"Are you quite done yet?"

Yep, those are the first words out of his mouth, marinating in a delightful mix of sarcasm, impatience, and annoyance. I'm not sure how to respond to that, to be perfectly honest.

"What, can't wait to go forward with your dastardly schemes?" Hilda mutters with equal enthusiasm. If Ghetsis heard her, he certainly doesn't show it. He seems to ignore her altogether, except for one fleeting and extremely subtle side smirk.

"I can't decide if I should be impressed or annoyed. What an... interesting turn of events! That was the last thing I was expecting. Especially the whole... um, reunion there, as Hilda put it. What a surprise. I never would have thought that he has a heart indeed... albeit a shallow one. Such a shame that it's reserved for such barren and meaningless pursuits."

"And what do you know about his heart?" Hilda spits back. "This coming from the excuse of a man who has nothing but a black hole where his heart should be? Riddle me this, Ghetsis— how else do you think he's able to talk with Pokémon?!"

"Because he is nothing more than a freak," he responds, his voice as cold as the air around us. "I know it, he knows it..."

I admit, I am furious at such an insult, even if it isn't directed at me. How dare he call N a freak? Ghetsis is the real reflection he's seeing in those twisted, carnival mirrors of his mind! It's enough to make me open my mouth to snap back, but N beats me to it.

"No more than you were, Fa—"

For some reason he breaks off, even though his tone had been as cool and calm as Lake Verity during a Sinnoh Midnight. And it takes considerable effort, I notice: he closes his eyes and appears to be whispering something to himself. My heart sinks at the sight. It's no doubt a product of the trauma he's faced throughout his entire life.

"...I rest my case. You know, you two have proven very eager to verbally challenge me. You're no better than Rosa when it comes to that." He pauses for a brief moment as if in thought, his face morphing into a look of disapproval before he continues.

"You, Rosa, Hilda... You're all the same, when it comes down to it. So eager to challenge authority when you have no place to do so. Such a shame. I see now that we will never meet the same ideals. We never could as it were. Your potential with us, had we agreed, would have been amazing. I may have even been able to reach my ultimate goal, if we joined forces."

I have to physically stop myself from releasing a snort of disbelief. Ha! He says that like Hilda and I would ever consider joining Plasma—

My thought gets interrupted with a loud clap from Ghetsis's hands.

"Now, with that out of the way, it's time to get down to business. Please do tell; how did you two end up back in Unova? And how did you know exactly when to come swooping in to save your damsel in distress? Really, I'd like to know."

Maybe Ghetsis is feigning genuine interest, or maybe he really is curious: it's hard to tell with that dripping tone of voice. Still, my insides are burning at his "damsel in distress" remark.

Breathe, Rosa. He doesn't know who you really are. He's looking to get a reaction out of you. Don't reward him with one.

"Like you care. Honestly, what does it matter? We're here now," Hilda replies in a hot headed manner. She's certainly feisty, I'll give her that.

"Oh, excuse me. I believe I deserve an explanation for facing three times the stubbornness now, instead of one. Your choice, I guess."

"Zekrom told me that Kyurem was suffering..." N's voice is just barely loud enough to be heard, but I eagerly scoop up every word I can. "I... no, we can't allow selfish humans to make Pokémon suffer!" Hilda and I are nodding in agreement.

"And I like Unova. It's the place that taught me how to live as a human... It's the place that made me notice the harmony between Pokémon and humans living together. I will protect the Pokémon and humans who live here, no matter what the cost!"

Well said, N! You tell him!

"So say we all," Hilda concludes with a touch of pride. Seeing how there isn't anything else useful for me to add, I merely nod and fix Ghetsis with a look of defiance that would make even the stars tremble in trepidation. My pillars of strength are standing right here beside me: with our numbers, my fear from not so long ago feels like a distant memory.

But oddly, his face seems to light up a little, in spite of our act of rebellion. "Excellent! That was a moving expression of your determination! So the education I provided to make you king wasn't a complete waste, then! But I still haven't forgotten that even though I was kind enough to find you when you were living in the forest with Pokémon, and take you in, and care for you, in the end you were selfish and disrupted my plans. I was supposed to use your abilities to rule Unova!"

"'Selfish?' I think saving the lives of millions of people and Pokémon from oppression is not selfish," Hilda remarks dryly. "And besides, his aspirations may have been misguided, but at least they were driven by purity and innocence. They were inspired by his belief in a benevolent cause. This was why N was so passionate about what he was doing."

"I agree... To say that N is selfish is to miss the point entirely." The words fly out of my mouth without my permission, and I almost curse myself for it. But then I realize, hey, if I had just rocked the boat, I may as well fully dive into the water.

"I think the one who was selfish here was you, hm? Looking to rule a region for no other purpose than power and testosterone... Truly despicable. What N did was admirable, and you should be ashamed for viewing him in any other way. Let alone manipulating him the way you did ever since he was an innocent child! You never truly gave him a childhood, and molded him into what you wanted him to be... a tool for your own selfish purposes. Absolutely shameful and heartless. It's incredible that his potential was still allowed to blossom the way it has." I lift up my chin triumphantly as I can, finally, verbally condemn him for his faults.

N gently taps my shoulder in a sort of awe. "Thank you so much, Rosa," he whispers. "That is very sweet of you."

"Anytime," I say with a discreet wink. I didn't even need the thanks; it feels so good disgracing this evil man exactly for what he is, and getting these words off of my chest. Besides, I'm more than happy to do anything to defend the wonderful human being that is N.

Granted, if I hadn't screwed myself over before, I just did now.

"And what do you think gives you the right to comment on the situation?" Ghetsis responds with a voice as cold and empty as the ice surrounding him. "You are a complete stranger— and quite frankly, the rudest of intruders— to these matters here, as lost and confused as a newborn Growlithe left in the rain without its mother. Regardless of what this freak thinks of you, or what he has told you. You know nothing of my struggles with him, you assuming brat. You know NOTHING!" His last word is so drenched in venom, I'm surprised he doesn't unleash a Poison-type attack on me right here and now.

How can I respond to that? How can anyone possibly respond to such a twisted statement like that? So I say nothing in return. Which doesn't really matter, since he apparently isn't finished talking to N.

"But as I was saying, I'll forgive you for your mistakes as well. Zekrom, which you were kind enough to bring with you, can shatter ice! Now you've saved me the work of searching for it! ...Well, actually, I knew you'd appear if we fired ice missiles into Opelucid City, and you noticed the change!"

Huh? How the hell would he know that? That's quite the gamble. And what does he need Zekrom for, exactly?

N shakes his head vehemently. "That's an ugly formula! It won't work!"

"What? N, do you know what he's talking about? What's going on here?" I demand, looking at him. But my question may as well have been tossed into the wind. Before N could reply, Ghetsis exclaims, "Oh, but you're already here, aren't you? And of course it will! If I use these!" Here, he pulls out a tiny object from his robe.

"The DNA Splicers!" he proclaims proudly, as my eyes bug out of my head. I'm in complete and utter disbelief as I look at the item he is holding.

"He has the DNA Splicers?!" I nearly shriek before I could stop myself. I mean, since Plasma stole them, I guess it's inevitable that they'd almost immediately end up in his hands. But the splicers were the last thing on my mind when I walked in here. At their mention, N holds a look of confusion on his face.

"DNA Splicers?" he echoes, giving me a puzzled look.

Wow, I guess I forgot about that completely! Didn't I tell N the breadth of Plasma's plans back at the cabin? I suppose it's possible I could have skipped over that detail... I had been recovering from my knock out. Anyways, I guess he really doesn't know what's going on. And how could he?

"The DNA Splicers are... well, it's an apparatus that looks like a plastic wedge, almost," I attempt to explain, stumbling over my mental roadblocks as I try to think. "It was something Team Plasma was looking for in Opelucid. But I don't know what it is, exactly, or how it would be important to them..."

I stop in confusion as I work to desperately conjure up any reason, strategic or otherwise, as to why Ghetsis would need the splicers. But I couldn't come up with anything. Drayden never mentioned it having a specific purpose, and it didn't look like it was capable of accomplishing anything. All he told me was that it's a precious, historical relic that had been passed down in secrecy for generations within his family.

"Oh, but you will see just how important they are! Watch the power they are about to bestow!" Ghetsis exclaims triumphantly. He raises the hand that holds the splicers. It looks like how I remember it: a triangular prism, with alternating color bands of gray, white, black, then gray again. Protruding from the triangle's center is a yellow spike that looks hauntingly like the spikes from Kyurem's wings.

That couldn't be a coincidence.

With the splicers in one hand, he uses his other hand to slam his cane. Then the splicers start to... rise out of his hand somehow, through a power I don't understand. It starts to glow a luminescent pink before transforming into a silver sphere.

What the...? What is going on? What is he doing?

The sphere keeps rising, making an ominous humming noise. Then it suddenly emits a shockwave. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Hilda flinch backwards at the sight of it. I didn't expect her to be the jumpy type. But, if anything, I should have been more wary of it, after what I just went through. But the shockwave ends up being meaningless, passing through us like an invisible vapor of a spirit.

That's probably a good thing, anyways. I feel stuck to the ground, unable to move as I wait to see what would happen. N still stands next to me, watching with intense eyes. I reach out for his hand, desperately needing some sort of physical contact right now to ground me. After my fingers brush against his palm, his hand curls around mine in a gentle manner. To be honest, I'm grateful for it. Yes, I'm afraid right now, but I'm also curious as to what would happen next.

The sphere has stretched into a long, thin, spiraling set of coils. Now, there are these... things being sucked into it. I don't know how to really describe them. All I can really say is that they were wavy streams of alternating black and red, almost reminiscent of the energy seen in Dark type moves. They cut through a purple haze that now fills the air, while a sound like rushing water enters my ears.

"What is..." N breaks off in a nervous anticipation. I squeeze his hand to be reassuring, but right now my heart feels ready to explode in my chest, I'm so nervous. It's hard to wait when you don't know what's coming next.

The coils gradually spin faster and the unraveled sphere, now looking more like a screw that got stretched too far, grows bigger. Suddenly, the dark-like matter disappears as the purple haze spreads out even further; but then it is just as quickly sucked back into the coils. For a few seconds, everything grows deadly quiet and still, almost as if the Giant Chasm itself is holding its breath. The coils then twist themselves into a small, gray jewelry-like box that continues to rotate in place. The form becomes triangular, stretching itself into the four layers of gray, black, white, and gray, complete with the yellow spike on top.

Wait, what? What was the point of all that if it just turned back into the way it was?

But maybe there's an unseen force at work here.

In the universe's comical timing, that's when the splicers suddenly stab into Kyurem's spike, behind its head.

I still don't know what that show was all about... But this can't be good.

Kyurem's eyes start to glow. The dragon then rears up to its full height, becoming all the more larger and menacing in appearance. A giant, colossal beast ready to stomp on whatever gets in its way...

Which, of course, just happens to be us.

My scream stifles in my throat, and I can't help but scramble away, dragging poor N along with me. Kyurem suddenly thrusts upwards, with a loud cracking sound akin to broken glass. But as it stomps back onto the ground, I can now see the cause of the unusual noise.

The ice that served as a casing for its wings has shattered. At the end of its gray wings, there are now two, almost transparent spikes: one on top and one on the bottom. And they were pointed right at us. Like they were guns, ready to shoot.

"What the hell have you done?!" I shout in utter disbelief and terror.

"Oh, you haven't seen anything YET!" Ghetsis declares triumphantly.

Kyurem takes a single step towards Zekrom, the spikes pointed at the Jet-Black Pokémon. They start to glow pink, surrounded by similar colored particles of what appears to be pure energy. A charging noise ensues and revs up its whine.

"Hilda, Zekrom! WATCH OUT!" I screech. I can just barely see Hilda do a barrel roll out from behind Zekrom. But the dragon didn't have time to get out of the way, as Kyurem shoots pink lasers from its spike-like tips.

W-what? Is he trying to kill Zekrom? I thought in horror, as N gasps suddenly.

With surprising agility, Zekrom leaps back, just barely missing the lasers. The Pokémon then shoots into the air, leaving behind a cloud of dust. Kyurem turns to aim, and it fires the lasers again. I watch helplessly as they fly towards the Legendary like heat seeking missiles. Zekrom's tail glows a neon blue as it generates the energy needed to get away. The dragon does a spiral turn to avoid them, but the lasers just follows in its path regardless.

Kyurem shoots once more, with a steely determination to strike his target. Just like during my near murder, it bears no emotion on its face.

Actually, I take that back. The closer I look, the more I see it.

Hunt. Kill.

"STOP IT!!" Hilda yells furiously at Ghetsis, even though she knows as well as I do that such an action is futile. The anger on her face is clear as her eyes became watery. "I don't know what you think you're doing, but stop trying to hurt Zekrom!"

I barely hear Ghetsis laugh, his face full of arrogance and zeal. He truly doesn't give a damn about what's happening, or what is about to happen; about how both Kyurem and Zekrom are suffering at this very moment, being forced to play as pawns in this horrible, horrible game. N shakes violently next to me as he tries to process what is happening. I put an arm around his trembling frame, hopelessly trying to comfort him.

The pink lasers take on an appearance of sentience as they strategically soar ahead of Zekrom, doing a U-turn to circle turn back around. Zekrom looks on in horror as it realizes what is going to happen. The laser winded around its body, tightening their suffocating grip. Zekrom soon couldn't move, its wings held fast by the cords. With a cry of agony, Zekrom begins to fall. The black dragon starts to glow pink as it curls up into a ball. Pink light surrounds it as Zekrom revertes into a small, black stone. The stone floats downwards until it hovers in the air in front of us.

"Oh no... How was Kyurem able to revert Zekrom back into the Dark Stone? Did the DNA Splicers do this?!" Hilda exclaims, her eyes wide as she stares at the stone.

The Dark Stone? Like in the legends? That's what Zekrom reverted into?

I watch in agony as N slowly walked up to the Dark Stone, his movements full of confusion.

"Z-Zekrom..." is all he can find the courage to say. Again, for the umpteenth time today, I felt my heart break at the sight. None of this could be real...

How could he do this? HOW COULD HE?! I start to shake in anger as I mourned N's loss alongside him. Ghetsis would pay for this!

Ghetsis, however, is the very essence of triumph, completely oblivious to all of our pain and frustration. Or perhaps, it's those very things that give him so much strength now.

"Kyurem! Absorb Zekrom! Use Abso Fusion!"

"What?!" Hilda and I exclaim incredulously at the same time. I've surely never heard of a move as bizarre sounding as Abso Fusion before. Is this the true power of the DNA Splicers...?

The Dark Stone, still floating in the air, makes its way over to Kyurem. With a look of malicious glee, Kyurem fires the pink lasers again, this time in a continuous stream directed at the stone. The Dark Stone radiates a sickly pink glow from its assault. It slowly rises in tandem with a humming sound, as Kyurem rears up once more to focus the energy beams on it. Suddenly, the stone seems to shrink as the lasers cease, coiling themselves around Kyurem's wings before disappearing entirely.

That's when the blue and white light begins to emanate from Kyurem. The Pokémon is somehow surrounded by this pure, electrifying power, the air radiating lightning as it crackles. Kyurem rises up again as this power glows from its tail. It becomes brighter and brighter, until everything goes frighteningly, completely white. It's incredible: it's like looking directly at a lightning bolt when it strikes— when one's vision just totally becomes engulfed in the luminosity, not a shadowy outline to spare. Out of human instinct, I cover my eyes with my hands in a futile attempt to protect my vision.

When I bring them back down after it appears that the light has receded, I see the horrible creature that now stands before me. I could start to feel my legs buckle underneath me, my strength failing me. Two sets of arms clamored from my sides, trying to steady me.

"Woah now, easy girl," Hilda mutters, even though her face looks like she has just seen a ghost. "The first step is to try to remain standing, all right?"

But what I see right now is too much for me to handle. Too much. Because now I know why he needed Zekrom. Now I know why he needed the DNA Splicers.

He needed them because somehow, the splicers have the power to create this... monster. The fusion of Zekrom and Kyurem. I never knew such a thing was possible...

But here it is, ready to freeze Unova solid and utterly demolish everything that dares to stand in its path.