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“This place gives me the creeps.” [break][break]

The cold sank into Eddie's skin, clinging to him like an icy shawl. This wasn't his first time setting foot in the Border, but Arceus if he didn't hope that it would be the last. He looked back to Yuina Higashi and smiled, [break][break]

“Sorry fer draggin' you out to the middle'a nowhere,” he chuckled a bit sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck, “But I appreciate you bein' here. Between the three of us, we'll find the little guy in no time.” [break][break]

The third member of their party snorted incredulously, and Eddie shifted his gaze to the steely-eyed Terrakion. [break][break]

If the unearthly chill of this place affected the Sword of Justice, they certainly didn't show it. Instead, piercing orange eyes stared out toward the swirling mists and cavernous voids of the hellish realm beyond, sharp and discerning. Eddie wondered idly what must have been going through the legend's head; were they itching for a fight? Were they simply ready to get this business done with and bring their wayward charge home? Or was there... something else? [break][break]

Perhaps there was, the man suddenly realized, when he noted the rigid stance the bull-like Pokemon had taken, head forward, shoulders squared. They were quiet as a grave, keenly listening, but Eddie couldn't help but wonder if Terrakion didn't feel some bit of fear, too. Maybe not fear of the realm itself, but fear for the lost Keldeo, and fear that they might not find the spirited colt before some other, more terrible thing did. [break][break]

All the more reason to find the little one, and quickly. Eddie shuddered to think of what else they might find in the mysterious realm of the Border.

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Yuina Higashi + kyle lopez [break]

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Terrakion stared out onto a rickety bridge that connected their particular stretch of unearthly soil to the next. Eddie glanced back and paused, momentarily awed by the presence of the little green sprite, [break][break]

“I, uh, figure he does,” he sputtered. Eddie blinked once, then again, then and suddenly loosed a disbelieving bark of laughter, “Go figure, we both got some special buddies!” [break][break]

There was a sudden rush of air, and the soldier turned back to see the Sword bound over the bridge and to the other side with a single, powerful leap. It eyed the two humans and the sprite expectantly, [break][break]

“Alright, we're comin', big guy!” Eddie called. [break][break]

He took his first few steps onto the bridge and swallowed hard, willing himself to some facsimile of calm as the bridge swayed beneath him. Why was it that the lost Keldeo had chosen this forsaken place to run off to? Why couldn't a quest like this take place at some sort of Ultra Beach or Ultra Resort for a change?

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Yuina Higashi + kyle lopez [break]

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The bridge swayed beneath them unsteadily as they worked their way across. Eddie kept glancing back over his shoulder to Yuina, half-afraid that the boards beneath their feet would give way any minute, but he kept up his stubborn march toward the other side, [break][break]

“A hero!” he exclaimed proudly. Eddie's voice echoed below them, and he could have sworn that he heard some distant cracking sound, like crumbling rock, in reply. Maybe it was best that he keep his voice down, too, [break][break]

“You, uh, never heard'a the Swords of Justice?” [break][break]

His voice lowered to a hush as they worked their way across the bridge. Terrakion's gaze never strayed from their procession, and it was enough to embolden Eddie to start shuffling across a little more quickly, [break][break]

“It's an old story outta Unova,” he began, and the smile that had begun to form again colored his tone with enthusiasm, “I'm no expert when it comes ta folklore or legends or whatever, but I love me a good story.” [break][break]

One foot in front of the other, the other side of the bridge grew closer and closer. They would be out of here in no time, [break][break]

“See, it began a long time ago, when people in Unova's past were bickerin' with each other over some sorta dumb human shit. Started a war over it, and the war ended up spillin' over inta the local forest. Dumb bastards ended up settin' the whole goddamn woods on fire, and it meant that the Pokemon livin' there were in some hot water.” [break][break]

He frowned momentarily when he recalled another woods set ablaze just outside of Petalburg. How were the Pokemon there faring? Eddie shook his head and continued, [break][break]

“So anyways, that's where the Swords of Justice come in!” [break][break]

He beamed, and his voice spoke plainly of his excitement, [break][break]

“First there's Cobalion; a tall, blue fella, the leader of the group, with a heart'a steel. They start leadin' the Pokemon ta safety. Next is Virizion, a fella that can run like the wind, and they go an' use that speed'a theirs ta shield the fleein' Pokemon from all'a the fire an' embers gettin' kicked up. And finally, there's Terrakion.” [break][break]

Eddie practically glowed with pride, and he nodded toward the Pokemon of the very same name, [break][break]

“The big guy's strong, strong as all hell, and they go and make this passage outta the earth ta give everyone a way out.” [break][break]

Before he knew it, the next little island was in sight. With a few more shaky footfalls, Eddie finally stepped off the bridge and back onto terra firma. He fully turned back to Yuina, ready to lend a hand if she needed it in her own exit.

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Yuina Higashi + kyle lopez [break]

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Orange eyes watched as the oaf of a man carefully helped the young woman from the bridge. They flitted to the rocky stretch they now stood upon, and the bull-like Pokemon raised its head, staring out into the mists beyond. Eddie, for his part, just grinned with pride, [break][break]

“Thanks! I got a lotta practice in, back when that little rabbit guy was hangin' out in Ever Grande.” [break][break]

But then Yuina presented a fascinating bit of context, and Eddie's eyes widened with interest, [break][break]

“Melody Miro? The Champ?” he reiterated, fascinated and awed, “No, no, I met my buddy at the Battle a' Petalburg.” [break][break]

Eddie made a mental note of this new, tantalizing bit of information, though. He wasn't sure how readily he might be granted an audience with the region's Champion, but it would probably serve him well to meet with the other Swords and their human companions. Maybe he could track down Virizion next – [break][break]

He was getting ahead of himself, though. Eddie still had some explaining to do, [break][break]

“Been told that the big guy was workin' with kyle lopez before... well... you know.” [break][break]

Eddie's expression shifted for a moment before he continued, [break][break]

“But his husband was fightin' for Petalburg when things started kickin' off. I hear noah faber's laid up right now, so I figure Terrakion musta been stickin' with him before we joined up.” [break][break]

Suddenly, the Sword itself turned back with a commanding bark. Before Eddie could react, Terrakion charged off into the dense mists beyond, hot on the heels of... something, [break][break]

“Oh, shit! I think he's got a lead on Keldeo! C'mon, we gotta mosey!” [break][break]

Before he could think better of it, the soldier charged after the legend, too. It wasn't long before the bright orange of his shirt was lost the cloudy fog, into an ephemeral world of swirling white.

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Yuina Higashi + kyle lopez [break]

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The mists felt like they stretched on forever, thick and impenetrable, unending and unearthly. Eddie considered himself lucky that he was hot on the Sword's heels when Terrakion came to an abrupt stop, and luckier still that he didn't run into the bull's back when he came to a screeching halt, too, [break][break]

“Geeze, bud, give me a little warnin' before ya run off next time – ” [break][break]

But then, an unexpected voice called out from somewhere, and Eddie suddenly looked up from the bull to a shape crowned in orange and blue, and to a figure that made the soldier pale. It was jarring enough that Eddie forgot entirely about the Ranger he had come into this ethereal land with, jarring enough to distract him from the fact that she was nowhere to be seen, [break][break]

“K-Kyle? kyle lopez?” [break][break]

No, no, it couldn't be. He was dead, wasn't he? Eddie had watched Navy mourn the guy, sped off with the sheriff in the wake of that disaster at Mt. Chimney, searched soot-coated faces for even the vaguest similarities to the young man. There was no way this was the Kyle Lopez; this was probably just some sort of misty figment of his imagination, an ethereal phantasm conjured by the willful realm of the Border. [break][break]

And Eddie might have convinced himself of that fact were it not for the subtle shift in the Sword's demeanor as it stared down the maybe-ghost. For the brief amount of time he had known Terrakion, it had been hard to get a read on the big guy; they were stoic, sure, and sometimes the soldier had gotten the impression that he was sometimes a little too lackadaisical for the legendary creature's taste. [break][break]

But in this moment, Terrakion seemed tense in a way that was unfamiliar to Eddie. There was something particularly stern about the way they held themselves now, still as a grave, and they watched Kyle with an expression that Eddie could have sworn was something akin to apprehension.

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kyle lopez [break]

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Terrakion huffed derisively. Too proud, indeed, [break][break]

“We, uh, came out here lookin' for the little guy,” Eddie replied with a gesture to Keldeo. [break][break]

His eyes darted from the fourth of the Swords of Justice to the man crouching next to it. Yeah, no, this was weird, but Eddie wasn't sure if he was really equipped to examine the strange dream-logic of this encounter, [break][break]

“Shit's gettin' real ugly out there. Folks wanted to make sure Keldeo was doin' alright.” [break][break]

For as determined as the cloven-hoofed d'Artagnan was, this place didn't seem particularly safe, even if the ghostly/illusory Kyle seemed agreeable. Eddie was sure he shared that sentiment with Terrakion, who began to approach the mirrored pair with cautious steps. The soldier followed close behind and directed his next question at the wayward colt itself, [break][break]

“C'mon, bud, playtime's over. How about we get outta here?” [break][break]

Maybe he could find a way to bring back Kyle, too? Scoop him up and 'Orpheus and Eurydice' this shit, minus the tragic ending. It would be of great comfort to Navy, and of even greater comfort to noah faber . [break][break]

But nah, that seemed kind of improbable in the grand scheme of things (because, as Kyle himself had pointed out, there was a solid chance he was just an illusion anyway). Besides, they probably had to get Keldeo out of here first, but surely that task would be easy enough to accomplish... right?

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kyle lopez [break]

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One Sword turned its blade toward another, not in a gesture of bitter animosity, but in stubborn defiance. Terrakion snorted and shook its head with some obvious frustration at both it and that cutting act of perception at Kyle's hands, but Eddie just grinned wide, [break][break]

“Guess we're gettin' ready ta rumble, huh?” [break][break]

The bull-like legend suddenly turned back to stare at Eddie with some incredulous disbelief. The soldier laughed, [break][break]

“What? C'mon, big guy, ya can't blame the kid fer wantin' ta take a stand.” [break][break]

Besides, he had been young once, too, full of fierce pride and steadfast resolve, but unlike the colt, he had never had the backbone to follow through. Not until his youth had all but left him, [break][break]

“'Sides, I'm gonna be right here with ya,” Eddie reassured the bull with an easy smile, “Between the two'a us, there ain't nothin' we can't do.” [break][break]

Whether or not his little cheer-leading routine had worked, Eddie couldn't be sure, but he was feeling optimistic when Terrakion nodded resolutely in reply, before returning its attention to the opposing man and his Sword. To fight a friend, much less a pupil, couldn't have been an easy thing, but maybe having an ally in the bull's corner would make the task that much more bearable.

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kyle lopez [break]