Cerulean Voice & Comet Burst / Chapter Five: The Weeping Heavens
Screams bounced around the cavern as the stones shook. Tremors rippled through the magma pooled around the spires before another cry of a dragon rang out, shaking loose dust and ash from the ceilings. Above the pool, a torn and faded flag bearing a sun sigil fluttered in the still air, reaching down to the magma as if asking to be immolated. As if to answer its request, the walls shook violently, knocking the banner loose from the piles of gold.
Outside the alcove, acid green blood etched black lines into the brown rocks around the den. The Alpha roared, flashing his tusk-like teeth as he bit at the drakaina swooping down at his face, a blob of shadow forming at her open maw. The blob shot forward and painted itself across his burning white eyes, hiding their harsh light. Another roar escaped him as he swiped blindly at the air, slapping Giratina with the flat of his claw. She tumbled through the air before his claw passed through her body and her form slowly faded from vision.
Bringing his other claw up, the Alpha raked it across his eyes, ripping off the shadow as if it was nothing more than mud. Blinking, he sniffed the air before spinning in place, opening his maw and loosing a torrent of fire at Giratina as she materialized. She screamed in response, but darted away from the intense inferno, her scales glowing from the fire. The Alpha followed her, his breath a continuous jet of fire and pain as he melted the gold stores into solid lumps in his wake.
Giratina swooped between the mountains of gold as she circled the Alpha, looking for some way to hurt him. His hide was nearly impenetrable, even for her claws. Her Shadow Ball did little other than annoy him, and he could sense her even when she was in the distortion dimension. His hoard apparently meant little to him as he melted parts of it and his reflexes made getting close dangerous. Even though she despised him, she had to admit he was as immune as his legends said. There seemed to be no gap in his armor or weakness in his fighting ability.
As she ducked underneath another swipe of his, she managed a surprised scream when his tail rose from below and smacked into her, sending her tumbling backwards. She flapped her wings furiously and dug into the obsidian hide with all of her claws, but only chipped the dense armor.
Tol fen ni kroson, miil! the Alpha cried out.
Roaring defiantly, Giratina slashed at his tail with renewed vigor. Her efforts paid off as a few scales ripped away from him, spraying a fountain of green in their wake. The Alpha roared again and Giratina felt his tail whip through the air for a split second before her breath was crushed out of her. Her head snapped back violently as her crest dug into the wall behind her. The tail snaked away from her and her legs flopped limply as she gasped for air.
With her vision blurring, she barely saw the black tail whip back to her, slamming into her body once more. She felt her chest explode with a stabbing pain as a loud crack rang out into the room. The tail pulled away and Giratina glanced down to see a white bone protruding from her chest, violet gore dribbling down its fragmented edge. Her rage firing her limbs, she screamed as she looked back up to him and wrenched her body free of the wall, the pain fueling her energy. Her crystals began to glow…
Mahfil! Gunaar!
Above them, a dull rumble shook the air. Boulders the size of the Alpha’s spikes rained down upon the titanic dragon, shattering on impact and crushing more of his armor than her claws could. Bright patches of green began to pool in spots around him as he roared in anger and pain, diving back into the magma below. The liquid rock splashed about as his form disappeared beneath the surface, painting the walls an angry orange.
Gasping at the sudden lack of energy and surge of pain, Giratina stopped flapping her wings and collapsed onto an outcropping below her, wailing in agony as the bone scraped across the stone underneath. Steadily, a pool began to form of her own violet blood, soaking her side and forelegs. Her head began to spin as her left legs gave out, forcing her to kneel. She frantically tried to think of some way to heal the wound, but the silence made her uneasy.
Vah— she thought before an explosion came from below. Spinning to face the magma, she had only a few seconds to register the open maw of the Alpha flying up to her. Throwing herself to her right, she screamed in pain as the bone shifted and the teeth of the Alpha pierced the stone just inches from her. Forcing herself to stand, her legs went numb as cracks formed in the rock. Leaping into the air and flapping her wings furiously, she watched the rock crumbling in the Alpha’s mouth. The sound of bone crushing rock filled the room as the Alpha violently chewed.
Steadying herself in the air, Giratina shook her head as her vision spun. Below, she could still see the Alpha’s pale empty eyes and his tongue snaking between his teeth. Her violet blood coated his front fangs and dripped from the bone down to his tongue, which twitched with every drop.
“Duliig,” he rumbled. “Were you not a drakaina, I would love to devour you. Your blood alone is an exotic delicacy.”
Her head starting to clear, Giratina roared back as she dove at him. Her wings tucked in and her eyes glowed with a raging red light. The Alpha threw his head back and opened his mouth, his teeth wet with saliva. Just as they were about to collide, Giratina flared her wings and extended her claws as his mouth snapped shut. The claws found purchase in the soft pink flesh of his gums and green blood sprayed onto her. An immediate searing pain covered her weakened body as the acidic fluid drenched her, but even worse was the immeasurable scream of pain from the Alpha himself. Giratina felt her whole form vibrate as he screamed and thrashed his head about, a cascade of green pouring from between his teeth.
With all the strength she could muster, Giratina ran her claws through the soft flesh as more green gore poured out. The spiny tongue of the Alpha ran itself across her body, forcing her to scream in pain as well. Eventually, it found the bone and began to rub around the wound, tearing at the already weakened hide and flesh beneath. Pain overwhelmed Giratina’s senses, and she curled up, ripping out chunks of sopping greenish-pink flesh and her body flew from the Alpha’s maw, out into the cavern.
Her vision swam as she tried to register anything around her, but all she could sense was the neverending agony from her wound. Everything began to feel detached from her as she sensed her body striking the wall and falling limply to another outcropping. Unsure of why she miraculously landed on another rock, her thoughts began to slip as her vision grew black around the edges. She knew she had to heal herself, but the word required evaded her cloudy mind.
V-Va… she thought, trying to force the word out. Vvvv-vah… Vah…
Her eyes began to roll to the back of her head as she threw herself onto her back and stared at the black ceiling.
Vah… Vah… Raan, she moaned before her eyes glowed again. Vahraan.
Immediately, a soothing wave of cool air washed over Giratina as strength began to fill her limbs. Her head pounded in sync with her heartbeat, but her mind cleared and the black faded from her vision. Her chest clicked and shifted as bones began to realign and patch their fractures, but the relief that followed was most welcome.
* * * * *
“Thank you so much for coming, Fluttershy. Princess Celestia insisted that you were the only one for the job.”
Twilight hugged Fluttershy as her friend stepped out of the golden chariot. She looked over her shoulder and nodded at the Guardsponies, who saluted and flew back toward the royal garage. “Now, do you understand how important this is to keep quiet?”
“Oh, yes, Twilight.” Fluttershy beamed. “I’m the best at keeping quiet. I’m still the world champ, you know.”
Twilight chuckled and spread her wings. “Great! Okay, so we need to fly to the mountain summit.” She pointed over their heads. “That’s where Princess Celestia is keeping it. It’s a very special case that requires only the most soothing and gentle treatment. Did you bring the letter?”
Fluttershy nodded and lifted her left wing, revealing a small saddlebag slung over her back. “Yes, Twilight. I read it, and it’s in here. But what in Equestria needs my help? Surely there are other animal specialists in Canterlot? You didn’t say anything about what it is.”
“‘What in Equestria’ indeed.”
“Huh?”
“Er, never mind,” Twilight said. “Come on, let’s get up there. It might die without proper treatment.”
Fluttershy’s gaze hardened as she spread her wings to full width. “No little critter dies on my watch. You’ll see.”
“Let me go let me go let me go let me go—eeep!”
Fluttershy strained against the purple stasis field surrounding her tail, still beating her wings and galloping hard through midair. “P-please let me go, Twilight,” she begged. “I don’t w-want to be d-d-dragon dinner!”
“Fluttershy, it’s not going to eat you. Calm down, and let’s talk about this—”
“No!” Fluttershy shook her head, clenched her eyes, and flapped harder. “You know how I feel about d-dragons, Twilight. Spike-size is adorable, but anything larger is j-just terrifying!” She covered her eyes with her hooves even as she continued to beat her wings. She moved a few inches, but Twilight grabbed harder.
Next to Twilight, Spike rolled his eyes. “Come on, Fluttershy! This one’s asleep, and not moving, and all tied up by Princess Luna. It can’t hurt you!”
“B-but what if it wakes up? Or breaks free? Or wakes up and breaks free? Oooh, I don’t want to even think ab-bout it!”
Twilight and Spike exchanged bemused glances and sighed together. Twilight concentrated harder on her spell, fully enveloping Fluttershy in her aura. Fluttershy stopped resisting and simply whimpered as Twilight’s prison globe floated back to the assembly. She stared at the behemoth’s spines, quivering while eyeing its wrinkled body.
“Please, Fluttershy. We’re all counting on you. This is a very important task that only you can perform.”
As Fluttershy let out a “meep,” Philomena flew down off Celestia’s shoulder and perched on Fluttershy instead.
“Oh… um, h-hello there, Philomena. How are you?” Fluttershy asked. She lifted a hoof to stroke the phoenix’s scarlet plumage.
To be honest, things have been better.
Fluttershy gasped, staring wide-eyed. “You can talk?”
With my help, yes, she can communicate with ponies, Ho-Oh said, landing in front of Fluttershy. He looked at everypony and tucked away his vast pinions. I have covered much of Equestria’s south—alas, I detected no trace of Giratina. It is possible that it ripped through an alternate dimension yet again, however I think it more likely that it is currently resting in a deep dark cave somewhere, waiting for its chance to strike back at me.
“Wh-what’s a ‘G-Giratina’?” Fluttershy asked, shrinking back from the enormous phoenix.
Another dragon, fair pony. Not quite as large as this one, but far more dangerous.
Fluttershy looked to her other shoulder at another phoenix who had perched there. This one was different: crimson instead of scarlet, with longer tail-feathers—it looked like a different breed to Philomena, and its “voice” seemed deeper. A male, then.
“Dearest Fluttershy—” Fluttershy looked up into Celestia’s grave face “—this dragon is not from Equestria. It has come from an outside realm, as has the one called Giratina. But unlike our new adversary, it seems to have only attacked after provocation. Please… come with me? I promise you will be perfectly safe.”
Fluttershy gulped, nodded slowly, and took Celestia’s wing. They approached the snoring behemoth, still held in place by Luna’s blue tendrils. She watched its mountainous back rise and fall, her ears full of its blustery snoring. It flicked its ear, of which she noticed had a piece missing close to where it joined the head. Her eyes traced that injury to the others, seeing the chains and the inflamed red flesh beneath. Along the length of the chain, other thin red marks connected the cuts.
“Princess?”
“Yes?”
Fluttershy bit her lip and stopped. “Did you or Princess Luna… I mean, those marks—”
“No, we did not. This dragon appeared to us with every injury you see. We have simply subdued it.”
“We may have... aggravated it during our encounter, however,” Luna said. “I was forced to distract it from attacking Celestia, and its neck seemed a viable weak spot.”
“I… see.” Fluttershy looked away and released Celestia’s wing. She fluttered up over the dragon’s wing, eyed its ridged crown, and landed next to its mouth. Shaking, she extended a hoof to the side of its snout, and stroked—slowly. At her touch, it snorted, giving her pause, but then resumed snoring at a level pace. Its eyes fluttered rapidly, and she saw a thin line starting from its forehead, passing over the eyelid, and touching the base of its snout. Breath held, continuing to stroke, she leaned in closer toward its mouth; several teeth were chipped or missing, and all that remained were yellowed and rotting. She recoiled, lifted her comforting hoof from its snout, and stepped back.
From there, she moved around its head to its neck. The chunk missing from its ear looked nasty, but it seemed responsive enough; she made a mental note to test its hearing later. The gashes beneath its chains, however, made her bring a hoof to her mouth and retreat.
“Oh, you poor thing,” she whispered. With that, she rose into the air and landed next to Twilight, still shaking as she touched down.
“What do you think, Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy took a deep breath. “He’s in really bad shape. His right ear is only just hanging on. His teeth are horrible. I think he might be blind, at least in the left eye. But those gashes under the chain are my main concern.” She pointed at the angry red welts. “They’re old wounds, and they look like they’ve been reopened many times, as recently as a few hours ago—I can smell the onset of infection. I think whoever kept this dragon in such horrible conditions did so for a very long time, and cared nothing for it.”
“You see now why I requested you, fair Fluttershy,” Luna said. “This one has come from another plane of existence. The other, Giratina, came from yet another plane. But this one attacked out of confusion and self-preservation rather than malice. If it could be swayed toward our side, we might have a valuable ally against Giratina when it inevitably strikes again.”
“‘Ally’?” Fluttershy gasped. “Oh, no no no, you can’t do that to this poor darling.”
Luna blanched. “I… I did not mean this moment, in his present condition.”
“Oh, of course, Princess. I was not implying…” Fluttershy shook her head. “No, even if he was well looked-after from now on, he probably has terrible mental scarring. He’s very old, and I can tell he’s had a very hard life. He deserves a nice, long rest after having his wounds dressed, his teeth checked, his scales shined—”
“Wow, Fluttershy,” Twilight said. “A minute ago you were flying away, screaming.” She grinned, and Fluttershy blushed.
“Hey, Fluttershy—” Spike walked over and elbowed her side “—maybe we could both talk to him together. Uh, that is, if he talks at all, y’know…”
“Sure, Spike. He might appreciate having another dragon around. And I would love your help.” Fluttershy turned back to Celestia. “I’ll be needing some quinine, disinfectant, lots of towels, bandages…”
Celestia nodded; her horn flashed, and a scroll, quill, and inkpot appeared before Fluttershy. “Write down your list, and I’ll send one of my personal guard to fetch it all for you. Note that I insist the hospital staff give you everything you require—they’ll see the insignia on the back in any case.”
Fluttershy unravelled the scroll and nodded at the glowing sun glyph, identical to Celestia’s cutie mark with a signature underneath. “Thank you, Princess. Come on, Spike!”
As Spike scribbled down Fluttershy’s dictation, Twilight looked back to Celestia. “So, should we discuss a plan of action, or something?”
Celestia and Ho-Oh nodded at each other.
That would be wise. There is no telling when or where Giratina will strike. We must prepare.
“I agree. Everypony, let us head back to the palace. Meet in the throne room.”
“But…” Twilight frowned at the dragon. “What if Fluttershy and Spike run into trouble, or need help?”
Celestia nodded as Spike jogged over, scroll held high in his claws. Her horn flashed, and the scroll vanished. “Thank you, Spike. And, Twilight, you make a good point. I’ll leave some more rolls of parchment here. Spike can send me a note if they make any observations or—Luna!”
Everyone gasped as Luna collapsed; she groaned on the ground and rubbed her head.
“What is it, Princess?” Twilight was by her side in a flash as Celestia and every phoenix surrounded her.
“M-my stars…” Luna’s voice came as a whisper. “What has it… done to my p-precious stars?”
“Stars? Who? Done what?” Twilight shook Luna’s shoulders. “What, Princess?”
Tears streamed down Luna’s cheeks. “Arcturus… Pollux… Betelgeuse… oh, not Sirius too!”
Tell me, Celestia, Ho-Oh said. He pointed to the south. Are meteor showers a common occurrence in Equestria?
All followed Ho-Oh’s gesture. A dark cloud flashed in the distance as shining lights plummeted from the sky, all in one place.
“Elysium above…” Celestia swiveled back to face Ho-Oh. “Is this that foul dragon’s work?”
Ho-Oh bowed his head. I recognise that technique. Something must be pushing Giratina to its limits. That, my friends, is Falling Star, otherwise known as Draco Meteor: Giratina’s ultimate attack. We must accelerate our plans if we are to avert another cosmic catastrophe.
Celestia glared at the cloud. “Everyone, throne room. Now.
* * * * *
Giratina roared once again as vigor returned to her limbs. The uncomfortable shifting of bones and the itching of her hide repairing themselves left a soothing cool over her body, allowing her mind to refocus on the important task of taking down the foolish dragon.
For his part, the Alpha gurgled and screamed hoarsely as he whipped his head around, green blood pouring from his mouth in a disturbing torrent. Black smoke puffed from his nostrils, looking more like the chimneys of the pathetic human villages she used to crush back in Sinnoh. He flailed about wildly, knocking over towers of loot as his screams echoed around her.
Fool! she screamed. You call yourself master of this world, yet cannot best a single drakaina! What must your subjects think of you now?
The Alpha paused his flailing and locked his empty white eyes onto her, panting heavily as his fangs began to smoke. A tense silence filled the chamber as Giratina stared back defiantly. She could only recoil, though, when his voice filled her head at a volume she never imagined possible.
“Silence, insolent one!” he thundered. “Do not mock me! I am a god in this world while you are nothing but a snack! Using your claws to prolong your death makes it no less inevitable!”
Your words mean little to those you cannot defeat, oh great devourer! she replied with a defiant roar.
The Alpha’s eyes seemed to twinkle at her words. At once, he began to rise out of the magma below, spreading his gigantic wings and revealing the obsidian-clad body beneath; Giratina had to crane her neck to keep eye contact while he stood taller and taller.
She suddenly felt very small.
“My words mean little to you, young one?” he asked. “You, who speaks the ancient and forbidden language of our kind, who claims to have helped shape her world and dares to defy me with paltry magic think that my words mean...” Nid?
With his last word, the dome shook violently. Giratina dug her claws into the stones below to steady herself, but the very air seemed to vibrate with it.
“It is you whose words mean nothing here!” the Alpha roared. “You come to my home, challenge and slander my honor and then accuse me of being unable to defeat a single drakaina, yet you hide behind magic not of this world—Pokémon!”
Giratina’s head snapped up at that, a stab of dread filling her chest. A sadistic smile crawled across the Alpha’s snout as the green acid still dripped from between his fangs.
“I know what you are, fool. Your precious Arceus will not be coming to save you from me, either. You are alone in my den, in my cave, in my mountain, in my world!” Vahraan!
Giratina watched as the acid stopped flowing from his mouth, and his teeth realigned perfectly with his jawline. Several green patches on his hide instantly reverted to the glittering black of his scales, sparkling as if he has just cleaned them. She gulped as she looked back into his eyes, noticing the harsh light coming from them.
After throwing his head back, the Alpha snapped it forward and roared his unparalleled fury at Giratina.
Fus... Ro Dah!
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Ironically in Another universe a MALE Giratina and Luna are dating.
if you read Absolution 2 you know what I mean
but otherwise A-W-E-S-O-M-E!!!!! chapter from the ever talented duo of Comet and Voice!
Also I STILL am loving Giratina
Yay! It must have been like forever since the last chapter! Thanks a LOT for restarting the story! I wonder how Giratina is going to win this battle. (Giratina is going to win, right?) And how does the Alpha know that she's a Pokémon?
BTW, if you're going by the anime, Draco Meteor doesn't summon actual stars from the sky.
Either way, a good return to an awesome story.
I spotted a few errors, though:
its request
of which she noticed; where it joined the head (delete the "onto")
on his hide
cdn.meme.am/instances/400x/22489608.jpg
5816440
Thanks for pointing out those errors. Something always slips past us.
(Corrections applied)
And about Draco Meteor: it's not the Pokémon universe, so Giratina's attack didn't quite work the same way. She can't literally manufacture meteors out of nothing in Equestria, but her magic to produce the attacks still works, so it tried to do something within both universes rules at the same time. That is why she pulled down Luna's stars instead of summoning meteorites to fall... but she of course hasn't even realised what she's done yet (not that she'd care either way).
I>>5816712
Becuase Giratina don't take crap from anyone!
Alduin the world eater
>mfw fus ro dah
Oh come on
Two questions: If Girintina's a girl, why does Ho-oh keep saying 'it'?
And how does Girintina know all this dragon speak? I mean, yes, she's a dragon-type pokemon, but I don't think they have a dragonborn language in the pokemon universe.
5839610
1) Ho-Oh doesn't know Giratina's gender
2) We're playing it as though every dragon across the multiverse knows Thuum.
That's not how Draco Meteor works!
This is all beginning to feel like a "Crossover Everything story, with a focus on the worlds' phoenixes (and now dragons): Wizarding, Pokemon, Equestria(, Skyrim)