Remnants 52 - The Burning Ice

I left the ship.

I ran outside.

I jumped on Marco's back and we raced into the tunnels, down, deep in the Chasm.

We followed the scent of Ghetsis, and a trail of ever-growing ice.

And then we came to a wide open cavern, sunlight filtering in through a crack int he ceiling. It gleamed off the ice that covered the ground and stalagmites. Standing in the middle of the cavern was Ghetsis. When he saw me burst into the cavern, Marco's jaws flaming, he grimaced. He looked very put out.

"I'll have to have a word with the Shadow Triad about failing to kill you." He said irritably. "But no matter. You'll die here instead."

He raised his cane, lifting it in the air. "Kyurem!" He yelled loudly. "Come!" And then he slammed the cane into the ground. A light on the handle flashed.

There was a flash of cold white light from the center of the cavern. I shielded my eyes. And then Kyurem materialized before our eyes, hunched over, head bowed, eyes closed.

I lowered my hand and ran forward. "Kyurem!" I yelled. "Run, now! While you can!"

He didn't move. I skidded to a stop. "...Kyurem?"

Ghetsis threw back his head and laughed. "Did you honestly think that would work?" He said. "Kyurem is under my complete control. It will only follow my commands. So now, to the task at hand. Kyurem." He swept the tip of his cane up to point straight at me.

"Glaciate."

Kyurem slowly lifted its head, opening its eyes a crack. They were dull, no glow left. The giant dragon stood a little straighter, looking at me, and I saw the grief in those old, old eyes.

Then it let out a roar, lifting its ice-sheathed wings. The air started to whip around us, frozen wind, harsh as needles. Ice began to whirl around Kyurem, forming long spears. They gleamed, sharp as razors, spinning around Kyurem like a flock of birds.

Then they stopped, spun around, and pointed straight at me.

I could hear Kitt and Marco yelling at me to run, to get out of there. But I only pressed my feet more firmly into the ground. I lifted my arms and spread them wide, as if I were shielding something behind me. I stood still. "Don't. Do. This." I said quietly, looking Kyurem in the eyes. "I know who you are."

Kyurem closed its eyes.

"You were born from a fallen star, and you are not going to kill me today." I said softly.

Then the spears were released. And Kyurem roared.

For a single, horrible moment, a dozen razor-sharp icicles zoomed straight at me, and I was sure that I was about to die.

And then...a voice.

"Reshiram! Fusion Flare!"

A blast of fire tore through the air in front of me, smashing into the ice and shattering it. The hot air from the blast threw me backwards into the air - I gasped as the heat wave knocked the breath out of me. And then furry blue arms caught me, and Leatho reeled back, cradling me in his arms.

In the wake of the explosion, a white dragon soared down, landing gracefully on the scorched rock. Its pale feathers and fur glowed luminous. The dragon spread great white wings and roared with a call like bird song. Sitting on its back, standing tall with his hair flying, was a man with long greenish blonde hair and a black hat.

Reshiram...Could it be...?

I stared.

Reshiram bent its graceful neck, and the man leaped off of its back. "Thank you, Reshiram." He said kindly, rubbing its neck.

The dragon inclined its head. "Of course, Natural." He said in a pure, thrumming voice.

Natural. The air left my body. That's...King N.

Ghetsis looked surprisingly calm. He tapped the ground with his cane. "So." He said finally, staring at the man who now stood facing him. "You came. The freak without a human heart."

I couldn't see King N's face from here. But his voice was calm. "You were expecting me, I take?" He turned around to look at me, and I saw his face at last. His eyes were green, and something glowed in his face. Something wild. Something...natural. "I can't understand why you're trying to kill a little girl, though."

"A pest that needed to be exterminated." said Ghetsis, curling his lip. "The main purpose of this was to lure you out."

King N was silent. Then he strode straight up to Kyurem, and put his hand on the dragon's nose. It shuddered and let out a moan. N looked at Ghetsis. "You didn't need to torture him in order to lure me out. You could have just looked for me. I would have come if you asked." He paused, then added, "Father."

Ghetsis spat angrily, "Don't you call me that, you little wretch! You lost the right to call me that years ago." He snarled. "You ruined everything. I took you in when you were a little wild thing living in the mud! I raised you, taught you, and called you son. I raised you to be the hero to call the dragon. But you betrayed me, right when victory was within my grasp."

"You know that yours is an evil cause, Father." said N solemnly. "I was confused then. But I am more sure than I was then, in my decision to oppose you. I've been all over Unova now, Reshiram and I. I've seen a lot. And I know that your dream of ruling Unova is not a just one."

Ghetsis stared, livid. And then his face cleared. And he laughed. "Fine, then, freak. Believe whatever silly ideas about truth and ideals that you want. I don't care. Because I have everything I need right here, now that I have Reshiram."

He reached inside his cloak, and pulled out a spear. I scrambled to my feet.

I'd seen that spear before, in the memories of Kyurem.

It was long, narrow, with a triangular spearhead that was striped gray, white and black. Ghetsis lifted the spear, and Reshiram lifted his wings in alarm. Kyurem bowed his head.

"Scindoferrum!" shouted Ghetsis. And he thrust the spear towards the space between the two dragons.

Ribbons of black and purple light streamed from the spearhead. I scrambled out of Leatho's grasp with a gasp, racing towards the two dragons. "Reshiram! N!" I shouted. "Reshiram, you have to get out of here, he's going to try and fuse you with Kyurem!"

Reshiram listened to me, and lifted into the air. He zoomed away, but the light swerved after him. It had already wrapped all around Kyurem, and the ice on its wings was cracking, splintering away, and falling in great pieces. Rershiram swooped and dove and spun, trying desperately to escape the light. But it could not. The ribbons of light burned through the air and swept all around Reshiram - sparking on his wings, razing through his fur. He let out a great, keening roar, and then he fell from flight.

As he fell, he glowed, hot, bright white, and the light dwindled and shrank, until it became a small white stone.

Then the stone flew to Kyurem, and the light blossomed all around, white and black and purple, hot and cold all at the same time. N was shouting Reshiram's name. I was still running over there, tripping and stumbling on the stone.

And then Kyurem changed.

He grew, taller, wider, longer. Long ribbons of fur and feather spread from his body. He stretched his arms and claws, a feathered wing reached out from his side, and he whipped a long tail that blazed with fire like a jet engine.

Then the light shattered all around it, and Kyurem stood, a strange, contorted combination of both Kyurem and Reshiram. He had the wing and tail of Reshiram, and the long crest, but he still had the icy jaw of Kyurem and the blazing yellow eyes. Tendrils of fire and light connected his back to his tail, and this new Kyurem lifted its head and roared.

"R-Reshiram!" gasped N in horror.

And Ghetsis laughed.

"Oh, you foolish boy." He laughed at N, who stood, staring in shock. "Now Kyurem is more powerful than ever - a force of pure fire and ice. It will be the bringer of the apocalypse - flames shall fall like rain, ice shall sheathe the seas and break apart the ground. And when this world is gone, I will rebuild it, as its Lord and King."

He laughed, and then he gestured at it. "Oh, oh, but go ahead! Take a shot! See if your puny Pokemon can defeat the God of the world's end. See if your ideals and truth will make it fall. Ha ha ha ha!"

N took a step forward, but I grabbed his arm and held him back. "No." I said.

He looked at me, surprised. "Who are you?" He asked.

I stepped in front of him, and nodded to my Pokemon. Then I looked King N in the face and said solemnly, "I am the third hero. Kyurem is my responsibility. It's up to me to save him."

N searched my face, and then he smiled, and nodded. He clapped a hand on my shoulder. "Good luck, hero."

I turned, squared my feet, and faced Kyurem.


Remnants (c) me
Pokemon (c) Pokemon

(Don't get your hopes up for a comic page of the battle with White Kyurem. That thing is WAY too hard for me to try and draw. X'D)