And, after a much too long haitus, we're finally back with part two.

There's not really much I can say here, seeing as I said it all last time.

So I'll cut this short and go think what to do with the next one.

Legendary War

Act I: Powers of Ice

-The Twilight-

She couldn't believe it had come down to this. Her tears freezing against the dazzling blue feathers as she soared above the great field of winter. The pure white ice plains, her beautiful home, turned into a vicious, ugly war zone. Scarred with the signs of battle, cracked and charred from many conflicts, tainted with the occasional splash of frozen blood... And then, just ahead of her, the remains of the worst battle of them all. Articuno slowed her flight, looking down into the rising steam, she crashed into the heated air, the sudden change causing her to whimper slightly at the unbearable heat.

It had been a mighty explosion, one that had sounded out for miles. The plains had shock under the force of the blow, ice cracking and splintering from the great shockwave. Articuno moved higher, trying to escape the heat, looking down at the massive crater, where the ice had been vaporised, blackening the stone underneath. Each flap of her wings blew a gust of freezing air down, mixing with the heat and causing mist to spread out, obscuring what was below her. But, there was nothing to see, there was nothing that had survived.

She turned away, away from the horrible scar on her fields of ice, away from the site of the blast that had caused the artic itself to scream. She turned towards the center of the great plains, navigating through memory of the icy currents, ones that were only now starting to stabilize. It was not long before she had escaped far enough from the heat to feel comfortable again, yet Articuno never relaxed, constantly watching the ground and skies around her, searching for any shift in the frosty air, or sign of life below.

It was something she did automatically, without thinking. After the Deoxys had come, being cautious became second nature. And, after that explosion, she had no doubt that more would be coming to investigate. Yet, oddly enough, it was not a Deoxys she came across. Crumpled to the ground, pink fur standing out amongst the surrounding white ice, tail limp behind it. A Mew! Articuno dropped into a dive, gaining more and more speed, cutting through the afternoon mist as her own tail fanned out behind her.

She didn't stop, talons wrapping around the fallen psychic and carrying it up with her as she soared above the great fields once more. She could feel the heat of the tiny creature, the piercing warmth, here was a fire user. Slowing her flight, so not to buffet the Mew with her cold winds, she took the chance to sneak a look at it- him. She could see the faint movements in his tail, tiny puffs of mist coming from each breath he took. He was still alive, just unconscious, and clearly overheating.

It was a common problem for those psychics who had decided to fight in the ice plains. They would try to counteract the cold with their fire abilities, instead of embracing it with their ice, their bodies getting hotter and hotter until they burned, they overheated. This one had clearly been fortunate; Articuno had been unlucky to see some who had burned to the point that their unconscious forms melted the ice they lay on, boiling the water and almost roasting them.

It was a horrible thing to watch, the two elements meeting. The way those Mew would keep on going, no matter how much it burned, they kept on fighting until they collapsed, it was almost as tragic and cruel as the war itself. At least she had managed to save this one, her cool touch helping to counteract his suffering. The heat was starting to wane, his fur starting to lose its sickly glow. He would survive, hopefully long enough to get his flames in check once more.

Focusing once again on her flight, Articuno let herself gain some more speed. Now she had a passenger, it was not safe to delay any longer than she had to. She had to go deeper into the plains, into the region that had escaped the war, the Deoxys unable to penetrate past the freezing blizzards. The icy plains below her soon became pure white, uncracked and untouched by fighting, just as the creature in her talons finally started to stir. Large brown eyes widening in shock at the feel of her claws around his body.

He started to struggle, she could feel the heat inside him starting to flare up again as he prepared to blast his way free.

"Calm down, little one," her voice sang down to him, "I do not want to hurt you."

"Articuno!" Now his eyes held awe, not fear, as he stopped his struggling, letting her carry him.

"You have heard of me, good, I so hate having to explain my identity."

"What happened?"

"Pyrocis."

The Mew winced, he had heard of the sickness, heard of members of his kind burning. He could still feel it, the uncomfortable warmth in his chest. He remembered the feeling of it spreading, the fire inside consuming, frying. He had fallen from his clan. They had gone on ahead, promising to come back for him after their task was complete... he'd waited hours, burning inside, before he must have fallen unconscious.

"They're dead, aren't they?" He asked the great bird, she had to know. She didn't answer, but he could see the way her head tipped slightly, the way her wings slowed. It told him all he needed to know.

He couldn't believe it. He didn't want to. His companions, those he had lived with and fought alongside for years, gone. Light, his light, extinquished, gone from the face of the earth, snatched beyond his grasp.

"I'm sorry." Articuno whispered down as she flew through the mist, letting him use it to hide his tears, allowing him to weep without feeling shame. He didn't need it, he was beyond crying. The war had robbed him of even that.

"What am I going to do?" His voice was flat, harsh, but the ice warden could feel the heat in his tone, the scalding rage that was tearing him up inside. She had to cut it off, fast.

"The abominations died as well, there is none left to get revenge on. Besides, fighting in your state would kill you."

"I know," he grumbled, "doesn't stop it hurting..."

Articuno flew higher, letting the cold breeze cool his rage. He was young, barely even old enough to produce a heir, had things gotten so bad that kits were having to join the fighting? It was something she would have to discuss with him once they reached her home. Of course, addressing him would still seem rather awkward.

"Little one-"

"I have a name," the Mew grumbled, "and I'm not that little...".

"I was just about to enquire into what it was." She decided that pointing out that he was tiny compaired to her would not be a good idea.

"Aodh."

She could feel him starting to calm again, allowing her to loosen her grip a little without fear of him falling. And there, up ahead, a large hillside of ice rising above the plains. Surrounded by the mist, it seemed to glow in the afternoon sun. A shining beakon in the empty plains. Aodh was staring, brown eyes wide, not quite believing such a place could exist. But, before she could introduce her home, she felt his entire body tense up, a gasp escaping him.

She was about to ask what was wrong, when all became clear. The currents had shifted, stirred by activity she had not caused. Articuno spun in midair, glancing backwards, managing to spot the figures on the horizon, their cruel eyes and gemstone hearts shining in the thinning mist. Aodh was growling, trying to get free of her grip, the Deoxys were there, right in front of him, he had to go fight. Make them pay for what they had done. He had to make them hurt. To make them scream.

"No. Do not decend into anger and fury. It will consume you," Articuno warned, feeling the heat rising inside him once more.

"Like I care!"

How did they follow her? Why now? Articuno felt the urge to curse at the fates but she had more important matters. An almost-feral Mew fighting her grip, and many Deoxys flying closer and closer. The former she didn't have time to deal with, the alien creatures would be upon them soon and he was angry enough to blast her to get them. She just let him go, having to watch as he shot towards them, head on. She sighed, it was too late to do anything about no, so she just hovered above her home, letting the winter currents gather around her, swirling and strengthening as she prepared her own abilities, she prepared to sing the song of war.

The Deoxys were many, and not foolish. The moment they noticed the charging psychic, the way fire flew around his paws, the frontal creatures shifted, forms thickening and solidifying into their more defensive varient, raising barriers to keep back the initial assault. And, behind the protective shield, the others became sleek and agile, preparing to deal with the fool that was going to fight them alone.

They didn't expect the beam of ice to tear into them from behind, cutting through the ranks of the creatures, slicing through one of the barrier forms, creating a gap in their vital shield. One Aodh took advantage off, shooting through the closing gap, great plumes of flame crashing into more of the creatures. The barriers fell as the Deoxys changed into forms more suited for the fighting, only for the front lines to be caught in the midst of Articuno's blizzard.

The searing cold did as much damage as Aodh's fire, their bodies distintercrating under the sudden temperature change, the unearthly gems unable to maintain their form, losing their glow and falling to the ice below, empty and lifeless. Now the Deoxys group split in two, having to battle on two fronts. The larger group went after Articuno, sleek forms cutting through the winter storm, intent of dealing with her quickly so they could join the battle against the Mew and the creature in the mist, even as the cold cut through their bodies and the winds slowed them down.

No, it wasn't in the mist, it seemed to be producing it, although it was less mist and more steam. Aodh tried to sneak a glance down as another Ice Beam fired from the depths of the cloud, cutting through more of the cursed Deoxys with unnatural accuracy for something that shouldn't be able to see. It was powerful too, Deoxys gems shattering under the sheer force of its attacks. Then one of the faster creatures managed to sneak past the Mew's fiery guard, its aim whipping down and smashing into his back.

He heard something snap, felt the agony lancing through him as he fell towards the ice below, looking up to watch the alien about to follow, only to get caught in the center of another beam from the steam coated ally. It bought Aodh enough time to recover his flight, his healing ability removing the worst of the pain from his back as he sent another burst of flame into a cluster of Deoxys, sending two crashing to earth in flames.

"Who are you?!" He shouted into the mist, even as the being inside fired again. He could almost make out a form, a darker patch in the thinning steam. The being, whatever it was, was huge.

"I Am Re-gi-ce!"

Articuno was fairing well for a bird of her size against much smaller and agile foes. The winds kicked up by her wings as she soared higher slowed down those that would follow, giving her enough time to summon another storm of ice. Out of those that had attacked her, few remained. And those, having closed in, were more than happy to hide behind barriers, wait out the blizzards and bide their time. She could not maintain such power forever, once she weakened, they would swarm.

Her wings and tail started to droop as the bird panted, the alien's shifting into their attack forms. Straight into a blizzard she'd been hiding behing her pretense of tiredness. It tore through all bar one, the Deoxys trying to shift back into it's previous form so it could hide behind a shield once more. Articuno focused her frigid abilities, forming a shard of ice in her beak, the sharp projectile firing through the air more than fast enough to catch the creature before it could shield itself. Imbedding itself in the gemstone, cracking it, making it darken as the life inside vanished, the Deoxys' form fading with it.

She turned back to head for Aodh, hoping to help out his fight before he ended up killed. But, she saw instantly that she was not needed. The last of the demonic creatures were retreating, racing away from bolts of fire and blasts of ice. Yet her feathers still ruffled at the sight of the titan. Regice shot down the final Deoxys, the Mew beside it staring at the massive guardian in awe. Then it turned, the gemstones, much smaller and sleeker than those of the Deoxys, glinted slightly in the light as they focused on her. Luckily, the titan did not hold grudges, it did not possess a temper, so it was unlikely to shoot at her for sealing it away those many years ago.

"I Have Ex-ter-min-at-ed All Foes!" Came the simple fact as it turned to Aodh next, issuing him a question , "You Are A Mew?"

"I am..." he sounded almost fearful now, afraid that he would be its next foe.

"I Am To Ob-ey A Mew!"

"You have got to be kidding..."

"Those Are My Or-ders!"

A few hours later, as Articuno perched ontop of her home, watching as Aodh set off across the plains once more, the ice titan behind him. He had decided to take the titan away from the, reletively deserted, frigid fields, to his own kind, to where it could be more use. Unfotunately, that put him beyound her help anymore, and she needed to stay behind to make sure anymore Deoxys decided not to invade her home. The Mew turned back, flying backwards for a moment as his eyes met Articuno's own.

They burned, but not with a cruel and torturous heat. But the warm, pleasent glow of hope. Articuno spread her wings in the closest thing to a wave as she could manage, replying in kind to his own. And, to reply to his newfound joy, she sang one last song. Its melody drifting through the snow plains, riding on the currents and, while she could not follow him, it would.

Such was the gift of the ice queen.