***
Wings spread, the dark figure alighted down onto the sand, glancing at the structure that had long since become familiar to it. Swinging its head around, it sent out a telepathic call to the intelligent being that resided within the watery dome, waiting patiently. The trip through space had chilled its black scales, and the subsequent re-entry had heated them up. Despite the discomfort, it had more urgent needs than a cooling bath of water, and thus remained stationary, although its keen red eyes never dulled in alertness.
Within a few seconds, a bright flash lit the area – though it only lasted a split second – and the being the Biodragon had called out for materialized through Teleport. Uxie was unaffected by the heat, as would be expected from living in a desert despite the thin, fine coat of fur he bore. While he kept his eyes closed to avoid any unpleasant consequences, it was quite obvious he was looking in Shadow’s direction.
<Well, it has been quite some time, has it not? What do you request of me?>
<It is a simple request, Uxie. You recall the strange writing Iyoku had, right?> Shadow flicked his tails.
<It is currently decoding on the ARK, but it is going painfully slow. Furthermore, the others are searching for Arceus, but that is also proceeding slowly. Since you are the Being of Knowledge, Uxie, I was wondering if you could join me on the ARK and lend your wisdom to our efforts.>
The Legendary was silent for a few moments, thinking to himself.
<...I suppose I could. The Chaos Emerald has been taken, so I have no reason to remain here for any long periods of time.> With a wave of his hand, the water-covered dome vanished from sight, kept completely invisible under a shield of psychic energy.
<Thank you, Uxie. We really could use all the help we can get. And, truth be told, I’ve been rather bored up on the ARK.> He glanced upwards.
<I cannot perform Chaos Control to get there, as the distance is too great without an emerald. Would you like me to carry you up there?>
<Hm...I do not believe that is necessary.> He paused before tapping the gems on his twin tails.
<These contain energy from the dimensions where Dialga and Palkia reside. As such, like Mesprit and Azelf, I have the ability to Teleport anywhere I may want to go. However, like Nazo’s portals, it requires a good memory; may I have a quick look at the station through telepathy?>
Shadow dipped his head, focusing on the familiar features. Grey walls thrumming with energy, the occasional pod of green explosive liquid travelling to its destination, and the large computer screen which, in his mind, was currently active and running through translations. It was all so familiar to him, yet every time he thought about the ARK, there was a mixture of happiness and sorrow.
Within the time it took for another flash of light to happen, the sights from the memories had become their surroundings, and the gems on the Knowledge Pokemon’s forehead and tails dimmed as the extra power to Teleport faded back into the dimensions from which it had come. Uxie, however, was a little more focused on the damage that the ARK had taken from the solar storm that had occurred a short while ago.
<There will be many more solar storms to come, so I will keep a psychic barrier around the station to prevent any further damage to it. It will not bode well if they become strong enough to cause this place to shift towards the Earth.>
Shadow had reverted back to his normal form, as the Biodragon was simply too large for the area. “Yes. The ARK is an old station, built well over fifty years ago. It still has some of the most advanced technology out there, but the fact is that it ages just like anything else. The ARK has never fallen towards the planet without help, however.” He should know, as the only time it had fallen towards the planet was because of him.
<Perhaps. However, my premonitions do not lie; they foretold the merging of our two worlds eight-hundred years ago. When the spacial collapses become too much for Palkia to handle, there will be a massive solar storm that may be powerful enough to knock this place off orbit.>
“Emphasis on the words, “may be”, Uxie.” He shook his head. “I’ll do everything in my power to keep it from falling. This place is my home despite all the tragedies that have happened. I won’t give up easily.”
The Legendary only shrugged.
<Whether that will work or not remains to be seen. Now, what did you need my assistance with?>
Shadow immediately went to the screen, and after hitting in a few keys the current decryption rate showed up on the screen. “The ARK is slowly translating those runes. The thing is, it’s taking far too long...And I get the feeling these runes are somehow important to finding Arceus, which the others are searching for. If we can get these translated, it could speed up the search.”
The Psychic Type cocked his head slightly as his telekinetic gaze looked over what had been translated so far. It was very, very little of what the entire message was composed of; only about one twenty-fourth of it had been figured out, and the Knowledge Pokemon had his doubts it was even that much. After a few minutes of examining what was on-screen, he spoke.
<Unfortunately, this dialect is still beyond what I know. What is strange is that while it seems I have seen writings like it somewhere before, I cannot recall where or when. It is a sense of ‘déjà-vu’, if you will.>
“Maybe,” Shadow started, “something wiped your own memory, Uxie. Something more powerful that doesn’t want whatever these runes say to get out. Perhaps Arceus himself did it.” It was pure speculation, but it needed to be said nonetheless.
He only shrugged.
<Perhaps. I would not be surprised, considering what humans in our world have done in the name of gaining more power.> There was a tint of anger in his telepathy, but considering what he was most likely remembering, he had the right to be as such.
“Humans are selfish, there is no doubt about that. But those I knew taught me that there is more kindness in the world than selfishness, and that it was my job of keeping it that way.” The hedgehog rubbed his head. “An eternal job, but I made a promise...And it is my purpose, just as yours is to keep knowledge safe.” He now tapped his forehead. “It’s said we never truly forget what we learn, it just gets shoved into our unconscious and becomes difficult to retrieve. Looking at these runes may eventually jog those memories into surfacing, even if they have been ‘erased’.”
The Pokemon nodded in agreement before he went back to examining the runes.
<Iyoku said he found these within a lab hidden in the desert. The only place I can think of that would fit the description is the lab that was used in the Shadow Pokemon incidents over eight-hundred years ago.>
The hedgehog scratched his chin in thought. “That lab gave off a horrible aura of darkness. Not to mention the machinery...I was familiar with most of it, which did make me feel uncomfortable. But I digress,” and he sighed, “I can’t understand why humans seek such brutal ways to get power. They just don’t seem to think that training and hard effort will reward them with what they want.”
<Unfortunately, some are like that. Though it is noteworthy to remember that the organization was taken down – twice – by a small group of people each time they tried to cause havoc.>
“It just proves that Maria is right. Not all humans are bad.”
<While I agree, there have been many, many other incidents that have made most of the Legendaries think otherwise. To be honest, Suicune agreeing to train Sonic is surprising, to say the least.> Uxie stated.
Shadow smirked a little at that. “She did agree, huh? Well, Sonic has a reputation for helping others. His personality puts most at ease – annoying others, however – and he’s just...Well, it’s hard to say. The point is, he isn’t human, and frankly...I’d trust giving him more power than anyone else.”
<Maybe. If you are anything but a Pokemon or Monogatari, it is very hard to gain the Beast Trio’s trust at all. The three were once normal Pokemon, but were killed in a war among humans. Ho-oh brought them back; but since that day, they have caused those around them not in the former categories to work very hard for their trust.> He paused.
<Even if Suicune has agreed to train him, he will have to pass a test before they can begin.>
“I hope it isn’t a riddle, for both Sonic and Suicune’s sake.”
The Legendary shrugged.
<It may be one. However, she should have enough patience to compensate for Sonic’s lack of it.>
The hedgehog chuckled softly at this. “I don’t know about that. He can be very...” Shadow struggled to find the correct word. “
Trying, if you get what I mean.”
Uxie grinned slightly.
<If it is a riddle, it shall be entertaining to see.>
“Suicune might not think so.” Shadow nodded as he stated this, imagining the scene. To be honest, he’d love to be there with Sonic having a mental breakdown from trying to figure out a riddle, but he was needed up here. “Anyway, Uxie, you probably want a room to stay in. Follow me.” The hedgehog began to trot down another hallway, although he stopped to wait for the legendary to follow.
The Psychic Type hovered after him as he left.
<I do not require sleep, but I may be able to use that space for meditation. I may need it considering I have to maintain the invisibility shield over the dome on Earth in addition to the one over the ARK.>
Shadow blinked before nodding. “I guess so. Still, it doesn’t hurt to get a little shut eye every now and then. You’re immortal, but getting sleep once a month doesn’t always cut it.” He led the legendary down a few pathways, eventually making a turn into a somewhat more scenic hallway, with softer lights and a few plants. The doorway at the end opened up, leading into a somewhat spacious room with a scenic view of the planet below. “I had a feeling you’d like a good view, so I picked this room for you. Feel free to decorate it as you want; just avoid puncturing the walls and blowing us all into space, all right?”
Uxie nodded in turn.
<I suppose I could refrain from doing that.> He stated, his reply making one wonder if he had been in space before. It certainly wouldn’t have been surprising if he had, considering the balancing qualities he shared with Mesprit and Azelf over Dialga and Palkia. Shadow raised an eyebrow over the “suppose”, but said nothing on the matter.
<I can sense another life form further towards the core of the ARK; if I am not mistaken, it is the Biolizard, correct?>
To be honest, Shadow hadn’t expected Uxie to know it was his prototype. “Yes, it is. She – yes, the Biolizard is a female – survived the experience after fusing with the ARK. She wasn’t in good condition; however, the Chaos Experiments brought her inside where the ARK stabilized her. Since I’ve been back, I’ve been helping to repair her body and DNA.” The hedgehog placed a hand on the wall, thinking. “The reason why she was so aggressive wasn’t because she was designed to be…It was because she was in so much pain from her deformities. Now that it’s no longer a problem, she is actually very relaxed and calm.”
<Most creatures act in such a manner; if they have been caused injury or pain, it is obvious they will retaliate in some manner even against those who did not inflict it. The issue is that many humans do not recognize what will occur.> His ‘gaze’ seemed to be focused on the planet that spun slowly but surely below the space station.
“Professor Gerald knew what would happen, which is why he put it in the core anyway. He modified its memories so it would fuse with the ARK and keep it on its crash course.” The hedgehog followed Uxie’s focus onto the planet. “This reminds me…Maria and I used to look out the window all the time and dream about exploring the planet. Then the accident happened…And I forgot all about exploring. I only wanted to destroy the planet.”
<It is a good thing that action did not see completion; she would have been saddened. Regardless of whether we know or not, those who pass on never truly leave.>
Shadow nodded slowly. “Yes. At least I still have the Biolizard. I even gave her a name. Not the most glamorous, but I thought ‘Lizzie’ fit her, given her reptilian nature. She seems to like having a name. A little too much, if you ask me…” Noting the odd look Uxie gave him, he shrugged. “She seems to have developed a crush on me. Cami would throw a fit if she knew that. No one, other than you and me, knows that the Biolizard survived.”
The Legendary snickered slightly.
<Yes, it would cause a few problems if she knew. I do not think it is a good idea to not act upon it though.>
“Maybe, but she isn’t ready for others to see. Not yet.” Shadow stated, turning around and beginning to trot out of the room.