Lugia took off, but noone was watching him. Everybodys attention was drawn towards the phantom Espeon. Kasumi, their friend, looked just as astonished as the rest of them were.
<Wh-what happened to me?> She gasped. <I- such- anger... and hatred...>
<My, my, my....> Black chuckled, despite his predicament, <what HAS happened to you my dear? Has the sweet, kind, and caring Kasumi thought evil thoughts?> He cackled disdainfully, plainly taking delight in seeing her so insecure. <I guess I really shouldn't be surprised... you ARE my Great-granddaughter after all... maybe it runs in the blood- despite the fact you have none left->
<Shut up, treacherous creature!> Orkairn barked. <As you have just said- she is your Great-grandaughter! Your own flesh-and-blood! And you-> He advanced menacingly upon him, <...you are in allegiance with the Terrible Ten... The very ones who have killed her! They have robbed her of her life! And you rob her of a family! Haven't you done enough? Haven't the Ten ruined enough lives, without the help of those who should be fighting them?!? You were born free- free to make your own decisions- and what have you done with that freedom?!?>
Everyone watched in awe as Orkairn, now mounted upon a towering rage, faced the legendary Black Thunder. Already oversized for a Crawdaunt at 5'10'', his fury seemed to make him fill the skies.
<-You wasted your time challenging our nations heroes, while the Ten ravaged the land- and your family- right behind your back! And when you finally turned around and saw the full extent of their destruction, what- just what- did you do then?!?>
Black remained silent.
<-You JOINED THEM!!! You- joined- THEM! THEM! The very destroyers of everything you- I- and everyone else- had! In the face of the greatest threat this world has known in centuries- and instead of standing to fight like you gladly did against Ho-oh, you join them! You had nothing to lose- and everything to gain!>
<What does it matter to you?>Black spat finally.<What does any of this have to do with you?>
The returning glare Orkairn gave Black would have frozen the firiest of volcanoes.
<........everything.> He turned around and faced everyone. <Does anybody know what happened at Petalburg 18 years ago? Right before the uprising of the Ten?>
<............"Bloodpetal"...> Soorya whispered, a horrified look in her eyes.
<Yes..."Bloodpetal", and that battle earned that name well...> He turned back to Black. Orkairn was calm now, but that calm was the one equal to that of dark waters at night; cold as ice, and deadlier than Death. <Let me tell you a little something Black... these scars that adorn my shell... they were all born from Bloodpetal, for I was in it. Until that one week, Black, I, too, was free. And I, too, had come face to face with the greatest danger my community has seen for centuries. But- unlike you, Black- my land and family still thrived. I had everything to lose- and nothing to gain. And yet, when Team Aqua came and stole my friends and family away from me- and then forced them against me- I fought. I fought- against the very same friends and family I grew up with- because I still had one thing under my name- my homeland. The least of my possessions- and yet still I fought, Black.>
He paused, an expression of great pain upon his face, as if his old wounds had reopened- and in a way, they did- but these wounds cut much deeper than his shell. These scars are much harder to heal. And the pain exceeds much more than that any torture chamber can inflict.
<A week, Black. A week. No sleep. No food. No family. No friends. No place to hide. No place to rest. Fire, Death, and Destruction were the only things that one could see. Battle after countless battle I fought on. And in the short lulls between those battles, the only things that kept me company were the screams. The screams of my friends and family, Black. Screams of agony and fear, as each one after the other fell at my feet dead. I killed them, Black- I killed them. My own bretheren. I killed them. And why, do you ask?>
Dead silence.
<Because I had something to fight for- Freedom. For me. For my home. For those of us who remained. No matter how dire the situation, no matter how many fell, I still had that- and nobody was going to take that away from me.>
<Even your own family?>
<........No...Not even them.>
<You realize that in saying that you justify my->
<-because they're the ones who told me to.>
Noone expected that. Orkairn looked at Black again.
<"No-one, noone except you- has the right to tell you what to do." They said to me, "Your freedom of choice is the one thing they can never take away from you. Remember that." -and I did remember- and I chose freedom for my people- even at the sacrifice of my own. It was my choice- but it was also theirs. Our choice.>
Then the battled-scarred veteran turned to his companions.
<Bring it down.>
Awestruck, they obeyed. The wind died. The ice melted. The glass fell. Chiira withdrew her vines. And Soorya released Black Thunder from her hold. Black stood there, stunned. He glanced up. Orkairn stood before him, with the Chosen behind him.
<I made my choice, Black Thunder. What is yours?>