It felt like Owen had slept for at least two whole days. Perhaps that was because his mind had split five ways. When the dream ended, he woke up five times.
Regardless, he felt stiff and big and heavy. And everyone else looked like they'd gone down to half their size.
He stretched and tried to wipe the grogginess out of his eyes. He stretched, yawned, popped a few segments of his spine, and then it finally hit him.
"Oh no."
His voice was deep, and he gasped in surprise.
"Whoa!" Azelf shouted, alerting almost everyone else.
"Owen?" Zena asked, guarded and tense.
The room was still dark, lit by the red glow high above them through the spire's vertical column, but most came from Owen's flame. Thankfully his scales were still orange and cream, but he'd grown... again, and this time to his old Wishkeeper form.
"Necrozma!" Owen called. "This was the one thing I didn't want back!"
"I thought you liked being big," hummed another light source in the room. To Owen's left, covered in a thick blanket, was Necrozma. He was so bright that the blanket only partially masked him.
"I do, but—when did you get better?"
"A few hours ago," Necrozma said. "Once I'd siphoned enough energy stored in you, I was able to jump-start my energy reserves. The divine energy keeps me sustained without the need for external light... A terrible Shadow blast had taken that away from me for some time."
"And the blanket..."
"Too bright," Mispy explained, glaring at Necrozma, who lifted his wings from beneath the blanket in apology. Owen noticed that Mispy had also shoved their bag of supplies under two layers of dirt from outside. He wondered if the light crystals were also glowing brighter in reaction to Necrozma's presence...
"Thankfully, this body only burns voluntarily," he said. "You may have the blanket back, now."
"No!" Demitri said. "I—I mean, um... maybe you can take that off... when we're ready to wake up?"
Mhynt sighed. "I believe we're as awake as we can, thanks to that scream. Azelf." She rolled to a sitting position and rubbed her snout. "Honestly, you've seen Owen like this before."
"W-well, yeah, an' last time I kinda..."
Owen winced. "Good point... Necrozma, can I shrink down now?"
"I believe you have control over your form," Necrozma said. "That must be your maximum size. A side-effect of too much contact with me. It may also be your default again..."
"Great..."
"You're huge," Demitri whispered.
"Is that bad?" Owen asked, nervous.
Zena was staring but then shook her head. "I think it's... different," she replied, "but as long as it doesn't bother you..."
"I think I'll stick to being... smaller for a while," Owen said. His Perceive told him that Zena seemed to like it, though. He kept that in mind later.
"...Is it time?"
It was Valle, still in the corner of the room, the statue he always was.
"I have grown weary of... anticipating this. But I do not like how much you move."
"How much I... move?" Necrozma asked. "I'm made of divine energy, crystal, and concentrated light. Two of my three components are in constant motion."
"Stillness. Do you value stillness?"
"...Of the spirit, and those at rest," Necrozma replied. "But the living must move."
"Hmm. If that is your opinion. I'll consider it."
Necrozma nodded but then turned his head to the Team Alloy trio. "As for you," he said. "Now that Owen is awake... I would like to purify you three, first and foremost."
"Aw, is it that obvious?" Gahi asked.
"Darkness can hide well," Necrozma said, "but... yes. Yours is obvious."
"Feh. Alright, fine."
Demitri and Mispy got out of their cuddle pile and stepped forward first. Gahi hovered behind them, eyeing Necrozma suspiciously.
"So, um," Demitri said, nervously swinging his tail before slapping it on the ground. Owen sensed he didn't want to hurt anyone with the axe at the end. "Does it hurt?"
"It might. I can start by purifying one of you and then doing the rest. As a... test. Everyone else may want to avert their eyes."
"Oh, great. Is it some horrifying monster form you have?" Gahi asked. "We already saw Nate, I didn' get too many nightmares from that."
"No. It's just very bright."
"Oh."
Owen probably shouldn't have looked surprised. Thankfully, his Perceive couldn't see brightness, so he'd be fine either way. "Well, who wants to go first? If it hurts a little, maybe Mispy can go first since she doesn't feel pain."
"She doesn't?" Necrozma asked. "Isn't that dangerous? Pain is an indicator of the body being harmed... No pain, and—"
"She out-heals basically anything," Gahi explained. "No reason ter feel pain."
"...Ah." Necrozma dimmed. "So, you have been modified that heavily. Quite... interesting."
Owen couldn't Perceive Necrozma's body very easily, but it was easy to tell there was a hint of judgment in his tone. He supposed it wouldn't be too surprising that someone made of light would be a bit of a purist.
"Well, let's not stall. Come, Mispy. I'll purify you of Shadows first."
Mispy slid forward and closed her eyes. Owen and most of the others did the same. From Owen's perspective, he watched the crystal of Necrozma's body hover over Mispy, and Mispy herself suddenly tensed and winced. Was she actually feeling pain?
"Wait," Owen said. "What's going on?"
"I apologize," Necrozma said. "It seems the pain I inflict is... spiritual. A lack of pain receptors won't help you there. But I'll be gentle."
"Careful..."
That meant this would be particularly painful for Mispy, who normally didn't experience it. Her wincing was pronounced; she was almost going to cry, but she was holding back any vocalizations. Demitri's muscles were tense, too, like he wanted to attack. Not Necrozma; just a fight or flight.
Owen realized as he focused on Gahi that if he opened his eyes and looked at him, he'd probably look like a huge crystal statue of a Flygon with his natural glimmer. Would he dare?
No. Bad idea. He'd blind himself.
"I'm... sorry," Necrozma finally said, pulling back and covering himself in the veil.
"What's wrong?" Owen finally opened his eyes. Dark like before, but he was positive he'd seen the outline of his scales through his eyelids.
"I do not have the necessary concentration of light to purify something this deep," Necrozma explained. "This kind of corruption is... intense. But you brought my other half here. That will do when we reunite... Valle."
"Mm," Valle replied, somewhere between an indifferent sigh and a nervous huff.
"I understand if you're nervous," Necrozma said, "but I assure you, this will be fine. With my experience, reunification of a spirit in this way won't be disastrous. I am an Overseer, after all."
"Right... Overseer," Zena said, shifting uncomfortably. "A god above gods? Older than the world itself?"
"Well, not a god," Necrozma said. "...Er, not normally. I requested to borrow some of their power to perform my duties, yes, but I am not a god by default. I was beholden to this world's rules all the same, but they allowed me to work with its machinations.
"The Hands of Creation, as they say, from the Thousand Arms of Arceus. When Kilo was created, half of that was given to Star. And when I came into the picture after Hecto returned with his scouting information, I requested a third total, to which they offered a third of each of their halves."
Demitri was counting on his claws, looking confused. Mispy whispered the mathematics to him, arranging six rocks to demonstrate.
"Can you explain what an Overseer is? And why didn't you explain it to us before?" Owen asked.
"The existence of Overseers is... something that is usually kept away from worlds such as this one, where new souls are created. It disturbs their societies when they learn about the vastness of the worlds upon worlds beyond their own. And, in many ways, it's... not relevant. But..."
Necrozma sighed, though Owen realized it was simulated. There was no air or empty cavity in his chest for air to flow.
"This world is already in great need of direct interference, and the current gods have... fallen short. So, more direct assistance and cooperation with the higher mortals is necessary."
"Higher mortals," Mhynt hummed. "So, the demigods, or close to it, such as us."
"Yes. And once we get to that stage, it'd be silly to expect word to not spread. I only ask you do not 'make a big deal' out of it."
"Oh, sure, yeah, no big deal, just some... divine alien from outer space coming to help us out."
"Far beyond outer space," Necrozma commented.
"Ultra Space, then," Mhynt concluded. "I've heard of that theoretical plane... from you. Lunala can travel into it."
"Beyond even that, I'm afraid. You can travel through Ultra Space, physically. But the Overworld—where I am from—is a place devoid of space or matter. It is only the spirit that may travel through, with its memories and intents, to other realities that may grant it a body to inhabit. A body such as this one." Necrozma gestured to himself.
"That's not even your real body?" Demitri questioned.
"That's kind of crazy, even for me," Mesprit echoed. "And I'm standing next to another me..."
"Do not worry. The important part is, I came here and was granted a body and power by your gods... Star and Barky, I believe, are their informal names still. I am an expert in untangling cosmic struggles of worlds such as these, but this... Dark Matter is new to me. I had intended to return to the Overworld to gather research if other worlds had dealt with similar problems elsewhere. Unfortunately, I was caught up in the Dark War before I could escape. And now, well, it's a bit too late... At this point, I may be the one providing the research."
"So this is a new threat..." Owen's wings drooped. "And... I caused it."
"You did," Necrozma said, "but you have also provided me ample information. There is a silver lining to this dark cloud yet. Yes, even if this world is doomed—which it may not be, just yet—we can save other worlds that suffer similar phenomena in the future. That is the purpose of the Overworld."
The distance that Necrozma spoke about Kilo unnerved him. It was like he was already preparing to abandon the world the moment he had his power back...
"You'll still help, right?" Owen asked.
"Yes, of course. I'll honor what you wanted, and I've spent a lot of time thinking about how to do it. First, Alexander, of course. When Valle and I reunite, I will fly to Alexander while he is still weak and eliminate him. I'll absorb his spirit so he won't cause trouble after that, just in case."
"A-absorb his spirit?" Owen repeated. "You can do that?"
Necrozma gestured to Owen, then at Gahi. "You have been doing that all this time, haven't you? That is based on my power. When I assisted in this world's creation, I also became its nexus for spirits. When someone died, their spirits flowed into me, where they would remain dormant until the world's end. After that, I would ferry them to the Overworld where they may find other lives to live.
"Kilo is... a temporary world, after all. It was not built to last more than a thousand years. That was its intended end... but your other creators were fallible and emotional. They grew attached, and I, under my new physical limitations, lost track of my mission to compassion. I allowed a slow death so the final souls could live out their lives. There's something special about a soul's very first life, they told me. And... true, true." Necrozma sighed. "So long ago, for me..."
Zena shifted uncomfortably again, glancing at Valle. "Does this all make sense to you?" she asked.
"It is familiar," Valle said. "But I am... hesitant to return to such a vast soul when I am so small, Necrozma. Will I remain at all?"
"Recency is important to a spirit," Necrozma said. "You will. I doubt either of us will complain about the result. The spirit... tends to work itself out in these circumstances."
To that, Demitri and Mesprit, Mispy and Uxie, and Azelf and Gahi all glanced at each other.
"Yes," Necrozma said, "even you. For those fusing, it is rarely difficult. It's typically those around them who are more affected by the change."
Owen thought of Dialga and Rhys... That was certainly true. Dialga was completely unbothered, despite holding Rhys' memories, for a time. Yet Gahi...
"Will I lose my friends?" Owen asked. He'd asked it without thinking, but he thought back to his dream with his five selves. Perhaps that was 'Smallflame' asking the simplest question. But he needed to know.
"Team Alloy, yes?" Necrozma asked. "Sorry. I happened to see glimpses of your memories while mending your spirit," he said. "You were friends with the Trio of Mind as well as Team Alloy. I see no reason why you wouldn't be friends with a combination of the two."
Logical and simple. Amid all the vastness of what Necrozma was explaining, that was something the Charizard could grasp and hold in his mind. He breathed a little easier.
"Kilo should still last," Zena said. "Will you help make Kilo a world meant to last more than a thousand years? Something sustainable?"
"It will require a heavy overhaul," Necrozma said, bringing a wing to his crystal jaw. "A few hundred years, which is trivial, really, but still a lot of work. It can be done. Once Dark Matter is taken care of, that will be my next project, yes. It's a promise."
"A Div—"
"No, none of that," Necrozma said with a wave of another of his four wings. "I don't want to navigate Divine Promises amid reconstruction. And what happens to a divine being who breaks such a promise is still unknown; I'd rather not risk a Lockout... Then Kilo would surely be doomed."
Well, it was worth asking. Owen leaned against the wall behind him again, which was uncomfortably hard even against his scales.
"Well!" Necrozma brightened enough that Owen had to squint. "I suppose that's enough talking. Valle, are you prepared to merge?"
"Yes. I am ready."
"Wonderful. This process should be very simple. Hold out your arm, and I will hold out mine. Focus your aura toward me, and I shall do the same toward you."
"...There is a small complication."
"...Ah. Of course. Well. I shall... place a wing on your head."
"That will do."
Team Alloy, the Trio of Mind, Mhynt, Zena, and Trina all stood away from the group while Owen decided to relax against the wall still to enjoy a few more moments of rest. He still felt mentally exhausted. Maybe he could catch another nap after this was over before they'd head back...
Then again, if Necrozma regained his full power, would he be able to use his powers to travel instantly? So much for getting some rest.
Necrozma and Valle were both glowing. Mhynt was watching with mild interest, head tilted and fingers tapping on her arm. Zena was cautious as always, and Trina murmured something to Gahi, who shrugged.
Valle and Necrozma both looked briefly transparent. Necrozma dissolved into light, even his crystals appearing to do this, while Valle dissolved next, little by little as the lights coalesced in the center. This seemed different than typical merges, perhaps due to Necrozma's nature.
Mispy's eyes widened in amazement.
"What's wrong?" Demitri asked, and Mispy murmured to him. "What? Spirits?"
Zena closed her eyes and gasped. "Oh, goodness... She's right. They were all within Necrozma, all this time? I can't count them..."
Gahi scratched his chin and closed his eyes next. Owen followed.
If his 'aura eyes' could go blind, they would have. It was like he was staring at the entirety of the aura sea all at once, concentrated in a ball of light. Spirits in numbers that would dwarf all spirits of all Orbs combined flowed before them, every single one having been stored in Necrozma, the prism of death.
Owen remembered, now. Before there was the aura sea and that spirit world beyond, there was Necrozma to house all spirits. So, if Owen's guess was right... within Necrozma were roughly a thousand years of Kilo's spirits. Another thousand years was across the aura sea or still living.
They were all in stasis, though. Asleep for all those centuries, undisturbed and patiently waiting for 'the world's end,' as Necrozma put it. At least they didn't suffer. Owen wondered if the same could be said for the new afterlife Star and Barky had constructed for the spirits across the sea.
It was probably okay, too.
Mhynt narrowed her eyes as the motes of light continued to coalesce into a single entity. So far, this strange fusion process seemed to be going along fine, but... why did Mhynt seem tense?
"Something wrong?" Owen asked.
"I'm not sure. I feel as if something is... off," she said. "It's hard to get a close look at the light, though. I think the Shadows in me are making it too bright for me to see anything else."
"Same," Mispy said.
"Yeah, I ain't looking at that."
Owen could endure it a little easier than the others. He tried to take a closer look, straining past the motes of light and focusing more on the details otherwise. There was nothing important about the spirits at this point, at least nothing he could discern. He narrowed his eyes a little more, his mind's eye, and noticed that sometimes, parts of the light seemed to disappear and reappear as they moved past something his aura sense couldn't quite perceive. But he could see it through how the divine light seemed to curve around it...
What was that? It seemed to be coming from Valle, the very center of his aura. There was no way they would have seen it with everything else wrapped around it. Maybe that was the strange Overseer core that Valle had all this time. Did their spirits look different? No, Hecto's didn't seem that special...
The lights began to coalesce further. The whole form was nearly solid, but that odd gap in his senses remained. He'd been sensing light to not overwhelm himself, but...
No, that couldn't...
In a split-second decision, Owen endured and tried to focus on other kinds of senses. Not Radiance, not aura broadly that would be overwhelmed, but Shadow.
He only got a glimpse before the Raciance shocked his senses, but he saw it enough that he gasped.
"Guys!" Owen sprang to his feet. Demitri yelped in surprise and crouched. Mispy and Mhynt glanced at each other and got on guard. "Necrozma! In Valle! There was—Shadows!"
"What? What does that mean?" Demitri asked.
Mhynt cursed, staring at the solidifying figure, now ominous despite its prior serenity. "The piece of Diyem we couldn't find," she said. "It was hiding behind the light!"
Everyone was too shocked to act, but Mhynt led the charge by conjuring a Leaf Blade and leaping toward the light. She raised it—and then a beam forced her to use it as a shield instead. It had more than just light behind it as concussive force slammed her into the wall. She cried in pain, but that cry transitioned into an enraged snarl as the beam continued.
Zena acted next, blasting the sphere of light with Hydro Pump. The beam split into eight segments, but the ball of light was corporeal enough to strike. Steam vented through the spire's opening, rushing hot air forward and outside Voidlands air through the chamber. From the spire droned a long, low whistle like a call to war.
Mhynt was freed enough that she stepped into shadows, reappearing on the other side of the room to kneel. Behind her was the exit. "We need to go," she said. "We aren't in a state to fight him right now."
Indeed, when Zena's blast faded, the ball of light seemed almost entirely unaffected. "What?" she whispered. "I barely did a thing...!"
"Your powers are Radiant, Zena," Mhynt said hastily. "You're striking the very source. You can't do anything to it with something feeble like that!"
"Oh yeah?" Gahi snarled, crouching. "Well, how about this? Demitri!"
"H-huh?!"
Gahi grabbed Demitri and pulled him over, and then dove into Mispy. The three fused in a matter of seconds, but by then, the sphere had almost completely coalesced, forming limbs and crystals once more.
"No way!" Migami challenged, simultaneously charging a Solar Beam on their neck-petals while ramming forward for one of Demitri's punches.
That connected, and some of the crystal cracked. With a surprised gasp, Migami pulled back for a second strike, then hurled themselves forward.
The ball of light flashed brighter, and Owen shouted with his eyes closed. He fired at Necrozma and watched with his Perceive as his senses scrambled. He had no idea what he was looking at, like the matter he thought he was observing was suddenly twisting and turning. Mhynt was looking through the bag they'd brought and pulled out one of the light crystals, hopping toward the distortion before squeezing her fingers around it.
Owen couldn't tell if the energy was reacting or not, but he could see the scales of his eyelids again. The burning feeling was different than normal flames; it stung his scales.
And then, suddenly, Mhynt was blasted backward and into Owen's chest. Zena fired another Hydro Pump, but to Owen's great confusion, the water abruptly disappeared the moment it got close to Necrozma. Where was it going?
Trina had no means to fight effectively in this environment. She was searching through the bag for supplies, but none of their typical items were working. Seeds vaporized before they got close to Necrozma; the powers stored within orbs were suppressed by the sheer power Necrozma gave off. And then, when Necrozma formed almost completely, the crystal beast turned his head toward Mhynt and Trina, and they vanished, too, as if pulled backward by some force. The two tiny Grass Pokémon didn't even have time to react.
And just like that, in a matter of seconds, it was down to just Owen and Zena. The Milotic was already preparing another Hydro Pump, ineffectual as it was, but her eyes were closed the same way. It was certainly still too bright.
"Necrozma!" Owen shouted. He tried to move, but everything was sluggish and felt like jelly. Was it Necrozma's divine presence, or sheer exhaustion? All he could do was shout, and even that was a strain. "What's—going on?!"
"That isn't Necrozma anymore," Zena said. "Dark Matter... I saw it. He was waiting this whole time... and took over when he was most vulnerable! Did you see it, that darkness? We should have checked harder... How did we not even consider—even if Valle was of Necrozma, the Shadows were—"
"They are not dead," Necrozma's body said, a mixture of echoing Radiance and reverberating Shadows. "That is one mercy I will grant you."
"Where did you put them?" Owen demanded. "Necrozma! You—have to fight this! Dark Matter, please! We're trying to help!"
"I know you were trying to kill me. It's too late. Words will do nothing. If only because I know you'll be trouble if I kill you... I'm going to put you somewhere you won't be a problem."
Zena blasted again, but suddenly lurched forward by her own will, avoiding something Owen couldn't Perceive.
He still saw the outline of his scales, so there was no use opening his eyes to risk it. Zena got closer to Owen as if to guard him.
"Goodbye, Owen."
And then, with no flourish, Necrozma flicked the crystal part of his body—the only part Owen could see, this skeleton of a dragon—and the same force pulled Owen and Zena backward. Owen knew there was a wall behind them until there wasn't. He tumbled through the open air and tried to scream, but realized that even screaming was producing no sound. Zena was curling a burned ribbon, wincing.
Finally, when his vision was dark again, he opened his eyes.
He wished he hadn't. Ahead was a pinprick of light that seemed to share Necrozma's colors. It had a tinge of darkness in it, too. But it was getting further away. Rapidly. All around him, blends of blues and oranges and purples and whites swirled around him. Occasionally, he saw odd rifts in the shape of squares that formed a tunnel.
He couldn't move toward or away from them. Necrozma pushed him, even at this distance, to a certain trajectory, and it was toward one specific tunnel just ahead. "Zena!" Owen cried, but he couldn't hear a sound. Zena could have been saying something—no. His Perceive. He just had to concentrate on his Perceive.
Zena... wasn't saying anything. Simply bracing. Eyes darting around. Maybe she was looking for an escape. But since she wasn't doing anything, she found none.
The calm was unnerving after the sudden rush. Owen wondered if the others had been put through this place, too. If they'd fallen into different spots. If they could come back from it. They were 'safe' but... what did that mean?
He should have fought harder. Would that have been enough? Should he have detected Valle's corruption? Was that corruption, or... was Necrozma just biding his time until he was whole?
The tunnel claimed him and Zena, and the air shifted from empty to windy. They were going too fast.
If they hit the ground, would they be weak, like when he'd been claimed in the Voidlands? He couldn't allow that.
Holding Zena close, Owen conjured the strongest Protect he could muster. The air was fresh and familiar in a way Owen did not know how to describe. He dared open his eyes, but could only see grass and trees rapidly coming closer. He spread his wings and held up his Protect, but it was too slow.
He struck the ground and wheezed, but it didn't go black immediately. He'd fallen first, and Zena fell on top of him, breaking her fall.
"Ugh... What... what happened?" Zena said. "Owen, are you okay? Owen?"
Owen tried to speak and managed to get out one word. "Mostly..."
Zena wrapped her ribbons around his shoulders. "Can you look at me? Owen?"
Moving was hard. This lethargy felt like it was more than just physical pain. Was it fatigue from his mental exercises with Necrozma? He was fading fast. He just needed to get a little more sleep.
"Owen? Owen!" Zena called.
"I'll stay awake," Owen lied, eyes fluttering closed again. He loved the smell of the air. How strange, since it was nothing like the rocks of Hot Spot.
"Who are you?" Zena said suddenly, but that was the last thing Owen heard before the fatigue forced him under.
<><><>
"Arms. Legs. Tail. I think everything's still in one piece here," Mhynt hummed, dusting herself off. "Trina?"
"Being small has its benefits," the Snivy grunted, flicking her tail of dust and debris.
The ground was a blue-black color. It wasn't quite rocks and gravel, so it must have been soil. Terrible soil for plants, though. She didn't know what kind of mineral it was.
"Do you have an explanation?" Trina asked.
"For Necrozma? Yes. Dark Matter used the innate light of Valle to hide completely within him. Whatever this was, it was premeditated at least a thousand years ago when Necrozma was first sealed." Mhynt shook her head. "I didn't think that Dark Matter was the patient type, but maybe he had no choice..."
Their surroundings were closed off and would have been impossibly cramped for the larger members of the team. There was only one exit, and Mhynt didn't like the idea of something coming in to trap them.
"Let's get out and figure out where we are," Mhynt said.
"Agreed."
Mhynt took the lead, gesturing briefly for Trina to stay behind. Occasionally, the Snivy seemed confused. Mhynt remembered that a lot of her gestures only made sense in Cipher City's protocol; a lot of it wasn't going to translate... Hopefully, she could stick to more obvious gestures. And that someone whose arms barely worked could relate to Mhynt's body language.
The winding cave was mercifully empty, and Mhynt didn't see any signs of life in it, either. It seemed long abandoned.
But then, Mhynt sensed something nearby and held out her hand. Trina stopped and gave her an inquiring look.
She could sense the aura of... something. But the way it felt was unlike anything she'd sensed before. Was it even alive, or did it throw off her senses somehow?
Mhynt carefully peeked around the corner.
They resembled things that should have been in the depths of the ocean but were floating high in the air. Faceless, white things with tendrils and starlike shapes on their bulbous heads, like cloaks without a wearer.
Mhynt sank back into the cave and took a seat against the wall, pensive. Trina peeked next, then sat next to her.
"This," Trina said, "isn't Kilo anymore, is it?"
"I don't think it's the Voidlands, either," Mhynt said. "This... could be bad."
"Where do we go?" Trina asked.
Mhynt closed her eyes, trying to channel her inner power. If there was anything that could do this, it would be Lunala. But the Shadows had stunted her so badly... Would she have the power anymore?
"I don't know," Mhynt said. "But at least we aren't being attacked. I can only hope... the same is true for the others."
Trina didn't like the answer based on her displeased hum. But she said, "I understand. Then... I'll try to think of something next."
"Don't make too much noise," Mhynt reminded. "They might hear us."
Trina nodded.
They weren't even allowed the luxury of shouting out their frustrations. No. All they could do now was sit and fester and, hopefully, find a way back.
<><><>
Migami flew as fast as they could through the ruins of some old town, fleeing the sole living creature they had the misfortune of meeting. They'd never seen anything like it before. Some kind of monster in the middle of nowhere. Based on how ruined everything was, they could only guess it had to be the one responsible. Even with Mispy's aura sense, Migami couldn't sense any further life in the immediate area.
And as much as they wanted to fight it to see who was stronger, they did not want to risk losing themselves to battle when they were the only ones around. They had to keep a calm mind. Trina wasn't there to direct their thoughts. Owen wasn't there to command them. And their other halves weren't even around to stabilize them in the worst case.
They had to avoid fighting at all costs.
It had a massive mouth and tendrils that ended in smaller mouths. It screamed an ear-splitting roar like a cry for the apocalypse. Their only saving grace was that it was incredibly slow, and Migami was incredibly fast.
The problem was they had no shelter. Everything had become some sort of flatland of ruin. It was even more barren than the Voidlands, in some ways, with brown sand covered in darker brown dust. The occasional building peeked out from this sand, looking half-eaten and hollow. If they went there, it would easily see them going.
Sand...
Wait! Sand! That was it!
Gahi didn't have the technique prepared, but with some effort, perhaps they could channel it anyway. They flew for a while more, but then circled back and got closer, kicking up a storm around them. It was slow and shoddy, but eventually, they managed to get it flowing again.
Sand kicked up below them in a whirlwind of obscuring grains. Gahi's lenses helped them see despite it, and more importantly, they pulled back to make sure the behemoth was caught in it, too. Get some sand in its big stupid mouth, too... Though it would probably enjoy it if those chewed-up buildings were anything to go by.
The air was as obscured as it was going to get. To leave no trace at all, Migami flew forward, letting their wings whistle and sing in the sand, and then Teleported at a right angle, out of the storm. That, they hoped, would be enough to buy some time to hide in a building. Then, they could meditate, calm down, and hope to figure out just where they were.
They just hoped there was a way back before they Voided completely.
<><><>
Mesprit didn't like surprises.
Ever since he was split from Demitri, Mesprit wondered how much of him was naturally a nervous wreck, and how much was just from his time in the Voidlands.
Life was just one stressful, emotional event after another sometimes. Somehow, his wish to escape from the Voidlands was answered with the most hectic few days of his afterlife. And new life? Was he alive again? Did that count? Was that cheating? He felt guilty for it. Uxie would tell him to stop worrying, and Azelf would say he was overthinking.
But now, he could tell that even they were agitated.
But hey! At least they were back in Kilo Village!
The sun was shining, the sky was clear, and everything seemed peaceful in the caldera. Maybe Necrozma was just having a hissy fit. It seemed like there weren't any Shadows at all. Maybe they'd gone dormant, and Owen solved everything while they were out? That would be nice...
But Uxie already didn't trust it. "Something is wrong," she said. "None of the auras here match. It's... different. This isn't Kilo Village."
"Aw, c'mon! We're wandering around the same old buildings! How ain't it?" Azelf asked. The oversized pixie did a flip in the air. "It's great! Owen musta fixed it!"
"No," Uxie said quietly. "The people here... are totally different! That's what's wrong!"
"You keep track o' that?" Azelf said. "Kinda obsessive ter check stuff like that if y'ask me..."
"Well, let's just ask around. That can't hurt, ri—"
"You."
"EEP!" Mesprit hid behind Azelf so fast it would've given Gahi competition.
It was a Granbull with a nasty scar that went from his right shoulder to his left thigh.
"H-hi!" Mesprit waved. "How... long have you been there?"
"A while," he said, which Uxie had telepathically said at the same time. "I'm sorry to say," he went on, "but you three are... dead."
"Again?" Azelf complained.
Granbull quirked a brow. "...Yes, sure, again. This is Kilo Village by name. However, it's across the aura sea. A replica based on everyone's memories of the era. If you want to see past eras, you can go to—"
"Other side?!" Mesprit squeaked. "But how did we get there? We were in the Voidlands only a little bit ago!"
"Voidlands? Then you escaped that place? It really is open..."
"You know about it here?" Azelf asked.
"Yes. Only recently. It answered a lot of questions we had about why some of our loved ones were missing for so long..." Granbull shook his head. "Sorry. I didn't introduce myself. My name is Jin. I was a Heart until..." He trailed off. "I don't know how long it's been in the living world, but I want to say a year or two. I've... sort of taken it upon myself to... stay honed, just in case. I had a feeling something was happening in Kilo, and... well. Maybe I was just being hopeful."
"Well, you're right in one way," Azelf said. "It's crazy over there! And we gotta get back! See—"
"There isn't... any going back. Overseer Hecto makes very few exceptions for this sort of thing, and—"
"Yeah, yeah, we figure, but he's gonna make an exception fer us," Azelf said quickly.
Jin's brow raised even more. "You know him."
"Yes. We've known him for a while. Do you recognize us?"
"Should I?" Jin frowned. "Well... I've never seen a trio like you before, no."
"Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf," explained Mesprit.
"...Oh. You're real."
"...That's it? No... surprised reaction?" Azelf asked, squinting. "C'mon, at least a little start!"
Jin rolled his eyes and turned around. "Come on. Let's at least get you oriented, and maybe we can find Zygarde on the way there to sort out what ha—"
A sudden cry caught their attention. A shout of surprise? The way Jin was briefly stunned suggested this wasn't a normal occurrence.
"What's that?" Mesprit asked.
But eventually, Uxie pointed skyward, where a rip in the sky revealed the all-too-familiar purple wasteland they knew too well. And perpendicular to this rift was another, revealing a mirror of the city they stood in now. Kilo. Perhaps the real Kilo.
"...Is that good er bad?" Azelf asked.
"Bad," Uxie said. "Very, very bad."
Mesprit didn't know for sure, but he had a feeling Uxie was following her gut. And he agreed.
Life and death were starting to break apart.