Broken Souls

Trial of Hart

Miki leers at me, agitated. "No one is above consequence."

"That's what you think. I have reason to believe otherwise. Have you heard of Red?"
    Miki shivers. "Even him," she says softly. "There will be a Goldeneye who will rise up to fight him. He can not be allowed to destroy this world. If it is necessary I, along with Morty's new team, will ascend the mountain and fight him ourselves."

"Those are some brave words, seeing as you only have two years left."
    The doors to the Bell Tower open before either of us can speak again. In fact, they open entirely out of their own volition, which is more than slightly terrifying.

"Do they usually do that?" asks Reginae.

"This building gives me the creeps." Luna shudders.
    Rose chirrups happily, toddling towards it with stubby arms stretched wide. I pick her up and she chirrups indignantly. "Ashleeeeeeeeeeey! I wanna go in! There's pretty music in there!"
    "I can't hear anything." I say.

Miki reflectively examines Rose, running a hand over her head spikes. "What your Togepi hears is actually unique to her species, which is said to have a connection with the ancient legendaries of Johto. Does the sound resemble bells?"
    "Yep!" Rose says. "They're loud. Can we go? Please?" She tries to crawl out of my arms but I have a vice grip around her.

"We can indeed, although I'll need to change into a more suitable form." Miki falls to the ground and her form is cloaked in fire. Everywhere the flame touches leaves fur and soon we are faced with a Flareon that's twice as large as a normal one, each of its nine tails radiating a powerful heat. Her dark eyes are rimmed by black and she's got long, trailing fur that makes her look more like a Ninetails than a Flareon.

"We can enter now." she tells me, her voice a low purr. "It's proper form for any guest to enter a sacred area only when accompanied by a kitsune guide."

I stare blankly at the magnificent architecture of the Bell Tower, which is so different from the Burned Tower that it's hard to believe the two were once twins. The wood is polished as if it had only been installed days prior and the center, rimmed by a small gate, is a large hole that must stretch all the way up the tower. The entire thing is breathtaking in its massive scale and the colossal feeling of power both. All the air here threatens to crush me.

"Come."
    "Alright guys, we need to-" I say, but Miki bares her teeth.

"What?" I ask.

"They may not come. One human is enough. Bringing an entire team is grounds for sacrilege." she growls.

"They're staying on my person." I say defensively.
    "As you will." Miki dips her head slightly.

Reginae swells with indignation. "You're kidding me! You're just going to let her do this? Ashley, we're your team! You have to keep us out in case anything happens and-"

"This is a dangerous place." Rose echoes, speaking in a voice that is definitely not hers.

"Welp, this is officially way too creepy for me. Back in the Pokeball, boys!" Luna calls, and I withdraw her.

Reginae fixes me a nasty look before he returns to his Pokeball alongside D'spinas and Rose.

"Ashley," Ten says, placing his wing on my leg. "Good luck."
    He disappears as well and I tuck them in my pocket in the smallest size the Pokeball will allow. An odd emptiness fills me.

"Good." Miki mutters, "Now let's go. I must admit I do want to know where you're from. The things you know are not only shocking... they may be a threat to us."