them. He didn't have the temperament for that kind of power. What if he went berserk? Could he cure himself of that, or was that ingrained within him?
"Calm, Owen," Mhynt said like she recognized his panic.
"You'll be okay," Zena added. "We'll help you through it, okay? Ideally, Star will learn from this."
Owen nodded, sighing. Great. Now he was antsy for the talk with Necrozma, and his rehearsed lines all felt out of place and wrong. He'd just have to play it by ear and hope Zena and Mhynt could back him up.
"Valle," Owen said, "do you have any thoughts on this? You've been awfully quiet..."
"I am always quiet."
Good, he was still alive. The Shiftry statue didn't give any indicators, since he never moved...
"You know that when we meet Necrozma, we're going to probably fuse you with him, right? Are you okay with that?"
"Yes. I feel him calling to me. This is correct."
Owen and Zena exchanged perturbed looks. "Valle," Owen said, "you haven't really talked about your feelings about this. Or your feelings at all, actually..."
"Are they relevant?"
"Of course they are," Zena said. "Please, if you're afraid at all—"
"I am not."
"Well... I mean, if you are worried about... no longer being yourself—"
"I am hardly a person."
"What?" Owen squinted. "What does that mean?"
Valle was quiet.
"Valle?"
"I spoke out of turn."
"Speak your mind, Valle," Mhynt said. "If you return to Necrozma, it will not be your own mind anymore. This is your final chance to speak purely as yourself."
"...I am unable to return to normal. This statue I am. It is not by choice. I have learned this."
"What? But I thought you were the Rock Guardian and just took on that statue form because..." Zena trailed off. "I mean, well, you enjoyed stillness... And it helped bide time like that, right?"
"Yes. But I cannot revert. I cannot feel. I can only barely move. It is not just fear. If this will save me from this fate, so be it. I have been speaking to Necrozma on the boat ride here. I am ready."
"All this time?" Owen whispered. "I guess that explains your silence..."
"Yes. I will be fine. We share a lot in common. Obviously."
Valle and Necrozma didn't seem all that alike to Owen, but he decided not to vocalize it. He seemed content. But being unable to revert... was strange.
"Right..." Owen gave another uneasy glance at the others. "Let's be more careful here. Talk to Necrozma a little before... doing anything. Something doesn't feel right."
Mhynt nodded. "I'm also skeptical. But we can interrogate Necrozma for that."
"Interrogate?" Zena echoed. "Do we have that kind of leverage?"
Mhynt hummed, eyes closed. "...Yes. I believe we do. Even if we need Necrozma to defeat Dark Matter, we have not tried to explore other options yet. We can leave him here. I don't want to, but I'm not taking the option off the table."
It made Owen feel dirty for agreeing, even mentally, but she had a point. Necrozma was the obvious answer, but not necessarily the only one.
This talk would be the decider.
Something entered the edge of Owen's Perceive and he stopped.
"Hm?" Mhynt looked back.
"That's him," he said. "About a hundred feet ahead, around the next turn."
"Only a hundred? You're getting rusty," Mhynt said with an eyeroll, advancing.
"Something around the air is... thick. I can't see far."
"It must be a strong atmosphere if it's interfering with your Perceive," Zena said, slithering onward. "How far below are we...?"
"I can't see the surface anymore," Owen said. "So, at least a hundred feet down, too."
"Hopefully the structural integrity of this spire is sound."
"Don't... don't jinx it," Owen murmured, double-checking for cracks and faults around them.
The walls were brighter here. The black had transitioned into veins of dim gold, denser as they turned, up until they could see the source in the back of a small chamber. It was reminiscent of how Gahi had described them finding Valle... An isolated little cave.
Rather than rock, though, it was made of black crystal. Owen thought it was obsidian, but it didn't smell of lava or sulfur. It was crystal. Necrozma's...?
"Where is he?" Owen asked. He was expecting to see a great dragon of golden light, like his visions. His Perceive could never see the energy parts of his body, only the crystal skeleton and the odd triangle prism in his forehead. But all his eyes saw was more obsidian.
There was a pile of crystal aheads of them that looked vaguely like a half-complete sculpture. Owen had mistaken it for Necrozma, but it didn't seem to be moving.
"Hmm..." Mhynt continued ahead.
"Um, wait. There's no path ahead. I think we must have... missed a turn, or something..." Owen knew that was impossible. But there was no other path forward. And—
"No," Zena said softly. "He's... he's there. That's him."
"Don't rely on your Perceive so much, Owen," Mhynt warned. "You're Mystic now. Check for auras."
"Auras..." Owen saw Rhys in his mind's eye, followed by a pang of grief. He pushed it away.
The crystal ahead—that half-made sculpture—flickered to life when he checked his aura senses. It... was Necrozma.
"What?" Owen whispered.
Part of the sculpture—the right hand's fingers—twitched.
"Necrozma... what happened to you?" Owen whispered.
More little twitching. Feeble movements. Owen took the lead this time, kneeling after he was a foot away from him. He heard a hollow rattling.
"You made it," Necrozma whispered, his voice a harsh scratching that Owen tried his best to not wince over.
"Yeah. We made it. What happened?"
"Oh, this... I... ran out of... power," Necrozma said. "It comes... and goes... Not much... light... here..."
Owen looked up. There was a straight shot upward from here, at the very top of the spire, where he could see a red dot where the sky was. Could Void Shadows enter through here? Or were they warded off by the natural radiance of this place?
"May I..." Necrozma slowly raised an arm. "May I... borrow... your... light...?"
Necrozma's hand trembled before Owen, clearly asking for it to be held.
"What do you mean?" Owen asked.
"I need light... to... stop the pain..."
"Pain?"
"This form is... like... starvation..."
"Oh." Owen looked back at the others. "Can we give him light?"
"Your flame could help," Zena said. "And I naturally glow. Valle, why don't you glow, too?"
"I may." Already, he brightened enough to light the room.
Owen noticed that the area around Necrozma was noticeably darker despite this, absorbing the light in the room. But even that, Owen realized, wasn't everything. His Perceive was significantly dulled around him... and he also felt weaker. The light wasn't the only thing being drawn in. He already felt like he'd been flying at top speed for several minutes.
"Your generosity... is appreciated," Necrozma said. "I already feel... a little better. Ha ha..."
He sounded miserable.
Necrozma's hand still lingered in front of Owen. He interpreted it as an ask to be pulled to his feet. Owen reached forward and grasped it.
"Here," Owen said.
Necrozma's crystals were very cold.
"Up, with me, alright?" He pulled, but Necrozma was heavy. His hands were massive, too. His whole hand could only wrap around a finger.
When he tried to pull his hand away, though, he felt... stuck. Crystal had formed around his palm like he'd been suddenly attached. "Uh—"
Something pulled at Owen's chest. Not physically, yet a tug, like he was about to fall into a great void. And then—
Owen woke up, dazed, staring at the red dot of the sky through the faraway opening. Zena was coiled protectively around him, while Mhynt hadn't moved from her spot. Valle, of course, hadn't moved at all.
"Huh?" Owen mumbled. "What happened? Where..."
His head was pounding.
Necrozma was still collapsed on the wall, still pained, but he could speak a little louder.
"I am... sorry," he said. "I didn't mean... to blast so violently toward you. I... had... a moment... of weakness."
"Why did you blast him into the wall, then?" Zena snarled. She was glowing brighter, water flowing through the ridges of her scales.
"Zena," Owen said, "hang on. I'm okay, I think. Just... hit my head, I think..."
"I was trying to draw some of your power into me," Necrozma said, rattling more. Gathered his strength. "But... I was taking too much. You would have... been... overtaken. I refused... to give in to that. I am sorry. I should have been... transparent."
"Wh-what would've happened to me?" Owen asked.
"My crystals would overtake your body... and I would be in control. I would have... released you afterward. But... I know your history. You would never forgive me..."
He had a point. That sounded terrifying. Was he always capable of that?
"Considering your circumstances," Mhynt said, "I'm willing to let that one slide, so long as you don't try it again. Owen?"
"Y-yeah. It's okay. You, uh, you stopped... yourself..."
Necrozma had no proper face to read, no body language he could recognize. Owen had to rely on his gut. His naturally obedient, super mutant gut.
"Zena?" Owen asked instead.
"...Can you function with just our ambient light?" Zena asked.
"I can, for a time."
"...Then while we talk, we will talk from a distance. Here."
With Zena's help, Owen got to a sitting position, the last of his dizziness leaving him.
"That is fine," Necrozma said, rising enough that perhaps he was also in... some kind of sitting position. "How do you want to begin?" he asked. "I think I heard echoes in the cavern of... an interrogation."
Owen winced. Right. Sound probably bounced very well here. "Right," he said. "Well... Let's open with the first question, Necrozma.
"Do you still want to destroy this world?"
The acoustics of the room made Owen's words echo back to him. It made him question whether or not that was a fair question, or if he could hope to get an honest answer. If he said no, could he trust that?
After that silence, nobody speaking at first, Necrozma rattled out what might have been a sigh.
"That is not something I want to do."
Owen felt relieved, even if it could have been a lie. That was what the interrogation was for.
But then, Necrozma continued.
"It is beyond my power to stop its destruction."