[Game thread] Skull Ruins Pokerole

[Lord Windos]

Spoiler

Spira, when no one is looking, Kelda hands you a disc. "For your Froslass. Specially modified. Should work."

"...pardon me for asking, but...what do you plan on doing with that Key Stone, Kelda?"

"Well, maybe I'll use it to explore a little of myself. Find my place. Find somewhere I can be useful with my, er, skills."

Cosh: "Your place is right here, helping us fight Deoxys as you have trained for years to do!"

Kelda: "Ohhh, I'm not so confident anymore, Cosh. I... I'll tell you why. During that entire fight, I was petrified! Despite my speed, I could barely move. As fast as I was moving, my heart was beating faster. I barely did anything. I wasn't strong enough or confident enough."

Cosh: "More power is easily gained, Kelda. That is the advantage of wizardry over ordinary Pokemon training."

Kelda: "It'll never be enough. That's why... That's why I've decided to do this."
She swiftly withdraws the Helm and jams it on Spira's head. A trail of dark fire follows her movement.

"Why isn't it working? Why isn't it bonding?"
Cosh laughs.

He's been slowly striding toward her this whole conversation. "It's bonded too securely to you. To your Pokemon, the source of your power, which you called upon to fuel your spells and the Helm empowered. You've worn it almost a full day now. It's too late. Your only place is here."

"Ahhh! That's so like me! But wait... there's one thing I can do to sever that bond." With a speedy spell, her left hand is transformed into a dancing sword. Hypnotized, she watches it weave back and forth and approach the cable connecting her belt and gauntlet.

Cosh: "Kelda, NO!" He runs toward her, but she's moving at Helm speed still.

The cable parts with a snap and a bit of electricity. Cosh tries to grab her wrist, but the blade is critically sharp and hurts him even through his steely resistances. The sword arm strikes at the belt, which separates from the surgically implanted steel pins around Kelda's waist. Time slows as the belt falls to the ground.

"And lastly..." She smashes her own gauntlet into a hundred pieces. Lightning is sparking all around her now, and she catches up four of the Scimitar Pokeballs that scattered all around. She releases a Noivern and grabs onto its feet as it takes off in a random direction, over the mountain.
Cosh snatches up the other two Pokeballs before anyone can react - you see he is now moving with the speed of the Helm, and the Hauberk is glowing.

Kelda's Pokemon are reset to 0/0 Happiness/Loyalty, or their current stats, whichever is lower.

The Helm dims for a second, then begins tightening slowly to fit on Spira's crown. It begins the slow process of bonding.

And after all this, Nathan feels a momentary emotion he doesn't even recognize. But he's sure it comes from somewhere outside of his own heart - something foreign, though benevolent. Something subtle, capable of an emotional nudge in just the right place on someone who was in the crux of a decision anyway.

Cosh snarls. "The Scimitars will have a part in this. We were the driving force leading to this first battle, and we will be there for the end of the war.

When Nathan, I'm sure, opens his mouth to retort, the misty giant comes striding over and deposits a heavy bundle containing everything you asked for. A voice booms out from the left foot. "They found Deoxys. It's retreated... to Trillium Town. Sent a broadcast. Says it has learned something important about that town. It wants to bargain."

"We do not bargain. We do not yield. We fight to the end. Keep your damn Helm, but follow me quickly if you want your own part in this." He spreads his wings like a Skarmory and takes to the air as fast as the eye can follow - north.

Initially, Terra couldn't help but be simultaneously shocked and confused when Kelda seemingly started to have a full blown crisis of faith over her duties and status as the Helm wielder, as in his opinion he thought she used her Artifact to great effect -in the Clone Wars battle. Heck, if it was not for the constant disruption and support she provided and her suite of spells, the entire engagement would have undoubtibly end much more poorly for him and their friends, if not in outright total disaster. Kelda play an integral role in the Fight, and they couldn't have done near as well of a performance during it without her.

He would've said as much to the mistress of magic (or something akin to it), but then things escalated, and before he knew it she had relinquished the Helm to Spira and literally flew the coop, abandoning the group to pursue some unknown fate.

".....What.....?"

Indeed, what. That was the biggest question that was on the mountain of a man's mind about everything that just happened, it all leaving him visibly gasping and wide-eyed like a panic stricken Eevee. He's not in that state for long, however, as he's soon snapped out of it by Cosh's enraged rebuke, which after thinking about it for a few seconds he couldn't help but firmly nod to and voice his agreement to them.

"Yes. Scimitars have done their part to stop Deoxys. Helping us get Artifacts, and Fighting with us to defeat it and save Cheshire. Deserve to keep helping and finish things with it. They have earned that right. *Nods again* That is what I think."

Cue The Mist Lord's timely interruption to bring their requested Items and the location of DEOXYS PRIME and it's latest intent, and the techno-archmage FLYING off to confront it. Watching them leave and hearing his unwavering stance against the interstellar invader, Terra looked torn for a moment....before his expression became an impenetrable wall of Steely resolve, before sweeping a hand towards Arete and calling out to her/them (as well as recalling Dunny, if he already hasn't).

"Arete, FLY me to Trillium. After Cosh."

Presumably they do so promptly, and *WOOSH* goes Terra, chasing after Cosh. Contentious and dubiously moral as that man was, they were still his partner, and he would uphold the alliance he made with them and the Scimitars. He gave his word, and he would not break it. To do so now would be the worst betrayal imaginable, after all they've done and suffered through together. DEOXYS PRIME must be stopped for the shake of all, and he'd help his partner do just that.

.....Hopefully his friends won't hold this against him. At least, not forever.