Chapter Text
“What is it thou desires?”
The rumbling of thunder and the flashing lights and the earth-shaking starfall of Arceus' Judgement have faded away into nothing. Their Pokémon are recalled in red flashes of light, leaving the battlefield silent. The fight is over — the battle done.
Finally, after three long years, the Almighty Creator of the universe is at their feet; broken and battered after the war it waged. They won. They finally won! It took them three whole years to do it. Three years of fighting for their lives at every turn and trying to fix ripped open pockets of reality. Three years of scrutiny and mistrust from their peers. Three years of surviving off the land when everyone refused to help them. But they did it.
The battle is finally over.
All of that fighting and pain and struggle has led them up the glowing staircase to this playform in the sky with Arceus kneeling to them. It feels surreal to have finally completed what was once an impossible mission. Finally, they are free.
Rei and Akari are leaning against each other, arms and legs heavy from all the running and dodging they’d done. There is debris all over the battlefield. Stray rocks from Stone Edges and dying vines from Vine Whips, scuff marks littering the ground and burning pieces of tile. Blood is running down the side of Akari's face from a gash on her temple while Rei's hand is pressed to his side to stop the bleeding from a gash hidden under his tunic. There are countless bruises all over them from attacks they couldn’t quite evade and an ache deep in their bones. But they are alive. That’s all that matters now.
Both of their teams are exhausted, most knocked out from their battle. Only their starters are still awake after being returned to their Pokéballs. Rei and Akari are both out of revives and health potions and even berries, so they can’t heal their teams yet. Everything they had has been drained. Now they have nothing but empty bags, sleeping Pokémon, and pain.
But it was worth it. Right? Is has to have been worth it…
Akari adjusts her hold on her brother, trying to help him stand upright a little better. He's leaning too much on his uninjured leg. If he leans any further, he'll end up in a heap on the ground. She'd prefer not to have a puddle of flesh and bones for a brother. Not when the real battle has just begun. She turns her blazing glare towards Arceus. Akari knows this conversation is going to be a fight for them. Arceus isn’t going to want to give them what they want, so they are going to have to force it to listen.
There is a request they have. It's one both of them had stayed up until the early hours of the morning thinking about it. One simple request that they will not let Arceus refuse.
"Send all of the skyfallers back to their homes," Akari says. Her voice is stronger than she feels at the moment, but she won't let her tone be anything less than firm. She will not allow either of them to be pushed around or talked down from their choice. It’s a broad request, she knows. Anything could be a skyfaller if looked at from a certain angle, especially with all the distortion stuff that happened before Giratina was quelled, but Arceus knows very well what she means. She doesn’t want Arceus to find any loopholes in her request. No methods of skirting around what they really want. Arceus will not run from their wish.
Akari and her brother are not the only people who were cast down to Hisui, which means they are not the only ones who should be brought home. Ingo needs to go home too.
It wouldn't be fair to leave him behind. Not when he’s tried so hard to put himself back together after he was cast to Hisui for no reason. Ingo gave his everything to support them throughout their time in Hisui and has been nothing but kind to anyone he meets. It's not fair that he should be cursed to live in the Coronet Highlands for the rest of his life. Akari and Rei won't allow it! She’d never forgive herself if she abandoned him here, so she won’t let Arceus find some way to keep him from coming too.
A cough escapes Rei, pain stabbing into his throat in the process. He swallows thickly in an attempt to lessen the pain to no avail. Rei lifts his head. His eyes are droopy and his chest rattles with every breath he takes, but he tries his best not to let the pain show. No matter how bad it hurts, Rei will not back down. "D-… don’t care what it takes… bring us home.” As soon as the words are out, his body is racked with more coughing. His throat is dry and scratchy and coughing is making it worse! He brings a trembling hand comes up to cover his mouth.
Akari tightens her hold on him, a concerned frown painting her face as she stares at her brother. He needs water as soon as possible to help his throat. She just hopes the Summit Camp has some for him when they go back down the mountain.
A shuffling sound draws both Akari and Rei's attention back to the being before them. Arceus appears to be healing now, the marks on its body fading away into nothing as it rises from the platform. They do not answer Akari or Rei, instead regarding them with a sort of cold neutrality in their eyes. It’s hard to parse anything of what they’re thinking from looks alone. Akari can’t help but feel like it’s bored of them already.
“Tis not possible.” There's finality in their words. It's hopeless to fight back…
Akari fights the spike of anger rising within her. She can feel a tremor start to spread across her body, but she forces it down. Yelling at Arceus isn’t going to get her anywhere, nor is attacking them again. They'd just be going around in circles. It's a distraction and nothing else. She has to focus. "What do you mean it’s not possible? Can’t you just ask someone else to do it if you can’t?” Her voice is clipped, but it’s better than outright screaming at her creator.
Arceus looks away from them and shakes its head. "No. Thy path home tis not easily formed. Only I am able to guide thee, but mine intervention would cause further damage to thy souls. One trip through space and time is already too much for a human body to handle. More than that is catastrophic. Tis a death sentence.” When they turn back to Rei and Akari, there's a hint of something in their eyes for a fraction of a second before it's replaced with nothingness again. "It would be a shame to let thee die after all this time."
Akari grits her teeth. Damn it! Damn Arceus all the way to the distortion realm! Even dealing with Giratina was better than this! How dare they act this way! If Arceus knew that would happen, knew that if they pulled Rei and Akari through time, they would be too damaged to return… how could they just yank them out of their homes and cast them to this horrible place? How could it justify destroying them for its own gain? That's not fair! Neither of them asked for this, nor did they want this. How could they?! Akari looks down at the ground, still trying to refrain from making a scene.
There’s a mumble beside her. Then, Rei shifts a bit. He lifts his head as hers snaps to the side to face him. “Rei?” Akari doesn't want him to push himself. His throat is already injured. What if he makes it worse by forcing himself to talk? "Rei."
He shakes his head and holds up a hand. Rei knows she's just worried about him, but he isn't fragile. He can handle himself just fine. Rei casts a glance at his sister before turning to Arceus again. “Is-“ he cuts himself off with a coughing fit. Akari can do little to help him but pat his back. Rei fights against the coughing, forcing himself to try to take in deep breaths. It takes a second, but eventually he can speak again. “Is there nothing else you can do? You-… you are the most powerful Pokémon in existence." He pauses to take a breath. "Don't tell me you can't do anything. I don't believe that."
The hallowed hall falls silent around them as Arceus considers his words. He knows they cannot deny what he said. There has to be some way for them to get home, just as there was some way to get them here. Rei won't be convinced there isn't some solution. He stares Arceus down, watching them contemplate. Once again, it’s near impossible to tell what they’re thinking. Arceus' eyes meet his.
Neither of them say a word for a moment. Then, Arceus bows their head a little. “Thou art correct… there may be a way to return thee to thy proper time and space… but thy human bodies will not survive it. If I try to send thee back as thou are, both thou and thy sister shall perish within moments. Thou wilt need to… change to survive the trip. I shalt be able to send thee then. But… there will be… backlash I cannot spare thee from.”
Rei knew it! There is a way to get back but… well, it sounds daunting. Change? Change could entail anything. They'd have no way of knowing what Arceus would have to do to them and it doesn't look like it plans to elaborate. This doesn’t sound promising at all. But if it's their only way out… Rei looks over at Akari and she’s staring at the floor. There’s a frown fixed on her face and a furrow in her brow. She clenches her free hand, fist shaking a little.
Arceus didn’t say anything about their father. She suspects they’re trying to avoid the subject, but she won’t let them. Arceus has avoided Ingo for far too long. No more! “What about Ingo?” As soon as the words are out of her mouth, Arceus’ eyes narrow. Well that certainly proves her suspicion correct. It doesn’t want to talk about Ingo. But he’s been stuck in Hisui for far longer than they have! And both Rei and Akari owe him a lot. Heck, they’d even started living with him after the whole red sky incident. Ingo was their one safe place and now he's their father. Even though that was a more recent change in their relationship, leaving him behind is not an option!
Arceus sighs. “The other faller’s situation is different. He wilt not be able to change. Mine inverse did too much damage to his soul. If I try to change him, he will die. No matter how careful I am… if thou wish to bring him back, thou wilt be on thy own. I cannot help thee, but I will not stop thee either.” Arceus pauses for a beat. “… Ingo is already unraveling. Every day that passes leads him closer to death. If thou wishes to save him, I suggest thou do it quickly.”
Ingo is dying?! Why didn't Arceus mention that before? How did neither of them notice?! How… how long has Ingo dying? Does he know? Those words cause panic to bloom within the twins. What if he dies before they can save him?
“What-!” Rei shouts, his voice giving out to another cough. He clears his throat and tries again. “What do you mean?”
“He hath been away from his proper place for too long. His body hath experienced changes. Any displaced human wilt experience that, but with mine inverse pulling him through distortion to put him in Hisui… tis causing his being to unravel. He needs to be brought back to one who has connection with him to be healed. His kin. Thou wilt find him in thy proper time. One he is located, find the time fairy. Thou wilt need to bring both Ingo and his kin to the forest and connect them through time.”
That sounds complicated… like really complicated… Akari can’t make heads or tails of what Arceus is saying and it doesn't help that they're being cryptic. But if that’s what she has to do… she looks at Rei. He looks back at her.
Rei doesn’t know what to make of Arceus’ words. It sounds like it’s going to be a hassle to do this. It might take them a while and they are going to be under pressure all over again to save their dad, but… well, he refuses to leave Ingo behind to die. It wouldn’t be fair. Not in the slightest.
They both nod at each other.
Rei turns back to Arceus. “Fine. We’ll do it.”
Arceus’s eyes squint at them. For a beat, they're both worried it's going to go back on their word and refuse to help them. But then it sighs and lifts its head. "Thou art brave humans. Not many would choose to help another as thou art doing. Twas a pleasure to have thee as mine champions. I shalt grant thy wish. Good luck, Rei and Akari. May thee achieve thy goals in time.”
The platform around them trembles, the rumbling echoing in their chests. Arceus’s eyes glow and the tiles beneath their feet light up. Wind whips around them, howling in their ears and tearing at their clothes like a feral Pokémon. Heat pools under their skin, a fire igniting in their chests. Akari's shoulders burn and Rei's hands are searing. The brightness is drowning out everything around them. Rei and Akari cling to each other as the world around them begins to get fuzzy.
Something crashes into the ground in front of them and they’re yanked apart, sent flying in opposite directions.
Rei grasps at empty air, trying to reach his sister’s retreating form.
Akari kicks, trying to wrestle herself out of the invisible hold dragging her away from her brother.
“Rei!”
“Akari!”
The world is lost to overwhelming light.
A star is falling.
The air around him burns at his skin like acid on rust. He can’t see, can’t feel, can’t hear. Nothing exists around him, yet everything is caving in on him. His body is enveloped by white light that sears at his very soul and the heat is unbearable. He is changing, morphing, shifting. Becoming undone and redone over and over again.
Pieces of himself are snapping apart and melding together in different places. Places they didn’t belong before. He shouldn't be what he is. Shouldn't be what he was. He does not know what he is supposed to be anymore.
He is splintering. Shattering. Stitching back together. Splitting apart once more. He can’t tell where he begins or where he ends.
He just is.
Or is he? This is not what he is supposed to be. Something is wrong with him. Really wrong. He is supposed to be still, not falling. And the world around him is too bright when he should be living in darkness. Nothing makes sense.
He’s so fundamentally wrong — an abomination in the eyes of nature. Anyone who laid eyes on him would be sick from the sight of it. He's nothing more than a curse upon the vastness of life. A leech. He was something before. Something that made sense, something that was real and tangible and alive. But now he is wrong. His pieces don’t fit together anymore and there's a hole in his chest being stuffed with stardust.
What has been done to him? Why is he shifting? He does not recall. All he knows is that this is not supposed to be happening. He is wrong. All wrong.
Something screeches in his ear, breaking through the endless ringing. He can hear it, low and warning and sharp as a blade. It tells him that he is falling. That he is getting further and further away from where he once was. That he can never return to the sky, forced to carve his path towards the earth below. He is trapped between what he was and what he should have been before; a land dweller and a light of the night. Now he is neither and both all at once.
Light stabs at his eyes through his eyelids. It’s not the soft starlight he feels it should be, but the heat of morning light. Golden and hot as the tips of a flame dancing across his mortal flesh. He should not be here. This is wrong, but he can’t stop.
He peels his eyes open, staring up at the sky above him. It burns and burns like a candle down to its last inches, the wick slowly dying to the flames. He can hardly keep his eyes open against the sting, but he does. He forces himself to see. There are clouds dotting the blueness of the sky. He stares at them, hoping maybe one would be kind enough to reach out and catch him. To stop him from hitting the ground or at least soften the blow.
Oh, but clouds don’t feel. Do they? They don't care that he is falling and will hit the ground in a matter of moments. He’d pass right through them in this physical form. They could never hold a light.
Nothing will save him from his descent.
The ground is too close now anyway. Moments away. Heartbeats apart. He knows he will hit it soon. He squeezes his eyes shut again, unable to face the sky or the ground or anything beyond the darkness behind his eyelids. He should have stayed in the darkness, for now he will never return to it.
He falls a little longer before the ground smashes into him. It's hard and unforgiving and crushing against him. The impact sends a shockwave through his body, a loud crash ringing through the air. He coughs against the pressure forcing him into the dirt, trying to drag air into his lungs. It's like trying to catch bubbles. All he gets are gulps and gasps.
He lies in ground, rocks pressing against his skin. Sharp. Jagged. Painful. His body refuses to move. He is stuck in the earth.
A moment later, there are footsteps racing towards him. Heavy and fast like the rush of a waterfall over the edge of a mountain. He can’t peel his eyes open to see who’s coming. Not that he thinks it matters. If they wanted to hurt him, it would be easy to. He can’t move his body anymore and his eyes won't open. He is useless. Everything is too painful and too bright and too much. He doesn’t want to move.
Something lands beside him, flings itself to the ground with a desperation he's never heard before. Then he’s being lifted into someone’s arms.
Oh. Those arms are not painful. This hold is comfortable; cradling. He can feel whoever has him trying their best to be careful. One hand is cupping the back of his head while the other scoops him into a lap. It’s warm. Safe. Comfortable. He will not be harmed by those hands. Never those hands.
“Rei?! Rei, please answer me!” Comes a trembling voice. It’s sharp and shrill and loud and oh so familiar. And that name… that’s his name. Rei. He is Rei.
Who was this person again?
Another set of footsteps approaches, stopping a short distance away. “What is the meaning of this! We were in the middle of a conversation, you old fart! How dare you run away from the great Melli-“ The voice stops short, gasping instead. “I-… I’ll go get help.” With that, the footsteps start again. They’re faster this time. Frantic.
There’s a shuffle, then a hand is cupping his cheek. “Rei… please. Please…” A thumb strokes his cheek, the touch ever so gentle — afraid they’re going to hurt him. In their hands, his skin is made of glass and his soul is a priceless stone. “Please!”
Rei can hear the sadness in their tone. It floods over every word, drowning every last syllable in sorrow. It makes him upset too, swept up in their wave of emotion. He doesn’t want them to be sad. So he should try to answer, right? Rei is sure he'd be lost to the current if he doesn't. But what should he should say? Who is this person?
Wait… no, Rei is sure he knows who this is. He- he’s the man. Rei knows. He does! He…
“… dad?” Rei’s voice is barely audible. More like a ghost of a whisper than an actual word. It still does the trick.
“Yes! Yes, I’m here. Everything is going to be okay, Rei. Dad is here. I’ve got you.”
Yes, that's right. His dad is here. Dad is his protector, the walls around him to keep him safe from all harm. Everything is going to be okay. Rei’s dad will protect him.
It’s safe to rest now.
A star fell.
Her descent was rocky and she hit the ground pretty hard, but she is alive. Her body is ablaze and her heart in a raging wildfire. The fall didn’t kill her. She thinks at least. In truth, she is not sure what’s become of her. Her body feels strange. Like she’s a pair of mismatched socks. She doesn’t quite go together with herself. It feels wrong to be so incorrect. Like pieces of herself are missing, but she doesn't remember which ones.
There’s a tingle under her skin. A sort of buzzing that lingers long after her descent from the sky. It makes the tips of her fingers tremble like the feathers of a bird ready to leap into the sky and escape the ground. It’s uncomfortable, but easy to ignore if she doesn’t think about it. Or about how wrong she is.
She doesn't know what she is anymore. Only that it shouldn't be. There are no words to describe this feeling of incorrect in her soul. She has a feeling that she was not like this before, but she is having trouble remembering what she was before. It just wasn't this. Maybe if she tries to get up she will remember?
She has not moved since she fell, nor has she opened her eyes or tried to figure out where she is. It didn't seem like it would help her. The world is not where she is meant to be, but where is she meant to be really? Nowhere and everywhere all at once? Who knows. She certainly doesn't. It wasn't like she had energy to move when she landed anyway. It was like everything within her was just sapped out! Though, she had fallen asleep for a while after she landed.
It feels like she has a little more energy, so maybe she should try to get up now? Sitting around and thinking about all the bad things is just going to make her feel worse. She wants to run. To use her body and feel the earth under her. If she cannot be in the sky, she wants to be in the dirt.
She peels her eyes open, being greeted by the sight of the night sky over her head. There are hundreds of stars resting there, shinning against the sea of darkness they call home. She was supposed to be up there with them. Or maybe a piece of herself was. But not anymore. She's not right like them anymore. Looking at it now, she knows she will never return to her place in the sky.
It would be futile to even try. Does she even want to? She can feel the life under her, breathe with the wind, and move with the plants around her. The sky is empty. She doesn't want to be empty anymore.
So she pushes herself up with a sigh. Her joints feel stiff, which makes it a little hard to get herself to move, but eventually she manages to sit up. She looks around the area.
It appears she is in a park. There are lots of trees around her and pavement walkways - no, sidewalks. That’s the right word for those. Sidewalks. She can see that there are some benches littered around the area too. There are benches at parks, right? She thinks she remembers that being the case. Beyond the trees and the benches and the sidewalks, she can see the silhouettes of towering shadows and sparkling glass.
There is a name for places like that. Places filled with towers of glass and people and life. What was that called again?
She can't remember… maybe she shouldn't be focusing on that anyway. She has a feeling she is here for a reason, though she is having trouble recalling what that reason is. Surely it’s important though. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be here!
Her gaze flicks back to the shattered ground around her, trying to search her mind for whatever purpose had brought her to this park in the middle of the night. She stares for longer than she would like to admit, coming up with nothing. Well that's not good. If she can't remember, then she won't be able to actually complete her task and that would be bad.
Maybe she should start with something simpler? It might jog her memory. Like her name! She should figure out her name.
Her name is… it’s… it starts with an ‘A’. That feels right. Aaa… ahh… oh! Akari! Her name is Akari. Yayyy! A win for Akari!
Now why is she here? Hmm…
“Hey kid!” Someone calls from the path in front of her. She jolts, head snapping in the direction of the voice. There’s a man standing on the path. It’s hard to see him in the darkness, but she can tell he’s wearing a silly looking hat and a long white coat with red stripes on it. That’s a rather funny outfit. He’s got an arm wrapped around himself, likely trying to keep the coat closed in the wind. It is windy. She didn't notice before. “Hello? Do I need to call someone?” He steps a little closer to her, the light from a nearby lamppost lighting up his face.
That's… that's her dad! Akari remembers now!
She shoves herself up to her feet, stumbling a little on the uneven ground. Maybe she should get out of the hole. Falling again would hurt. “Dad!” Akari takes a step towards him, only to fall short when she sees his expression shift into one of confusion. There’s a strained smile on his face and a very concerned look in his eyes.
No, wait. That’s not her dad. Ingo doesn’t smile and he doesn’t wear white either. This man is a stranger, which means he isn't safe at all. He could hurt her! Well now she feels embarrassed that she got confused. She must look really silly. Who puts themself in danger like that?
Akari holds her hands up in mock surrender, flapping them around as she tries to explain herself. “Oh! I’m sorry, sir. You just look a lot like my dad, Ingo. Really, like exactly the same. You could be twins!” Akari knows she’s rambling, but now she can’t stop. She’s too embarrassed! “I’m really sorry for the confusion! So embarrassing…”
The man’s expression shifts again. This time it looks more mortified. He stares at her, eyes wide and almost glassy. “What…? I am Emmet… what did you say your dad’s name was?”
“Ingo…?”
Hold on a second…
Ohhhhh! She found him! This guy is her mission. Well, maybe. She thinks he might be, but she has no way of knowing if she's right. Though he must be Ingo’s man in white! Even if he isn't her mission, that’s still important. He belongs to her dad. Akari will protect anything precious to Ingo. And no wonder Ingo had said he thought the man in white looked like him. They’re twins! Just like her and Rei. She’s surprised she didn’t put two and two together before just now.
The man, or her Uncle Emmet now, blinks at her for a moment.
“Okay… right. Great. Can we talk?” Emmet’s foot taps against the ground, his arms wrapping tighter around himself. He looks tense. Like he could pop at any moment. It’s kinda funny…
How evil would she be if she just took off running right now? She's itching to stretch her legs. Would he chase her? He certainly looks like he would. Emmet hasn’t taken his eyes off her for a second. She doesn’t think he’s even blinking.
It would be really evil. Very mean. Oh, but Akari is full of energy and has a brand new uncle to mess with — and he will be her uncle, she’s not going to let him refuse.
This is a really horrible idea. But that’s a problem for future Akari.
“My name is Akari and I’ll talk… if you can catch me first!” She turns and sprints off into the grass before Emmet can process what she just said.
Her uncle doesn’t hesitate for even a second. She can hear his footsteps bounding after her like he’s a predator on the hunt! It’s almost scary! “Miss Akari! Come back here right now!”
Akari ignores him in favor of running. She’s not going to stop until she drops! He’ll just have to catch her if he wants her to stop any sooner than that.
This is gonna be fun!