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The hidden chamber under the Ruins of Conflict where far more grandiose then those above, despite being confined to a relatively small space. As the Pokémon fanned out to look for the hostages, Naomi took in the surroundings, nothing the half visible story on the wall, the lion's head frieze at the back of the chamber not to mention the two statues of ancient islanders holding long spears, the points still sharp as what little light flooding in from above gleamed off them.
"Naomi I think I found Tapu Koko!" Luna called from her position up by the lion head frieze, her hand gesturing to a rooster headed mask on a small plinth. "It seems to be under the influence of Darkrai's power since it's still asleep." She added, as Mimikyu and 'Detective' the Yungoos scuttled over and started rocking the sleeping Pokémon, only for their mischief to be cut short by a withering glare from Seismitoad.
"This feels like more than a temple." Naomi stated, as she ran her hand along the spear in an attempt to remove it from the statue's grasp. "It feels like a tomb. Fitting considering that Darkrai has placed our friends in a state of eternal sleep."
"I don't want to think about that." Luna replied before shivering. "Rowlet can you make out anything in the dark that might help?" She asked, as Litten snaked through her ankles over to where Naomi was weighing a large stone in her hands, a determined look on her face. As she scrabbled around, the noise of her search woke Budew, and the tiny bud Pokémon began to cry, its sobs echoing around the chamber.
"Mim...kyu...kyu?" Mimikyu squeaked as it pulled on Naomi's arm in an attempt to alert her to the crying.
"Leave me alone vermin." Naomi whispered, her words causing Mimikyu's head to droop to one side in a show of confusion and sadness.
"Mimikyu?" Mimikyu chirped sadly, its squeak causing Naomi to reach out and slap the little Pokémon.
"And you, you can stop that noise too!" Naomi snapped at Budew. "All of you be useful or be quiet!'' She hissed, as Luna walked over and picked Budew up, a look equal parts anger and shock on her face before shaking her head and taking the grass type Pokémon away. That look caused hatred to seep up from Naomi's heart, as she looked down to see a bound female figure of no more than fifteen lying at her feet, her white blouse bloodied and mudded, her scraggly hair tied into a pony tail.
"Please no more Rhapsody." The girl whimpered as six shadowy figures stood behind Naomi, the bird like mask slotted over her tormenters face.
"But the others had time to air out their grievances surely I should get to do the same?" Rhapsody hissed, as she brought out a jar of bubbling liquid and a paint brush. "And you know what they say, the saliva of Varanasti, once properly enriched does wonders for skin conditions." She added, as she dabbed a line of the yellow liquid onto her victim's skin, her flesh turning a necrotic black almost instantly, the focus of her torture screaming in pain. "Now where to begin Anyta?" She asked as she dabbed the brush in the pot before bringing it level with Anyta's face.
"Row...row!" The cries of Rowlet shook Naomi out of the memories she had been reliving, as the owl like Pokémon peaked out of a hole formed by a missing block in one of the walls. Walking over to join her 'friends' Naomi waited for Rowlet to move, before peeking through the gap to see Hau, Lilly and Doctor Julian lying on the stone floor, their bodies convulsing as they were subjected to the nightmares that seemed to come hand-in-hand with the effects of Darkrai's Dark Void attack.
"Come on we have to help the!" Luna cried, as she pushed past Naomi. Moving to go after her Naomi turned to see the Commandant standing behind her.
"You know what you must do." The apparition stated, as he pulled one of the spears out of the grasp of the stone statues and handed it to Naomi. Taking it, Naomi felt pain slash through her body seconds before she collapsed. That pain continued until she opened her eyes, a young woman clad in an olive green hooded cape and a white beak like mask on her face. Behind her a door swung open and guards dressed in the uniform of the Kalos Expeditionary Force walked six teenagers in, each clad in paramilitary gear, their faces obscured by masks. Sitting down the teenagers watched as the man responsible for all their pain walked in, his hands wrapped round a chain with a girl of no more than eight or nine on the other end.
"My colleagues have told me about the incident on the playground." The Commandant stated in a dry voice. "I will not have such behaviour continue, that's why I brought you a gift. This 'thing' is your new surrogate when it comes to problems within our little family." He added, as he pulled the girl forward onto her knees. "Every problem gets expressed through this. It is not a human, don't treat it as one." He explained. "Now what's your favourite Pokémon child?" He asked his captive.
"Po...ponyta." The girl whispered.
"That is what you are. This thing is a Pokémon." The Commandant announced as a guard pushed a trolley loaded with brands, their burning tips shaped like a Poke Ball. "Claim her my children!" He ordered as the teens crouched round the cart, each one taking a brand and plunging it into the 'Ponyta's' flesh. Taking her own brand Naomi lifted it up before wincing in pain, her eyes fluttering open as a pain in her flank spider webbed through her body. With a jolt she opened her eyes to see the majority of her friends and Pokémon in the ante chamber, well out of earshot. All of them save Seismitoad.
"Seismitoad." Naomi groaned as she got up her hand still wrapped round the spear. "We've got to be ready if we're going to put an end to this.'' She hissed, as she advanced on the waking figures of Hau, Lilly and Doctor Julian, the later explaining the story spelt out by the markings on the walls of the ruins.
"And so the Tapu were given guardianship of an island each by Solgaleo and Lunala. Most saw this ascension as a blessing for the entire Alola region, but not all." Doctor Julian explained as Naomi re-joined the group, her arrival greeted by a look of disgust from Luna and Mimikyu. "Their rivals sought help from an ancient Pokémon brimming with power, tricked it into fighting in order to weaken the Tapu for their own attack on the island guardians." He announced pointing to a strange awkward looking Pokémon erupting from the summit of a hill.
"We saw that at Ten Caret Hill, Team Skull and Tapu Koko awakened it or something like that." Hau gasped.
"Its awakening possibly facilitated the release of the four Dark Heralds of Alola." Doctor Julian suggested as he ventured over to four fearful visages etched on a stone plinth decorated round the corners with a spine like pattern to the most horrifying face of all. "Darkrai, Malamar, Venomoth and Golurk, four Pokémon consumed by evil dedicated to opening the door for the King of the Distortion Realm's return to this plane of reality." The doctor continued. "After the Tapu imprisoned the first trouble maker back under hill the struck the strongholds of these 'evil' Pokémon, eventually imprisoning them in their own temples which were then buried under shrines the native people built such as these very ruins."
"So Tapu Koko was Darkrai's warden then." Luna stated as she looked over at Tapu Koko. "If it awakens it can imprison Darkrai again right?" She asked as the rest of the group went to gather around the sleeping totem from of Tapu Koko."
"Silence them Rhapsody." The commandant ordered as Naomi raised her spear ready to skewer her friends.
"That's not going to happen!!" Naomi snapped, her loud words shocking everyone as she pivoted on the ball of her heel and flung the spear at the commandant, the stone tip digging into his body and shattering the illusion. Fully opening her eyes Naomi shot the evil Pokémon a look of hatred. "You should have known it would've ended like this. Now Seismitoad use Drain Punch!" With a booming roar Seismitoad charged in, energy swirling round its fist as it slammed Darkrai in the face with a powerful blow. Hissing and spitting Darkrai counter attacked with a pulse of dark energy radiating from its hands, the sheer output sending Seismitoad skidding back.
"So betrayal is as much a part of your nature as cruelty is!" Darkrai sneered. "Your life has been one long nightmare, one I can feed on even when you're awake!" It added as the evil Pokémon summoned an orb of dark energy and slammed it into the ground, shadows snaking towards the others crouched by Tapu Koko before coalescing into a massive whirlpool trying to suck them back into the nightmare realm.
"Mimikyu, Litten, Budew no!!" Naomi screamed as she saw the three Pokémon get ripped off the dais towards the Dark Void. Running across the floor she saw another pulse of dark energy snake towards her unguarded back, only for Seismitoad to block the shot. Shooting a grateful look over her shoulder Naomi leapt into the vortex and wrapped her arms round Budew, the baby Pokémon screaming in fear.
"Litt...litten!" Litten mewed as it was swept past Naomi, only for its trainer to grab it by the scruff of the neck just in time.
"Gotcha." Naomi cooed as Litten clung into her shoulder with its claws. Looking around Naomi saw Mimikyu reach the middle of the vortex, scraps of its disguise ripping off its hidden form. "Mimikyu I'm coming!" Naomi hissed as another pulse of energy struck Seismitoad, the blow sending the lumpy Pokémon flailing into the vortex.
"Mimi...Q!" Mimikyu squeaked in protest as Naomi reached out a hand to frag the little creature.
"Mimikyu I'm sorry!" Naomi called, tears in her eyes. "You're my best friend!" She cried as she grabbed hold of Seismitoad with her free hand and reached out for Mimikyu with the other. After a tense few seconds Mimikyu snaked its shadowy claw out and grabbed on just as the vortex dragged all five of its victims into the dark void. Plummeting through darkness Naomi heard a crack of thunder and a scream before falling unconscious for a few seconds only to awaken on a plain struck by lightning.
"Are you guys okay?" Naomi asked as she put her Pokémon on the floor. "Mimikyu, your disguise is..." She stopped and smiled, before petting the orb of darkness with gleaming eyes. "I'm sorry, I wasn't myself, except I was...I was the butcher I was back in Invictia. You're all better off far away from me."
"Not true." A voice in her head stated as a reawakened Tapu Koko appeared. "You have darkness in your past as have I, but you risked your own life to save your Pokémon, and by doing so struck a blow against Darkrai's power. One strong enough to awaken me."
"I did terrible things." Naomi stated. "I may have been masked as Rhapsody but I did them."
"So you believe but were you the villain or were you the victim." Tapu Koko asked. "Evil from both are pasts have been unleashed, and we will both be tested on our values now. Return to your world now, the others worry about your slumber." It added as Naomi and her Pokémon awoke with a start, the warm decoration of a Poke Centre swimming into focus.
"Naomi you're awake!" Hau gasped. "It was amazing Tapu Koko picked up you and your Pokémon and carried you back to Iki Town. Plus he gave Luna and me these cool Z-Crystals." He added, pointing to his wrist and the ring containing a gem stone that sparkled with a mystical light.
"Hau can Naomi and I have a moment." Luna stated coldly, as Mimikyu, its disguise now repaired scuttled up onto the bed and squeezed into Naomi's arms. Shrugging Hau left and Luna took the bedside chair before placing a pair of long nails on a tray at the end of the bed, the dried blood on them visible even under the low light. "Explain, why you have those! Why do they match the scars on your feet and hands?"
"It was to stop us running away, you don't need to know anymore than that." Naomi replied as the memory of Rhapsody hammering the nails into 'Anyta' the Ponyta's hands and nails to affix the horseshoes into place, each blow causing a scream that caused the woman thinking about it pain.
"What do you mean running away?" Luna asked.
"I was born in paradise, but I grew up in hell." Naomi whispered. "From the age of seven up until I was seventeen my world consisted only of pain and cruelty. I daren’t tell you more, I don't want to relive the nightmares, Darkrai made them seem relive most of them and I don't want to do that again." Luna nodded and left, her face looking sour, almost as if she was both embarrassed about asking and dissatisfied with her answer. Waiting until the door closed, Naomi reached into her bag and pulled out the death mask that Rhapsody had worn, its dead eye sockets staring back at her. With a sigh she placed it and the nails back in her bag, before getting up and stretching, the moment revealing a Poke Ball brand on her hip.
"What's your favourite Pokémon?" A sinister whisper hissed causing Naomi to glance around in surprise, before catching a glimpse of her reflection in a mirror, the olive hood over her head and the death mask over her face.
"P...p...ponyta." Naomi whispered.
"Good Pokémon." The voice whispered as the figure in the mirror lunged forward and slammed a burning brand into her chest. "Welcome Alola Anyta, we'll see each other again real soon." The mirror figure purred reflection rippled and reset to reveal Naomi, her clothing singed and a red hot skull brand on her midriff. Seconds later Naomi screamed and the doors slammed open to reveal multiple worried faces.
"Naomi are you..." Kukui asked as he pushed his way to the front of the crowd, only for his face to go ashen. "You've been attacked!" He gasped, as Naomi looked down to see a recent brand mark on her chest identical to the one in the mirror.
Shaking her head Naomi screamed again, before lashing out and striking the mirror with enough force to crack the glass, before holding her bleeding hand and collapsing onto the bed, her eyes tearful and her head bent in shame. "Please stop it." She cried.
"Stop what?" Kukui asked worriedly as he walked over and draped a caring arm over her shoulder.
"Stop the nightmares." Naomi replied. "Stop her from hurting me again."
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