"From your kind we will take our toll, for it must be done. Done it must be to guard ourselves and for it, I apologise."
From her vantage point high up in the sky, her raised tail tip just kissing the base of a low lying cloud heavy with rain, the forest looked as innocuous as it always had even before Minami had seen its first sign of fauna life. But Mew was not fooled. Somewhere inside, the Guardian waited for her. And she'd never trusted places with that many trees constricting her easy access to the sky.
She swooped down closer and then paused, watching the leaves as they swayed repetitively with the strong breeze buffeting her lithe little body around and threatening to cast her entirely from the sky. Her senses warning her already of the danger she was in by this rogue unnamed Guardian - that had for some reason never been inducted into the council - she flew as close as she felt was safe from both the sky and the dark forest.
<By order of the Council of Guardians, I call for a forum.>
<And what will we be discussing, Bubblejoy?> asked three voices in pure synchronisation. Before her appeared a shining nimbus of white, which divided into three.
Mew smiled in acceptance. <Brothers and sisters, welcome.> She waited until the white shapes had formed into Pokémon before continuing. <Are you all willing to discuss the fate of the unnamed Guardian who currently is hiding underneath us?>
<Hiding, you say...> said one of the Pokémon, a smile appearing on its blue face. <Bubblejoy, I am willing.> Its red jewel sparked and then blazed with power. <Show yourself!>
A ripple of green beside her. Mew whirled in the air and came face to face with the Guardian, looking as surprised as she felt.
<We are all willing.> the three said together, and flew into the shape of a triangle in the air, enclosing the Guardian. All three head jewels shining, they focused and trapped it in redness.
How dare you... growled the Guardian, struggling to escape the red power which encircled its form. This is unjust! Put me back down on the ground!
<Mesprit, it is your turn.> said the first.
<As you wish.> said Mesprit sadly. It closed its eyes and although invisible, Mew could sense as it left its body entirely and floated into the circle, laying its soul upon the Guardian. And the Guardian stilled.
A few seconds later, Mesprit opened its eyes. <You may begin, Bubblejoy.>
<What is your name?>
I do not have one. said the Guardian in a low voice, devoid of emotion. I am the Guardian.
<Even Guardians must have names.> said Mew. <You are not the only one in a position of power and responsibility.>
I did not know. the Guardian said. I am alone here.
Suddenly at a loss as to what to do and what to say, Mew floated backwards a little. <The situation is what it is. You did not know the unspoken law; but once informed of it you ignored me entirely and even went so far as to threaten me. I warned that you would be stripped of your rights - and your responsibilities - as a Guardian should you fail to listen. That warning still stands. So does the punishment.>
I do not want you to. said the Guardian. Besides, you cannot fix this problem by killing me. The Tree will live on.
<The tree will live on?> said Mew. <Perhaps it will, but it is of no importance to me.> Her gaze grew even more serious. <How have you managed to escape our notice for so long? You are a Guardian! Why did I not know of you until now when you decided to break the rules?>
I only live by my own rules. said the Guardian. I know of no others.
<That much is plain.> she said. <But unfortunately, you broke one rule which was not ours of the making, but is one much deeper. So your fate is inescapable.>
I told you already - You cannot expect Minami and the One Tree to accept you simply by killing me. the Guardian said.
Mew shut her eyes and her outline began to shimmer pink. <Has Uxie already opened its eyes to you?> she said coldly. <As I explained before, the council does not plan on killing you; rather, removing you from the role of Guardian of this place and appointing another.>
The Guardian's green skin grew wan. You can't do that... it whispered, its fear apparent even with Mesprit's touch. You know not of what you do...
<We have to.> said Mew firmly. <Before you ignore my clear warning another time and create another of that which should not be created.>
I give you my word! it cried desperately.
<Mesprit, Azelf, it is fading. Again, please.>
But the fairy-like Pokémon shook their heads. <It's too dangerous. We do not want to remove its emotions or willpower permanently.>
<Very well. Unfortunately, Guardian, your word is not enough.> said Mew. <I do not know you, and I certainly don't trust you. Everything you could possibly have to say is too late. I'm sorry.>
Mew nodded at the three pixies and simultaneously they started drawing red and green power from the Guardian. <You are hereby stripped of your rights and responsibilities as Guardian of this land. You have no more jurisdiction over Minami->
Help me, my friends! the Guardian cried, and lashed out at Mew. The green tendrils latched onto nothing - Mew having already teleported quickly out of danger. The pink Pokémon looked down and saw groups of native Minami creatures suddenly swarming underneath the two of them, most of them earthbound.
<You still hold their loyalty.> said Mew respectfully.
I have protected them from each danger and every murderous human that came here for all my life. the Guardian said, slowly descending towards the earth and the forest. Now I am powerless... who will protect them?
<We will appoint another->
It is not enough. I do not know them, and I certainly don't trust them. Everything you could possibly have to say is too late. I'm sorry. echoed the Guardian bitterly. See what a hypocrite you are. You insist that I am unfit to continue my role as Guardian here yet you expect me to welcome another that does not even know anything about Minami to take on the responsibility!
Mew continued shining pink. <Yes, we expect it.>
You've sentenced me to a fate worse than death. said the Guardian. I have no more purpose in life... I'm fading... I have nothing to hold on to now...
The four watched as it lowered through the air, the green power surrounding it slowly ceasing to undulate as it began to lose colour and turn a flat grey.
Is this death? This weakening that I feel? What is this grudge I hold against you? I will use this grudge before I die; in hopes that... that-
<Uxie, now!> Mew said. <Before the Guardian can->
(Now) My mission and life pledge I failed,
(With) My grievances loudly bewailed.
(My) Retreat with no gift from the land.
(Forget) The curse that I hold in my hand.
(Curse) All those that wouldn't say no,
(My) Just wish they could hear all my woe.
(Death) Instead of another huge fight,
(Is) a future that almost seems right.
(Justified...)
(Still) My one only fear and regret,
(Is) The creatures that might feel in debt,
(My) Thought 'it' died then we must die too,
(Will) Not leave any training for you.
(And) So go on and train.
(Shall) Forget all my pain.
(Be) This Trainer, but ware!
(Evermore) a cross you must bear.
If you enter my lair,
let's see how you fare.
"As soon as they take their first step,
their new path of their life shall be set.
And thus, they forget..."
<No!> Mew cried. <It is you who is meant to lose your memory, not the humans!> It swooped down to where the Guardian had disappeared and hunted vainly for any sign of its presence. <Where did you go?>
The three fairies flew down to where Mew was. <It is too late,> said Uxie. <The Guardian is dead. Nothing can take that grudge-like curse back, now.>
Never before had Mew wished so much for the ability to feel anger. It stared wide-eyed over the treetops and replied, <But how does it have the power to remove memories, even after death? How did it know to put that power into a curse?>
The three started to shine with white. <We came here not knowing anything about the Guardian.> they said. <And that's exactly how we're going to leave, too.>
<I thank you for your help.> said Mew, watching impassively as they disappeared. Only one more thing to do before she could leave as well and leave the whole thing to somebody else. As to who that would be... well, she thought she knew somebody perfect for the job.
<Celebi.>
Another twinkle in the air, this time of green and yellow power. <Yes?>
<You came quick.> said Mew.
Celebi grinned. <And that, my friend, is what she said.> Noticing Mew's confused expression to the modern quip, she continued quickly. <I'm from the not-now.>
<Is it at all possible to ask you from the now whether you can add Minami to your jurisdiction and watch over it at all times?> Mew asked, her usage of the time-oriented jargon somewhat stilted.
Celebi grew solemn. <You mean, you want me to create a permanent duplicate?> She looked down at the treetops. <When is Minami, anyway? Funny... I swear I've seen this place before...>
<But that's impossible! Isn't it?> Mew's expression grew doubtful.
Celebi nodded. <For the most part, yes. Until the now and the not-now, I've never played the Game of Time here. Has the Time Lord been meddling, I wonder? Although I don't sense his touch at all...>
<I didn't think anybody of the Council knew of Minami before now.> said Mew.
<I'll do it.> said Celebi, shrugging the feeling off. <This place looks beautiful.> She giggled. <Besides, I've never had the chance to lord it over an entire region before!>
Satisfied, Mew nodded. <I'll leave the technicalities of the creation of your permanent duplicate to you.>
<Consider it done.> replied Celebi, and waved a farewell hand as Mew shimmered pink and disappeared. Now to business.
Celebi only had a few permanent duplicates around at any one time. Temporary duplicates were practically impossible to prevent. Once the duplicates had done their job in their own versions of not-now, they returned back to their own nows. But what Mew was asking of the fairy-like Pokémon was not to create a temporary one... but a Celebi which would stay here in Minami forever whilst Celebi stayed in Johto forever.
To make differentiation between temporary duplicates and permanent ones easier, Celebi changed her the colour of her body, then flew down into the forest. As soon as she did so the odd feeling of a previous memory here grew sharper and stronger. Shaking it off, she flew to a clearing and let her mind do its thing.
It pinpointed a perfect 'when' almost instantly. She would time-travel back to the time just after she had decided to accept Mew's proposal - and stay here in the forest until Mew and her other had left.
She gathered her power to her and prepared for the jump.
~~~
Far away from any determinable space and time, a being opened its eyes in sudden surprise. "Oh, you would, would you?" it said, the malevolence in its voice unmistakable. "Takes you a while to learn, does it? Want to play the Game of Time again, do you?" It grinned with jaggedly sharp teeth. "Why did I not know of this wonderful place before? How has it remained hidden to me for so long?"
The being stood and stretched its body, feeling the joints pop and groan as it arched its back. Soon, this useful body would prove useful no more, and it would have to take a new one. But until then, it would continue being useful; as was the being's wont.
And with any luck, this brave new world would be useful too, and should that little green creature be its one and only defence against attack, it remained its for the taking...
~~~
The Voice of the Forest screamed through the trees as Celebi gathered the final bits of power she would need. "Biiiiiieeeeeeeeee!" she cried, and travelled.
The travel should have been practically instantaneous, but as soon as she had gone at least halfway back something strange started to happen. With a yanking motion something grabbed at her legs and pulled with a force she had never encountered before.
Panicking, she flailed for any sort of grip on any time she could, but was dashed from side to side so much that her consciousness threatened to leave her entirely if she continued. With horror she felt her chosen time arrive and then go by entirely. Powerless to even slow her progress backwards through time she fortified her other defences and prayed that it would stop soon.
She was halted suddenly, just as she'd believed herself lost entirely in the backwards progress of time, and quickly tried to figure out her when. In horror she realised that she'd arrived in the forest just as the previous Minami Guardian was placing some sort of curse upon any and every human that may come here.
I can feel you! she thought. How? How can I feel your every thought?!
She moaned as its Aura dissipated entirely, then a fresh wave of physical pain struck from somewhere else entirely as the force became apparent to her once again. It was still wrapped tightly onto her legs in the form of a dark toothy shape. She could feel, if not see, its grin, and how it was practically laughing at her terror.
<What's going on?!> she cried. <Who are you?>
"I am the death of Time itself." the being said, and began to inch upwards. "I am corruption itself. I am it... itself."
Oh dear Lord - NO! Celebi cried inside her head. There's nothing else for it- <Time Lord! Mew! Celebi! HELP!>
"Too late." the being said with a snicker. "They cannot hear you." It rolled its eyes upwards towards the canopy and gestured with its snout. "The trees want to keep you here as much as I do."
Desperately, Celebi tried to fly through time again, if not to save herself then save Minami. The foliage around them began to sway with the Voice of the Forest but she was halted by the weight around her legs and feet; anchoring her not only physically but to this time as well.
<Don't kill me.> she whimpered. <Please.>
The being laughed again, and all of a sudden she was being dragged again - not through time but across the grass and loam of the forest floor. Celebi only became sure of their destination when from the space of another larger clearing they were approaching came a song of such deep power she screamed in reply.
Her instincts were screaming right back at her; they knew what she was approaching. Her terrified mind sought answers and was finally rewarded. <It's... the...> she said, before the being flung her right into the centre of the empty clearing and paused to watch.
Something else gripped her, encircled her entire body. The fear left her and was replaced immediately by a feeling of resignation. She felt her special colour leave her, following something else's command. She refused to watch; shutting her eyes tightly as her body was warped, leaving only a little resemblance to her original form.
Eventually it was done. She opened her eyes and was greeted with the view of the being as it stopped its excited pacing and stared greedily at her.
"This is perfect!" said the being. "The death of two Guardians and the conquering of an entire region in one fell swoop!"
<No, corrupting one, you did not bring me back to kill me...> said the Guardian of Minami, and felt an unexpected smile of optimism creep onto its face, mirroring the demented leer of the being (which soon faded once it realised the fear of its prey had disappeared).
"How do you know that?" it demanded. "Why does this not fill you with terror, knowing that your body will soon be mine?"
The Guardian's peaceful smile widened. <I had hoped to continue living in this time and this body... unfortunately it seems this is not to be now that you so covet it for your own means."
The being snarled in triumph. "You are giving up already. You are prepared to lose without a fight!"
<No, I am simply not prepared to allow you to take my body and warp it into your own likeness.> the Guardian said. <If I cannot have my mind and body to myself, then nobody shall have it.>
It raised its hands and antennae; the former it slapped together and brought to its chest, whilst the latter started to vibrate with Aura. The being watched suspiciously until it realised the Guardian's intent, then dashed forward with a cry of, "No!".
Its teeth snapped brutally around the now-shimmering form of the Guardian but was rewarded only with the feeling of air... and something else which landed on its tongue, firm and tasteless.
With its nose wrinkling in disgust and surprise it spat it out, its forked tongue lolling. It brought its head low and stared at what appeared to be a seed, pale green/yellow in colour and dripping with drool as it lay still on the rich earth.
It was obviously no egg - no Guardian rested inside its safe confines to hatch sometime in the future. Just a seed - an Arceus-damned seed! What did it mean? Where had the Guardian gone?
Frustration crossed its features and with mane bristling at the rage of being foiled in such a confusing manner it screeched once then disappeared back from the nowhere it had originally come from with a long howl of vengefulness and an ominous pact.
The Guardian will return... it thought. And when it does... so will I.
