Sinners: Arc 2

A/N: YES I KNOW IT'S LATE, SORRY



You know, I can't always top myself in EVERY chapter. Chapter 19 was a crazy, action-filled roller coaster. This chapter, however, is 95% dialogue, lol. It's necessary, but not necessarily exciting. The next chapter will be the action-packed adventure you're all lusting for, heh.



Think of it like the Architect scene from the Matrix Reloaded. You gotta know the shit, but it's still kinda...dull. :-/



Random note: I changed the chapter title right after I pasted the story in the new chapter field. Desert's Door just doesn't apply this early, lol.



This chapter presents some more information on the Interloper and the 'other voice', the upcoming journey to Fallarbor, and the fate of Kiako.



Enjoy!



Word count: ~16000



Incidentally, my next project will be the Sinners Anniversary Special, which will be ON TIME---March 29. ^_^



****************



Chapter 20: Lines of Force







For the second night in a row, Slash opened his eyes, but he didn't wake up.



This time, however, the void that he found himself in was not as frightening. The myriad of doors, locked and unlocked, some with indecipherable placards and some without knobs, did not confuse him. The hourglass was immediately visible, as was the great set of golden doors that opened the way to his bond. There was still a great deal of mental 'fog', but compared to the night prior, the void had cleared up considerably.



And instead of feeling exposed, cold, and frightened, Slash felt...



Wait, what was that feeling?



He tried to focus on the strange sensation, subconsciously recognizing it but finding himself unable to place it. It was only when his eyes---dream eyes, spirit eyes, whatever---drifted over the gold doors again that he understood.



It was Psymakio.



Or rather...it was the feeling that flooded his heart whenever they were together, the sensation of warmth and happiness that he'd been feeling around her ever since she was a child.



It was Ralts eating ice cream. It was Kirlia brushing his lips with her fingertips when he awoke. It was Gardevoir kissing him, Gardevoir leaning her head on his shoulder at the movies, Gardevoir taking him into her and casting her soul towards his, two threads of existence wrapping around each other under the full moon.



It was...well, as corny as it sounds, it was love. It was everything good and compassionate between him and his sweet, wonderful mate.



Slash was just beginning to give himself over to the buoying warmth when he realized, with a start, that he was wrong; this was not her. Not precisely. It was close, very close, but it was not her, regardless of what the flooding memories and warming sensations suggested. It was a close imitation...close enough to fool his mating bond enough to let it into his mind.



"What is this? Who's out there?" A terrible thought occurred to him. Could it be the Interloper? Even if that strange, chilly voice was not dangerous, if it was actively toying with his feelings for his mate...if it was powerful enough to trick his senses into mis-identifying his mate...what the hell did that make it, then? And what else could it be capable of?



(Relax, my dear. It is not that...entity...that is within you now. Just me.)



Slash turned around to see the source of the voice, and found himself face to face with a Gardevoir of stunning silver...and not just any Gardevoir. His Gardevoir. His mate. His Psymakio. The average person would have difficulty telling the difference between different members of a species, but the combined trainer/mating bond that they shared was anything but average. He recognized every inch of her body, the glow of her ruby eyes, the facial expressions...and all were present and perfectly accurate in this mental facsimile.



(Not quite right, but you're close.)



The Gardevoir walked up to him---looking rather strange, as there was no visible 'floor' in the void---and wrapped her arms around him. (Relax, sweet one, I would never, ever hurt you.)



The confused trainer pulled back from the embrace, shifting into a defensive posture. His rational mind urged him to stay alert, that this...entity...was something dangerous, capable of taking on his mate's appearance and general aura. His instincts disagreed, believing this creature to be Psymakio despite the faint but noticeable difference in the psychic signature.



He did not like the conflicting emotions in his head. He should be able to be certain, one way or the other, about whether or not this creature was his mate. He did not like the idea of an outside force in his mind. He did not like that it could manipulate his feelings so easily. And he most disliked that his body had responded to her touch.



"Who are you, then? Only my mate is permitted to enter my mind without my permission! Identify yourself or I'll force you out of here!"



The threat was foolish---he had no idea how to force anyone out of his mind, or even if such a thing was possible---but the Gardevoir looked neither confident nor threatened. She merely looked happy to see him, and his shouting did not diminish her sunny grin.



(I am the one you spoke to last night, remember? Your [.....].) She blinked at the confused incomprehension on Slash's face and smiled apologetically. (I'm sorry, I keep forgetting that there's no simple term to describe what I am to you. If you'll just relax and trust me, I will explain everything.)



"If you're the voice from last night, then why didn't you feel so much like Psymakio then?"



(The Interloper was dominating your mind last night, and I was not able to fully reveal myself. As strong as you are, strong as I am, and as strong as your mate is, the Interloper is more powerful...at least, for now. Please calm down, and I will answer all your questions.)



Slash gave her a searching look, again wincing as his body responded to the sight of the sweet and familiar form. Maybe his rational mind was right; it was dangerous to put his trust in something that could take his mate's form perfectly, along with a nearly flawless copy of her psychic signature. But it was hard to be suspicious or angry when his instincts recognized the face looking back at him as the face of his lover.



"Alright."



She moved in to embrace him again, but Slash stopped her. "No. No more of that. I want answers."



The Gardevoir pouted for a moment, but then nodded. (If you insist. Since there is no word to fully convey what I am to you, I'll settle for...guardian. Being your guardian is one of my most important tasks.)



More like a guardian angel, one of the instinct-controlled corners of Slash's mind whispered to itself, and the Gardevoir's face lit up.



(Would you really call me so?), she asked with a touched smile.



"Can you please stop doing that?" Slash asked uncomfortably. "I don't like others reading my thoughts."



(You let Psymakio do it.)



"Yes, but she's my mate. I feel comfortable with her looking through my mind. I gave her my permission."



(Oh, silly...you don't understand, do you? Your experience with the Interloper has made you distrusting of your own mind! Poor thing...)



She leaned forward and reached for him again, and Slash started to pull back.



(Please?)



Her voice was too much like Psymakio's to resist; even his rational mind was fooled for a moment. She embraced him tightly, her hands gently carding through his hair the same way his mate would. He still found his inability to resist responding to her touch to be disconcerting.



(Oh, please, dear. Resist? Fooling you? You need to understand that I'm not a foreign intruder! I'm your mate's [.....]! You're no more betraying her by accepting my embrace than you would be by accepting hers!)



Slash removed himself from her arms again, but this time he did so with slow and delicate care. He replied carefully, not wanting to admit his weakness to her touch. "Part of me...part of me does believe you, even if I don't understand it. Maybe I'd be less...hesitant to accept your words...if you explained in simple terms. Break it down as best as you can. And be quick about it, please...I want to check on Psymakio."



She looked at him shyly for a moment. (Alright, I'll try, but only under one condition. I want you to call me Angel from now on,) the girl said with a playful, blushing smile. (I liked that. She likes that, too...a lot.)



Hesitantly returning her smile and making a mental note to call his mate by the name (he was bemused to see a giant blackboard appear in the void with "CALL PSYMAKIO AN ANGEL" scrawled on it), Slash nodded. "I suppose that's fair enough. I need something to call you, anyway. Please tell me who you are...Angel.)



The girl clapped her hands and giggled. (Oh, thank you, my dear! I will gladly do so. Let's move over there so I can put your fears about your mate's health at ease.)



She closed her eyes and teleported the both of them in front of the golden gate that represented the mating bond. Slash noticed the tunnel was almost completely closed---a baseball would just barely fit inside it---but it was widening at a barely perceptible rate. The windows that looked into her mind were almost completely opaque; he could see that there was light behind them, but no more than that. He looked at Angel with confusion.



(Psymakio is starting to move from unconsciousness to normal sleep. Don't worry, she'll be fine soon enough.)



"If she's still unconscious, how can she be...projecting you?"



(What? Oh, so that's what you're misunderstanding! I'm not her, but I am. That is...I am not your mate. Not really. But I was made from your mate, and so I'm almost the same as she is. She made me to be your [.....], and---)



"There was another one of those words I can't understand."



(Hm...aha, I think I know how to explain it! Do you remember when you and Psymakio mated, joining together as one?)



"Of course." Slash's mind flashed with a dozen involuntary memories of the event, and flushed when he realized that Angel was seeing them too.



(At the sacred moment, you two gave of yourselves to each other in all ways. Do you remember what you were thinking right before it happened?)



Slash considered. "I was thinking that I wanted her to be with me forever. That we'd never be apart."



(That was when you gave her your lifespan, dear. That desire of yours is what has made her change to be able to live as long as you do...barring anything unfortunate, of course. It's called a [.....], and...oh, sorry...it's like a wish, made during the mating. Everyone, human and Pokemon, are capable of doing that with their mates...but few humans love each other enough to actually do so. Pokemon, on the other hand, do it all the time.)



"Did Psymakio make a...wish...for me?"



Angel laughed and hugged him again, and this time Slash did not resist. It felt...right.



(Now you get it! Yes, she did make a wish. She knew that you'd be gaining some of her psychic abilities, and that those abilities could be terrifying for a human who has never experienced them. Her wish was that you would never fear your developing abilities, and that she would be there to help you at every step of the way...even those steps taken in sleep. Obviously she can't do that herself, not all the time, so a [.....] of herself was made to be with you.)



She gave him a hesitant kiss, and he did more than accept it---he kissed her back, finally understanding. "You're not an outsider, not really. You're a...a part of her, aren't you? A copy."



(Copy is inaccurate. I'm more like...well, do you remember Rotom saying that he was a spark of the thunder gods? I suppose you could say that I'm a spark of Psymakio. Not quite her, but...all of her love. All of her desire to protect you. I'm not being projected by her; I'm housed within you. It's my duty to protect you, teach you about your awakening abilities, and remind you, even in sleep, that [I/she] always loves you.)



"Does she have something like you in her mind?"



(No, not really. You must remember that she is a Gardevoir, and operates differently than you do. She knows that you love her, even in sleep, without needing any reminders. There is no doubt.)



Slash smiled. "That sounds lovely. I wish I could have that kind of...saturation."



Angel melted into his arms, laying her head against his strong shoulder. (You do now.)



At last, both parts of Slash's mind quieted. Having this girl in his arms was no different than holding Psymakio, because, in a way, it was her. This...Angel...was no trap, no outside force like the Interloper. Perhaps, when one was deep enough in their own mind, there was no such thing as uncertainty, because he had absolutely no doubts about the truth in Angel's words.



(However, you must keep in mind that her surety in your love, while a powerful strength, can also be a terrible weakness. If you were to betray her---)



"I never, ever would betray her," Slash said firmly. "Not on my life."



(I know that...I can see it in your mind, just as she can. But I must still warn you. If you were to betray her...or if she were to lose you...it would destroy her completely. You may think her stronger for having her love and trust be a fundamental part of her, but it is much like a wall of a building---with it, the building stands strong. Without it...it collapses.)



"I don't think I'd be able to survive losing her, either."



(You are more correct than you realize. Your love for her, coupled with the changes in your mental makeup, are slowly making you the same as her in that regard. You must understand that I am only temporary, my dear...once my job is done, I will fade away, since you will already have all the knowledge that you need...and the same kind of absolute, inherent surety in her love as Psymakio has with yours.)



"You'll be gone?"



Angel noticed the pang of disappointment in his face and gently stroked his cheek. (More like...I'll become a part of you. I'll always be with you, dear. That was your mate's wish.)



Her hands drifted down to his chest, and Slash stiffened. He was no longer disturbed by her touching him---she was, indeed, as much his mate as Psymakio herself was---but that did not mean that he wanted to become intimate with his lover's mirror/spark/wish in his mind. Oh, there were a lot of experiments they could try...could they make love in his mind, how would it feel, would Psymakio sense it and understand...but with the echoes of the Interloper still in his mind, Slash did not feel up to any mental lovemaking. It would be a waste of time, in any case.



"Um...Angel? Can you..."



She removed her hands, which were slipping dangerous close to his waist, and smiled. (Yes, I understand. You're too worried to enjoy any of the...more interesting traits that Psymakio wished me to have. I suppose you want to know about the other one.)



"I want to know about the thing you call the Interloper."



Angel clenched her fists and exhaled sharply. (I don't like it. It's an affront to everything Psymakio wanted.)



"What do you mean?"



(Your mate wanted to be in your mind all the time...that's why I was made, so part of her could be. She wanted to be the only one inside your void, whispering words to you in your sleep. The...the Interloper is not her. It's from...outside. It worries her and it worries me.)



Slash shuddered at the tone of her voice. "You told me that it wasn't dangerous. Was that true?"



The void seemed to shudder for a moment, darkening just the slightest bit, and Slash realized it was Angel's emotional output that was causing it. Spark of Psymakio or building block for his changing mental makeup, this entity was certainly real...no imaginary ghost could affect his mind like that.



(Yes, I believe so...at least for now. But it's still something from outside, and it did not ask permission before it entered. [I/Psymakio] was supposed to be the first voice you heard after you mated, but instead [we] were forced to the side while that...thing...talked, ignoring all the obvious signs of your bond with [us].)



"Do you have an idea what it is?"



(Not really. I can tell you what I sensed from it, though. Its mental signature was somewhat similar to Psymakio's...not nearly as close as mine is, but close enough that a low-level or cursory scan might be fooled and allow it into your mind. I am sure that it was powerful. And it was...definitely female.)



"Then why are you referring to it as an...it?"



(Because I hate that...thing!) she yelled, the echoes of her voice making the void pulse several shades darker. Slash flinched at the sound of it, and she instantly looked embarrassed of the outburst. Embarrassed, but not regretful.



(I'm sorry. But it angers me so. Psymakio can't feel this...not yet...but I can, and so she will, too: the Interloper wants more than to speak to you, dear. It wants you.)



"I don't understand."



(It WANTS you. Like Psymakio does!)



Slash stared at her with surprised eyes, unable to respond. Was she right? He hadn't sensed it explicitly before, but hadn't a part of him, deep down, sensed that something was amiss? Hadn't his instincts briefly mistaken the Interloper's intentions for his mate's?



Come to think of it, the Interloper had never referred to Psymakio as his mate...only as 'the girl'. That had only mildly bothered him at the time, but now...



"She wanted to help me...but she focused more on me and my new abilities than she did on Psymakio. It was almost like she wanted to ignore the fact that my abilities came from her. Hell, she almost wanted to ignore the bond entirely. If the bond wasn't this obvious," he gestured to the huge golden doors in front of them, "she probably would have."



(The Interloper is not a being of pure malice---such demons rarely exist. But it is capable of malice, dear. It wants you, and it knows that you want someone else.)



A terrible thought flashed into Slash's head before his rational mind could stop it. No, no, don't think about that. She was stronger with this mind-stuff than he was, right? By far. No, that couldn't happen.



He opted to ask the safer question. "Do you think she would hurt me?"



Unfortunately, Angel could see into his mind as easily as Psymakio. The writing was, almost literally, on the wall.



(No, she would never hurt you. But...)



The void darkened again, and this time Angel was not the source of it. One of Slash's doors, 'FEAR', began to tremble in its frame. Another, this one with one of its three hinges broken, quickly followed suit.



'RAGE'.



"You think that she would hurt Psymakio?" Slash asked in a cold, gravelly voice that he barely recognized. "You think she would hurt my mate?"



(I think that it would be capable of it, yes. It is more powerful than her, older than her. She could learn to block it out, but that would be most difficult. The Interloper's mental signature is similar enough to her own that she might have a hard time distinguishing it from the normal reflection that occurs over your bond. She would need to be exposed to it to know how to block it...and I am not certain that she could survive a first encounter. I...Slash?)



There was a cold and bone-breaking snap as another hinge on 'RAGE' broke, causing the door to droop in its frame for a moment before a huge force battered it from the other side. The door listed outwards, straining against the final hinge, and a terrible, foul-smelling wind blasted out from the space between it and the frame. Angel cried out as that mental wind whipped through the void, which had now turned a dark, cancerous purple, and she thought she heard voices in that wind, voices that whispered terrible things like



KILL



and



MAIM



and



BREAK



She looked at Slash, who was simply standing there, looking into the gilded doors of the bond, teeth and fists clenched, hissing as though the wind was causing him physical pain. When he turned to her with wide, half-mad eyes, she could not help but step back in panic. Even though this anger was generated from his thoughts of the Interloper, and even though she was confident that he would never, ever hurt her...she could not help herself, not in the face of this darkness.



"Help me!" Slash yelled, falling to his knees and digging his fingers into the 'floor'. "I can't stop it this time, please!"



Angel remained frozen until she noticed that the screws of the final hinge were starting to pry out of the door frame. That sight, along with the poisoned void and the wind's stench, got her moving. She ran to the door, approaching from the side to avoid the full brunt of the gusts, and ran her hand along the frame. The final hinge was drilled back into position, and one of the broken ones regenerated itself with a metallic clink. The last one, the lowest, she could not touch, but fixing the middle seemed to have been enough. The screaming wind died as suddenly as it had appeared, and the void slowly began to brighten back to white again.



Angel took an involuntary step back when Slash climbed to his feet and walked toward her, but she saw the shame inscribed in his eyes and stopped herself from crying out...but he didn't miss the look on her face or the stumbling step backwards.



"I'm...I'm sorry," he panted, wiping sweat---real or imaginary---from his face. "Fuck, I didn't want you to see that. I didn't want anyone to see that. It's been building up for a while now, but thinking about the Interloper hurting her...I couldn't keep it locked up anymore."



(It's...it's alright, dear. You stopped yourself before it went out of control...)



Slash looked at her with disbelief and gestured toward the still-stained sky. "You don't think that was out of control? And I didn't stop myself...you did. If you weren't here...I don't know what would have happened if the door broke."



(It would never break. I'm here to help you in sleep...and Psymakio will never let your mind break, and since her direct influence is stronger than mine...you'll be fine!)



"Easy to say, hard to believe. And just because she knows about this part of me doesn't mean that she accepts it."



(Do you have any reason to think that she doesn't?)



He exhaled harshly and cast his eyes downward. "I know that she's seen...all there is in me to see...but she hasn't actually seen it happening yet. She wasn't there the first time that...well, I guess it was a hinge breaking in me, wasn't it? And I saw the way you were trembling. If you were afraid, she'd be afraid, wouldn't she? That's how it works, right?"



(She would understand that the reaction came from the desire to protect her.)



"You didn't. You might have come to that conclusion rationally, after it was over, but when it was happening you were as afraid as she was when she saw that Mightyena. Don't patronize me. If she sees that happen, she's going to be terrified. I can't even vent it in private, because she'll feel it over the bond."



(If you need to release your anger, she'll be glad to help you through it. That's her purpose as a Gardevoir, to connect emotionally with you. Why do you feel like you've got to hide this from her, anyway?)



"I thought you were able to con my every thought."



(You're shielding it. You're right, I could read it anyway, but...it wouldn't be right to do so.)



Slash was silent for a long moment, long enough that Angel wasn't sure he would answer. Then, hesitantly, he spoke up in a small voice.



"I'm afraid that...that the next time I have one of these...attacks...that I'll end up hurting her."



She looked at him with disbelieving eyes. (You know that you would never harm Psymakio, even if you were out of control with rage. You're mates---the bond that you share is unbreakable. You could no more turn on her than you could on yourself.)



"Sometimes I'm not sure that I couldn't turn on myself, Angel. Sometimes there's a part of me that...fuck, it frightens me. It almost feels like there's another mind inside of me, one that's as vicious as Kiako...and that door is the only thing holding it back."



Angel moved closer, this time not flinching when his eyes rose to meet hers, and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. She could see him relax under her touch, and the void brightened to its original white haze. (When did the first...hinge...break, dear?)



He didn't respond, and he didn't drop his shields. But he didn't need to; even without bypassing his mental barriers, she could figure it out on her own. (It was when you found about...what happened to your cousin, wasn't it? Your violent reaction to those men who attacked you...your fear of the same thing happening to Psymakio...that would explain it.)



"My mother," Slash suddenly blurted, "...she didn't explicitly tell me what happened. She thought I was too young to hear about such things. All she told me was that Naomi had been hurt by her father and was going to live away from him, out of town. I didn't understand what the look in her eyes meant, but I still knew something much...much darker than a mere beating had happened."



Angel nodded silently, gesturing that he should continue. "When my father came back a few days later, I saw something different in his eyes. It wasn't sadness like my mom's. It was...anger. Rage. He knew that his brother, Naomi's father, had done something terrible. So I asked him what had happened...and he told me. He told me everything. And something inside me...it snapped.



"I wasn't aware of my doors or anything back then, but what just happened now, when you told me that the Interloper might try to harm Psymakio...it felt exactly like what I felt back then. My heart was like ice. My hands were trembling to wrap themselves around that bastard's throat. And you know what the worst part was? I didn't have any concern about Naomi when I was in that state. I didn't want to kill my uncle for her sake...I wanted to kill him because he made me angry. It was a selfish, burning rage, not a quest for justice or closure.



"So that night, I grabbed a knife, sneaked out of the house, and went to Naomi's place. She wasn't there, of course, but that son of a bitch was. I didn't understand why my father hadn't called the police on him---at the time, I thought that he was going to let it pass because he was his brother. I was wrong.



"I broke in and stood over his sleeping body, and I let that cold, poisonous feeling flow through me. I was going to kill him, and I was going to enjoy it. I raised the knife, ready to plunge it into his throat, eager to see his eyes flash open with pain and see his pig's blood spurt all over the room...but then a hand fell on my shoulder and spun me around. It was my father. He grabbed my arm and took the knife, and he dragged me outside. My uncle never even woke up.



"I was enraged, of course. How dare my father stop me? The pig deserved to be killed, I knew that with every ounce of my being! I demanded an explanation, and it was then that I realized that my father had brought along a knife, too. He told me that he had come to do the same thing I'd intended to...but when he saw me there, his son standing over a sleeping human being with murder in my heart...he'd changed his mind. That didn't cool my rage much, but his next words did. He told me that we must defeat the evil in the world...but we must not become it. I wasn't sure that was a justifiable explanation. Hell, I'm still not sure. But it cooled me down enough to force that...wind...back where it came from. Although, even after he turned my uncle in to the police the next day, I was never quite satisfied with my father's answer...which I guess shows, considering that there's still a broken hinge on that door."



He fell silent, keeping his eyes down, refusing to meet Angel's gaze. For a long moment they stood there, unspeaking, and then she wrapped her arms around him once again. He didn't pull back, and when he spoke again he sounded close to tears.



"I'm afraid that I could hurt her if I'm overtaken by that kind of anger again. When I was like that, I didn't spare Naomi so much as a thought. I was willing to kill someone, and you know what? I think I'd still be tempted if I saw that fuck again. Even if my rage was let out by the desire to protect Psymakio, that doesn't mean that I'd...I'd care about her once it was loose. I might even t-turn on her if the door broke completely."



She withdrew enough to look at his face. (Oh, my dear, don't think like that. Maybe your mind didn't concern itself with your cousin, but your father tried to stop you, even when you were burning with anger. Did you try to lash out at him?)



"No, but...it's going to be worse with Psymakio. I've never cared for someone as much as her, not by a long shot. If something threatens her, whether in the real world or through her mind, I'm going to go into overdrive. My instincts are going to trigger my own inherent darkness, and it's going to be much, much worse. I might not have any control whatsoever in that state."



(Now, now, I don't believe that. You are right to think that your new instincts will increase your protectiveness of her, but you also underestimate the power of your bond! Even with the dark heart in you---which she knows about and accepts---you would not be capable of harming her. You may bring everyone else around you to ruin, but you could not lay a hand on her. Your protective instincts would shatter your mind and kill you before they let you hurt her, even in the fiercest throes of anger. I know that you may not understand or believe that, but remember what my purpose is---to teach you about your new abilities and your bond. I know what I'm talking about, my dear. Trust me. Humans may strike their so-called mates, but the true bond of mating is far beyond the paltry connection that most of your kind have with each other.)



Slash mulled over her words. Had he been over-thinking things again? It would be the same old mistake that he'd made several times before---considering the problems that he and Psymakio would face in human terms. She was not human, and the bond they shared was something no human had experienced...at least not in a long, long time. She saw into him and the observed the darkness within, and not only did she not turn away in disgust...she accepted him, loved him. It occurred to him that this feeling must have been what she felt when he kissed her for the first time---a sudden realization that the mind's worst fears are often unfounded.



"I...I couldn't hurt her? You're sure?"



(I am positive. Once the mating bond is established, mates are not capable of hurting each other. The only way that either of you could harm the other is if the bond broke, and such a catastrophe would likely kill both of you first. You must believe me when I say that she is much more capable of suppressing your anger than either you or I. It's possible that, in time, she could repair your door completely. But you need to do one thing to keep her happy and keep you sane.)



"What?"



Angel locked her eyes---Psymakio's eyes---with his. (Trust us. We love you, and our love for you is unconditional, undying, and unbreakable. You can show us your fear, your anger, your doubt, and we will not turn away...we will hold you close and ease your pain.)



Slash suddenly kissed her, kissed her like he would kiss Psymakio, and unbeknownst to him, his sleeping mate's frowning face lightened into a peaceful, contented smile.



"Thank you," he whispered, barely moving his lips from hers as he spoke. "I needed to know that before I could trust myself."



She exhaled sharply as he broke the kiss, her cheeks flushed a pretty green. (You're...you're most welcome, dear...I'm just trying to help.)



"I know, and I do trust you. Now that I know that I can't hurt her...I need to ask you more. When will the Interloper be back? I need to warn Psymakio about this."



(It's difficult to say. Right now I can sense its presence the tiniest bit...but it's far too weak to actually connect to your mind. It's possible that it connects to you at random. Or there might be a pattern to it, only being able to contact you in certain intervals. Or maybe something else influences it. I don't know. Psymakio herself might be able to detect it when it's in your mind, but as for her defending herself, and for you to overpower it...she will be able to explain it better to you. All I can say with certainty is that few forces in the world can overpower a bond like yours. To overcome both of you, it would have to be much, much stronger than you...exponentially stronger.)



"If it was able to suppress you, despite being wished into existence by Psymakio...it may be."



(Maybe so, but...well, look at your bond. Just look.)



Slash turned to the gilded doors and the now significantly widened tunnel. A sweet-scented breeze, smelling a bit like vanilla and lilacs, flowed from the opening. "She's sleeping for real now, isn't she? She's not unconscious anymore."



(Indeed. But what do you see?)



"The tunnel is wider. Not wide enough to travel through, like when she's awake, but not too far from it."



(And what do you feel?)



"I---"



There was a sudden chiming sound in his head, and he spun around to the source of the noise. One of his doors, one that had previously been labeled with those strange and alien letters, had changed. The placard over it now read 'PROG', and the door trembled lightly in its frame.



(Don't concern yourself with the details. Just...well, prog.)



"I don't know how."



(Yes you do. You've done it before, although not enough to glean anything useful from your environment. The ability is not new...it's just easier to use. Now prog.)



Slash concentrated on the tunnel, trying to focus on the pale pink light glowing from it and the flowery smell of Psymakio's aura. And yes, there was...something. Something beyond sight...it was closer to a sound, almost like the hum of the barriers in the Gym. Not electric...psychic.



"She's strong," he exclaimed in surprise. "Well, she's been strong for some time, but she's much stronger than she was when we mated! But that was only a day ago! Did she really get all that from one fight?"



(The battle was only a small part of it. The majority of the increase is due to her desire to defend you, her trainer...and you, her mate. Since she's fighting for both aspects of you at once, she grows more powerful at a rate few creatures could match.)



"So even if the Interloper is a lot, lot stronger than her...Psymakio will grow exponentially to meet the challenge, right? And I could help her too, once I know how?"



(Precisely.)



Slash shuddered as another one of those pride-induced purrs issued from his heart at the thought of his strong, beautiful mate...and then he cringed as the same primal thoughts considered how good of a mother she would be. Angel saw the thoughts, which were too sudden and painful to shield, and gave him an apologetic glance.



(Dear, I'm so sorry---)



"It's alright. Me and her will find some way to fix those...crossed wires. If I can...prog?...I'm sure I can stop my mating bond from pestering me with those kinds of thoughts, right? Just how far am I going to go?"



Angel replied carefully, trying to steer the subject away from children and the inability to have them. (You are human, and thus your abilities will never be anywhere as strong as hers. However, that does not mean you will be weak. Judging from what I sense in you now, I would guess that you will eventually be capable of mid-level progging, and possibly low-level pre-cogging...although you're more likely to find use in reading Psymakio's pre-cogs, since she'll be developing much faster in that area.)



A blank look on Slash's face; she smiled, glad to see that her rambling had distracted his mind. (Progging is...sort of like scanning. Reading others' minds and emotions, for example. Sensing your environment. Telekinesis is also a form of progging, as you're essentially willing something to move. All Psychic Pokemon, and some humans who dedicate their life to the study of their minds, are capable of at least some progging.



(Pre-cogging is sensing the future, and is a much more advanced trait. Gardevoir tend to have some basic pre-cog, although it tends to be more vague than specific. Xatu have extremely accurate pre-cogging, and can see the full future...although only a few seconds ahead in time; after that, their senses are as vague as a Gardevoir's. The degree of the ability depends on the Pokemon and how experienced they are. Psymakio already has some very primitive pre-cog, and you may develop a trace of it over time.



(I doubt you or Psymakio will ever become post-cogs, though. Post-cogging is sensing the past, and it's considered the most sophisticated ability of any Psychic Pokemon.)



"Why is seeing the past more difficult than seeing the future?"



(Well, the future is always in motion. The farther ahead you look, the more likely that the future will change before you get there. And even with short-term pre-cogging, it does not have to be the true future...the reason Xatu are used as they are is because what they see can be changed, and the knowledge can save lives.



(The past, however, is unchanging. Post-cogs can see events that they were not around to witness...sometimes events that occurred long before they were even born. Some can touch an object and instantly know its history, or read a person's life story simply by scanning them. Such power is far beyond anything a human could ever achieve, although Psymakio may touch its lower limits someday. But even without post-cogging and much pre-cogging, you will still be able to sense your environment and wield your mind enough to be able to protect her...and yourself, of course. Your pack.)



Slash was silent for a long moment. The prospect of having such power was something he hadn't cared much about until he already had it, and now the thought of wielding it was a bit intimidating. Sensing Rotom's presence yesterday had been like laying in bed as a child, thinking you see a monster in the dark corner of the room...and then turning on the light and seeing that it's really there.



And seeing Watson's somber, private thoughts had made him feel like a thief...or a vampire...or a rapist. He didn't intend to look, of course, but did that change the fact that he had violated another's mind and stolen the treasured thoughts within? Wasn't that still a sort of rape, forcing oneself into another's mind instead of their body?



Angel shook her head vigorously. (No, Slash, no. Don't think of such things. You did not force your way into his mind; proggers naturally and instinctively scan all nearby mental patterns. You can learn to control that, so you only prog when you want to, but do not feel ashamed or...criminal...for doing it against your will.)



"I don't know how I can learn, though. It seems...too much. Maybe Pokemon handle this stuff naturally, but it seems like too much for a human to get used to."



(Don't worry. While you are both awake, she will be instinctively guiding your prog-sense, keeping it in line with her own, so you don't accidentally prog the wrong thing and receive troubling feedback. As for learning...I recommend that every night, before you two sleep, you spend a little time practicing. She'll show you how to scan, how to not scan, how to control it...with her guiding you, it will be much easier than you think.)



Slash smiled at the mental image of himself and Psymakio sitting in front of a campfire...eyes closed, the two of them focusing on a rock or tree, her asking him simple, guiding questions with the sweet and melodic tone of a kindergarten teacher and correcting him whenever he made a mistake. The idea of her teaching him like that seemed very...intimate.



(Yes, she will ease you through it. You should not be too concerned. The fact that you could employ very limited telekinesis even before the mating bond was completed shows that your inherent potential is great. In any other case of Psychic/Non-Psychic mating, I would not believe it to be possible even after the bond was established.)



The two of them looked at the bond tunnel, which had grown to nearly traversable size. "She's waking up, isn't she?"



(Yes. You must awaken, as well. It is imperative that you begin traveling as soon as possible.)



"It may take a while to relay all of this talk to her."



Angel shook her head, gently clasping his hand. (No, it won't. I am more than a mere part of her, remember? In a sense, I am her...a spark of her that is to eventually be integrated into yourself. She will know all that we have spoken of when she awakens. The pleasant and the...the not so pleasant.)



"The Interloper," Slash said. It was not a question.



(Yes. But...I must amend what I said about her earlier...I do not believe that she means any harm...although she may well be capable of it, particularly to your mate. She's jealous, yes, but she's also...confused. Afraid. There's something pitiable in her, too.) Angel's eyes flashed with the mixed emotions she had towards the entity. (Should you fear her? Yes. Should you prepare for her? Oh yes. But should you hate her? No, I do not believe so. I am only guessing, but the solution to the threat she poses may lay in soothing her spirit rather than destroying it. But we can't be sure until she appears again...which could be at any time.)



"You're not calling her an 'it' anymore."



Angel glanced at him, and Slash was surprised to see tears at the back of her eyes. (I...I can sense something in her presence. Something that reminds me of how [I/Psymakio] feel about you. I think that she may have lost someone she loved, and she is blindly clinging to your mind because your mating bond with Psymakio reminds her of what she lost. It's...it's very hard to hate something like that.)



The two were silent for a long moment, letting the supposition wash over them. Slash wondered what he would do if he lost Psymakio. The dark thought had crossed his mind before, and he'd assumed that he would kill himself in such a situation, but what if he wasn't rational enough to consider something like that? What if he went totally mad, wandering the world as a shattered heap of his former self, being drawn to anything that even remotely resembled what he had once shared with his mate?



If something similar had happened to the Interloper...if that was why she took an interest in him...could he really hate her? What would it make him if he let loose his 'RAGE' on a lost, heartbroken soul that was only looking for the love that it had lost?



A monster?



(You should go,) Angel whispered. (She'll want to see you as soon as she wakes up. And you have much to do.)



"There's so much I still don't understand, though," Slash said plaintively. "I need to ask you more."



(We are out of time...and besides, there is almost nothing that I can tell you that Psymakio cannot. I am only here to aid in your development...it is her that governs everything else about your bond. Go to her.)



"I'll see you again, right? Next time I sleep?"



Angel smiled at the longing look in his eyes. He'd gone from fearing and mistrusting her to desiring her presence in such a short time. (You should not talk to me every night. When you are in this state, your body and mind are not receiving the full regenerative effects of sleep...going too long without it will damage both aspects of you. But yes. I'll be around whenever you need me, dear. [I/we] love you.)



The void's light suddenly flared, and Slash could see nothing.



-----------------------------



The blinding white faded, and after a moment of confusion, Slash realized that he was staring into the dim shadows of the Mauville Gym's clinic. The only sounds he could hear were the early-morning birds and the soft, rhythmic breathing of his mate.



He sat up slowly, finding himself feeling a little less rested than he should, even with only sleeping for a few hours. Apparently Angel was right, and the sleep-awareness that he'd experienced for the past two nights was not meant to be used often. True sleep was what his body and mind needed to sustain itself; he'd have to limit his nocturnal journeys into himself.



The entire palaver with Angel was still fresh in his mind, and that reassured him that it was not a dream; there was no ambiguous haze in his recollection. He remembered the fear he felt when she first appeared...the conflicting emotions and sensations he felt when she took Gardevoir's form and touched him...the painful, humiliating shame when his rage was nearly loosed...and knowing that Gardevoir would have Angel's memories in her...knowing that she would see what Angel had, the terrible loss of control...



Angel had told him that Gardevoir had already accepted everything he was, the good and the bad, and that she would love him regardless of what happened...but what if, when Gardevoir awoke, he saw Angel's initial fear in his mate's eyes? Would she flinch and draw back, unsure of what his intentions were?



"Of course not," he whispered to himself. "She knows me better than I know myself."



Even so, he climbed hesitantly out of the cot he'd slept in, trying to buy time for his mind to accept the rationale. He checked on Electrike and Corphish. Both were still asleep, but they looked much better than they had after the battle. With a bit of astonishment, Slash realized that he could very faintly feel their health through their presence---sore, but otherwise physically well. He wasn't sure if he was progging, or tapping into their presences through Gardevoir's abilities, but since she was asleep...he thought it was the former.



Unsure of what he was doing, he carefully turned his attention to his sleeping mate, trying to initiate the same 'scanning'. It was much easier with her;whether it was because she was his mate or because he was actually trying, he didn't know, but she too felt well and strong. Some of his nervousness about her reaction was nullified by his relief at sensing her healthy presence.



Gardevoir's eyes started to flutter, and Slash leaned forward to kiss her awake, just as she had the previous morning. As soon as his lips touched hers, there was a flare of...something. Something warm. Maybe it was Angel's memories moving to Gardevoir, he didn't know. It didn't matter. All he cared about was the way his mate smiled as she woke and found herself under her master's touch.



Good morning, master.



Unwilling to break the kiss, Slash responded telepathically. Good morning, Psymakio. How are you feeling?



If I didn't sense people in the building right now, I would show you that I'm feeling just fine, she laughed, and Slash immediately broke the kiss and turned to the door---which was, mercifully, closed.



He turned back to Gardevoir and saw her wince slightly as she sat up. Yes, I'm fine. A little sore, but...no worse than after any vigorous physical activity.



"Do you think you'll be able to travel today? We've got a lot of ground to cover, but we won't leave until all of us are able."



Yes, I'm well enough for that. She gave Slash a curious look. We're not going to Slateport, are we?



"No. We'll be heading north, towards Fallarbor Town." Slash paused, trying to remember if he'd discussed their travel plans with Angel (although he supposed she could have plucked it from his mind). "How did you know?"



Gardevoir looked out the window, which looked out to the north of Hoenn. Mount Chimney, the quasi-active volcano, dominated most of the distant skyline, billowing thick black smoke that covered a good deal of the horizon. I sense something that way. I can't tell what...it's very faint...but for me to feel it at all at such distance indicates that something very...power-charged...is happening.



Slash sat down beside her, resisting the urge to slip an arm around her. Stupid mistake, kissing her without being sure the building was secure, but there was nothing he could do about it now. "Watson told me that something bad is happening in Fallarbor. Some kind of monster is attacking the town, although the reports about it are confused and conflicting. Apparently a Psychic Pokemon progged the...whatever it is...and found out that it's after something that resembled the Pearl we're after."



Whatever it is, I don't like it, master. A scream of rage and pain and...grief...it's coming from the north. That's all I can sense, but---



"That's all you really need to," Slash finished quietly. Those words---rage and pain and grief---reminded him of something. "Psymakio...when I was sleeping..."



I know, she whispered. I know everything you two talked about. And everything that happened.



He couldn't help but seek clarification. "Everything?"



Master, she told you the truth. I've known about that...dark part of you...for some time. Even before we became mates. And I accept it.



"Can you really say that without having seen the full extent of how dangerous it is?"



I saw what happened in your mind.



"Then you saw how quickly it can call to me. How difficult it is to control. And you heard about how selfish and mindless it is when released."



You wanted to hurt someone who hurt another person, someone you cared about.



"You don't get it. It wasn't about some noble desire for justice, or even some arrogant and self-righteous quest for revenge. I was going to kill an unarmed, sleeping man because he made me angry. That's all. He infuriated me, so he was going to die. Naomi wasn't even on my mind when I raised the knife...just a desire to watch the bastard bleed."



Gardevoir shivered a bit, but not even a shred of doubt passed over their bond. He would have deserved it, though. He was a monster.



"Does that change the fact that I'd become a monster myself if I did it?" Slash asked, self-loathing dripping over his words. "That wasn't why I wanted to kill him, it was just the catalyst. If I had done it...which I would have if my father hadn't stopped me...I would be no better than him. And you know what? Even now, I can't honestly say that I wouldn't try to do it again. I may hate the thought of what I'd be if I went through with it, but I can't convince myself that the desire to do it is wrong. What does that say about me, Psymakio? How can you love someone like that?"



Because I do, she said simply. He turned to her with disbelieving eyes, but she maintained eye contact. I will love you no matter what happens. I will teach you to control your anger. I will help you restrict its influence. I will save you by forcing the rage back into the door if it's released. But no matter what you do, no matter where you go, no matter what you become...I will never, ever abandon you.



Slash looked at her for a long moment. "I have a hard time believing that...even though I want to."



You don't need to believe my words, remember? Believe what you're feeling over the bond. I cannot lie to you, not anymore. Do you sense even the slightest bit of deception in my words?



"...no. I'm sorry, Psymakio...it's just difficult to believe that someone can really love me that much."



She gave him a small smile, sending a ghostly kiss over his lips. You're thinking like a human again, master. Our bond is too powerful to allow either of us any doubt. The only reason that either of us will ever question each other is because we're being blind and not accepting what our bond is telling us.



"I'm scared, Psymakio. I don't want to become a monster. If I ever do lose control, I know I'll end up doing...terrible things. Even if you managed to force me back in such a state, I'd always have to live with whatever I did. I don't want to rely on my darkness and be like...Kiako," he spat, voicing his deepest fear about where his anger could take him. "And I could, you know. I could."



Just because you could doesn't mean that you will. You have a choice. And you have me to help you. You have two hearts, master, one light and one dark. But even if you only had the dark heart...even if your void was stained black as a moonless night...you can use our love to light your way through it.



"You'd come with me?" Slash asked in a quiet, unsure voice. "Even if I fell that much, you'd try to light up my darkness?"



What do you think?



He focused, dipping into the bond and sighing happily at the feeling of warmth flowing over his mind and body. He didn't need to answer her or ask for any more clarification. He knew. At certain levels of existence, like the level their bond existed at, there was no such thing as uncertainty.



As for the Interloper...



Slash opened his eyes, resisting the urge to sink into the bond completely. "Can you sense anything more than...Angel did?"



Gardevoir smiled, sensing Slash's reluctance to mention his little mind-guardian. He seemed to think that letting himself be 'touched' by her gift could be construed as betraying her trust. Silly boy. Her dreams had sweetened every time that those two had made physical contact.



No, I cannot. I can verify what she sensed, though. The Interloper is just barely there...far too weak to interact with either of us...but I do, indeed, sense that she is...confused. She acts not out of outright jealousy or malice, but out of sadness. That may make it harder to defend myself against a brute-force mental attack, as I pity her, but...perhaps such a conflict is not inevitable.



He looked at her curiously. "Angel mentioned that we might have to soothe her rather than destroy her. Do you think that's possible?"



I can't be sure without fully progging her. As risky as it could be...all we can do for now is wait for her to show herself again. I'll be monitoring your mind from now on, so if she appears, I'll be able to scan her myself...hopefully without being detected or, at least, without being acknowledged.



"What should I do if that happens?"



Don't mention me, and don't push her buttons. Let her guide the discussion. I don't want to have to face an unknown opponent as strong as her. But don't purposely try to stay aware for the next few nights, master...it is not healthy to do continuously.



"I know. I---"



There was a knock at the clinic door, causing Corphish and Electrike to stir from slumber.



It's Watson, Gardevoir said, but Slash didn't acknowledge her. What? What is it?



"I knew that," he said with a slight tone of astonishment. "I could tell. I don't know how, but...I could tell it was him."



She smiled at him, intertwining her fingers with his. Not bad. But you might want to open the door---he's carrying a lot of food.



Slash got up and opened the clinic door, and indeed, Watson was just barely managing to balance several trays of food and about half a dozen cups in his arms. The young pair helped him transfer the load to one of the tabletops.



"Will you teach me how you did that?" Slash asked Gardevoir. "How you knew what he was holding?"



It's not that hard, although it's much easier to sense a living creature than an inanimate object. We'll work on it tonight.



"Sounds sexy," he replied with a grin, thinking about the two of them playing with each other's minds under the moonlit sky. The grin vanished when he remembered that Watson was in the room with them and was giving them his typical smirk. "Teaching me about progging is what I meant, old man."



"I'm sure," he said with a laugh, then gestured to the food. "I bring you tidings of breakfast and bad news. You'll want to eat up...you're going to have more work ahead of you than you expected."



Slash and Gardevoir shared a worried glance, but then went quietly about their tasks. The trainer let out his remaining Pokemon, crowding the small clinic rather tightly, while his mate moved the table out of the way to make room and dealt out the food. A minute later they were all sitting in a circle, half-heartedly eating their breakfasts (except for the three who had fought the night before---they ate ravenously).



Watson looked at the young creatures around him and smiled.



Slash, the skilled young man with prematurely old eyes.



Gardevoir, the silver angel with a warrior's heart.



Graveler, the tough brawler who ripped the wings off of a Golbat to defend his trainer.



Growlithe, the loyal beast who faced down a dozen circling opponents when Slash and Gardevoir went down.



Electrike, the lightning-fast sprinter who took on a vastly superior opponent and came out on top.



Corphish, the scrappy underdog who survived an encounter with the Magma leader and clutched the throat of a Manectric even while electricity wracked his body.



There was a sort of magic in the room, and everyone, psychic or not, seemed to feel it. Perhaps it was the very faint and subconscious bond that Gardevoir had begun weaving amongst those gathered here over the past two weeks...but that didn't diminish the sensation.



"This may be our last palaver for quite some time," Watson said quietly. "Whatever lays ahead of you is going to be very dangerous."



"There's someone missing, isn't there?" Slash asked the group suddenly. They all turned to Gardevoir, who flushed a bit from the attention and nodded.



There should be seven, she said, and Watson wasn't too surprised to find himself able to hear her now. I don't know how I know that, but I do.



"There are seven of us, though. Me, you, Growlithe, Graveler, Corphish, Electrike, Watson."



"I don't think I count as part of your...pack," the old man replied. "I might be bonded to you all somewhat, and I might share in a bit of your magic, but I'm not part of your destiny."



The seventh is yet to join us, but whoever it is will join us soon. Of that I am sure.



"How can I hear you, Gardevoir? How do you know that?"



Something has changed, even if only for as long as we're gathered together. We're...interacting. Something has brought us together for a reason.



Slash nodded. "After all the help you've given us, Watson, I have to agree. Something has guided you towards us...or guided us towards you. Something involved in...whatever it is that Kiako is after. Some force bigger than all of us. What is it that you've come to tell us? What's the bad news?"



The old man sighed. "Your journey is going to be harder than I expected, and after what we heard last night...I'm more worried now than ever. There are disturbing signals coming from the north."



I sense it. Rage and pain and grief.



"I don't know about that, but the situation has become much more sinister since I told you about it, Slash. We've lost communication with Fallarbor. "



"Just hard lines, or did they lose wireless too?"



"Both. The last messages we received were frantic distress calls, saying that the entire town is being destroyed by the enraged monster. I'm not sure how many have been killed...could be no one, could be everyone...but all the reports share one commonality: claims that the city itself has been ripped apart. I assume that the communication relay towers were destroyed, too."



The Pokemon shared a worried look, but none showed any signs of fear. Slash wrapped a protective arm around his mate. "How did this happen? Weren't there any warning signs before this?"



Watson shook his head. "No. The monster arrived yesterday afternoon with no warning, swooping down from the sky and raining down devastation. It didn't specifically target anything; it merely attacked the city, tearing through the ruins looking for something...something small and round. Is it the Pearl? I'm not sure. But from what I've heard, I'm guessing that it won't stop until it finds it."



So even if we beat Kiako there...we may have to destroy this monster, Gardevoir said with a shudder. I have a bad feeling about this. Whatever the creature is, it's half-mad...it will be unpredictable and beyond reasoning.



"We have no choice," Slash replied. "Even if it's not the Pearl, we still have to be sure...and we have to do something to help Fallarbor, assuming there's anything left by the time we get there. We should make it there in a few days if we make good time."



"...that's the bad news that I wanted to tell you. You won't be able to get there that quickly."



The group turned to Watson, who looked back with a grim expression. "Some hikers from Lavaridge showed up this morning. Apparently the Fiery Path is impassable now. Even under the best conditions, the path is dangerous...but with Mount Chimney acting up, things have become even more hazardous."



"Isn't it still traversable, even if it is dangerous?" Slash asked.



"Normally, yes. But the Pokemon living there are in an uproar, probably due to whatever is happening in Fallarbor. It would be suicide to try to cross it now. Flannery, the Gym leader in Lavaridge, has already locked up the path until conditions subside...meaning that the only way to Fallarbor is..."



Slash flipped open his Pokenav and checked the Hoenn map, cursing as he saw what Watson was saying. "Through the desert. Damn it, it'll take us nearly two weeks to reach Fallarbor that way, even if we make it through! There will be nothing left of the town by the time we arrive...and even if Kiako takes his sweet time, he's sure to beat us there. I doubt he'll be as held back as us."



"We're going to be sending help to Fallarbor as soon as possible. We can't send any fliers over there because of Mount Chimney's recent activity," the old man gestured at the window and the smoking volcano miles away, "but we will as soon as conditions clear. I'm sure Lavaridge will be sending their own trainers to help once the Fiery Path is safe again. But that could be some time. You'd have to cross the desert by yourselves."



The group was quiet for a long moment before Watson spoke up again. "Slash, I want to help the people of Fallarbor badly, but I couldn't ask anyone to go through the desert. It's too dangerous, even for experienced trainers. If I didn't know that you'll be going regardless of what I say, I would try to stop you. So all I can say is...be careful. That place is a deathtrap."



Slash turned to his team, about to ask them if they were willing to risk the journey, but Gardevoir spoke up first, apparently speaking for them all. We'll be careful, Watson. I know that it will be dangerous, but...we have to get north. Even if the Pearl isn't there, we need to stop whatever is happening. It's part of our destiny. I can sense it...whatever force is presiding over us now is urging our pack towards the north. All we can do is hope it protects us.



"That's not all we can do," Slash said. "I can't argue that there's...something...linking us together right now, and maybe it really is urging us on, but I won't place blind faith in any unseen entity. We're going to do our best to stay alive, because I don't want us to ever be in a situation where our only option is to beg magic invisible spirits for help. Maybe I consider myself fated to be on this journey, but I don't believe in divine intervention."



Master, there really are forces in the world capable of such influence. Maybe nothing like what Jirachians believe, but powerful forces nonetheless. I agree that we shouldn't rely on them, though...those forces act according to their own wishes, not the wishes of those under them. We'll be going at their guidance...but our choice. We must be very careful.



Slash glanced at Watson. "Have you ever crossed the desert?"



"Once, as a much younger man, but not alone. I was with a group of very experienced trainers who had made the crossing many times. I can't help you much with details." He stroked his beard thoughtfully for a moment, then nodded with a small smile. "Rico at the Pokemart can, though. He's made the trip dozens of times. You'll need to stock up before leaving, anyway."



What will you be doing while we're away, Watson? Gardevoir asked.



"I'll be heading down and visiting Briney, ask him about that relic. He's more likely to tell me than you anyway, considering the circumstances. I'll contact you as soon as I know anything...at least, if communications are restored to the Fallarbor region while you're there. You may have to wait until you return to Mauville if things are as bad as they seem."



If we come back, Gardevoir said somberly.



Slash shook his head. "Not if. When. Let's go, guys. I want to leave as soon as possible."



-----------------



As Slash and his Pokemon left the Gym, Watson stood alone in the dark clinic, feeling a little older than he had a few minutes prior. His arthritis, which had been unusually light this morning, was back to its typical ache. The sense of surety that had filled him during their palaver had broken down into his usual concern and worry.



Something had been affecting them all during their counsel, he was sure of it...some strange and otherworldly power that temporarily linked them together and gave them a slightly clearer view of the world. He missed it now that it was gone.



Was it really some foreign force guiding them, linking them? Honestly, that thought scared the hell out of him. He'd never put much stock in Jirachism or any of the other religious followings...not because he didn't believe that such beings could exist---one look at the world of Pokemon showed just how powerful certain creatures could be---but because the thought of them being true was terrifying.



To look on a world such as this, with the darkness that had settled in its every corner, with the blood spilling ever-faster as time went on...to believe that something sentient (or greater than sentient) was watching over things, maybe even controlling things...that was not comforting to him. Such a creature must be malevolent or mad to allow the world to fall apart as it currently was.



But after experiencing the magic that had flowed throughout their little group, he wasn't so sure that something fundamentally good wasn't watching over them. Maybe the world was falling apart, but maybe something was also trying to fix it again.



The old man sighed, looking out the window to the north. The sky over Mauville was clear and bright, but the black veil of smoke and destruction over the mountains sung of danger and evil. Something terrible was happening in the ash wastes of the north, and it would only be worse when Slash's team arrived.



The boy was gifted, yes. The girl was amazingly powerful for her age, as well. And the rest of their little pack were all capable fighters. But they were still young and inexperienced, and whatever lay ahead of them would tax their limits. The desert...the beast ravaging Fallarbor...and whatever foul destiny was inscribed on that artifact.



He would see Briney, find out what Slash's opponents were after, and do everything in his power to save Hoenn from falling any further. Perhaps he could never be redeemed for what he'd done in his life...but maybe, if there really was something watching over the world...maybe he could at least be forgiven.



-------------------



Slash carried a load of supplies to the Pokemart counter, hoping it would be enough. He was spending every last dime he had, but the desert ahead of them would take at least a week to cross, and conditions would be rough. He wasn't so worried about food or water---they had plenty of rations, and Corphish could always squirt up a few cups for them---it was medicine. If they got hurt in the middle of the desert, there would be trouble.



"Yeah, there's a lot of nasty critters in there," Rico said, scanning the materials at the register. "Easy to get lost. Easy to get hurt. Easy to panic."



Gardevoir stood quietly by Slash's side, keeping an eye on the other Pokemon and making sure they didn't get into anything. She could sense her trainer's anxiety, his fear of being stranded in the desert (and what if the Interloper chose to attack them there?), and sent him a pulse of reassurance. He smiled faintly, trying to pay attention to the muscled and deeply tanned man at the counter.



"The magnetic stone in the surrounding cliffs fuck up compasses and Pokenav tracking, and the damn sandstorms make it impossible to see the sun or stars accurately enough to use them as a guide. You'll have to rely on your own tracking skills and your Pokemon to find your way through."



"What kind of Pokemon live there?" Slash asked, his mind now in trainer mode. He didn't intend to capture anything there---it would be too difficult to get a new teammate acclimated to the group in such conditions---but he needed to know what they would be up against.



"Trapinch is what you'll run into most of the time. You'll only have to worry about them during the day, but they're still dangerous. They dig these pits in the sand, right? They're very hard to see in the desert because of all the sandy winds, so people or Pokemon can easily fall into them. A Trapinch is small, but their bite is wicked. Not capable of killing you or your larger Pokemon---your three little ones need to be careful, though---but capable of causing a severe injury. And out there...such an injury can be fatal."



"But you think I should have my Pokemon out during the trip?"



"Absolutely!" Rico exclaimed. "It's too dangerous for a human to wander around the desert alone, even if his Pokemon are right at his belt. I recommend you keep 'em all out to keep a lookout for trouble. The added protection outweighs the chances of injury."



The non-Kaishakunin Pokemon cheered happily, despite the danger they knew they'd be in. It had been some time since they trained together, and all were looking forward to the exercise and amiable competition. Gardevoir wasn't as eager as them, but there was no way she'd let her mate travel in that place without her by his side.



"Now, there ain't just Trapinch in there, but they're the biggest threat during the daylight hours, because they'll bite you before they know what you are. Sandshrew and Baltoy won't attack you unless you startle or provoke them, but adult Sandslash might, especially if they've got kids. Sandslash have some poisonous attacks, so it's good that you're bringing some antivenin with you. But honestly, during the day, it's the heat and wind you need to watch out for."



"And at night?"



Rico stopped in mid-scan of an antibiotic spray and fixed his gaze on the young trainer. "Never, ever travel at night. If you only listen to one piece of my advice, let it be that. As soon as it's late afternoon, start looking for a cave or outcropping and set up shelter. Always have a few of you stand guard at all times."



"Why?"



"Cacturne. They're not active during the day, although you might see some older Cacnea wandering around. At night the Cacturne travel in packs, roaming across the desert and looking for anything out in the open. They're tough as nails---and as sharp---and even if you escape, one of them might poison you, and their venom is potent."



Slash turned to Gardevoir. "I think we'll be okay. She's damn good with her Psychic blasts. They won't stand a chance."



"I saw her fight last night, and I can't say that she's not powerful. But she won't be able to help you there, Slash. Cacturne aren't Grass/Poison types...they're Grass/Dark."



Gardevoir froze, eyes wide, sudden stark fear radiating over the bond. Slash was barely able to stop himself from wrapping an arm around her, instead opting for a soothing whisper of assurance.



Master, I...I don't know if I can do this...



"It's alright. We'll protect you, I promise."



But what if you can't? My psychic powers won't work, and even Thunderbolt will be nearly useless against them!



Rico couldn't hear the small girl's voice, but he could tell that she was afraid. That wasn't too unusual---many Psychic Pokemon, including his own Claydol (who had grown up hiding from Cacturne), had an inherent fear of Dark-types. "Don't worry, little lady. I'm sure your trainer won't let anything happen to you. As long as you take shelter at night, you'll be fine."



Gardevoir's tension dropped the tiniest bit. Slash sent her a phantom kiss and turned back to Rico, hoping to get some more information about these things. "Is there anything else you can tell us about them?"



"They follow travelers at night, often stalking them for days once they detect prey. Always assume that you're being followed and shelter up accordingly. If they attack, a few really hard hits should drive the pack away...but if any of them draw blood, they'll be all over you, and it'll be a lot worse. Be sure to give antidotes to anyone scratched by a Cacturne, no matter how minor the wound is. Also, even if you drive a pack off, they might wait just outside of your view to see if you'll panic and leave cover...so don't start moving again until morning."



"Have you ever been attacked?"



Rico nodded, holding up his right arm, which was dotted with small scars. "One got me right here, pumped me full of poison before my Claydol got it off me. Luckily I was close to the outskirts of the desert, so I took a big dose of antivenin and I was fine. They often wait until a traveler is halfway across to attack...and sometimes near the end, when they're low on supplies. Watch yourself."



"Do you think we have enough supplies to make it?"



"Yeah, I'd say so, unless you're really unlucky and get stung by every passing Sandslash, ha. If you keep good pace and don't get lost, you should be able to cross in six or seven days. You've got more than enough rations to last that long. You look pretty broke now, though. Did you spend everything on this stuff? I'd think that a trainer like you would be pretty loaded."



Slash smiled sheepishly and nodded. "Yeah...I spent a lot of money on...other stuff. Like a Thunderbolt TM for Gardevoir."



Among other things for me, she whispered, and Slash wasn't so much happy to hear her naughtiness as he was to hear that she wasn't cold with fear anymore. Maybe we'll find some alone time on this trip, master...



"Yeah, those good TM's cost a lot! I bought a Rock Tomb disc for my Sandslash, and damn was it expensive. I think it was a good investment, but still!" Rico looked at Slash's reddened face and frowned. "You okay, kid?"



Slash looked away, ignoring Gardevoir's small smile. "Yeah...I'm fine. Just a little nervous."



"I understand. I was scared of out of my mind the first time I crossed alone." He looked at Slash's belt, noticing there were only five Pokeballs. "You know, if you really want, I could loan you one of my Pokemon. They've all done the desert run plenty of times. Claydol, Sandslash, Skarmory...take your pick."



Slash shared a questioning look with Gardevoir, who had gone from playfulness to thoughtful seriousness in an instant as she progged...something. Master, I'm not sure how I know this, but...I think we're supposed to go alone. Just our pack. I know it's stupid to turn aside help because I think I feel something, but---



It's alright...I feel it, too. I don't know how or why, but I do.



He turned to Rico. "Thanks for the offer, but this is something we need to do on our own."



"Are you sure? It's very easy to get lost in there, and another Pokemon at your back could help you in a crisis."



"I'm sure. I'm not sure why, but...we have to do it like this."



"I understand. It always makes you tougher to take the path less traveled. That's how I got where I am," Rico said, proudly gesturing to the three badges pinned to his sleeve. "And just between you and me...I think that if you asked Watson for a rematch after you got back and your Pokemon are all desert-hardened, you'd beat him. You were so close last night, man!"



Gardevoir sighed, heart stinging at the reminder of her defeat. Rico grinned and shook his head. "Don't feel down, little one! The entire town is talking about how awesome that fight was! I haven't seen a fight like that since...hell, maybe never!"



She nodded, not sure if she really felt cheered up, but Slash whispered something to her mind that made her burst into a sunny smile. It was nothing sexually suggestive...just a little whisper of how much he loved her, how proud he was of her, and that was all she needed to feel better.



--------------------



Ten minutes later, on the outskirts of town, Slash, Gardevoir, and the rest of the pack stood in the early morning light with a Rotom-accompanied Watson and a Xatu-wielding Rictor, saying their last goodbyes.



"It's probably for the best that you're leaving so early," the old man said. "If you waited a few more hours, you'd probably be getting hounded by fans of the Magma Slayer."



Slash sighed at his smirking face. "I didn't ask for that title, you know."



"I think it's fitting, Slash," Rictor replied. "Even if you didn't wipe them out, you still did them a lot of damage. You and Watson helped bring an age of evil to its end."



The trainer made a noncommittal wave of his hand, and Rictor smiled at his embarrassed expression. "In any case, you and your team certainly surprised me. I never expected you to do so well against Watson. It was close, you know. I can't wait to officiate the rematch."



"And I can't wait to fight it," Watson said with a grin. "I'll be tougher too, next time. You all better be ready."



Slash smiled and nodded. "It may be a while before things are calm enough to have another battle, but I promise I'll bring my A game when we do."



"I wouldn't mind fighting either of you," Rictor said with a laugh. "It's been too long since I had an actual battle, let alone a good one."



The three men stood in comfortable silence, their Kaishakunin looking at each other. Gardevoir was tempted to talk to the Xatu, maybe ask it if it sensed anything about the desert that lay ahead, but its intimidating distant stare made her hold her tongue. She instead looked at the little ghost-thing that had taken her down less than twelve hours previous, unsure of what to say.



LITTLE GARDEVOIR, Rotom buzzed, and she shot it an angry look...but the wide and childlike smile on its face stopped her from shouting at it. YOU FOUGHT WELL LAST NIGHT. I APOLOGIZE FOR BEING SO UNSPORTSMANLIKE DURING THE BATTLE, BUT IT HAD BEEN QUITE SOME TIME SINCE I GOT TO TAKE ON AN OPPONENT OF YOUR CALIBUR. PLEASE FORGIVE ME.



She blinked. You're...sorry?



I WANTED TO BRING OUT THE BEST IN YOU, SO I TAUNTED YOU IN HOPES OF UNLEASHING YOUR FULL STRENGTH. I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED, ALTHOUGH I FELT RATHER BADLY ABOUT IT AFTERWARDS. I MEANT YOU NO INSULT, LITTLE GARDEVOIR. ON THE CONTRARY, I GREATLY VALUED FIGHTING SOMEONE WITH YOUR SKILL.



She looked at it uncertainly, but sensed its sincerity through the slight static buzz of its mind. I guess I understand. And it worked...I didn't know I could fight like that. It was like I could give different parts of my mind different tasks, so I could fight defensively and offensively. Thank you for helping me realize my own strength.



Rotom nodded---or at least moved its plasma-encased body. Slash and Watson, who had heard the exchange through their respective bonds, smiled.



"Well, it's time for us to get a move on."



Slash shook Rictor's hand, but was a bit embarrassed when Watson pulled him into a fierce hug.



"Be careful now, boy," the old man said in his ear. "Don't you die out there. We've got a lot of work ahead of us."



"I...I won't," Slash said, trying to sound confident. "I promise."



They two pulled away from each other and shook hands. Hoisting his pack onto his shoulders, Slash and his pack said their last goodbyes and headed out of town, heading toward the dangers that lay ahead.



--------------------------



And far away, one of those dangers was stirring.



The first beam of sunlight struck the blood-streaked face that bobbed along with the waves, and a pair of terrible red eyes flashed open. There was a moment of sheer primal rage, the crimson gaze raking over the ocean and searching angrily for the one who did this to him...



...and then it was gone, and all that remained was a half-dead man-thing clinging desperately to the side of his unconscious mount.



Kiako tried to call Gyarados awake, but the beast wasn't responding. It was alive, but barely. He wasn't much better...a cursory scan of his half-numb body revealed that he had lost a tremendous amount of blood, and almost all of his skin was scorched and raw, stinging terribly in the salty sea. His right arm was shattered, and a chunk of his collarbone was jutting from his flesh. If he were human, he'd be dead.



Thankfully, he was not.



He couldn't ignore the pain, but he could redirect it. With a tortured scream issuing from his lips as he established the transfer connection, Kiako forced the aches and the stings and the sanity-rending torment into invisible waves of agony that pulsed out in every direction. The unconscious Gyarados wasn't affected, but various other small Water Pokemon nearby suddenly curled in on themselves, overwhelmed by the blinding and seemingly sourceless pain. Their minds, not comprehending what was happening, shattered almost instantly, and that was surely a mercy, as they were beyond feeling when their capillaries burst and their organs ruptured.



Kiako, now mostly without pain, reached over and pushed his shattered collarbone back into his body. He felt his right arm carefully, discerning that the bones were broken in four places. He snapped them together as best as he could and wrapped small psychic splints around them to hold them in place. If it had been the left arm, he could have repaired it by simply phasing it back and again, but alas, for all his power, he was still partly human. At least for now.



With his body held together enough to start the healing process, he turned to Gyarados. It was badly wounded, a huge scathing burn marking its right side---the side that the Hyper Beam had grazed. Blood was clouding the water near its mouth, and Kiako immediately realized that he was in trouble; if he didn't act fast, all that blood would attract Sharpedo, which he could not affect with his psionics and was too injured to fight physically. However, he could not swim in this state, and if he used another Pokemon to carry him, he would not be able to use the pain transfer without harming it, too.



Weighing the options and potential difficulties, he sighed and reached into his gunna with his one working arm, pulling out two Pokeballs. He'd have to move fast, and this was going to hurt no matter what he did. He ceased his pain transfer, his scream echoing over the empty ocean as it socked back into his mind. Kiako clenched his teeth and tried to relax enough to concentrate.



He sent out Relicanth first, and carefully moved his broken body from Gyarados to the rock-armored fish. Once he was clinging to its tough hide, he withdrew Gyarados and tossed the Pokeball into the large sack slung over his shoulder. He'd managed to recover most of his gunna, including the now-empty gun, but the shells...and his food and water reserves...were spoiled by seawater. Damn it.



At least you still have your Pokeballs and most of your equipment, Kiako, Relicanth said, beginning to swim slowly toward the dot of land on the horizon---Hoenn.



"I suppose," Kiako growled, more out of pain than irritation. He reached back with his left arm (although he had to morph it a bit to reach) and pulled out his scanner unit. "Comm's still intact."



You should contact Giovanni. He will be concerned.



Kiako knew he was right, but he didn't want the dark man to hear him like this. He was healing rapidly, far faster than any human, but he would still take hours to replenish the flesh wounds, and days---perhaps weeks---for the internal injuries. His voice was wavery and stammering, partly from the pain and partly from the blood loss. There was no way he was going to let Giovanni hear him sound like a recently-crying child. "I will. In a while."



What happened, exactly? What could do this to you and Gyarados?



"Rayquaza."



Relicanth grunted in surprise. You really think so?



"I always thought they were lying about him. Just another scary story to freak out the freak. I never paid it any heed. Looks like it was true, although it wasn't much like the stories described."



What did you do to piss him off?



Kiako shot the fish a glance. "What makes you think that I pissed him off?"



It wouldn't be the first time you've pissed a god off. Although, before now, you always managed to subdue the 'gods' you antagonized.



"We were flying in the jet stream. Gyarados sensed something wrong, as did I. Then Rayquaza attacked us without any warning...or reason. We tried to evade him, hoping he would stop firing his damned Hyper Beams once we left his territory, but he kept chasing us down and got us."



I don't understand, though. Why aren't you dead? Even if you and Gyarados survived the initial blast, why didn't he follow you down and finish you off? Rayquaza is a true god, capable of sensing things like life and death with ease.



The red-eyed man shook his head slowly, hissing at the pain in his chest as he did so. "I'm not sure. He was close...very close...and he had us right in his sights. He should have bulls-eyed us...would have...but at the last moment...he seemed to...flinch."



The memory of the huge beast's mouth, glowing and sparking with energy, burned in his mind.



"Right as he was firing, he jerked his head towards Hoenn. The blast was mostly out before he turned fully, but it was slightly off-track and only grazed us. If it had been dead-on, we would not have survived."



Relicanth considered. He did not know much about Rayquaza...only the instinctual knowledge that most Pokemon have of the Great Ones. Do you know why he flinched?



"Maybe. Right as he was firing, I felt something strange coming from Hoenn. It was like...a scream. A scream of pain and fear. I could sense that Rayquaza felt it, too, and was startled enough to miss us. But apparently it wasn't just startled, because instead of chasing us, it flew away towards Hoenn faster than anything I've ever seen. I did get one specific thought from him before he fled---my Heart, my Heart. Whatever was happening worried him more than our battered selves did."



The fish didn't have any answers, but Kiako still felt better after having talked to him. Maybe it was because his body was slowly but surely healing...but not entirely. He'd met Relicanth as a mere child, back when his...differences...had been minimal. The other children didn't want anything to do with him, but the Pokemon did. He'd been giving Relicanth his confidence ever since. It was a grudging confidence, never quite friendly, but the fish was as close to a friend as he had.



"How far are we, do you think? My scanner's locater is on the blink."



You need to stop acting like you're immortal, Kiako. You're not. Not yet, at least.



"I know that. What does that have to do with my question?"



Everything. It's what you need to hear. I can hear it in your voice...you're impatient, itching for a fight even though you don't know what you'd be fighting against. And right now, you're not in much shape to fight anything.



Kiako sighed and spat red into the ocean. There were Sharpedo following them, but apparently they could sense the power in his Relicanth. They would not dare make a move against him now, unless they wanted to experience what it was like to be ripped apart themselves.



"You're right. Right now, even that damn kid could probably kick my ass. If you tell me how far we are from Hoenn, I promise I'll stop and rest for a few hours when we arrive."



Four hours. At Kiako's frustrated growl, Relicanth gave him a chiding pulse. I'm not as fast as Gyarados, we're not in the jet stream, and I have to move a little slower than usual...unless you want to fall off and make the acquaintances of those overgrown pilot fish.



"I know, I'm not complaining about you. But we've lost time. And I have a weird feeling that time is something we don't have the luxury of wasting."



You're sounding a little better. Less shaky. Maybe you should go ahead and contact Giovanni now, so he won't pester you later.



"Good idea. I want to catch some sleep when we make landfall, and I don't want to be interrupted." Kiako tapped a few of the small buttons on his communicator, and there was a series of garbled clicks as the connection was made. Giovanni's surprised voice rang loud and clear.



"Sensiari, where the hell are you? I've been waiting for hours for you to report."



"We've had some...delays. Me and Gyarados have been injured, but not too severely." What a lie that was. "I'm currently en route to Hoenn with Relicanth."



"Who attacked you?"



Kiako told Giovanni of Rayquaza, not leaving out any details. The dark man seemed oddly pleased at his explanation, and while distance and the psychic-resistant technology of the Rocket headquarters prevented him from progging, Kiako had a feeling that Giovanni had suspected betrayal. The red-eyed man, not feeling like bringing up his suspicion and risking an argument, remained silent.



"Towards northern Hoenn, you say? What a strange coincidence...there have been reports of something attacking Fallarbor, reports that began around the time you were attacked. The Sky Pearl...this strange disturbance...Rayquaza, the Lord of the Sky...and now you and I. It's almost as though all lines of force are being drawn to the ashlands."



Kiako looked towards the approaching coast. Even from this distance, the billowing black smoke from Mount Chimney was visible. "You may be right. Do you think I should change my plans?"



"No. We've come too far to be stopped now. Once you've recovered, I want you to head to Fallarbor as quickly as possible. Meet up with Agent Sai, who's camped in the Meteor Cave, and take the town by force. Eliminate any and all hostile forces and obtain the Pearl by any means necessary. If you must slay the Lord of the Sky himself to do so, so be it."



Doubting that Giovanni had the faintest inkling of how powerful Rayquaza was, but too tired to argue the point, Kiako replied with an affirmative. "I understand. I will make contact when I reach Hoenn and have had some time to recover. Sensiari out."



The man with demon eyes shut off the communicator and stared into the horizon. All lines of force converging...that sounded about right. Something was going to happen in Fallarbor when all lines of force arrived---something catastrophic. And he had a feeling that he was going to see some familiar faces there.



He grinned for the first time since he'd crashed into the sea. Battle. Combat. Destruction. Chaos. That was what he needed to relieve himself of all this damn stress. Just what he fucking needed.



Kiako gripped the stony armor of his mount and gestured towards the coastline with one twisted, blood-covered arm.



"Let's go, Relicanth. We've got a destiny to claim."



------------------



To be continued.