Pokemon Fan Fiction / Pokemon Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction ❯ Dragon Realms ❯ Circle of the Elements ( Chapter 30 )

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Circle of the Elements

By nightdragon0

 

 

 

Nightslice groaned, forcing himself awake. His vision was blurred and his memories fuzzy.

What was…happening? Bahamut…he…he was…oh no…

The Scizor was face down on the ground and painfully dragged himself to his knees. Nightslice suddenly remembered the battle with Kaiser…Bahamut and Lombadra being shot…

“Kris!” Nightslice called.

His partner was sprawled in a heap beside him, unconscious as well. She was at the very least breathing, although Nightslice couldn't tell if anything else had been damaged.

Bahamut had been the one to take the blow, but Kris and Nightslice still felt the aftereffects of pain and exhaustion even after they'd reverted.

It was then that Nightslice turned his attention towards the altar in the center of the room…and Kaiser. The dark Scizor had positioned himself in the center of the altar, surrounded by the eight…no now there were sixteen glowing lights.

In horror, Nightslice realized that the Spirit Crystal powered weapons such as Kris and Jade's swords had been added to the circle.

The circle of all the Pokemon types…the Pokemon elements…was now complete.

Kaiser was simply hovering in the center, bathing in the lights of various colors. He didn't even seem to acknowledge as Nightslice rose to his feet.

“Hey! Rarrrgghhh!” The Scizor pushed off the ground and rocketed towards his nemesis…only to be shoved back by some invisible force.

It left the stinging effect of an electrical attack on his body too, but even that didn't end up being Nightslice's greatest concern. For imprisoned in a translucent sphere beneath Kaiser, was the unconscious form of Yusia.

A fireball suddenly shot past Nightslice and slammed fruitlessly into Kaiser's invisible shield.

“Grrr…damn…” Firestorm hissed, dropping to his knees. The shot had taken a lot more out of his already weakened body than he'd anticipated.

“It's not working…” Nightslice muttered.

“Kaiser's completed the circle.” All heads turned towards the source of Zian's voice, the small dragon's body slumped in the corner.

“The circle?” Firestorm panted. “You mean all the Spirit Crystals?”

“Not just that…but with…Yusia as well. With her, Kaiser will be able to re-open the portal back to your world…”

“But that's something even you had to use practically all your power to do!”

“I didn't see it before, but she is indeed a link.” Zian rasped weakly. “She is from your world, yet she was created from the genes of an ancient dragon. That blood running through her veins…it makes her aura compatible with such a large source of energy to link the worlds together.”

“As if the mere powers of the united Spirit Crystals weren't enough already…” Nightslice hissed.

The steel-type suddenly lunged for Kaiser again, only to be thrown back by the invisible shield.

“He won't even bother.” Zian said grimly. “He's too deep in concentration. Any disruptions could be disastrous. That's why he put that shield up first.”

“We have to…keep trying!” Firestorm clenched his claws, spewing another breath of flames. “We've come too far…to give up now!”

“It's too strong…” Zian shook his head.

Firestorm's repelled breath of flames was soon joined by another one…belonging to Abetos.

“If we quit now, we won't find out!” The Houndoom snarled, limping over to Firestorm and Nightslice.

As if emboldened with the will to carry on, Kris, Jade and Alken were beginning to stir as well.

“Guys…” Zian whispered.

 

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“Yusia! Yusia!”

“Hazuki, screaming isn't going to help.” Nala tugged her friend's shoulder.

The sphere with Yusia imprisoned within had risen out of sight through a hole in the ceiling, and Hazuki was still screaming while the others desperately scanned the controls.

“I don't get any of these.” Tanya shook her head. “We may need to smash all the machines to disable whatever mechanism is above.”

“Wait, we don't know what will happen to Yusia if we do that.” Gwyen pointed her snout at the ceiling.

“Hazuki, Nala, what do you two think?” Riot asked.

Hazuki had stopped screaming by this time and uncertainly turned her eyes towards the ceiling. The rest of the group fell into silence as they watched, leaving only the humming of the machinery to fill out the void.

However, it was that silence that allowed them to hear some familiar roaring and grunting from the level above them.

“That's Firestorm and Nightslice!” Riot realized. “They must still be fighting above!”

“Even without their powers?” Cid asked with concern.

“I know they're tough…” Nala nodded. “But they'll need help…”

Meanwhile, Hazuki was lost in her own thoughts. Asiyu had managed to pass Hazuki a few images before her presence faded, and it didn't look good. Kaiser was apparently utilizing the energy generated down here to power the device above.

If they cut the power, Firestorm and Nightslice would certainly have a better chance, but Yusia…

Yusia…I'm sorry…I…huh?

Hazuki blinked as a past scene suddenly flashed in her mind. It was that of Kaiser, taking the extra precaution to shield Yusia during their battle at Silver Town.

Yusia was necessary to him…he needed the hidden powers she possessed. And Kaiser wouldn't want to lose her so easily either.

It was just a hunch Hazuki got as her thoughts drifted towards Yusia. Would Yusia want this? Want to be used as a tool in such a dark and evil plot? No, her little sister understood things more deeply than that.

She knew all living things would come to their end some time. It was just a matter of when…

Yusia…she'd want to be part of our mission to save these two worlds! The blue haired girl told herself.

“Guys…” Hazuki spoke up. “Let's do it! Blow up all the machines down here!”

“You sure?” Gwyen nuzzled her side.

“A feeling that I have.” Hazuki winked. “Yusia will be safe…as long as we all do our best!”

“I was waiting to hear that!” The Suicune grinned. “Ok people, you heard the lady! We've got some smashing to do!”

Roars and yells of approval sounded as the group spread throughout the room.

Riot ripped down one of the aisles, tearing through a line of machines with a Wing Attack. Gwyen leapt about launching powerful Hydro Pumps while Tanya did the same with her Dragon Breath ability.

The humans had to cover their heads as debris flew everywhere…accompanied by loud explosions and smoke that begun to rapidly fill the room.

“We'd better head back to the upper floor after this!” Nala shouted over the din of the explosions.

 

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“Look!” Nightslice gestured.

A dark swirling vortex had begun to materialize behind Kaiser, and it wasn't long before it was the size of the altar itself.

The abrupt, suction force that came with the vortex's opening forced everyone to cease their attacks and dig their claws into the ground in order to avoid being drawn in.

Even Kris, Jade and Alken, who were much further away, had problems holding on. Zian however was spared because he was lying at an angle to the portal, but not like he could've moved by himself either way.

Then, something odd happened. The glowing crystals around the altar suddenly grew dimmer and the suction force weaker.

Kaiser's eyes opened in surprise, but he wasn't able to break off channeling the energy, or he risked disrupting the process entirely. Even the previously invisible energy shield around him flickered into view, apparently as a result of the dropping power levels.

“What's going on?” Jade wondered, blinking in the yellowish glow of Kaiser's energy shield.

“Hazuki and the others.” Kris smiled as the faint sounds of explosions reached her from below.

“Now's our chance!” Nightslice decided. “We've got to break up that elemental circle!”

“You're right.” Kris nodded. “Everyone! All together! Let's get our weapons back!”

Each human took up position behind their Pokemon counterpart as they charged towards Kaiser in unison. Each one struggled as they hit the weakened barrier, forcing against it with all their might.

At that moment, the humans leapt over their Pokemon partners and penetrated the barrier. While still in mid-leap, Alken grabbed both his gun and Nala's twin pistols. Jade snatched his blade and Hazuki's ankh from their positions on the altar.

Kris got both hands on her sword and ripped the shimmering blade out. However, the ninja noticed a familiar crystal right next to her body. It took only a simple twist of her wrist to dislodge the purplish crystal from its position as well.

The three landed firmly on the ground, triumphantly holding their weapons out as they faced Hazuki's group, who had just emerged from the stairwell below.

Nightslice, Firestorm and Abetos backed away as Kaiser was knocked over with a hideous scream.

“Catch!” Alken and Jade tossed Nala and Hazuki their respective weapons.

“Thanks!” Hazuki caught her ankh. “Thought we'd lost you again!”

(Hey, you almost did.) The Ice Dragon's voice replied weakly.

“You still with us Erizar?” Nala twirled her pistols.

(I think you know that nothing keeps me down for long.) Erizar responded with a growl in her voice.

Alken simply checked and reloaded his weapon. Skiar's feelings were usually the kind that went best unspoken.

(I'm itching for another fight!) Lombadra hissed.

“You know, so am I.” Jade grinned. “Guess you've rubbed off on me a lot more than I thought you would.”

(Humph.)

“It's not over yet, is it?” Kris tightened her grip on the sword containing Bahamut's spirit.

(Not yet…) The steel-type confirmed. (I can still feel his powers…)

All of a sudden, the dark void grew to a tremendous size, consuming everything in the room.

 

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The group now found themselves `hovering' in a black sea of nothingness. Much like being out in space would've felt, there was no definitive up or down within the void…only the endless darkness stretching out in all directions.

“What the hell?” Firestorm glanced around.

“This void…” Nightslice muttered. “It has to be the dimension connecting this realm…and ours.”

“Hey, over there!”

Just up ahead was a rough circle of glowing lights. The rest of the Spirit Crystals, which had been scattered all around the area after the explosion.

As the group approached, Kaiser arose, standing roughly within the center of the circle. Even here, he remained in the form of a black colored Scizor.

“We're not finished yet…” Kaiser growled fiercely. “I still have control over more of the elements…”

“Damn, you just don't know when to quit, do you?” Kris raised her sword.

“Ha, and I still have the…”

BOOM!

Kaiser was forced to jump aside as a small explosion blew out the spot he'd been standing on, further scattering the crystals.

“No, you don't have her any more.” A familiar voice declared.

“What?”

“Zian!” Everyone cried happily.

No longer was the psychic dragon a crumpled heap on the ground, but in the air with his wings spread wide. In his front claws, he held a groaning Yusia close to his chest.

“You've got good aim Kris.” Zian smirked.

“I know.” Kris returned the smile.

The Spirit Crystal she'd knocked loose earlier had indeed been Zian's psychic one. Kris had deliberately kicked it towards Zian's body in hopes that it would restore his powers. And it turned out that her guess had been right, although it was partially the odd flow of energy in the void that had affected Zian as well.

“One more…won't mean anything.” Kaiser snarled, although he was visibly more exhausted.

“We'll see about that.” Kris stepped to the front of the group, giving a nod to everyone. “Ready?”

“Yeah!” Each of the respective human and Pokemon pairs raised their weapons. “Dragon Meld!”

Five flashes of light shot out, each one turning into one of the legendary dragons. A silver light for Bahamut, a red one for Lombadra, a blue one for Asiyu, purple for Erizar and black for Skiar.

The five dragons slammed into Kaiser, who threw up his arms to raise his protective barrier. However, the force of the attacks still knocked the dark Scizor onto his back.

“Here, look after her and take cover.” Zian carefully placed Yusia onto Tanya's back. He then dove into the battle as well.

Asiyu and Lombadra were throwing their elemental beams about. Bahamut and Erizar darted from left to right, unleashing their breath weapons. Skiar too leapt in for occasional slashes with his blades.

Most of the attacks bounced off Kaiser's invisible shield, but they were wearing him down. Just not fast enough as he was retaliating with various elemental beam attacks of his own.

Zian tried to disable Kaiser's shield with a Psychic attack, only to receive a fiery blast in return. In short, the battle quickly turned into a complete scene of chaotic attacks.

(We're almost there, but we're still not focused.) Nightslice noted. (Kaiser's still using the elemental Spirit Crystals to attack together. However, we're attacking individually.)

(That's not the only problem.) Firestorm cut in. (Look!)

Two portals were beginning to form at either `end' of the area. Through one, the remains of the altar within the coliseum were visible. While through the other was a scene looking down at a crowded city street…with humans walking about.

“Those…those lead back to the two worlds.” Zian realized. “That's not good. This dimension is becoming too unstable.

(Then, what's going to happen?) Kris called.

“The two worlds will collide…and a result like that would be catastrophic.”

(Then we're got to finish him off now.) Nightslice said grimly. (But our attacks aren't getting it done fast enough! There has to be some other way…)

“Everyone!” Yusia was on her feet, yelling to them. “A circle…a circle of the elements! I saw it when I was inside the sphere just now!”

“Hmm…of course!” Zian nodded.

His next words came in the form of a telepathic message to all their allies.

(Guys, Kaiser's using the elements together to keep countering us.) The psychic dragon explained. (It's a nearly impenetrable defensive strategy…but there is something even more powerful. And that's using the elements in a chain.)

Time seemed to stop as the party looked towards him in their thoughts.

(Each Pokemon type is strong and weak against another.) Zian continued. (And that's what we'll do! Use the Spirit Crystals in a chain, a circle where each element is strong against the one after it. A purification circle will be created, neutralizing the rest of the Spirit Crystals and sealing their powers here! That will stop the damage from being done to both worlds!)

(But that would mean…) Kris started.

(Yes, we'll be trapped here too…)

In her mind, Kris saw herself standing in a wide, open field. Beside her stood Nightslice, and in front of her, Jade and Firestorm. Gwyen ran over, carrying Hazuki on her back and Riot came in from the sky, with Nala riding along. Finally, Alken and Abetos walked over, calmly waving to the group.

The forms of Bahamut, Lombadra, Asiyu, Erizar and Skiar materialized before them. Even Zian appeared, floating down from the blue sky above.

“Hey, we can't let you lot do that.” Bahamut shook his head. “You'll be sealed here just because your bodies are used to give us physical form.”

“Yeah, we're already dead in a sense, so it won't really matter to us.” Lombadra added in. “But for you…it just wouldn't be fair.”

“There has to some alternative, right?” Asiyu asked. “Perhaps if we could just use our crystals by themselves…”

“It wouldn't work.” Zian said grimly. “There won't be enough energy to maintain the elemental circle that way.”

“Plus, we'll need to utilize some crystals of our fallen comrades to complete the circle.” Erizar noted. “We'll need to use our own energy to power those.”

“A point this dragon has acknowledged as well.” Skiar folded his arms. “Now, the decision is yours!”

There was barely a moment's hesitation before the group's leader stepped forward.

“It's fine. I'm in.” Kris declared.

“So am I.” Nightslice came up beside her. “We're involved in this too. One way or the other, all of us are.”

“It's fate huh?” Firestorm cocked his head to the side. “That's the way it goes.”

“We need to finish this up.” Jade winked. “Right guys?”

One by one, the rest of the group nodded in agreement.

Zian paused for a while more before breaking into a wide grin. Slowly, the other Legendary Dragons joined him.

“I sort of expected that you wouldn't be wavered.” Zian remarked.

 

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“Rarrggh!”

The `moment' was suddenly over and the dragon group leapt apart, surrounding Kaiser on all sides.

“My element of fire, power to melt steel!” Lombadra declared, shooting a red beam of light towards Bahamut.

“Solid steel, shattering the ice!” Bahamut threw the next beam to Asiyu.

“A relentless winter, ice freezes rock!” Asiyu fired a blue beam towards one of the stray Spirit Crystals.

“The strength of the rock element…crushes the bug.” Riot activated the crystal bearing her Pokemon type, causing it to shoot a brown beam towards another crystal.

(The silent bug element…undoing of the dark!) Nightslice invoked this one, sending a greenish beam into Skiar.

“This dragon's darkness…consumes psychic powers!” Skiar's beam struck Zian.

“Deepest regions of the mind…psychic overcomes poison!” The purple light of Zian touched Erizar.

“Deadliest venoms…poison against grass!” Erizar aimed her beam at another of the loose Spirit Crystals.

“This one is for your sake, Grix my friend. Grass to absorb water!” Zian reached out with his powers to utilize the crystal, connecting it to another.

(And water douses the fire, completing the chain!) It was Gwyen who triggered this final crystal, directing its beam back to Lombadra.

Ten crystals…ten elements…and the majority.

The result was instantaneous with the area encircled by the beams bursting into a blinding white light. Kaiser howled furiously as his defensive strategy had just gone against him. He tried to re-channel whatever elemental energy he had control of…but it was already too late.

While Yusia, Tanya and Cid looked on, the Legendary Dragons roared as they struggled to maintain the elemental circle. As an aftereffect, the dimension around them began to rumble, growing more and more unstable with each passing moment.

(Cid!) Hazuki yelled. (Take Yusia back through the portal! Back to our world!)

(Sis!) Yusia shouted.

(You knew what would happen when you told us about the elemental circle, right?)

(Yes sis…I did…)

(It's what's best for everyone…for both these worlds!)

“I understand.” Cid nodded. “Yusia, please come!”

The little girl was crying by now, but she didn't resist as Cid grabbed her hand and dragged her towards the portal. Tanya was at their backs a moment later, urging them along.

“I will look after them.” The Salamence assured. “That's my promise to you. There's nothing much left for me in this world, so perhaps yours will be a better one for me.”

(Thank you…) Hazuki said tearfully. (Goodbye Yusia…take care…)

“Sis!” Yusia let off one final wail.

Then, Kaiser managed to raise a claw…and fire one final elemental beam out of sheer desperation. Everyone stared in horror as the beam headed right towards Yusia and the others.

Suddenly, Zian broke off from his position in the circle…but not before leaving his Spirit Crystal still linked to the others. The psychic dragon threw his body between Yusia and the shot, taking the full force of it in the chest.

The explosion threw Zian in the other direction, back towards the portal to the Dragon Realms.

“Zian!”

(Zian!)

With the last of their strength, the remaining dragons channeled their powers into one final burst…enveloping the area in a great white light…

 

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The Sealed Dimension…

“Kris!”

The ninja blinked at the sound of Nightslice's voice. She was once again standing in that calm, peaceful green field with a clear, cloudless blue sky above.

“It's finally over, isn't it?” The Scizor asked, moving to her side.

“The battle with Kaiser is, at least.” Firestorm appeared from the forest that surrounded the field.

“Yeah, it's been one wild ride.” Jade agreed, walking out from behind Firestorm.

“Who would've thought it would end up this way?” Kris remarked. “After the way we first started.”

“I think I finally get it now.” Nightslice spoke up. “The true purpose of our mission.”

“And what was that?” Jade queried.

“The worlds, both of them, didn't need the Legendary Dragons any more. Because, they were inevitability linked to Kaiser, he kept coming back…”

“And for Kaiser to permanently disappear, so did the Legendary Dragons.” Firestorm finished. “They too have to completely disappear…from both worlds…”

“Hey!” Hazuki slid along the grass, followed by Gwyen. “Looks like everyone's here!”

“Except for Yusia.” Kris bowed her head. “I'm sorry.”

“Don't be. I'm sad too…but I know she's in good hands, thanks to Cid and Tanya.”

“Happy to hear that you think so.” Gwyen said with a grin. “I never though I'd get the chance to, you know, save the world and stuff.”

Nala and Alken were off to the side, actually holding hands for once, while Riot and Abetos looked on with smiles on their faces.

Even the presence of the legendary dragons they'd fought alongside could be felt. Or more specifically, the memories of Bahamut and the others. No doubt that they were still weak from the battle, but Kris was sure that they would be able to manifest in this strange dimension eventually.

“So…guess we're stuck here?” Jade shrugged.

“Possibly…and possibly not.” Nightslice replied. “This is still sort of a dimension that exists between worlds. The Spirit Crystals and Legendary Dragons are definitely sealed here…but we may not be entirely bound. Perhaps…perhaps we'll be able to find a way out some time or other…”

“Perhaps later…” Firestorm flopped down on the grass. “For now, I'd just like to rest.”

It wasn't long before the rest of the Dragon Riders joined him.

 

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50 years after the battle, Dragon Realms…

“And that's the end of the story…”

“Awww…” The slightly disappointed voices of a group of dragon whelpings and Pokemon babies rang out.

“But how about Kris and those guys?” One piped up.

“Did they ever find a way out?” Another asked.

“And what happened after?”

“That's the point. Because stories never end…and legends will always live on…”

“Kids, I think your uncle Zian has had enough for one day.” An old raspy voice called.

One by one, the younglings got up, bowed and departed. That left the two older dragons standing on a cliff at the edge of a forest, overlooking the setting sun.

At least, one in a wheelchair and another using a clutch.

“You're quite the storyteller these days.” Kioi laughed.

“Yes, I know.” Zian nodded in agreement as best as he could.

Zian had the good fortune of being thrown, relatively unhurt, back into the Dragon Realms. However, without his Spirit Crystal and his powers, the small dragon's body had been left in its crippled state. He could no longer move anything below his neck, and would never be able to again.

It was fortunate that the Lati twins, Rynn and Ryan, had found him and had been looking after him since.

Without Kaiser, his army had quickly fallen apart and without that, the hatred and wars eventually died down. One result of that was that Kioi had finally been freed from his icy prison, and eventually managed to track down Zian.

However, centuries of being immortals had taken its toll on both of them, for they had aged more rapidly than a typical dragon would.

No longer were they special, immortal dragons, just normal ones. And they were living their now mortal lives as best as they could.

“I always wonder what happened to them.” Kioi flicked the artificial tongue he now used to help him speak. “Kris, Nightslice and the rest.”

“The link between the worlds is closed, at least from our side.” Zian replied. “But knowing them, I'm sure they're doing fine. Doesn't take a psychic to figure that out.”

That got the two dragons, the last of the former Legendary Dragons, laughing. Despite their paths almost being at an end, there would always be new ones beginning.

Especially so since time passed differently in the Dragon Realms and in the human world…

 

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12 years after the battle, Human World…

Kneeling beside a gravestone, the young, blue haired woman placed a bunch of flowers down. Beside that was a simple wooden cabin by the seaside, where both the young woman and her recently deceased guardian had lived for the past twelve years.

A lone Salamence stood close by, a single witness to the small ceremony.

“I guess we're done here Tanya.” The lady turned her head.

“So, where to now Yusia?” Tanya cocked her head. “A journey of your own?”

“Indeed.”

“Haha, I know all of Cid, your sister and everyone would've been happy to see you now.”

“I know Tanya…I know…” Yusia slung a knapsack onto her back with a wink. “Well, we're off…”

With that, the pair begun walking down the beach, their bodies silhouetted against the orange glow of the setting sun.

 

 

END

 

 

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Author's Closing Comments:

Well, that's it. After 3 seasons, the end of my very first series in a sense.

Hmmm…perhaps it didn't turn out exactly the way I'd imagined it, but nevertheless, it was a tale that I felt had to be told to the very end. Perhaps I could've done things differently, done things better, but well I'm pretty satisfied with the way it all turned out.

Once again, thank you one and all for reading!

Do keep a look out though, by no means is this the last of my works.

So, until then!

 

--nightdragon0