The Messanger of Time

Chapter 26: The Path To Dusk

"Who would've known we'd find them here?"

Vincent peers at Christina due to her question, then down at the expanse of small islands in the ocean below. After flying for several hours, they've finally found what they've been looking for: The Tempora Archipelago, situated a ways south of the Hoenn region.

The most notable thing about these islands is they appear to be almost entirely covered with forests, overgrown with trees, small and large, bathed in a deep teal blue, seemingly lambent in the light of the setting sun. The faint presence of something otherworldly can be felt here.

Christina stares at the islands, mesmerized by the view. "They look like not a single person has ever been here... This is amazing."

Eriah nods slowly in response. "That's because humans don't ever come here. It's difficult to explain, but they move, appearing only where people are not. It's as though they have a mind of their own."

Vincent gazes over the islands for a moment, taking in the sight as this is the first time he's seen something quite like this. "I think there's more to this place than the Council seems to know or lets in on. Just being here tells me there's something...unusual here. What, exactly, is their tie to Dialga?"

Eriah glances back at Vincent, before peering back down over the islands. "This place doesn't really have a name. The people who know about it call it the Tempora Archipelago because it isn't influenced by time. But there's much more to it than that."

Eriah flies down closer to the islands slowly, appearing somewhat cautious. "You see, these islands are bound by their own...unique rules which don't follow that of the rest of the world. Some say they don't really exist at all. But they play a key role in maintaining the stability of this world, as they help support the flow of time and the fabric of space."

Vincent scans the islands over as more of their scenery comes into view the closer they get, and Eriah soon comes to a stop.

"You're aware that without one, the other cannot exist, yes? Without time, there can be no space. Without Dialga, Palkia cannot live. And the opposite is also true."

Vincent glances back at her, then nods slowly. "Yeah... Lucas' task involves Palkia, I know that much for sure."

"Your tasks are more closely tied together than you might know. If he were to fail his task then yours would be affected too, even if you've already finished it. This is why you both need each other."

Vincent peers back down at the chain of islands below for a moment in silence, thinking about what she's said. She proceeds to fly down and the others follow, Christina glancing at Vincent with a somewhat worried expression. It seems that the more they do, the more they learn just what these tasks involve and it only makes them that much harder to complete. She's starting to come to understand what Vincent has had to deal with during his time in the Spiritual Council.

As Eriah finally lands on one of the larger islands, she glances around. They've arrived in a clearing just outside a thick forest at the base of a small mountain, where they can just barely spot a cavern under a growth of plants and vines. As the group dismounts its dragons, Vincent approaches the cavern and glances inside, moving some of the vines out of his way to see more clearly. It appears to lead into a long and narrow tunnel dimly lit by the glow of softly radiant white crystals of varying shapes and sizes along the walls, floor and ceiling.

Vincent turns back to the others, then to Eriah. "You're sure he'll be in here?"

The black dragon nods to him. "It's where he usually stays. After you go in, he'll find you. You just need to be patient."

Vincent nods slowly and looks at the others. "Are you ready?"

They nod and move over to him, and Christina looks inside. "Let's go."

Vincent looks back at Eriah, who nods to him and they slowly venture inside. As they step in, the light of the sun still peeking over the horizon shines through the tunnel, brightly illuminating the limestone passage and reflecting off the pale brown rock walls. The crystals glimmer in the light until the vines drape back over the entrance, obscuring most of the sun and leaving the tunnel once again dimly lit by the glowing minerals. Compared to the cool air outside, it's rather warm inside, the air somewhat humid from the moisture of the plants which has been contained in the tunnel for some time.

They wander through the passage, which winds around and goes on for a stretch before eventually leading to a large room. As they examine the area, there isn't much to take notice of, other than the occasional droplets of water from the ceiling, and rock pillars connecting it to the floor in random spots. There are a few paths leading out of the room, but none appear to show any significance over another, which makes Vincent start to wonder which he should take.

Christina examines the room curiously, unsure of what to make of her surroundings. There isn't a sound or the slightest movement other than the steady, soft plopping of water dripping into the puddles on the ground, making the faintly luminous cavern eerily quiet.

"How do we even know where to go?" Her voice echoes through the room, slightly startling the group with the sudden sound interrupting the relative silence.

Vincent shakes his head, letting out small sigh. "We don't. That's the thing. Even for someone who makes it to these islands, you don't just find Cereos. He always finds you. It isn't certain how, but he can see everything that happens in this place. The Council believes there is a Sight Panel here that he uses."

Melissa sighs and then moves over to a large rock to sit down, fidgeting with her jacket a little. "So we just wait? How long is this going to take, anyway?"

Vincent looks around the room, beginning to pick up the subtle feeling of something approaching. "...Maybe not too much longer."

"Well he'd better hurry! We don't really have time to waste."

Suddenly, as though in response to her demands, a teal blue Mew pops up out of thin air just a few inches in front of her, forcing from her a shrll screech and causing her to tumble backwards off the rock. The diminitive hovering pokemon folds his arms with a cheeky smirk, glancing down at her with deep purple eyes while his slinky tail waves in the air behind him. He breaks the momentarily silence, chiming in with a playful and rather mischeivous tone.

"Hurry up? You people have no patience, I swear. That other guy was so much less annoying. Why should I even bother helping you now?"

Vincent blinks in surprise and turns around to look at the Mew. "Does the world's preservation suffice?"

The small, catlike pokemon sighs weakly, as if all the fun in the whole world has just been snatched away from him. "You're so bo-o-o-oring too! Why do Messangers have to be so serious?"

Vincent stares at him, increasingly vexed, and Umbros twitches an ear in shared annoyance at the disturbingly blithe Psychic-type. "You're Cereos?"

"Yes I am! Cereos, protector of the Tempora Archipelamino!"

"Uhh..." Umbros gives the Mew a blank look.

Melissa stumbles to her feet, brushing herself off. "I think it's supposed to be Archi-"

"I know what it's called, you dummy! Sheesh, people can't take a cute little Mew seriously these days."

Umbros mumbles to himself, "I wonder why..."

Cereos glances down at him with a feigned look of disdain which fails to hide the impish twinkle in his eye. "Careful, Blackie. If I weren't so nice I might think it'd be funny to watch you dangle off the ceiling."

The disgruntled Umbreon turns his gaze away from him with a small, "Hmph..."

Vincent lowers his face into his hands with an exasperated groan. "Cereos..."

The Mew pops his head up from teasingly peering down at Umbros to face him and flits towards him, then utters an incoherent grumble. "Fiiiine. Ruin my fun, will you? This way."

He turns off and proceeds to hover into one of the tunnels, glancing back briefly to see Vincent's disparate companions following him. As they get further down the long tunnel, they suddenly stop as the faint sound of rumbling makes itself apparent. Cereos, who has been quite cheery this whole time, begins to evince distress, but continues on, his earlier insouciance fading with every step forward they take.

Vincent eyes him suspiciously before asking, "What was that?"

The Mew stares uneasily ahead as he floats through the tunnel. "With Chaos running rampant all across Flare, time throughout the world has been acting erratically. In places, it stops, in others, it moves faster. What we're coming to will correct that momentarily. But it can only do so long enough for you to get to Flare and open the gate. What happens then...I'm not sure. Time throughout this world may stop entirely due to the paralysis of the other realm, or they may even conflict in some way."

Vincent becomes very uneasy hearing this. The thought of possibly sending this realm into ruin just to have a chance to save it strongly disquiets him, and he fights back a wave of abhorrence at the thought of what will happen if he fails.

As Cereos hovers ahead, he turns around to face the others. They find themselves in an unusually neat room, one which contrasts sharply with the rest of the cavern they've seen so far. It's well-rounded and dome-shaped with a row of crystals lining the wall. A pond of still water fills a great portion of the room, with a small pathway leading to what appears to be a shrine naturally protuding out of the ground at its center.

Vincent gazes around in wonder at what he sees, a sight so simple yet so intricate. He proceeds forward, onto the path as the Mew drifts down to flank him as he aproaches. As they come to the shrine, Vincent studies the panel set atop it. A ring of what appears to be water reflects his appearance, surrounded by a pattern appearing somewhat like an ancient dial engraved into the equally ancient limestone. Four diamond-shaped gems are placed at the top, bottom and sides of the ring, exhibiting the colors in order of red, yellow, blue and green.

He turns his gaze back over at Cereos almost knowingly. "The Council was right. You do have a Sight Panel here."

The Mew nods and then hovers around to the back of the shrine, looking into its reflective surface. "You've seen your Elder use one of these, I expect. Try it."

Vincent watches him for a brief moment, before turning his intent gaze back to the panel, and the others watch from outside the lake with growing interest. He raises his hand and places his middle finger at the top of the dial and slowly traces around it in a full clockwise circle. The pattern then lights up and the surface fades into blackness, almost appearing a depthless abyss that's about to suck him in. He stares into it a moment before uttering, "Dusk Forest. Current time."

After a few seconds restively waiting, he turns his eyes back up to Cereos, confused and worried. "It didn't respond..."

"The realms were connected when you first opened the gate. But now they are blocked by the Chaos that cloaks the island. So the Sight Panel here can't reach across to see into the Dusk Realm."

Vincent pauses a few beats, before looking back down at the panel. "Flare Continent. Current time."

After a few seconds, the blackness shifts to reveal the world, then zooms into the familiar northern continent they've been to recently. Two ticks after, the surrounding pond begins vibrate and ripples flow across it, before a supernal mist rises up to fill the room. Vincent looks around in shock, but Cereos simply glances around, calm.

Through the etheral mist, they can see the lapis-tinted mountains of the Flare Continent encircling them. Vincent sweeps the spectacle with his eyes, witnessing the random arcing flashes of darkened lightning skipping across the tortured landscape. "This...isn't like the Sight Panel in the Spiritual World."

"This is a very different panel than what your Council has. A distant friend of mine there has told me much of your world."

Vincent continues to watch the surreal display before turning his attention back to the panel overlooking the island. "But how do we fix this?"

Cereos turns and stares down at him intently. "You're missing something. Eriah hasn't told you everything, has she?"

After a long pause, Vincent finally comes to a realization, uttering a single phrase. "The Sylverstone..."

As though responding to him, the panel lights up and the chaotic phantasm of the island washes away in a white light, before fading to a calm blue. On the surface of the panel, he can see the transparent silver stone hovering.

The Mew smiles admiringly and moves down to place his paws on the yellow and green gems at both sides of the panel, prompting them to illuminate together. He thereafter hovers into the air above them and waves his arms to the left. Following his guidance, the visual appears to flow in that direction a ways until it comes to reveal a discomforting, roiling mist, semblant of a dark storm. Inside, they can see inky purple energy crackling about wildly. Vincent stands up straight and moves to the edge of the pond to watch the nebulous display.

"That's Chaos. But...inside the Sylverstone?"

Cereos lowers his arms and faces him, drifting down in front of the storm. "You realize what's taking over Dialga, don't you? What do you think that does to the Sylverstone? You must have noticed its effects when it was near him."

"It grew weaker... But that means if Dialga stays this way for too long, the Sylverstone will lose all its power. Become consumed by Chaos. And what happens to Eriah?"

The Mew narrows his eyes as he stares at Vincent, as if he'd asked something absurd, and Vincent grasps the obvious answer to his own question.

"She'll die..."

"She's not said anything yet, but she knows what will happen. We all do- myself, her...Dialga."

Vincent stares at him wordlessly, and Cereos shakes his head, expressing decidedly genuine pity.

"Even as a deity, Dialga has flaws. Arceus can't create perfection. Even mild emotion is necessary to make sound judgments. Dialga can feel, to an extent, things like joy and sadness...even anger."

"And what does he feel now?"

The small Psychic-type folds his arms, floating down to Vincent's side, glancing gravely back at the storm in front of him.

"At first, he felt defeated. When Chaos began to influence him, he saw no use in fighting it. It was much too powerful. And as time went on, he began to subconsciously realize the things that would come of his turn. And he knew, even if he didn't want to admit it to himself, that Eriah would also die because of it. This drove him into a rage, and Chaos took advantage of it."

Vincent doesn't move- doesn't even look at Cereos at this point, and just stares at the slowly growing cloud of chaotic energy. He finds it difficult to take in what he's learning, but the big picture begins to take form in his mind's eye.

"So you're saying Chaos drove him to this state with his own rage. Rage and guilt over what he's become. What's happened to the world, and to his only friend."

Cereos nods slowly. "It's self-defeating. And it's a terrible thought. The more angry Dialga becomes, the more Chaos takes over him. In turn, it only drives his rage further. The Primal Dialga you've seen will be as nothing before what you'll face later if this continues."

Vincent clenches his fists and runs back to the Sight Panel. "Dialga. Current time."

Cereos quickly turns to him, frantic to stop him when he hears his command, but he's too late. Around them, the scene is ripped away with a deafening roar and a great storm blows over them- a very real force taking hold now as everyone ducks down to avoid being blown off their feet. A low, bestial growl resonates throughout the chamber as Vincent looks into the Sight Panel. In it, he can see two glowing carmine eyes, staring back at him, almost entrancing him. He can't bring himself to look away even as it terrifies him unlike anything he's faced before.

The Mew darts to the panel and traces his paw counterclockwise around the dial. In turn, the spellbinding horror freezes instantly and fades away as the mist surrounding them falls back into the now-violent ripples of the pond. The panel fades to black once more, then returns to its serene, reflective, normal state as the pattern around it ceases its effulgent glow.

As the winds calm down, the group looks around, shaken and disoriented as Vincent stares at his own reflection, panting quickly. Cereos shakes himself and hovers back up to Vincent's level, looking at him dejectedly.

"We're done with this, Vincent. No more visions, okay?"

Christina stumbles to her feet and runs over to take hold of Vincent, turning him around to face her, boring her eyes into his. "Vincent...snap out of it already!"

He slowly comes to his senses, his mind returning to his eyes as he focuses his attention on his sister, then lets out an exhausted sigh and staggers backwards to lean against the shrine.

"I shouldn't have done that... What was I thinking?"

Cereos grumbles softly. "You weren't. That's the thing."

Serenity cautiously makes her way over to Vincent, looking up at him worriedly, and he looks down at her, still somewhat shaken. He pushes himself from the shrine and kneels down to face her, stroking her head tenderly. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry, everyone."

The Ninetales quietly rubs her muzzle into his hand in reassurance and he sighs breathlessly, taking a moment to compose himself. "Cereos. I know the Sylverstone has to be used to stablize Flare. But how do we use it?"

The Mew looks down at him as he idly hovers over the shrine, already having regained his bearing. "I can focus the Sight Panel back on the island. Your friend already did his part after Palkia sent him here. Once you leave here, Eriah needs to focus her power, and through the panel, she can cleanse the land of Chaos for just a short time. You'll need to go back there and reopen the gate to the Dusk Realm. From there, you're on your own."

Vincent nods and gazes into Serenity's soft blue orbs a moment more before standing up and turning back to Cereos. "Right. We'll go see her now then. The sooner we do this, the better."

The small, floating pokemon pouts at this, his childlike demeanor beginning to resurface, but nods to him. "Alright then." He mumbles something they have a hard time hearing, but Vincent can barely make out something along the lines of, "Guess I'll go back to being lonely..."

He goes over to the Mew and pats him lightly on the head, and Cereos appears to enjoy it at first, but then pulls away with almost a glare. "I don't need your sympathy. Go, already. You're running out of time."

Vincent smiles slightly to him, backing up. "Right... I'll see you again, Cereos. And thank you."

The Psychic-type folds his arms, watching as the group starts off out of the room. They've only made a little progress back when a ball of light flies out from behind them and down the tunnel, and Vincent immediately takes notice of it, running after it.

A while later, they finally make it outside the cavern to see Eriah lying in the clearing, waiting for them. As she sees them emerge, she gets up and looks down at Vincent, who runs over to her.

"Cereos said he'll start the link to the Flare Continent. You're going to have to use the Sylverstone to cast off the Chaos so we can go back there."

The black dragon nods in agreement and looks around at the island surrounding them as it begins to glow a faint, teal blue. Soon after, Eriah closes her eyes and begins to focus. The transparent stone on her chest starts shining, glowing brighter and brighter until she releases a pulse of azure blue energy across the land.

In response, the island, along with the several others around them, turns phosphorescent for several moments before fading back to normal.

Eriah winces slightly, obviously trying to hide her pain, and Vincent takes a step closer to her as she slowly opens her deep green eyes. "...Are you okay?"

The dragon softly growls with a slow nod. "I am fine. You needn't worry."

He sighs and extends his hand to pet her snout. "I know what'll happen if Dialga stays this way much longer. I know you're getting weaker."

Eriah snorts in response and nudges his hand back. "I have more than enough strength to survive a while longer. If you do this right, you won't need to worry about my well being. I assure you."

He stares up into her eyes a moment, slowly nodding and turns to the others. "We should go, before the island becomes unstable again."

Christina nods and Eriah lowers her back to let him on. He goes over to her side and peers down at Serenity, who walks over to him with a confident look. "You ready?"

The Ninetales gives a small nod and he reaches down to take her paw, pulling her up onto the dragon's back. He then climbs up next to her and watches as the others mount their dragons. "Alright, everyone. Hold on, because this is going to be a fast ride."

Eriah snorts and stands up again, spreading her wings out and flapping them quickly. She releases a gust of wind under her as she takes off into the air and immediately starts flying to the far north. The others are quick to follow, already prepared for the journey back.

The group takes no time to survey their surroundings and sets their focus solely on reaching Flare. But as they fly over the nearby Hoenn region, Vincent begins to sense something discomforting. He squints down below them to see what he believes to be the city of Lilycove. However, it's the small islands which are situated off its shore that draw his attention. He can't help but feel as though something had happened here...something tragic. The sinking feeling persists until they pass the islands and he looks back at Eriah.

"Hey... I need to ask-"

The dragon speaks up to interrupt him before he can continue. "Some things should not be delved into, Vincent. There was a great disaster which occurred here over a decade ago. Lucas is aware of it but has elected not to speak of it."

Vincent stares at her in silence, wondering just what she meant. But she clearly doesn't want to talk about whatever transpired, so he chooses not to pry further. He looks ahead as they eventually leave the region and over the open sea. Their journey goes on for a few more hours until a familiar landmass materializes in the distance, breaking the monotony of the deep blue sea stretching out in every direction beneath them.

As they approach the Flare Continent, they notice the gloomy state it's been reduced to since the last time they were there. Many of the stone formations have been scored and crumbled by Chaos in the short time they've been gone, and it looks as though a terrible natural disaster swept over the island, with large portions of the land blackened, charred by Chaos lightning.

Eriah soars on over the island, this time the others following closely behind as they gaze over the land. As they approach the Crescent Valley where the Temporal Seal is, Vincent feels a growing sense of foreboding building within him and closes his eyes, knowing what's coming over him, and what it means.

Like clockwork, a vision comes to Vincent, and he can see the Dusk Forest. Here, there are many pokemon gathered around a tall hill, and atop it, he can see Grovyle and what he can make out to be a pink Celebi standing near a large stone. In front of the stone, he can see the faint outline of a mystical gateway.

As he studiously surveys the land and creatures shown in the vision, he notices that Grovyle and Celebi appear to look back at him, which almost surprises him. However, he nods in reassurance and mutters quietly, "I'm coming..."

He opens his eyes to see the Temporal Seal ahead of them, and Eriah soon lands next to it. He dismounts her with Serenity, and the others get off their pokemon, watching as she slowly approaches the faint pattern in the ground. She stares at it intently for a moment and Vincent walks over to her side. "Eriah...?"

She takes a soft breath before turning to face him. "I'm ready."

He slowly nods and steps back. "And so are we."

The dragon moves over the Seal and stands at its center, and the Sylverstone begins to glow, followed by the figures XII and V on the pattern. She begins to speak in a quiet voice.

My name is Eriah, the Guardian of Sylverstone. I have come to pass into the other realm.

The Seal responds by flashing brightly and the black dragon steps forward off it, then turns back to watch as the pattern illuminates the darkness around them. Serenity steps closer but stops, stepping back when Eriah moves her large tail in front of her, and shakes her head at the fox pokemon.

As they watch, a beam of light shoots up from the center of the Seal, before expanding over it like before. Vincent and Eriah watch intently as the light eventually fades from white to a deep blue, then disperses a pressure wave across the island, causing them all to stumble backwards.

Vincent steps closer and examines the luminous beam as it holds itself together, apparently stable. "It worked... We've opened the gate."

Eriah nods slowly. "The Dusk Realm is now just a few steps away."

He stares at the light for a moment in thought, before reaching into his pocket. He turns around to face his companions, then walks over to Serenity and slowly kneels down, once more joining his eyes with hers.

"Serenity... I need you to stay here for the time being. Where I'm going, I can't have you getting in danger. My siblings have already accepted the dangers ahead but you aren't prepared to face them."

The Ninetales blinks in disbelief at what she hears, her ears flattening as she steps back, staring at him. She lets out a small whimper, crushing his heart. He sighs deeply, steeling himself, and continues.

"I'm sorry... But for now, you have to stay here and watch over the island with the others. I will go with my sisters and Raven, but some of you need to protect this place."

The fox pokemon shakes her head and looks at him with a hurt expression. "You're just saying that... You're not giving me the chance to help you and I may never see you again after this."

Vincent winces and clenches his fist in his pocket. Soon, he pulls his hand out and gazes back at her. "Serenity. We will see each other again. Please trust me."

She lowers her head with her eyes clenched shut, shuddering slightly, and he reaches over to place a familiar white necklace over her. The small, teardrop-shaped stone hangs off the lace now resting on her neck and she opens her weeping eyes to glance down at it, soaking in the sight.

"This will keep us together... It's one of many stones my father made for my family, and it's the last one remaining."

The Ninetales stares at the stone for a moment before gazing back up into his eyes, reflections of the heartbreak in her own as he stares intently into hers, barely holding back his own tears.

"I'm giving this to you, Serenity. I'm giving it to you as a promise that I will return. Will you accept it?"

After a time which seems like forever, she makes a slow nod, though her expression remains one of anguish. He leans over to wrap his arms around her in a firm, reassuring embrace. And she closes her eyes, rubbing her muzzle into his shoulder until he slowly, ever so tenderly, ever so reluctantly pulls back and gets to his feet.

As he looks over at his siblings and at Raven, they all step forward. They are wordless, solemn, sharing in his pain as they prepare to face his task, his great burden, together. After a few moments pass, he turns his gaze to the other pokemon and brings his hand up to take his own necklace in it, holding it firmly. In response, the other stones begin to radiate that familiar, soft, light-blue glow.

Serenity gazes back down to her necklace, moving her muzzle to press against it softly as she closes her eyes, her deep blue oceans of tears, once more.

Vincent soon lets go of his necklace and the others stop glowing after, and he turns back to Eriah. The dragon gives him a slow nod and he tightly, curtly returns it, before looking at the beam of light.

"This is it..."

Serenity opens her eyes to look at Vincent one more time as he and his companions step forward into the beam, passing into the gate which will lead them to a place she couldn't possibly imagine...a faraway place where she cannot follow. As they disappear into the light, she stares motionlessly, wordlessly for several moments, before turning her tortured, lonely gaze back down to her necklace, the only thing she has left of him in this realm. She tries her hardest to keep her composure, knowing that no matter how far away Vincent is, he will always be right there with her, in spirit...

-The second part of The Messanger of Time has come to an end. But the true story begins here.
Continue onto Part Three, where Vincent and his companions venture into an unknown realm and face their biggest challenge yet...-