[ti]dungeon[/ti]MIDAS CORP

The book was unharmed, she shouldn't have expected anything less. Corruption was hardly easy to confront. And yet as the two others picked up the book, she could hardly shout warnings fast enough before the power suddenly shut down. The whole place seemed to crunch as dust settled in the room.

A confrontation broke out between the remaining trainers, and Laguna didn't know how what to say. There was no power the Tome could grant that would save their friends, it would only doom them.

The Corruption was not something to be embraced. It was an enemy, in a way that was absolutely undeniably so.

She was lost in her thoughts, stunned. When the others finally stepped out, she'd look back at her Pokémon with a soft frown on her face.

"You attempted to warm them, Momma. That's the best you can do." The Bergmite would hop down out of Mr. Business's arms, nuzzling against her leg.

"Thanks, dear. I just worry, so many people don't... know. They weren't there. They haven't seen what we have-"

Her words were suddenly interrupted with a loud crunch in the wall behind her as the room began to crumble. A powerful muscular arm shoved straight through the wall, hand outstretched trying to grab hold of the intruders that still remained. "Business!"

"On it!" The Mr. Mime swiftly held up his hands with a Quick Guard, the fist slamming into the forcefield to protect the Trio. Suddenly, another hand gripped the hole in the wall, ripping it apart as the Buzzwole attempted to press its bulging muscular upper body through the hole it was making. "It's not gonna last! We gotta go!"

A small black wire crept across the floor, lazily winding up from a huge crack in the floor.

Taking the advice of her Pokémon, Laguna swiftly pivoted on her feet, reaching down to grab Glacia to get the hell out of there, only-

"Glacia?" Laguna's heart froze in her chest, the Bergmite no longer right at her side.

"M-momma!" Bergmite's voice was strained, struggling as wires wrapped around her small form, swiftly attempting to tug her down a crack that she was too big to fit down. It was the sole reason she hadn't vanished immediately. It was practically crushing her.

"N-no no!" She immediately entered a sheer state of panic, swiftly moving over to grab down onto Glacia's spines, bracing her feet against the ground and tugged hard.

She fought, struggling hard against the wires that threatened to claim her baby, all as Mr. Business was barely holding back the Buzzwole. Another punch slammed into the force with such force that Mr. Business was slid back on his feet a few inches. "C-can't hold!"

"Momma! I'm scared!" Glacia struggled against the wires, attempting a Rapid Spin, only to be held in place.

"Don't be, Momma's got you, I got you, I-" Tears were dripping down her cheeks, sparkling onto the electric wires below. The ground cracked even further, the hole slowly widening and another tendrilic wire snapping up, sparks flying. "I-I won't lose you again!"

Mr. Business could barely hold back, his arms weakening, energy fading in face of the terrifying muscular threat before them. He couldn't give up, he couldn't abandon them in their time of need. He steeled his resolve, staring daggers up at the Buzzwole, who then slammed its proboscis into his force field.

It took a few moments, but eventually Glacia's face slowly softened, realization washing over them. They weren't going to make it out. Not without Laguna coming to intense harm in the process, and even then there was no confirmation that she'd make it out either way. She had already died twice, she had faced death and crawled out with the help of her trainer, her Momma, Laguna. She would be okay.

Laguna immediately recognized that look on her face. How could she not? It was ingrained into her mind as a core memory.

Once at the Bedrock Shrine, and then at Bronstanton Manor.

"N-no! D-don't you-!"

"I know you'll come for me Momma. I love you."

Laguna screamed.

Glacia wiggled with every ounce of its energy, twisting around to grip a wire within their mouth. A powerful Ice Fang ripped through the exterior of the wire, causing the beast it was attached to to make some unholy noise and tug as hard as it can. The floor erupted beneath them, and Glacia was suddenly swept straight into darkness.

Laguna kept screaming, sobbing as her arm reached down into the darkness, trying to grab her baby.

Mr. Business was the one who leapt into action to save his trainer. With a Power Swap on the Buzzwole, temporarily borrowing its intense strength, twist around to grab his hands around Laguna and rip her away from the ground and carried her out of the building as fast as his feet could carry her.

She was limp in his arms, her heart bleeding. Seta's past words rang in her ears, as if the rest of the world suddenly didn't exist.

"A shared death is not a shared fate."

She wished it was her. Glacia didn't deserve this.

"You are right to be concerned. To take a spirit from the Everworld is to teach it understanding of something eternal. Immortal."

Glacia... The bravest Pokémon she knew, but it drove her absolutely crazy. Sheldon, Hoppy... now Glacia. Her baby.

"Fear is erased, replaced with faith. But fear is what guides mortals. Without it, in confidence, we fade. Our steps grow tangled. The way back is lost, and a new one must be found."

"... Business, please help me find her. I can't do this anymore on my own. I don't know if my heart can take it."

"I will, I promise."