Apologies for the delay, busy week last week so even though most of the chapter was written, I had no time to polish it.
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PARAGON
Hisui Incursion Arc [6]
Chapter 58 : The Paragon of Infinite Darkness
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“Help Leader Kamado!”
The Sanctuary’s trainers who’d backed off while Decidueye and Pikachu clashed now reemerged, and they raced across the smoky clearing toward their fallen leader, not paying Ash, Sabrina, or Pikachu any mind.
Pikachu padded over to Ash, holding Decidueye’s pokéball in his tiny paws. He looked at it grimly, turning it over in his hands to show Ash the dents on its surface where Sabrina had crushed it.
The psychic’s hair hung across her face like the black branches of a haunted forest, and her eyes gleamed with violet fury behind them. Her arm was still outstretched from her throw, her gaze still trained on the spot where Decidueye had been caught.
“Sabrina,” Ash said, putting a hand on her glowing shoulder. “It’s over.”
As he touched her, he winced at the sudden miasma that overtook him. He’d felt it a bit before, just before she’d snatched one of his empty pokéballs, but now that he was in direct contact with her, it was like her emotions were flooding into him. A dark tempest of rage swept across him, permeating his skin, and he found it difficult to breathe.
“Sabrina! It’s over!” he yelled, not letting go and tightening his grip on her.
In her lap, the young girl named Yura shivered, and her dark eyes stared up at Sabrina, motionless. Her forehead had been scraped up, but she otherwise seemed alright.
“Sabrina!” Ash yelled.
Sabrina shuddered, and Ash felt her emotions recede. She pulled back her arm and glanced around, first at Yura, then at Ash, as if regaining her bearings.
Then she looked down at her left wrist, now devoid of its gauntlet.
A deluge of ice-cold fear physically pushed Ash back as Sabrina’s body spasmed and began to flake off more violet embers. The cracks on her face deepened and a shadowy nova overtook her, blustering about in a cyclone. Her head turned toward Ash, and her eyes were wide, steeped in terror.
“Ash!” she screamed, her voice echoing through the plaza.
Ash leaped forward and snatched Yura from Sabrina’s lap. Sabrina seized again and collapsed onto her side with a reverberating cough.
“Sabrina!” Ash screamed. He looked over at her gauntlet lying motionless and dull in the mud. What’s happening? Why isn’t it going back on?!
Purple lightning crackled out from Sabrina’s body in a psychic storm, and her shriek of pain chilled Ash to his core.
“What’s going on?” one of the Security Corps demanded, fighting through the psychic gales.
Pikachu jumped out, his cheeks crackling as he hissed at them—a clear signal to stay back. But he glanced back at Sabrina in worry.
I have to do something! Ash ran forward into the tempest, and as he did, Sabrina’s emotions assaulted him. Rage, fear, and agony buffeted him like boulders, but he didn’t slow his advance. He continued to push through until he was once again able to grab Sabrina. Her body was shaking on the ground and her teeth were gritted, and upon feeling his fingertips touch her arm, she looked over at him, her infernal eyes full of pleading.
Ash’s eyes narrowed. This storm is Sabrina’s overflowing emotion…! If I can put her to sleep, then maybe…!
Electricity crackled between his fingertips and he raised his hand to her head. Violet tears dripped from Sabrina’s eyes and the swirling emotions around them were all the assent Ash needed.
He closed his eyes and willed the Electric Plate to bring forth his desired outcome. He heard an electric snap and saw a bright flash behind his eyelids. Upon opening his eyes, he saw the strength leave Sabrina’s body and her body went limp on the ground.
Violet embers still raged around him and Ash took a step back, standing. As the seconds went by, the psychic storm showed no signs of retreating. It wasn’t gaining in intensity anymore, but it hadn’t receded at all.
Pikachu squeaked behind him and Ash felt his stomach drop. No! Why isn’t it going away? He took a step forward, piercing the storm once again. His eyes widened and he felt his chest hurt, like it was decaying. Don’t tell me… She can’t escape these feelings even when she’s unconscious…?
Ash felt his body go numb at the realization. What should he do? What could he do? If this was something Sabrina carried with her all the time, then how could he hope to bottle it back up now that it’d been unleashed?
I…can’t…do…anything…for…her?
Azure light shined on his face, and a blue comet landed beside him a moment later, burning the ground and releasing a flurry of mystical embers.
Riley looked up and raised his hands over Sabrina’s body. Two reservoirs of Aura pooled into existence within them and dark shadowy matter began to waft off Sabrina’s body and get sucked into them.
“Riley…,” Ash breathed. Upon seeing the Guardian’s face, he frowned.
Riley had blood running down his cheeks like tears.
It’s dried, Ash thought. But why?
As Riley worked his magic, Sabrina’s storm began to diminish until eventually, the plaza turned back to black and orange. The Aura in Riley’s hands dissipated and he sat back, breathing heavily.
“We saw the fire and hurried back as quickly as possible,” he said. “Don’t tell me…”
“No,” Ash said. “There was a pokémon attack and we defeated it. This happened right after.”
Riley nodded, then glanced over at Yura, who simply stared at them, her eyes wide in shock. He noticed the scrape on her head. “I see.”
“What did you do?” Ash asked.
“I simply soothed her consciousness by drawing out the dark emotions plaguing her. A number of Guardian spells can be taxing on the mind, so this is one by which we counter any possible negative side effects. It’s lucky that she was asleep. Were she still awake, her emotions would continue to pour out even as I pulled them out so it would’ve had no effect.”
Ash unclenched his fist slowly as he stared down at her motionless body. “Thank you. I…couldn’t.”
Riley stood. “You can’t do everything by yourself, Ash. King Aaron tasked me with helping you for a reason.”
He looked up and met Ash’s gaze, and the dried blood on his face stared back at Ash. “We need to talk. I don’t mean to be callous about what happened here, but our situation may be worse than we realized.”
“Is that why you’re bleeding?”
Riley touched his face and brushed off some of the blood. “Yes.”
“But what about Sabrina?” Ash said, turning back toward her.
Riley walked over and picked up her gauntlet, still unmoving and dark. “I wonder if this has something to do with…what happened. I understand she’s a psychic so I assume this device tempers her power in some way?”
“Yeah, that’s right. It must have gotten damaged on our trip here,” Ash said.
“Let’s hope that’s not the case.” Riley turned it over in his hands. “Has this happened before?”
“Not that I know of.” Ash rubbed the back of his hand. “I’m not sure what’ll happen when she wakes up without that on either.”
“U-Um!”
Ash and Riley both turned. Beside them, Yura stood clutching her clothes, seemingly unbothered by her injury.
“P-Please help…” She pointed across the plaza. “He got hurt fighting that pokémon… You’re friends with that miss, right? Please!”
Ash followed her finger to a small lump atop the ground on the other side of the plaza. Amidst the smoke and fire, he could see a small form. Clearly a pokémon, but he couldn’t yet tell which.
Jogging over, he pushed a few charred scraps of wood out of the way and unburied the thing. He frowned.
“A Shieldon…” he murmured.
This one was covered in soot and its eyes were closed.
“Riley! Please!” Ash hollered. Despite its size, its iron head would be far too heavy for him to lift on his own, especially with any kind of delicacy.
Riley quickened his pace upon seeing the thing and knelt down to help him. “I’ve seen a bunch of these on Iron Island.”
As they prepared to lift it, Yura joined them, dragging a blackened wooden plank. Her eyes looked on hopefully.
Riley nodded. “Thank you.”
Ash and Riley carefully moved Shieldon onto the plank, then each lifted a side.
“Where to?” Riley asked. “The Church?”
Yura shivered next to them but she kept her mouth shut. However, one glance at her face was all it took to realize she didn’t like that idea at all.
“Let’s get it in the open for now,” Ash grunted, moving back toward Sabrina.
They set Shieldon down next to her. Pikachu had been keeping watch over Sabrina, but he now scampered over to investigate Shieldon.
Behind them, the members of the Security Corps carried Kamado out from the rubble. As they got closer, Ash could see him bleeding from several gashes on his face. Without waiting for approval, they set him down next to Shieldon and Sabrina.
“Where’s the Medical Corps?” one growled. “Two injured and a pokémon and one of them is Leader Kamado!”
Another snapped a salute and hurried off.
At the same time, others began to enter the plaza alongside certain contraptions, and before long, hoses began to spray the conflagration around them, gradually dousing the fire.
“Is your friend alright?” one of the Security Corps asked.
“She should be for now, thank you,” Riley said.
“Ughhhhhh.” Beside them, Yura wavered on her feet, then pitched forward, falling into Ash’s outstretched arm.
He frowned before laying her down too. “She’s exhausted.”
“Poor girl,” the Security Corps member shook his head. “Damned wild pokémon.”
Most of the other gathered members had already split off to protect the breach, their pokémon deployed beside them.
“I’ll help them watch the breach tonight,” Riley said.
“What about what you wanted to talk about?” Ash asked.
“It can wait. Sabrina should hear it too and protecting the Sanctuary…is more important right now.”
“Heh,” the Security Corps member grunted. “You all are Guardians I hear. We’ll be glad to have your help.”
“But…” Ash trailed off. Riley had already turned away to join the rest of the Security Corps at the smoldering breach. “Riley!” he called.
The Guardian turned around.
“Be careful,” Ash said, holding out a fist.
Riley smiled. “You won’t be rid of me that easily. I leave Sabrina and the young one to you.”
Ash glanced down at Sabrina. Oddly, despite the chaos around them and the part she’d played in it, she looked peaceful, her chest rising and falling slowly as she slept. The gauntlet on her right wrist swiveled around slowly in tune with her breathing. He knelt down and ran his fingers over the left gauntlet where Riley had left it beside her. Despite the fact that it was totally dark, it was still warm to the touch.
Pikachu cooed sadly, nuzzling Sabrina’s face, but of course, she didn’t react.
“Oh no!” came a voice from across the plaza.
Rei came running out of the gloom, his stone Growlithe tromping beside him.
“Rei!” Ash jumped up.
“What happened? Is she okay?” Rei asked, kneeling down beside Sabrina.
“She’s fine,” Ash said quickly. “You shouldn’t be here, there may be more—!”
“Rei!” Akari shrieked, emerging from whence he’d come. Her Staravia streaked over the burning buildings and skidded to a stop just beside Rei, chirping menacingly.
“It’s Sabrina,” Rei said, ignoring Akari’s ire.
At the sight of the prone girl, Akari’s anger seemed to dissipate into concern as she joined Rei at her side. “No…”
“What’re you two doing here? If you’d come a minute earlier, that pokémon would have torn you apart,” Ash said seriously.
“Sorry, that’s my fault.”
Laventon jogged up behind him, breathing heavily and sweating. He stopped to catch his breath. “I’m sorry, Ash, I couldn’t stop them. But…” He walked over to Sabrina, worry etched into his face. He swallowed and knelt down to check her pulse. “W-Was the pokémon that powerful? Where did it go?”
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“It wasn’t the pokémon,” Ash said grimly. “Since you all are here, why don’t we bring them back home? The battle is over.”
“Them…?” Akari murmured. She followed Ash’s line of sight to Yura lying on the ground, and her Shieldon beside her. She winced at the sight of it. “Oh, no…”
“Yes,” Laventon said, his voice hardening as his resolve heightened. “Akari and Rei, please carry Yura. Ash, if you please. Let’s get Sabrina.”
As the other two shifted Yura’s body between them, Rei glanced at Shieldon. “What about her pokémon?”
Ash walked around and knelt down next to her. Slowly, he pulled another empty pokéball off his belt and placed it into Yura’s dirty hand. Rei and Akari watched him curiously as he urged Yura’s finger atop the pokéball’s central button. The pokéball popped upon and swallowed Shieldon whole before clamping shut with a small release of steam. It didn’t even shudder once before clicking. Ash’s brows tightened as he lifted the pokéball out of her hand and clipped it to Yura’s belt. It looked too big on her waist but Ash stood.
“Ash…? Shouldn’t you…or someone else hold it?” Akari asked.
Ash shook his head. “I can’t do that.” He walked back over to Sabrina. “Let’s go. We don't know if there’ll be more coming.”
A couple of Medical Corps members who’d been attending Kamado ran over with a spare stretcher made of wooden poles and ashy cloth to help them carry Sabrina, which Ash was thankful for.
Pikachu kept guard as they walked carefully through the Sanctuary’s streets back home. The citizens had emerged to investigate the commotion, but Security Corps members had already been deployed to keep them away from the scene of the battle. Luckily, people moved out of the way upon seeing the stretcher and the esteemed Laventon carrying it so it didn’t take too long to return.
Upon laying Sabrina and Yura both down in the main room, Yura rolled over and started snoring.
Akari nodded at her.
She’d buried her face in Sabrina’s side and was clutching at her clothes like a stuffed animal.
“Guess she likes her,” Rei said in a quiet voice.
Laventon sighed and sat down, leaning against a dresser behind him. “Hand me her pokéball. I’ll get to work treating it.”
“Are you sure?” Ash asked though he was already handing the pokéball over to him.
“That creature has enough of a reputation around town that I believe I know what to do. Plus, it’s all tuckered out from battling…” He nodded at the dented pokéball on Ash’s belt. “…whatever’s in there.”
Ash’s hand brushed the pokéball. “I think it was a Decidueye.”
“Ah,” Laventon said as he pulled several glass bottles out of the dresser behind him. “Yes, a Decidueye could certainly kick our wall down with ease if it was an Alpha variant.”
Must be a regional form, then, Ash surmised based on how familiar he seemed to be with Decidueye’s battle style.
Akari’s hand was clasped in Sabrina’s as the psychic lay atop her futon. “Will Sabrina be okay? You said it wasn’t Decidueye, right? So how…?”
Subtly, Ash tucked Sabrina’s gauntlet behind him. The others hadn’t seemed to notice it had a purpose beyond cosmetics or that its absence on her left wrist may have caused her current predicament. And Ash didn’t think it was his story to tell.
“Sabrina will be fine,” he said. “She just needs some rest.” As he said it, he realized he may have been trying to convince himself of the same. Truthfully, he wasn’t sure what it meant that Sabrina’s gauntlet had come off, but if her form from earlier was any hint, maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to bring her back here. If she went back to that form the moment she awoke, the others would be in danger.
Nevertheless, Ash had a feeling. A feeling. That quarantining her away would be one of the worst things to do. Despite the danger, he’d decided to take a risk. No, impose a risk on Laventon, Rei, and Akari. When he’d touched Sabrina’s storm earlier, her feelings had flooded into him. Most of it washed over him in a tidal wave so fast he could hardly perceive its specifics before it was past him. But he’d sensed enough.
Yes. To treat Sabrina like a pariah now would be the absolute worst decision. On that, Ash was firm.
Whatever happened, he would handle it. But he needed their help
“Professor, I’m heading back out to watch the wall,” Rei said, getting up.
“No, you certainly are not!” Laventon leaped up in front of the door. “The Security Corps is already keeping watch, they—“
“They’re not strong enough! How are we in this situation in the first place?”
“Wait, Rei,” Ash said. “Riley got back and is there now. He said he’d stay all night to make sure nothing else gets through. I’ll switch with him in the morning. No matter how long it takes until the wall is repaired.”
Rei frowned, his fists clenched.
“Rei…” Akari said softly, tugging on his sleeve. “Let’s stay here tonight. We have to protect the Professor.”
“And these two,” Laventon added, pointing at the two girls.
Though he clearly didn’t like it, Rei relaxed and nodded. “Fine.”
“Feel free to use our room, Professor, Rei,” Ash said. “I’ll find somewhere outside to sleep.”
“Are you sure?” Laventon said.
Ash smiled. “I’ll be fine. I’m actually pretty used to sleeping outside. Plus, I’ll be closer to the action if something should happen again.”
“Knock on wood,” Akari muttered.
“I’ll see you all in the morning,” Ash said, moving to the door.
He could see in their faces how rattled they were. Despite how strong Akari and Rei were as trainers, an unprecedented breach like this was surely enough to put them on edge. He hoped they’d crash soon. Laventon too, once he finished his work.
As Ash walked beneath the moonlight, a haze of fading smoke dampening its radiance slightly, he saw the hill he’d met Sabrina and Riley on this morning and turned toward it. It was close enough to Laventon’s house that he could be there in a flash if something started happening with Sabrina, but far enough that she wouldn’t immediately sense him when she awoke.
The issue of floor space aside, that was the main reason Ash had decided to vacate. He had witnessed Sabrina’s…episode firsthand. He doubted she’d want to see him first thing when she awoke. Better to be surrounded by those who knew nothing of her dark side. As self-conscious as she was, his being there could be a catalyst for another deterioration.
As Ash settled against a tree atop the hill, Pikachu wormed his way into his lap and Ash began stroking his head absentmindedly.
It was easy to forget after spending a couple of years in Paragon and the past month living alongside Sir Aaron that most of the world was far more fragile than he was. And in this ancient place, peace was a status to be constantly maintained, not permanently attained. Despite his power, there was only so much he could protect.
I need to get stronger, he thought. That, if nothing else, should’ve been plenty enough reason to continue their search here in this time to find Sir Aaron’s Plates.
What caused that Decidueye to breach the Sanctuary? Does it have anything to do with what Riley discovered?
Right now, he was simultaneously torn between wanting to scour this entire region for answers and wanting to get back home as fast as possible. We could really use the rest of Paragon’s help right now.
Hopefully, Zinnia and Anabel were recovering well. And Cynthia and Sylvester were staying out of each other’s hair.
As Ash’s eyelids got heavier, his mind couldn’t help but drift back to the battle earlier…and the deluge of emotions he’d felt from Sabrina. So dark they were that they still stuck with him even now.
Sabrina…
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When the sun crested above the mountains over yonder and blinded him from behind his eyelids, that was when Ash knew to get up. Upon feeling Pikachu’s warmth in his lap, his attention immediately went to Laventon’s house just down the hill.
It was quiet and still.
In fact, the Sanctuary itself seemed quiet and still despite the chaos from last night. The morning seemed to be just as it’d been twenty-four hours ago.
As Ash stood, Pikachu’s eyes fluttered open and as if sleepwalking, he climbed up onto Ash’s shoulder where he promptly went slack again to continue his rest. His claws were dug into Ash’s clothes, and this was rather typical. When he believed he could get away with it, Pikachu would postpone his awakening as much as possible. Of course, he was basically awake now since he needed to be conscious to remain on his perch, but he wouldn’t open his eyes until a good enough reason presented itself, such as the scent of food.
None such scent existed now though so it was a solitary trek through town back toward the site of the breach. Ash passed between burned buildings as he went, and with the light of day and a calmer head to evaluate the situation, it seemed the fire had started due to torches and cookfires violently thrown onto the buildings. Decidueye weren’t known users of fire, and though this one had been red in color, it hadn’t summoned any fire against Ash, which is what made him conclude that the conflagration came from an existing source.
It was then that Ash realized he’d had his hand closed around Decidueye’s pokéball the entire time, and as he did, his fingers tightened around it.
Why?
The plaza looked surprisingly different during the day. Smoke lingered in the air but the ghastly blaze was gone. In its wake, charred ruins remained, though the damage wasn’t as severe as it’d appeared last night. That roaring fire in the pitch black of night had looked like an inferno, but it seemed that only the buildings closest to the plaza had been damaged. The face of the Church also looked blackened in one part, but it otherwise stood firmly.
A group of Security Corps members milled around the wall beside the Church where the breach was. They stilled as they noticed Ash approach and their hands drifted to their belts.
“Civilians are to stay inside right now. Please return home,” one of them said once he was within earshot.
“Wait, it’s one of the Guardians,” another said.
One man stepped forward. “You! Where’s the wild pokémon that did this?”
Ash plucked its pokéball off his belt and shook it for all to see. “Right here. No need to worry.”
“Hand it over,” the man said, holding out his hand.
“It’s not yours,” Ash said flatly.
The man frowned, his face twisting into a snarl. “Are you—?”
“We’ve had a long night, Ash, please don’t antagonize them.”
Riley stepped forward, a grave look on his face.
“Stand down,” another one of the Security Corps pulled the aggressive guy away. “Without that man, the entire Sanctuary could have been destroyed. Captain Cyllene said he could keep custody of the pokémon.”
The man shrugged out of his cohort’s grip and walked away.
Ash watched him go. “Any action last night?”
“None, surprisingly,” Riley said. “It was a long but peaceful night. Though expecting an attack for hours on end has put a few of them on edge.” He yawned. “Is Sabrina alright?”
“She hasn’t woken up yet.”
Riley frowned. “I wonder if that’s a good or a bad thing.”
“Good, I think. Those gauntlets restrain her power, but with one of them off…”
The Security Corps had left the two ‘Guardians’ alone to chat and the two men took them up on their offer, moving in front of the Church away from prying ears.
“I thought that might have been the case. But to think her power is so potent that such devices would be necessary… Are we sure she won’t lose control like last night once she awakens?”
“No,” Ash sighed. “But…I think her emotions went off the rails after seeing Yura last night. I could be wrong, but I think seeing her safe will help Sabrina keep her power in check, even without the gauntlet.”
“And then the question is why she couldn’t put it back on. If it was damaged somehow, I wonder if it will be a problem if it can’t be fixed.”
To that, Ash had no answer. And though he knew it wasn’t smart, he didn’t want to think about it any further. “Any idea why that pokémon attacked? They said the Sanctuary hasn’t been breached in years.”
Riley took a deep breath. “I’ve given it some thought. And though I have no evidence, I can’t help but wonder if we are to blame somehow.”
That’s why he suddenly decided to take night watch instead of continuing our conversation. Ash glanced back at the throng of Security Corps members. “Did they say anything like that?”
“They didn’t have to. It didn’t take long for their distrust of outsiders to rear its head once again. Though I can’t say I blame them. We show up from that rift in the sky, and not two days later, their walls are breached. By an Alpha Pokémon, by the sounds of it. Did you recognize that pokémon?”
“I did, sort of. It looks like a Decidueye. The final evolution of one of the Alolan starters. Anabel has one. But normally they're green, not red and brown.”
“Laventon did mention the Alpha Pokémon can be miscolored.”
Ash shook his head. “I think this is different. This one’s body looked different too. It looks more like a regional form. Not sure on its typing though.”
“For an Alpha Pokémon to breach the Sanctuary now…” Riley trailed off.
Ash felt a lump in his throat. “It must have been me. It was after this.” He raised a hand to his chest.
Riley frowned. “The Plate?” he said quietly.
“Sir Aaron said people and pokémon are drawn to them. Or rather, that we can both make use of its power. It’s not out of the question.”
Riley straightened and stroked his chin. “That would mean our continued residence here could invite more attacks.”
Ash looked over at him. “Now’s as good a time as any to tell me what you learned yesterday. What happened with that rift yesterday?”
Riley darkened. “Yes. Well.” He shifted uncomfortably. “Truthfully, the safety of this Sanctuary and its citizens is not foremost in my mind at the moment. I’m far more concerned about the fate of this entire region. Or perhaps, the world.”
“The world?” Ash could see how unnerved Riley was. As if sensing his agitation, Pikachu’s eyes opened.
“Yesterday, we theorized that the creator of that rift may have been one of the time-space pokémon, Dialga or Palkia. We also considered Giratina of the Distortion World, as well as Arceus himself. If only it were one of those, perhaps barring Arceus, I would feel a lot better about our situation.”
Riley met Ash’s gaze.
“I believe the cause of that rift is none other than one of the two Paragons.”
“Paragons…?” Ash repeated. His brows furrowed.
“The existence of the Paragons is known only to the seniormost Guardians of Rota. But by your reaction, it seems you already know of them?”
“Not really. But I heard AZ mention them, and I think Sir Aaron told me about them. They’re some of the oldest pokémon around, almost as old as Arceus. And they’ve been fighting for centuries over Arceus’ Plates. One of infinite light, and the other of infinite darkness.”
Riley nodded. “Yes, that’s right. Nameless, even in the Guardian histories, for they have never fallen to earth. The only time they visit us is when we get in the crosshairs of their divine battle. And the outcome is always…”
“Extinction,” Ash said. “Or, something close to it. That’s how the Great War ended. The true cause of the Calamity.”
Riley nodded solemnly. “Why such a creature would tear a hole open above Hisui I could not say. But when I attempted to perform my spell, I encountered…it. It spoke to me in a language I could not even comprehend… But I knew I could not continue to disturb it, lest I lose my life.” He brought his hand up to his face. “I was lucky to get away with the injuries I did.”
“Why would the Guardians keep something like that a secret from the world?” Ash asked. “At the very least, why did they blame the Calamity on AZ?”
“The Guardians were left kingless at the end of the war. We had no control over the narrative. And those that remained had plenty of antipathy for the defeated AZ. The story spun into existence without any prodding. By the time the Guardians had recovered enough to set the record straight, they realized there was no point in enlightening humanity to its inevitable demise. That was the last thing the world needed at the time. Or rather, at this time.”
“But later…”
Riley nodded and his eyes tightened. “I once asked the Queen the same thing. But she told me that such a truth was out of our hands. That revealing it to the world was no longer our role to play.” He exhaled. “In hindsight, I wonder if King Aaron had a part in that answer. It seems like something he’d say.”
“Not the Guardians’ role to play…” Ash repeated. If it wasn’t theirs, then whose is it? Surely Sir Aaron would have told the world if he could. But does that mean he couldn’t? Was something stopping him?
Ash shook his head. It was pointless to think about that now. They weren’t even in the present right now, the future which still hadn’t witnessed another Calamity since the end of the Great War. They had more pressing issues.
“By the way,” he muttered, trying to crest the hill of curiosity Riley had left him on. “I’m not technically supposed to say anything about this but I don’t think it matters too much now.”
Riley looked over attentively.
“Sabrina and I, and Anabel, are members of a group called the Paragon Organization, run by Cynthia. I guess we’re like a sort of black ops group that handles extremely dangerous situations before the world hears about them, as best we can anyway. But the name…” His brows crinkled. “Paragon Organization… I can’t help but wonder if the two are connected…”
“I see,” Riley said. “Normally I’d chalk something like that up to a coincidence, but considering the sort of trouble you seem to involve yourselves in… I suppose that will be a question for Cynthia when we return.”
“Yeah…” Ash trailed off, wishing he could add more context, but he also didn’t know if there was a connection. She’d said it was named after Paragon Island, but in hindsight, where did the island’s name come from? He ran his fingers through his hair, clearing his mind. “So could you tell which Paragon it was?” he asked. “The light one or the dark one?”
“Oh, certainly the dark one,” Riley responded immediately.
Ash frowned. “Is the light one Arceus?”
“That doesn’t seem to be the case. Guardian texts are saturated with instances of Arceus’ name. Not so for the Paragons.”
“And why would it pull us back here to the past?” Ash murmured. “No way that was part of Sir Aaron’s plan.”
“Indeed. The magic of the Time Flower certainly has nothing to do with the Paragons.” His expression darkened. “This is something King Aaron could not have foreseen.”
“If the Darkness Paragon drew us into the past intentionally through that rift…then should we even be going back there to try and get home?”
Riley rubbed his face, pulling his skin down. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t say. The Paragons desire Arceus’ Plates so my assumption is that it pulled us here to acquire yours. Yet it hasn’t pursued us at all. If I hadn’t returned to the rift, we’d never have even known about it.”
Ash looked up at the sky toward Mount Coronet’s peak. The rift looked the same as it always did, crackling with dark energy silently off in the far distance. He couldn’t sense any primordial presence from here, but he hadn’t when they’d first arrived either. “I wonder if it’s trying to hide its presence or something.”
“Unfortunately, I couldn’t say. As for how to get home…our best bet is probably still through the rift. That is the way we came, after all.” Riley fixed Ash with a serious gaze. “And if we need to go through the Paragon of Darkness to do so, then so be it.”
Ash frowned. He felt his stomach turn weightless. “And how do we do that?”
Sympathy glittered on Riley’s face, and alongside it, ruthless resolve.
“Not ‘we.’ You must hone your powers and build up enough strength such that you can take on a Paragon and survive.”
Next — Chapter 59 : The Volo Company
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This is now the third time I’m previewing the next chapter title as “The Volo Company.” Will the big man himself actually get to finally make his debut or will my plans change again? I guess we’ll find out together :P