The Terastal caves around them seemed to turn... monochrome. Monochrome other than the crystals, which only glittered sinister blacks and reds. Anxiety began to creep into Shalin's joyful heart as Xerneas galloped deeper into the cave with their two passengers aboard. This was becoming less of a thrill ride and more of a nightmare by the moment.

Where there were once an abundance of Gabite, Glimmora, and paradox Pokémon, there were no such life forms beyond the point where the cave turned black. "It did, and I don't like it..." Shalin shuddered, her hair standing on end. Unfamiliar with the Kalosian legend, she was not ready for the horror she was about to witness.

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Lutgarde, having grown up with the whispers of those legends, shivers as their ride might even seem to slow in this eerie landscape. "To brilliant, vibrant life ... there's also the opposite." It's the only warning they can give Shalin before they already come face-to-face with the eternal rival, opponent of Xerneas.

It's hard to tell if it's actually animosity that drives these forces, or at least this is what Lutgarde believes and the crystals might make manifest. It's hard for them to truly imagine that life and death are not only on opposing ends, but actually trying to one-up one another. Still, in this scenario, Yveltal's influence has spread too much. Below the stone-like surfaces, one could almost see the motion that should accompany the landscape here, but is utterly lacking.

The red-black bird matches Lutgarde's aesthetics far more, as the group comes to a halt facing it. It regards them with a seemingly calculating look, clouded over by something that also glitters - perhaps a sign of the tera crystals at work here.

Shalin Nariya

The enormous, black and red bird was truly a terror to behold, the cave's surface beneath them turning greyscale as the claws on its tail scratched the ground. "So, an incarnation of death itself..." Shalin shuddered as the once happy legendary jaunt turned tense.

And yet, the behemoth of a Dark-type didn't seem completely hostile. Was the glittering, terastal Yveltal sizing Lutgarde Dijkstra and Sylph up? Their FAIRY AURA and DARK AURA neutralized one another, Shalin suddenly feeling much more comfortable than she did before. Was the fairy-type Terastal energy really so oppressive?

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Lutgarde nods with an uncharacteristically severe, but also revering expression. There's no life without death - and no death without life. They're mutually exclusive states that can't exist without another. "Huh," the ranger remarks as they regard the Yveltal and are regarded in turn ... and how their auras seem to cancel one another out, allowing more room to breathe.

The cycle that exists so everything else can persist.

Still, tension lingers in the air as this area seems to be something both Yveltal and Xerneas of the Tera Crystal seem to be fighting about. There's flickering in the air as if the crystals themselves with all their brilliance couldn't decide whether they'd be dark or fairy - but it could all well just be Lutgarde's imagination.

"I wonder if," they cautiously start, before Sylph already starts flying over to the Yveltal that seems to acknowledge their presence. Their Sylveon Sylv also hops from Xerneas back to Sylph and Lutgarde, loafing atop the Togekiss' head. "Reminds me of that RKS simulation, you know?" Just now, it's not Miraidon against another Miraidon. "What do you think?" The terastal energy brings these legends to life, and they ... aren't entirely sure what might happen in a fight, but a fight seems to happen one way or another unless they book it real fast, hoping the illusions to fade. But, given Xerneas' speed just now, that truly seems impossible.

"I just don't really have dark type moves ..."

Shalin Nariya

The rapidly-flickering space between light and dark, Terastal crystals halfway between Xerneas and Yveltal, almost looked like a millennia-old ritual. Two diametrically opposed forces, each at a standstill, seemingly waited for Shalin or Lutgarde to break the stalemate. She saw Lutgarde dismount from Xerneas, leaving her alone astride the legendary fairy-type of rainbow colors.

It did remind Shalin of the RKS Rimulation, but of Koraidon, not Miraidon. She wanted to come back here; what other legendary Pokémon could she meet down here, even if they were only facsimiles of the real thing? That didn't matter to the wild child; whether real or Terastal, they rode the same. Fast and nimble.

Lutgarde's last request confused Shalin. "Dark-type...?" she said softly, just loudly enough for her friend to hear, and hopefully not loudly enough for Xerneas to hear over the noise the clashing Auras made. "Don't you mean Fairy-type?" Sensing a possible betrayal, Xerneas craned toward Shalin and side-eyed her with stern, starry eyes.

Did Lutgarde want to befriend the Yveltal instead?

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Lutgarde shakes their head slightly at Shalin's whispered words, only now noticing that there might be heavier feelings lingering even with conjured images. Still, they have a strong sense of keeping things balanced for the sake of good sportsmanship, and so they nod once decisively. "Think it's like a sparring battle? Just ... way more intense," they say, then slightly bow in front of Xerneas as they and Sylph make to fly towards its eternal opponent.

"Please do not mind me being devil's advocate here ... it should be a fair fight to decide."

It's something they'd never imagined either, even if multiple friends told them that their attire is more befitting of a dark type trainer than a fairy one - still, Sylph, Sylv and them fly next to Yveltal's side. The Destruction pokémon regards them with an unfathomable look, possibly curious. It lowers itself slightly ... inviting Lutgarde to hop on, it seems. They hesitate, but given that Shalin's on Xerneas, it only seems good to mirror. They change their mount with Sylv hopping onto, and immediately after, Yveltal roars.

Massive wings flap, opening the fight immediately with Dark Pulse.

Shalin Nariya

As the conversation continued, Xerneas craned their head around one more time, giving Shalin another fierce stare. "I would hope so; we all know how destructive legendary Pokémon can--"

Without any further warning, the fairy-type faced forward and began to buck and pitch, in an effort to gore Yveltal with their multicolored MEGAHORN. Though she loved being atop a Pokémon trying to hurl her off, she stood little chance trying to gain control through Xerneas' immense strength. "Yeow!!" the girl yelped as the fairy-type shifted their weight sharply to one side.

By the time she regained her senses, she saw Sylv and Lutgarde perched between Yveltal's wings. "No way..." she gasped, the two on opposite sides of one of the most destructive sparring matches she had ever seen...!

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There's part of Lutgarde that is worried about their decision regarding this fight, but there's also a vague excitement that they could not deny. Curiosity about the strength of the legendaries, curiosity about how a fight that they've only read about could be decided, eventually.

Even if they definitely also signed up for something beyond their imagination.

Yveltal's flight has barely been disrupted by its Dark Pulse, but Xerneas' incoming attack is another story. Lutgarde lets out a surprised yelp as Yveltal does its best to dodge, and they bury their hands into the surprisingly soft fur-hair-like patches atop of the dark legendary. It doesn't seem to mind, and they hesitantly think about trying to stir- whenever the flight might stabilise.

Xerneas' horns strike true six times in its fury, making Yveltal let out a shriek, before flapping its wings powerfully once for Oblivion Wing. They could see sparkling rainbow energy fade slightly as it changes hosts, and Yveltal rejuvenates itself slightly as it roars higher into the cavern - but it's a cavern still, and not the open sky despite its shimmering surfaces.

Shalin Nariya

Yveltal's talons and claws mercilessly raked at their fairy-type foe, cracks appearing on their Terastal body. All eight horns flickering, their colors became gradually less vibrant as the OBLIVION WING siphoned Terastal energy from the facsimile of the Life-Tree. The attempted to retaliate by building a MOONBLAST among their antlers, but it was too late. The crystalline legendary Pokémon could no longer hold their body together, Shalin falling through it and landing on her rump.

Death was inescapable, even for the very embodiment of life itself.

"Lutgarde, snap out of it!" Shalin begged as Yveltal's intimidating visage overwhelmed her. Had Xerneas called her to fight a losing battle? Survival instinct kicked in. "We need to go! Now!"

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(Is it inevitable in this Hoenn's universe for Xerneas to die? A contemplation that Lutgarde doesn't have, with a lack of knowledge about this world's actual Xerneas, not the one borne by legends and fiction alone.)

As cracks appear in Xerneas' body, it's already too late. A reality sinks in that, although hallucinations in a way, these legendaries are still ... legendary. Their power is overwhelming, and their will a cold one. Perhaps some also human in the way that feelings exist as well as direction, but here, with these powers born out of Terastal energy, there's only direction.

And directions can be attempted to be intervened. "Don't-!" they shout, bewildered, with Sylph pushing against Yveltal with Dragon Hammer, as Lutgarde still holds on or else the fall from it could be fatal ... The dark legendary doesn't move an inch at first despite Sylph's attempts, before seemingly entertaining the notion. Or perhaps, its own time is coming to an end as it looses its grip on Xerneas.

"Sorry, I- we need to get out," Lutgarde starts, then focuses on the important thing. An amount of energy that seems to crackle the air itself, and ... against everything, they still remain on Yveltal, seated. "We'll have to get out - I'm, trust me on this-?"

The god of death looks menacing, but it is cold. Devoid of both good and ill intentions - Lutgarde hopes that at least, the defeat over its eternal foe (for now) might be reason enough to bring the two of them out of here, before that part of the cavern might collapse.

Shalin Nariya

Even in this false form, Yveltal was mighty. As its tail raked over the fallen Terastal Xerneas, the crystal forming it dissolved away completely, siphoned into both Yveltal and the giant Terastal Crystal in the center of Area Zero. "Xerneas..." Shalin sighed under her breath as she watched the regal cervid crumble away.

Even so, Yveltal didn't appear malevolent. Perhaps sensing, like Lutgarde Dijkstra , that the part of Area Zero they were in was about to collapse, the dark-type lowered its body for Shalin to climb on. With her Beedrill's noise only likely accelerating a cave-in, she had little choice. Hoisting herself onto the black and red bird, Shalin perched herself behind Lutgarde, expecting that they would have better control over death incarnate than an innocent soul such as she would. "Try to keep Yveltal in control the best you can, okay?" she asked Lutgarde, though she doubted they had much say in the matter.

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It's a heartwrenching sight, seeing Xerneas crumble below them ... and also by their hand in a way. It's also ... not real, which is the only consolation that Lutgarde has right now as they mourn that loss, however imaginary it might have been. There's not much time to stay here, however, as their surroundings start to crackle and crack with terastal energy.

They shift around a bit to make more room for Shalin to hold on, nodding at her words with a faint smile. "I'll do my best," they do reassure her with confidence in their voice that definitely wavers once you look inside more. There's a flicker of a thought, too, as they sit still for a moment atop this mighty beast.

For all things they wanna keep safe, aren't they ... a force of destruction, too? With carelessness, with a mind that doesn't seem to mind all that much. And a hand that could crumble things so easily.

But they pry themself away from that, and perhaps Yveltal is also sensing such efforts as it roars, lifting itself up higher into the sky, before making a dive with its mighty wings towards a big tunnel leading out of here - its flight is rough and smooth at the same time, as it propels them jsut inches away from the ceiling caving in. The sound of stone and crystal cracking, dull and clear alike, is near deafening as they make a narrow escape.

Shalin Nariya

Even this Terastal clone of Yveltal gave off a stench of death, discomforting Shalin even from her perch behind Lutgarde. The Captain lurched backward with the first flap of the death god's long and mighty wings, feeling like a Quick Attack from any other bird Pokémon. Every bit of crystal the dark-type's tail claw touched turned black, its Terastal Energy drained into the Pokémon's own. Another powerful flap made her white-knuckles as the black and red bird made one final push: the swiftest SKY ATTACK she had ever been on.

At the last slam of the tunnel's collapsing crystals, the two riders barely avoided being buried. In the open mouth of the Giant Chasm, Lutgarde would be free to wheel Yveltal about on the legendary joyride of their dreams... for as long as the Terastal Energy could hold together. With the rate it was once absorbing energy, she didn't expect it to last too long before disappearing into rainbow-colored wisps.

The death-like stench had greatly waned, as well, as a result of the three not being in such a cramped space. The damage had already been done; when Shalin got a moment to relax, she would suddenly vomit over the huge bird's side. "Sorry, Lutgarde... that smell was just a lot for me," she heaved.