The Twilight Army; The Beginning of the End & The End... Or is it?
#7 of The Twilight Army
Chapter Seven: The Beginning Of The End
Groudon's roar rattled Moonlight's frame, as her claws protruded from her light pink paw pads. Taking a step forward, the canine's lips curled back, and a snarl rumbled deep within her. She ran forward, and her body ignited in a black, fiery aura. Rukario led Glace and Squeeshy away, but Titan and Dreamwave ran to their friend's aid. The Umbreon started to claw at Groudon's foot, making him chuckle a little at the weak, pathetic attack. The black aura flaring around Moonlight reflected on Titan's eyes, and he wondered if he should. Dreamwave looked at him, wondering why he was so deep in thought at a time like this. Soaring into the air, she made a small bubble around herself. Sitting on it, and holding out her two front paws, she started to create a small ball. It was lilac, with a darker purple core, and small blue electricity forming around it. Titan watched, and remembered that all Shadow Pokemon had a signature move, and so this must be Dreamwave's. Her eyes squinted, as the ball in her paws grew until it was about the same size as her head. Popping the bubble that encased her with her tail, she resumed flight and raised her arms, bowling the ball like a human playing rounder's. It flew, and as it did, grew even more in size. She watched, and Moonlight jumped back, afraid of being hit. The huge lava Pokemon turned, and received a large explosion in the face. Titan smirked, and Dreamwave clasped her paws to her mouth and giggled. Shaking her head, the Umbreon looked up. Her left eye became a deep black, like a never ending hole, as she opened her maw. Small purple beams started to react, pulling themselves from no where to form another ball at her mouth. Groudon growled, and shook his head. He turned back to Moonlight, only to be greeted by the tremendous Shadow Ball. Roaring, he toppled over and hit the ground back-first. Flopping like a fish, his clawed hands waved wildly about, in order to stabilize himself. Because he was such a large size, the only way he was able to be stable enough to concentrate his attacks was on two feet, firmly on the ground. Moonlight knew this all too well, and Titan could probably guess it after a few attacks. He'd been standing still, watching the battle, until he knew to attack. The huge, long razor blade on his cheek started to glow, and he ran forward. His body became a blur as he ran, almost flew, to the large, wailing Pokemon. Turning his head, he slammed the razor into Groundon's back, causing it to writhe in pain and become paralyzed.
The Umbreon then looked, and decided to finish the battle. She couldn't win before, but here, away from the lava, Groudon was weaker, and she was so much stronger. The thoughts of her mate, and her tiny daughter, flashed through her mind as the black aura intensified. Soon, her entire body flashed and hissed with the black cloak, before she let out a small roar, which sounded a little like ‘breon', the primary speech an Umbreon will use toward a human being. Then the aura buzzed, roared, and started to move. It grew up, and up, until it formed the body of a huge, even ugly, winged beast. Its snout was fuming, real smoke, and its eyes were a deep emerald. The Dragon's body was made entirely of smoke, and in the centre, the Umbreon's one remaining red eye was clearly seen. Then the Dragon started to do as she had been doing, opening its maw and gathering power. Then it sent a Shadow Ball towards Groudon, which ripped the flesh clean from its rocky body. Roaring in agony, the legendary Pokemon became limp, and as the Dragon resided once more, a small gasp from Dreamwave could be heard. Looking down on the Groudon, which lay on his back, she could see the damage. Moonlight's Demon had thrown the ball straight into Groudon's chest, and where it had hit, there was nothing left. Just a huge, gaping hole. Titan looked away, for the sight of splattered gut and flesh was disgusting to even him.
"Well done, Moonlight!" Dreamwave shouted, and clapped her paws. But the Umbreon's eyes were firmly on Groudon's dead body, hate filling her eyes as the black receded to crimson.
"Yeah. Now can we go, please?!" Titan didn't look as he spoke, and so the Mew and Moonlight simply walked.
They found Rukario and the others in a clearing a way off, and Dreamwave gave him and Nightwish a gabbled explanation of what happened, using her paws to demonstrate and making exploding sounds. Nightwish had found a way around Groudon, and so they followed that route. Or, Titan marched off and they had no option but to follow, much to Moonlight's annoyance.
It wasn't a long walk to where Moonlight had been intending on going for so long now. Avoiding as many trainers as possible, and simply running from the ones they did see, Moonlight led the Pokemon to a deserted piece of land. Nothing moved on it, no tree's lived, and the ground was a dry, dense field of cracking mud. Small rocks stuck out of the ground like pins, and so many yelps of pain and surprise echoed around the landscape as they walked. Rukario was fascinated, and so he looked around at the endless expanse of deadly looking fields. It was the same scene, all the way to the horizon, and that scared Squeeshy greatly. In the midst of the field they were slowly but surely crossing, a large rock stuck out like a box. And that was what it was, a huge circle of rock, with a hollow inside and an entrance to the far side of them. As they approached and circled the perimeter, tension rose within the Pokemon, though they didn't know why. At the back of the orangey, rocky circle, was a gap. The Umbreon led them through, and what they saw inside took their breath from them. Hundreds upon hundreds of Pokemon stood, crowded and talking in loud, excited voices. In the centre of the circle was another rock, like a stage. And on top of that, stood two Pokemon. A large bird, with a dark brown back and a yellow under body, stood tall in the centre. Amazing plumage erupted from her head, and her beady black eyes turned to see Moonlight enter. Flapping her great wings, she flew above the other Pokemon and landed near the Umbreon. Bowing slightly, though only to abruptly rise as the Umbreon began to laugh at her manners, she smiled. The other Pokemon was a large black hound, with two great horns and a collar of bone. A skull was crested on his chest, his forked tail swaying gently. He watched the bird land and then jumped from the rock, the Pokemon beneath instantly parting for him to run to Moonlight. He, too, bowed, and joined her laughter as he rose. Then his crimson eyes befell the sight of the other Pokemon, and he smiled.
"Nice t'meet yau'll." He said, as the Pidgeot cringed. Raising out her wing, she slapped him across the back of the head.
"For hell's sake, speak properly!" She shouted, causing every other creature to hush. A thousand beady eyes then eagerly awaited his reply, which made Moonlight laugh again.
"Buh I always tal' like dis, Pidge!" He complained, looking over his back at her. She sighed gently.
"I know you do, Houndoom." She muttered, and looked back at Moonlight. "Who are they, then?" She asked, her voice slightly strict. Moonlight looked at them, and nodded. Rukario then bowed his head, bending his knee slightly.
"The names Rukario, ma'am. I am a master of the arts." Nightwish sniggered, then began to speak.
"My names Nightwish, I'm a ‘student of the arts'." She muttered the last part in disgust, for it was how Rukario always had her introduce herself.
"And I'm Glace!!" Shouted the Glaceon, though no one took any notice anyway. Then Dreamwave took her cue, and did a rather cute little back flip, which caused Houndoom to giggle softly.
"I'm Dreamwave!! I'm a M-M-Mew!"
"M-M-Monkey, more like." Moonlight added, and received a sarcastic scowl from the pink bundle. Houndoom then bowed, quite low, and spoke after he had risen.
"Am Houndoom. Pleased to meet yau'll." He said, and looked sideways at Pidgeot, expecting another slap.
"I'm Pidgeot. Houndoom's better half." The Pokemon exchanged smiles, before Pidgeot looked to Moonlight.
"We should start. She'll be here soon." The canine nodded, and led her friend's to the rock in the centre. It was quite crowded, with all of them on one little rock, but they managed. Moonlight then looked out, as her minion army gazed up at the demon.
"I thank you for being here... But I must settle one thing. If you fall behind, you are left behind." The crowds muttered, though only to be hushed by Pidgeot. "I want any Pokemon with healing abilities on that side of the room." For she couldn't point, she tossed her head to the left. Pokemon started to move, some left, some right. "Faster Pokemon on the opposite side. And Pokemon that can fight in the middle." She ordered, and they obeyed. Dreamwave looked around, and sighed. She was, undoubtedly, bored out of her feline skull. Once the other Pokemon had settled, Moonlight barked out a few conduct rules. Random things, like ‘do not help the enemy or I will kick your ass' kind of things. And then it sounded. A loud roar, not by one Pokemon, but by thousands. Panic hit the Umbreon, and so she began to shout, trying to make order. Pidgeot flapped her wings to fly up, but Houndoom stopped her for two seconds. He reached up and licked his lover's cheek, and she simply looked at him with tears in her eyes before rising up, and out of the circle. Nightwish stood by the Houndoom, and nuzzled his cheek gently.
"You'll see her again. Don't worry." But he only smiled. He doubted that a lot.
"Right! Healing things, stay here! Speed, out last, attack, out now!! Go go go!!" And they did, all of them, crowded out and ran as fast as they could, out the back and round out of sight. Moonlight then turned to Dreamwave, and nodded. The Mew flew down to the healing team, and split them up into three random groups. Moonlight needn't tell her she was in charge. Rukario, Titan, Houndoom and Nightwish ran after the last of the army, and Glace was ordered to stay with Dreamwave. Looking about though, Moonlight couldn't see Squeeshy. Then she remembered, she hadn't seen the Ditto since they arrived. A growl rumbled in her throat, as she thought of what the Ditto must of done. The coward had run, from fear, and disbanded. Then the Umbreon allowed her eye to become black, and wings to sprout out of her back, and she flew. As the walls of the circle were left below, the harsh reality hit her. Two armies, her own and her enemies, mingled and hacked at each other in the now bloody fields. She could see Rukario, and his Aura Sphere's aimed to deadly perfection. Pokemon were already being dragged back, where Dreamwave waited to treat them. That was where Moonlight had an advantage. Her foe had no shelter.
Though the Umbreon hadn't seen her yet, she could feel the enemy. Using her Dark Pulse, she took out as many as she could, and waited for her own army to kill them. It was then, that she stood and watched, just to be sure, when the Espeon appeared. She was so much like the Umbreon, with two huge wings and blazing white eyes. Her wings were like that of an angels, but the rest of her body was the same as any other Espeon's. She took in sunlight, to charge a simple Solar Beam that could destroy the Umbreon at first hit. Titan, fighting a Tyranitar below them, saw the blind attack. Knocking the huge dinosaur Pokemon out with a Shadow Ball, he turned and called a warning to Moonlight. She turned around, and dodged just in time. The Espeon growled in frustration, and faced the other Eon Pokemon.
"This is uncalled for, Moony." She complained, looking down at the fighting Pokemon, the blood spill, and the pain.
"Then why come?" The Umbreon replied coolly, glaring at the Espeon.
"Because, I'm cooler than you, and the world should know it!" She shouted, and looked around. Of course, her own army, the ‘Army of Light', (Which Moonlight thought to be a crap name.) were too busy fighting to hear her.
"Yeah. Right." Moonlight sighed, and looked around. "Should I kill you then, sister?"
"Kill me?! That's pointless. You're not supposed to kill, Moony. Only win."
"If I kill you then I win."
"No, you lose your dear, dear sister."
"... Yeah, I'll kill ya." And no sooner than she had finished the sentence, a Shadow Ball flew from her maw and hit the Espeon's chest. Glaring, the lilac cat Pokemon struck back with a Psybeam, which didn't do a lot of damage to the Umbreon, for she was a Dark type. They then clashed in the skies, and fought with their teeth and claws, ripping at the others flesh. The iron claws Blissey had given Moonlight came in handy, allowing her to hit and slash at the other Pokemon freely. Dreamwave, however, could only wish that Blissey was there. The causalities coming in were overriding her, her team already busy with the worst cases. The problem was they were all the worst cases. The healing Pokemon couldn't speak to each other, for they didn't have the time, and the only noises were grunts of thanks and howls of agony. The Mew raced around, overseeing all the operations going on around her.
Back on the harsh, bloody landscape, Titan was wearing down. His body was stricken with painful cuts and bruises, and his Power Points were all failing. His reflexes became so slow he could barely walk, and eventually the pain caught up with him. He fell onto his side and closed his eyes, and waited, hoped, to die. When he awoke, he found a familiar face staring down at him. The Glaceon's ice blue eyes shimmered as he woke, and, jumping up and down, she called out to Dreamwave. The Mew flew to Titan, hushing Glace away. Then her purple eyes fell onto Titan, a grave glint shining within them.
"You never told me you... Were the same... Friend..." She whispered, as confusion hit the Absol. Raising a pink paw, Dreamwave rubbed his back and pulled away, waving her arm at Titan, which was now covered in deep purple blood. Shadow Pokemon blood. The Absol sighed, and nodded in defeat.
"I never wanted to tell... When it got out back at home... They cast me off, you know that..." The Mew never answered. She simply wrapped her arms around him and hugged tightly, before whispering softly;
"Run." He didn't need telling twice. He knew the battle was won, they all did. Rising slowly, he looked back at Dreamwave and licked her cheek. Then he turned, and ran. The Mew clasped her paw to the spot he had licked, and a light red tinge appeared on her nose.
Outside, the large wolf chased down and across the empty fields, towards the horizon. The Umbreon's crimson eyes watched as Sunlight caught her breath, but she didn't complain. She only hoped he would return, somehow, someday.
Glace had managed to sneak out, and was holding her own in the fighting. She and Nightwish teamed up to attack, and their combination of a Shadow Ball encased in Ice Beam worked well. A huge Pokemon named Shiftry, a kind of white , furry monkey with sticks for legs, arm and a nose, was attacking at present, but when Nightwish flung her Shadow Ball, Ice Beam failed. The Mightyena looked at Glace in anger, but couldn't shout, for the Shiftry, a Dark type, easily deflected the Shadow Ball. It hit Glace right on the forehead, and she could only fall back. The Shiftry's own Dark Pulse erupted, cracking the ground. The dark electricity then split, and hit both of the Pokemon. Nightwish screamed as she felt the electric darkness slice her flesh, and her last look, toward Glace, showed only the blood of her friend trickling slowly between the cracks in the earth. Then she felt like she was falling, and as she sunk to the ground, she saw Rukario hit the Shiftry with an Aura Sphere. Then she felt nothing, just the cold, cruel darkness of death...
Both armies were worn down now, as the cold, ravenous winds blew above them. The Pokemon that weren't dying of injuries lay on the ground, and waited to die of exhaustion. In the air, the black canine and the lilac cat were also tiring, and their attacks were noticeably weaker. Finally, the Espeon hit the floor, and, unable to move, melted away into the air. But then panic hit her fighters. They stood still, as The Twilight Army awaited Moonlight's orders. The Umbreon thought for a while, before looking up and shaking her head. Then, both sides relaxed as the fighting ceased, and the Army of Light retreated slowly. Following Moonlight, the Twilight's returned to the circular rock, to be treated and to rest.
Chapter Eight: The End... Or Is It?
Back inside, the Umbreon stood on the main ‘stage' rock. Looking around, she smiled in content of victory. From behind her, a clatter of large, clawed paws hitting the rock could be heard. Turning, she saw the large Houndoom grinning stupidly at her.
"How yau'll doin' Moony?" He asked, winking gently. She giggled at him, as Dreamwave came to stand at her side.
"Rukario... Glace... Nightwish... Squeeshy..." She whispered, and the Umbreon pulled her into a canid hug.
"Titan?" She asked, looking around.
"I.."
"Told him to go?" The Mew's purple eyes looked up at the smiling Umbreon, and welled with tears. The feline Pokemon buried her head in her friends shoulder, and sobbed. Then, from behind them, another clatter of feet sounded. A huge bird stood and looked down at them, as Houndoom's grin grew. He embraced Pidgeot tightly, as she wrapped her wings around him and actually blocked him from the others view.
"Wonder what they're doing in there then, hmm?" Dreamwave muttered, causing Moonlight to roll into fits of giggles.
The remnants of the army started on the journey home, led by Houndoom and Pidgeot, but Moonlight hung back on the battle field. The bodies of Pokemon, both light and dark, had already been buried by those fit enough. Little mounds of dirt now protruded, though determining who was where was impossible. The black canine looked around as Dreamwave flew to her side, and sighed.
"Will we see him again?" The Mew asked softly, but Moonlight only shrugged.
"One day, maybe... We should get home..." Moonlight sighed, and started to walk forwards.
"... W...We?" Stammered Dreamwave, following in the air.
"Of course, we, me and you. Silly." And the two chuckled. As they left the fields of despair, Moonlight turned back. Looking out across the landscape, she tipped her head back, and let a long, slow, mournful howl escape her muzzle. The noise echoed musically through the air, as the moon sat in the sky; watching and waiting...