Chapter 50: Rewind {MANDATORY CHAPTER!}

[L Ahkmill]

Tammet

One Pokemon toddled along behind the Kirlia who affiliated himself with the Pokemon known as Blight and Ace. This Pokemon was so far the biggest oddball of the team, Tammet the Scraggy. The pants-wearing reptile trotted into the area, completely ignoring Alfred's speech to walking up behind Ace and stare down at the Grovyle's feet. With an idle yawn,. Tammet began to count the toes of all his teammates.

"One, two, f'ree..." Tammet kept counting along in his odd little accent, very soon running out of toes on his team to count. This led the Scraggy's eyes to wander, glancing around as he began to count the toes of other nearby Pokemon as well. "Twenny-seven, twenny-eight..."

Victor - Aiden - Doku

"Oh, Solaris..." A soft male voice near the Leafeon Zori sounded. "He's going to have to learn eventually that the alarm is not a good way to signal a party. I never know whether I should prepare for cake or death." Walking up behind Zori was her husband, Doku. There was a gentle smile upon his face. Ever since the defeat of Eridanus, things had calmed down around the Guilds, and such a thing made Doku happy. He was getting rather sick of dealing with bullshit, it was about time the Guild had some rest and relaxation. The male Leafeon nuzzled up against his love's cheek as he came near, purring happily. "Have you seen Harumi? She's late..."

"I heard she was on a date~" Another, slightly more annoying male voice chimed in. Aiden waltzed into the party room, a slightly unhappy Scyther not far behind him. "I also heard that she's taking said date here to the party, Should be interesting~"

Rolling his eyes, Victor came up behind the Umbreon. "How could you possibly know if Miss Harumi has a date or not of you haven't been in contact with her since she left the team room an hour ago...?" He questioned, crossing his arms.

"I have my ways~" Aiden replied with a wink before chuckling and looking around. His green eyes almost immediately spotted Harumi's older sister Skye, who seemed to be staring into space. Aiden licked his paw and ran it along the top of his head to slick his fur back before approaching the Eevee with a coy little smile. "Well, well, if it isn't our savior in the flesh. How are we today, mademoiselle?~" The Umbreon said with his best charming smile.

As all this went on, Doku simply sighed and shook his head. "I really need to have a chat with Solaris about Harumi..."

 

[Cysic X]

Tolin

Tolin simply stared. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. It's as if he were in a theatre watching a movie. A bad work of fiction plastered across the wall, assuming the shape of reality. A farce. But no, this was incredibly real and incredibly stupid. The only thing that kept the Scyther from being tremendously visibly angry was his better judgment and a level of personal restraint which he had thankfully honed over the years. To call this a ******** was to ignore exactly how bad what had just happened was. This was beyond any kind of repair and it would be a miracle if the wound Alfred had inadvertently dealt ever healed. Tempest, at least, would be unwilling to accept any sort of apology for the longest time and if either she or Solaris lashed out in the slightest any public respect would be destroyed immediately.
When Alfred reached him, he simply said, "We're leaving." The voice seethed with a restrained anger and, obviously enough, Alfred was going to get explained to him exactly what he had just done.  

[Stupid Pinata]

Alfred blinked, perplexed and someone frightened. He didn't understand where this sudden declaration and underlying rage had come from.
What had angered the Scyther so badly? Something he'd done? The Gardevoir glanced back to Solaris and Tempest, the former was still sitting in his lazy manner without a care in the world but the latter...
He frowned visibly at the Pikachu's expression. She was no longer glaring at him but while her eyes were on the floor the fury was no doubt directed in his direction.
It took Alfred a moment, he didn't remember the Pikachu and her mannerisms were somewhat lost to him, but he realized with an outer grimace what the problem was.
She thinks she's being ousted.
Which was NOT his intentions but nonetheless Tempest felt threatened by being told to leave during repairs and structural renovations.
And now another mystery was solved, just why Tolin was pissed at him.
Turning back around the Gardevoir barely got a word out, "I didn't-", before the center of the room let off a sudden and startling glow that expanded out into a vibrant starburst of light.
When the glow dimmed down none other than Arceus himself stood tall and proud at the rooms center.
"s**t. ********> The curses came from Tempest who, not in the best of moods at all, unleashed hell on the God in the form of multiple Thunder attacks that pounded down over his silver and golden form without making a dent.
Solaris was less enthused to see Arceus as well, but when Tempest had exhausted herself the Espeon didn't continue the assault on his own.
Primarily because...he didn't even care at this point.
"What? Not ruined our lives enough? Come back for more have you?" The Espeon snapped, causing the God of Pokemon to cast a wry smile at him.


 

[Lunatalia]

Zori & Kaiyou & Azra & Gary & Skye & Istas & Keiran

Zori smiled at the sight of Doku, her heart warming a little. Though the smile was genuine, it seemed brittle as frozen glass. It had been a long week, and between all of the emotional ordeals the guild had dealt with, not to mention the troubles of her daughters, she hadn't had much more than an hour of sleep last night. Immediately, she rose to her paws, meeting him halfway and settling in beside him, pressed up against his side for comfort. His white fur was warm, and his scent grassy sweet and familiar. His presence was calm and soothing as no warm cup of milk could ever be.

"Agreed. Although, from what I understand, this isn't exactly a planned event, but more so a bunch of streamers and a boom box thrown into the hall. Her voice was weary but understanding, and her gaze flickered to Aiden and Skye, for a moment. The Umbreon seemed positively energetic, unlike the rest of their teams. He'd been one of the lucky ones, just as they had been, but somehow Skye and Harumi seemed to be in lower spirits than she'd seen in a long time. 'Shock, probably,' she thought silently, her brow furrowing into a small frown.

She felt Doku's affectionate nuzzle against her cheek, and a soft purr spilled from her throat, nuzzling him in return. He had been nothing but a joy to be around, since the battle. His pride for his daughters was overwhelming, even despite their difficulties and sour moods. He was happy to have his family safe and where they belonged, and the warm that radiated from his every fibre seemed like sunshine, to Zori. She was happy he was here with her, more than anything, she'd be grateful for that.

The mention of Harumi made the Leafeon's ears twitch. The more rebellious of their two daughters, and also the youngest, the newly-evolved Harumi had been one of Zori's main reasons to worry. "I'm afraid not, Doku. I-" Her ears twitched again, this time her golden eyes widening in surprise. A date? Her youngest daughter, the first of the two to have a date. That, by far, was a reason to celebrate, though she said nothing aloud. Perhaps it would help her to regain her confidence; Arceus knew she needed that.

An inner twinge of distaste followed the thoughts, for the old habit of using the name of Arceus was becoming far more displeasing by the moment. After the chaos he'd forced them through, to solve his own mistake, she wasn't particularly fond of their so-called "creator". Trust was a two-way street, and she wasn't terribly inclined to forgive so easily.

She forced back the irritated, grim expression on her face, nodding to Doku in silence.

- - - - -

Skye stared at the ground, her deep, golden-brown eyes still dark with a brooding expression. Ever since the incident- she didn't want to think about this it too much- she hadn't had a moment of peace. Only just recently had she been able to recover from the use of Judgement, for her insides no longer seared with pain whenever she decided to move. This, she had decidedly told no one about. It would only draw more attention to herself, when half the guild was already buzzing with excitement about herself and her cousin, Ivy. Still, she felt a little more frail than she normally did; sometimes she had to stop herself and rest, for no reason at all, other than sheer exhaustion. For not the first time, she wondered if the rest of the Eclipse line had to deal with such issues when they made use of Judgement. It was a powerful move, that much was certain. Not something to be used on a regular basis.

Aiden's voice and presence was a shock to the system, and she jumped as though she'd been struck. It took her but a split second to regain her composure, the lithe little Eevee curling her tail around her paws as she sat properly beside him. The fur on his forehead was slicked back, a suave smile on the Umbreon's face. "Sorry; I hadn't realized you were there. I've been alright, I suppose. You?" Her voice was soft, to avoid her parents from overhearing their conversation, but there was still a friendly note to it. Aiden had fought alongside her and her sister; it would be more than a little rude to brush him off, now. Besides, she didn't really want to brush him off. It had been a while since she'd had company that... well, that wasn't her parents. There was quite a difference between your father and your friend. Still, the "savior" deal was a little wearing. "...Just Skye, please. It's still a little confusing right now," she admitted, her silver-tipped ears twitching back.

The appearance of Arceus was quickly followed by a range of attacks from various Pokemon around the room, but the little female sat firmly in place, her eyebrow arched questioningly. "How much dirty work can one god have, that it takes more than one visit?" Once again, the words were spoken only for Aiden to hear, but this time there was a faint tone of dislike lacing her voice.

 

[kwchups]

"We're...leaving?" Ein pouted as he got caught up on one particular bit of Solaris' speech; not really paying much attention to the rest after that. Though it was enough out of him that he actually gave his attention to begin with. "But I like this place." He went on, shoving out bits of his two-cents with long pauses in between; something rather uncharacteristic of him. It was almost like he actually cared. "I'm not sure how bad the others were ravaged, but our guild wore its toll like battle scars. The building at least had personality." He began to explain himself, Finian only giving a silent nod of agreement in response as the duo continued to walk through the crowds; the Absol not quite having any purpose in mind other than tending to the possibility that Ein possibly had somewhere specific he might've wanted to me.
"Oh look. Arceus again."
"Yepp."
"Just think of the last time Tammet actually got out. A kid could develop some serious problems growing up all caged up like that." Blight tried to give the best excuse he had for the whole team being out like this and together for once, ignoring the possibility that Tammet couldn't possibly get much more messed up in the head. Sadly, per his prediction, Chase wasn't in the greatest of moods either.Truth be told though, he too honestly wanted to spend some time out with his friends. There was just a different atmosphere when they were all brought outside of the fact that they lived together. Sadly, they got out of that hellhole today only to migrate over to this shindig with nothing but mourning guildmates and deities popping in like it was no big deal.
Indebted to his team, and not the greatest at things like cooking and cleaning, Ace has been taking it upon himself lately to show his worth as a babysitter of sorts, even though he didn't care much for kids either. The Grovyle stood at somewhat of an acceptable distance to Tammet accordingly. He didn't want to get too close, what if the little bugger got clingy or something? He shuddered. This was him repaying his two team leaders. "Are you hungry?.." He never knew what the kid wanted. Sure, some people had a knack for that but he sure as hell wasn't one of them. Tammet was aged enough to fend for himself, but in a public setting like this, it was probably best to guide him around just to make sure he didn't wander off. When Ace spoke, he, at the very least, kept his voice from sounding peeved, but he couldn't seem to get out the generic, soothing voice that one would use when throwing an inquiry at a child, rather, his words came out quite monotonous. Thankfully, throughout all of this, the Grovyle didn't turn around from facing the Scraggy, else wise he would have been faced with a good 10ft tall god-o'-all-legendaries.

 

[x - Mirelle]

Beatrice - Ailleen - Emily - Lily

Three jaws hit the floor.

Lily, like the honey badger, really didn't give two sh*ts.

Beatrice's mental list started up, and the first was, I have to pack all of our stuff. At least Emily can help me. Second was that she was really going to miss this place. The blob of ink bounced gently on the ground, making quivering noises. Beatrice stood up, raising the ink blob with her. The psychic covering strengthened. She bounced it once, twice, thrice, before sending it sailing across the room, towards a certain Machop. If that didn't get his attention, she didn't know what would.

Ailleen and Emily's little dance party was abruptly halted by the announcement. Lily continued to be Lily, and so she curled up into a ball at Ailleen's feet, causing the Vulpix to trip. Emily pityingly helped her friend up, then stood by for the rest of the announcement. "Crap, Beatrice is going to make me help pack," muttered the blue Rattata.

{Short fail post}

 

[Cysic X]

Arceus cared little for the trifling attacks and screeches of the guild.
The words he spoke simply seemed to appear in the mind and with them came a soundless voice that penetrated one's very being.
"I have mended all that I destroyed. The hosts are no longer in danger. Alfred Sinclaire is to remain the leader of the Guild of Rebirth. An eye of my own shall arrive once it's established to insure that you continue down the proper path."
His gaze swiveled, slightly, to the guild leader of the Guild of the Sun.
"The royal family shall no longer be able to tap into my power. It's purpose was served."
It was a commanding presence. Peerless, as it should be.
"All I have damaged is repaired. The hosts are healed. Rebirth shall reconstruct the guilds. All else that was lost was lost to your own incompetence."

 

[Waifu Trashu]

Ver's head turned with the sudden commotion the God had created while Alice's instead responded to the sudden force in the room. She had no exact response; being torn between confusion and shock. Ver on the other hand had already made a sharp turn in place; taking his leave from the now tainted room though that never stopped his ears from picking up every word, making his teeth grind in a collected fury. So not only were they toys, but they were being watched? Constantly? He paid no mind to the Gardevoir in passing as her expression promptly distorted; varying from confusion, to anger, and finally disgust as the God spoke on. The damage had been repaired. That was, quite possibly, the biggest lie he's spoken. The words repeatedly rapidly in her mind as her eyes sought Alfred in the crowd; an entirely different being in the same body.
Alice's eyes wouldn't rest on the other Gardevoir for long at all before returning to Arceus, "You're worth less than we are." her words breaking no more than a whisper as if spoken to herself as she promptly turned back toward the door in which she never wanted to enter to begin with. She stared out for the black and white Flareon, though realizing he was long gone left the small Gardevoir to simply teleport from the hall before matters grew worse. No, no there was no reason to stay at all.  

[Stupid Pinata]

Tempest snorted at that, strolling over towards Tolin and Alfred with Solaris following along behind her with a haughty prance to his step. He was partially relieved and partially furious over the matter of his families ability to tap into judgement being removed. On one hand it was a great burden removed from his shoulders, on the other hand he'd lost his pocket ace.
"Well, I hope you're happy. Got what you wanted didn't you, Al?"
"Alfred." The psychic corrected automatically without looking at the Pikachu or her glowering expression. "...I prefer Alfred." He was only half paying attention to anyone, his mind reeling from the sudden influx of information. Solaris and Tempest's anger, Tolin's question dodging from before and now Arceus apologies over some matter or another. Slowly it clicked into place in the Gardevoir's head what it all meant.
"...you used us."
"Ah, no one had told you? Well, though I'd prefer a less foul word than 'used' that is correct. You were ultimately little more than tools I created to serve a purpose. Those who died or suffered along the road that I had paved, that fault lies in all of you for not acting as you should have. By wasting time and effort you killed all those Pokemon, not I. But I digress..."
The god leered down at Alfred who'd not stopped glaring at him the moment he'd realized what had happened.
"You've a problem with something I've said?"
"I'm not leading any guild under your rule and you won't be placing any 'spy' in our midst either. Haven't you caused enough trouble, can't you let mortals live as they will instead of meddling?" Inwardly the Psychic was outraged, indignant, for he was gradually piecing together what he could remember and what he could not and from his understanding he'd been a pawn from the very start. Born to be Arceus' dog.
It was all he could do not to lash out violently at the sudden realization of it, but instead he kept his cool, though infuriated, gaze on the God.
Arceus snorted in response, "I could just kill you and place my spy as the leader. It was my original intentions, having you and the Lopunny running about from under my control is not something I can permit. Who knows what remnants are left from my halves. Who knows what abilities were subconsciously adapted...killing you all would be so much easier on me, but I cut a deal with another. And I usually uphold my ends of those deals, though sometimes the results may vary. As for you, if you feel you have no choice there is another option."
"Oh?" It was Alfred's turn to reply in differently, arms folded. "Killing me? So I have the pleasure of dealing with you in the afterlife?"
A short chuckle escaped the usually stoic legendary and he shook his head.
"No-no. No afterlife for you. You've only got a partially functioning soul as it were. You see, you're a one in a million chance. Pokemon do not function properly without souls, but that isn't all that a soul is good for. Think of it like a passport. When you die, haivng a soul gets you into the afterlife." The God's voice dropped then and he leaned in to narrow his eyes at the tiny Psychic "And we don't accept broken passports."
Returning to full height he was silent for a moment, allowing the Gardevoir to make his own connections though he didn't need to wait long.
The Psychic's eyes widened, the anger replaced with a rapid wave of anxiety and fear that slowly turned inward into panic.
Though Arceus wasn't the type to let anything be misinterpreted, "No soul, no afterlife. You would simply cease to exist. If you wish to be technical you'd exist in some sense on another plane that has neither time nor space. And empty, white abyss of nothing, devoid or any sentient beings or even a grain of dust. It is purgatory at its worse, the world won't stop on the outside and from there will be the perfect view of eternity as it stretches on and on. You'd get front row seats to the end of the world, watching from start to finish as everything gradually dies off and implodes in one magnificent display of lights. Only then would you get a reprieve from that prison, only to continue on in the void to watch other planets and other stars slowly rot into decay."
Alfred teetered slightly, unable to remain completely upright and nearly fell over as the panic steadily grew more and more enhance and he felt blackness edge in on his vision. Don't pass out. Not here.
"But I am not so cruel I'll not let you have that choice, even if I know the answer. When the guilds return so too shall I. You may give it to me then. For now, enjoy your vacation."
And in one blinding flash of light the God of Pokemon was gone.  

[Cysic X]

Tolin

Tolin's mind worked mechanically. Alfred's blood had been healed--that was good. And he was officially named the leader of Rebirth. That was fine. A mixed bag, all the same, but it was fine. He had planned to take the Gardevoir there once he was ready and though a sudden acceleration would prove problematic (as only so recently had he proved to be lacking) it was far from something they couldn't deal with. All they had to do was progress onwards as planned and things would work out no different in the end. Like a broken record, Tolin's mind simply paused and then skipped. No, no there would be no consideration of a broken soul. Even if it came from the mouth of god there was no reason to panic over it, not for him. There were other priorities now. Get out, for now. Stop any potential ******** before they start. He hadn't seen the plans and detail and like hell they were going through until he had.

"You heard him. Things move forward as planned." There was nothing else to say--the word of god had spoken, they were going to have to move by it at least for now. They didn't have any reason not to do so as is. "I'll see you all once the vacation is over."
With Alfred in his grasp, the Scyther disappeared in a loud crack. There were things to plan.  

[Lunatalia]

Zori & Kaiyou & Azra & Gary & Skye & Istas & Keiran

Kaiyou made his way back to Zori without hesitation, with a frightened Pichu curled up in the crook of his arm. Behind him, a slim, but soft-looking Riolu walked calmly at his heels. She too carried a Pokemon in her arms, though the Slowpoke was actually older than she was. He didn't walk much, and Kai could imagine how long it would take to get them all back to the same place if they'd left Gary to walk on his own.

The tall, almost lithe Swampert shifted down onto all fours, setting Istas down between his hands. His golden eyes were a little more orange than his captain's, and she stared back at him for a moment as they approached. Wordlessly, he joined Zori and her mate, settling down a few inches away. He could see how tense they were, the wordless anger in their eyes as they listened. In truth, he seemed barely to hear much of it, himself. He just felt... angry. No on, not even Arceus himself, had the right to use them like that. An entire world was put at risk without their permission, just so that he could play his little game. It made his blood boil to think of how easily they could have lost their families, their friends and teammates, because Arceus needed someone, if unknowingly, to do his dirty work for him.

"Some god." Azra's voice was more nonchalant and mocking than he'd ever heard it.

- - - - -

Skye's ears twitched in irritation, straining to hear what was said as Arceus leaned down to speak with Alfred. She flat out ignored Azra, having already determined that she no longer had much to say to the Riolu. Perhaps it was her changed perspective on the world, but Azra's stubborn refusal to train was... annoying at best. Since the fight against Arceus, it just seemed illogical. Even Skye herself was sick and tired of being powerless. They'd each done a complete three-sixty, with Azra's pacifist ways beginning to overtake common sense, and Skye realizing that she wanted to help people and protect her family. Still, maybe she could have gotten along with Azra a little more if it hadn't been for the argument she'd had with Zori. Zori didn't raise her voice; that wasn't what she did, or how she dealt with things, and neither had the Riolu, to be fair. Problem was, there was enough vile, horrid name-calling on the part of Azra to make Skye's fur stand on end. She was lucky she was family, or Skye doubted that her cousin would be spoken to at all, by her teammates. ...Not that she spoke much, anyway. If she did, it was usually just to snap or complain.

"Why do we follow him, anyway? He's just another Pokemon, even though he's a total jerk." Skye's fur bristled in response, irritated by the sheer volume of the Riolu's voice. She couldn't hear what Arceus was saying at all, now, and that was more important than Azra seemed to realize. That Arceus was not a friend to the guilds only made it more important to pay attention.

The great beast of a Pokemon turned and left, disappearing entirely from sight, and the sleek-furred Eevee turned to cast a disgruntled glance at her teammate. Her gaze quickly shifted instead to her mother, who sat still staring at the space where Arceus had once stood. Her brow was furrowed into a frown, and as she turned away, she caught her daughter's eye. "I'll explain later," she mouthed silently, avoiding the quiet conversation behind them as Kaiyou and Azra argued. She wasn't totally satisfied with that, but it was better than not knowing anything at all about what was said.

Tense and impatient, The Eevee curled her tail around her paws and shivered slightly from the cold of the marble beneath her.

 

[Checkerboard_Muffin]

Tetris && Luka && Jude && Daisy

Luka blinked slowly at the spot where Arceus had been, sidling over to Tetris as his expression slowly turned more confused. "So, um... What d'yeh make uh that?" he muttered with a frown. From the general buzz he'd been hearing lately from the group that returned from the big dramatic battle, it sounded like the guilds didn't have a very high opinion of the god of pokemon, and after that display he was starting to understand why. All this talk of being used, deaths being their own fault, something about...souls? It was a bit over his head, but he didn't like it all the same.
"Sounds like Arceus is a slimy b*****d, like everyone's been saying." Jude remarked flatly, scowling through his surprise at the legendary's visit. It seemed like something they'd all have to get used to, but it still made him jump to see something that powerful just drop in to taunt them.

Tetris remained silent for a minute, eyes still locked on the spot Arceus had occupied as soft clicks and whirrs emanated from him. The data from even such a brief encounter was staggering, and it was proving a tad difficult for the little Porygon to process it all in a timely manner. Eventually Luka noticed his co-captain's inaction and nudged him with a concerned and confused frown, and Tetris snapped back to life, blinking several times in quick succession before turning back to the others as though nothing had happened. "It seems that the events of the past couple months have left wounds in those who left for battle that are still fresh. Arceus' appearance clearly reopened many of those emotional hurts, especially in the guilds' leadership." The Porygon's tone was matter-of-fact as he spoke, and he glanced around the room once he had finished.

"At least we're going on vacation! Won't that be fun, Master?" Daisy piped up cheerfully from where she stood at Jude's side, completely oblivious to the tense and gloomy mood hanging over the room.
"I guess. It's more like we're just getting kicked out so they can totally rework everything, but it's not our place to complain or whatever." the Charmander scoffed derisively, twirling one hand absentmindedly.
Luka sighed heavily and shook his head. "So, uh...Ah guess we jes' git our stuff together an' wait tuh be sent off?" He turned questioningly to Tetris, and the Porygon nodded.
"That seems to be the most logical plan."  

[Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears]

Era & Ethfael & Riley & Avaria & Eon

Since the last battle there had been an eerie silence that hung over the Team. It wasn't necessarily a bad silence but it was far from a pleasant one. It was almost holding them captive: none of them dared to break it, though some of them wanted desperately to talk, and it had gone on for days. There had been a brief exchange between the entire Team upon their first arrival back, but then the silence had set in and never left. Questions went unasked, thoughts remained unheard, emotions remained in constant turmoil: such was the life of Team MistMelody.

Rifts had appeared in the Team's friendships as well; they were subtle, but still present. The only ones who approached Irilyss now were Era, Avaria. and those who hadn't been there for the Gardevoir's moment of compassion or betrayal, depending on which way you viewed it. She hadn't said anything after the fact, remaining silent from the moment she awoke and keeping to herself. Some of the others avoided her, shooting distrustful glances at her when her back was turned, even though they knew that she could feel them. It was painful for Era to see it happening, and Avaria frequently slipped off to escape the built up tension within the walls of that place: when home no longer felt like home it wasn't really home at all. So silence prevailed over the group, despite the toll it took on them as a group and as a family. The usual warm spirit that lit up the Team had faded to barely a glimmer, and it grew duller with each passing day.

For once in perhaps their entire careers as Guild members, the alarm bell came as a relief. Its uproarous clanging was a sound they all recognized and knew how to react to--one of the only things that applied to anymore. The silence still hung over them with a weight that was difficult to bear, but when Era looked back Ethfael, Riley, Avaria, and Eon all stood attentively watching her. They stood apart from one another, and she was the only one who's eyes they would meet, but it was still far better than being left alone. The Pikachu opened her mouth to speak but felt the words catch in her throat, not making any sound. It frightened her, a deep, uncertain fear that the silence was creeping into her voicebox and would never leave. It hurt to try and break it, in some impossible way as though it pushed back on her and removed the air from her lungs. She tried to breathe slowly and calmly, keeping the panic from her expression but within she was silently screaming, protesting against the lack of sound that lurked in every corner of their home. Left without her speech, Era looked at her four Teammates with a silent acknowledgment of them individually before turning and slipping out the door without a sound. The others followed and the silence clung to them: even as the sounds of other Guild members swept over them they remained silent as the grave, each lost in the thoughts that had haunted them for days.

As a unit, the group slipped into the Main Hall. They were a fairly large group but they remained unnoticed for the most part, none of the members truly wanting to be noticed. To be noticed would most likely require conversation, explanation, broken silence, something that they simply couldn't give, so they remained separate but together as they stared with half-emotions forming in their expressions.

A party was what it turned out to be--not a battle, a party. The use of the alarm bell to summon them all caught Era as being a bit strange, but it was, in theory, the fastest way to assemble as many of them as possible. Still a party, it was an interesting thing to be required of them, especially one as poorly assembled as this one. However, the winged Pikachu and Avaria, who stood next to her and looked around in puzzled silence, regarded it as more of an amusing turn of events than her partner did.

Ethfael had been brimming with unsettled emotions since the fiasco at the final battle, and though he tried to compensate for the emotions with an obvious distance from the rest of the Team it was obvious to them as much as to him. The fact of the matter was that the Dragonair was disturbed by Irilyss's actions, which had shaken him to his core. The last time he'd been so deeply caught in a Pyschic's web of deception it had been a psychopathic Alakazam out to kill him and the children of the Team--associating the Gardevoir with the same level of power chilled Ethfael to his bones. It frightened him, the one who was known for keeping a level head: under normal circumstances he would have found the mental influence fascinating, but in this situation, having it done to him, he felt as though his person had been violated and he couldn't get past it. He was forced to reevaluate his view of Psychics in general and he didn't like the realization he was arriving at. The worst of it however, was the unknown, the elusive reason why it troubled him so greatly. If he could recognize that he'd be fine--of that Ethfael was sure--but no answers were presenting themselves to him. This gathering was simply another shaking to his confidence that he understood how things should be: he was beginning to conclude that, in fact, he knew hardly anything at all.

Riley also took the party negatively, for reasons springing from the same source. He was shaken by Irilyss, as Ethfael was, but not because of what had happened, rather because of what hadn't happened. They had been at that battleground to aid their allies, to fight the evil and conquer it. All of that had happened but they'd hardly been a part of it. No, they had stood back and watched everyone else fight for their lives, for the lives of the world, and they hadn't done a thing to help. Truly he only blamed Irilyss in part, they likely wouldn't have been able to do a thing regardless of her actions, but all the same it made him feel betrayed. She'd planned to take them down with her as she saw fit and took his free will from him: that was a hard thing to forgive. And as much as he felt betrayed he felt as though he was a betrayer as well for not helping. Their god had told them they were created for that battle and they'd done nothing in it. Nothing at all. Did that mean they'd failed? What did it mean for their lives? He didn't understand, not nearly to the extent he'd have liked to.

Eon took the party with as much neutrality as he could muster, feigning a polite smile in the event that anyone was looking. He'd been devoid of purpose for the long days between now and the battle and suddenly there had been a glimmer of hope that today would be the day it was found again. No. A party, one of the Guild's infamously random celebrations with no cause for concern. The Pikachu suppressed the pent-up energy within him and took several deep, steadying breaths. He would be fine, he didn't want to fight after all, did he? That wasn't what Eon wanted, far from it, he just wanted something to latch onto--something to pull him and the entirety of his Team out of this place in time that they couldn't get out of. Perhaps their souls were still catching up with the months that had passed while they were gone, but Eon was skeptical. Something was breaking and he desperately was trying to prevent it.

The group huddled uncomfortably to the side, looking about at faces new and familiar, wanting to talk but not daring to. Fortunately something cut off the sound as Tempest started to speak only to be cut off by-- Era's ears twitched and her mouth opened slightly as she turned to view the one addressing them in awe and surprise. His name formed in a silent whisper on her lips as she tried to process this turn of events. Certainly she regarded what he was saying, but the full of her focus was on Alfred himself. The Pikachu didn't know whether to be happy or concerned: he sounded so much better than when she'd last seen him, but this difference was startling, as though she was seeing a different person in the same body, or maybe the same person, but ages older than he'd last been. She bit her lip as he walked off, desperately wanting to approach him, to find out what happened but it wasn't her place, now more than ever. Instead a pair of eyes watched him go, with a glittering in them that didn't quite hold tears. A nudge at Era's paw caused her to turn her gaze to Avaria, who gave her a gentle look of understanding. She could almost hear the Shaymin's voice lilting gently through the sound-filled air. Give it time...

As the others mulled over the thought of restructuring and a supposed "vacation" to the Guild of Seasons, they all kept to their own thoughts without bothering to attempt engaging each other. It was too much to try all at once, they preferred to take it one step at a time. However, this was not how the game was played, not in the Guild that they called home: here they took everything at once, and this time was no different. A brilliant shimmer appeared toward the center of the hall that grew and grew, scattering Pokemon to the sides as it began to take shape and form until Arceus stood before them. Again.

The sight of the god was less jolting the second time, but proved to have an equally startling effect on the group that none could explain. They stared for a long moment as Tempest fought his presence and many others spat insults at the cruel god, and then they felt a release, the likes of which they hadn't felt since the battle. It was the sight of the origin of their troubles, that's what Eon thought, that brought them all rushing forward into the present with a force to fell Darkrai himself. The silence that had held them fell in tatters about them and they felt their voices unlock with a deep sense of relief. "Finally..." the male Pikachu whispered, tears forming in his eyes as he listened to his voice, raspy and hoarse from lack of use but once again his to control. "Oh finally..." The others murmured comments under their breath as well, their troubles alleviated somewhat. Speech was such a little thing, but without it there was much more pain than with it.

The Team turned then to Arceus and listened quietly and patiently, silent storms brewing within them as they listened to the god's words. He confirmed their suspicions with his comment, speaking of what he'd touched on before in far greater depth. They had existed to do his bidding, they were useless, they'd been incompetent and foolish, it had all followed a master plan and the like. It was just as bad hearing it the second time as it had been the first. "Tools..." Ethfael muttered under his breath, speaking as though the words were foul-tasting on his tongue, "No Pokemon who's all powerful intentionally puts himself at the whim of mortals. Not unless he's a fool. Even "the great Arceus" must bow to the words of Fate if that's the case." There was chilling softness in his voice that would have troubled his Teammates were they listening, but each was having their own confrontation with the god silently, for they, unlike Ethfael, feared confrontation.

As he vanished, leaving them to themselves, Avaria turned to Era with a bleakness written across her features that the Pikachu noted with concern. "Who would have thought him to be so cold?" she said in a voice that reminded Era of flowers beginning to droop.

"Never mind him," she said softly, her voice straining to maintain even the quiet volume of a whisper. "No matter what even Arceus says there is always a chance for change." The wings on Era's back rippled with an odd gleam of light and she shivered as her eyes trailed over to Alfred yet again. It can't be true. Don't believe him. Though she struggled to find a reason, any reason, for Arceus to be acting in this manner, the Pikachu came up with nothing and thus fell to a quiet state of refusal. It didn't matter what Arceus had said, they might be mortal but they had power of their own. It was a thin lifeline, but she clung to it with all her might and prayed it wouldn't fail her. Please.

Riley looked up from the ground with a hint of uncertainty in his gaze as he spoke with a pained tone. "So...Five Islands then?" A hint of the humorous color that normally would have accompanied such a comment was in the tone, but it was so distorted by the strangeness of using words again that it could scarcely be heard. "It-It'll be a good break. We can relax for a bit." A laugh followed the latter comment but it was more harsh than lighthearted, and the Eevee frowned slightly at its sound.

Era smiled halfheartedly, her expression not unkind as she responded. "Perhaps we can."  

[Drahcir Lumiras]

Ignis --- Lucia --- Ventus

Three Pokemon arrived at the entrance shortly after Alfred did. Two Scythers and a Ralts stood near the entrance they'd just come through and watched the events unfold in silence. They'd thought to be ready for anything when they came to join the Guilds, but they'd hardly expected the discord between the guild leaders. How do they ever get anything done like this? Of course, that was before Arceus himself appeared--and was immediately attacked by Tempest and claimed no responsibility for bloodshed caused by his own plan.

Fighting between the guild leaders and Arceus himself revealed to be a ruthless, manipulative ruler: hardly a good first impression for a set of would-be newcomers to the guilds. "I'm done here. Let's go. Ignis turned toward the exit.
"Wait. We should stay.
"What, and become a part of this freakshow?"
"We should at least learn more about what's going on. If the guilds are going to do anything about this, we can be a part of this. Otherwise, well, we can quit at any time."