A/N: Okay, who was expecting that title? Couldn't resist, sorry. Anyway, we're introduced to another of the Five Nightmares. This one, unlike Fikhse, is an OC, and their backstory is given.

ON another note, I have a contest I'm sending out at the end of this chapter. Check it out!

Enjoy!

Chapter XVIII

…And Into the Fire

Algator POV

As one, all of us joined Star in standing. "Need we wait until morning then?" Gandalf said grimly. "The hunt is up. We cannot now journey south with the wolves behind us."

"How far is Moria?"Boromir asked.

"There was a door southwest of Caradhras," said Gandalf. "Maybe fifteen miles as the crow flies, or twenty as the wolf runs."

"Then let us make our way there as soon as it is light tomorrow, if we can," Boromir said. "The wolf that one hears is worse than the orc that one fears."

"True," replied Aragorn, "But where the wolf howls, there also the orc prowls."

"And where rhymes are made, there too the dead are laid," I snarled. "Shut up and get ready to fight."

They did. Star though, seemingly couldn't resist jibing, "Ah, there's that bard's talent I knew you had. You should use it more often."

I glared at him as I settled into a combat stance. Grinning, he came and lowered himself beside me. A little ways to our left, Grovyle, Celebi, and Dusknoir had formed a triangular formation. I recognized it as the infamous Trinity Formation – Dusknoir, their tank/power hitter, was in front of the two others, Grovyle, their quick-striker, was to the left of and slightly behind him, and Celebi was to his right, ready to use her ranged capabilities.

The Trinity had been designed by Alakazam for his own Recue Team in the North, long ago, actually – Tyranitar in front, as their shield wall, Alakazam as their striker, and Charizard as their ranger. Since then it had become a classic battlefield technique for any fitting team, Rescue or Exploration. It seemed Team Soul had been working together long enough now to have mastered one of the best formations available to them.

The Hobbits, I noticed, didn't look happy with their position. "Stay behind us," I murmured to them, "We'll look after you."

"Thank you, Mr. Algator sir," said Sam gratefully as he, Pippin, and Merry came closer. Frodo, I noticed, was over near to Gandalf. Sam seemed to as well. "I must go to my master!" he cried, and left us.

"Well, you two stay here," I said to the remaining two Hobbits. "And don't worry."

Suddenly Star swore in ancient Northern Arcean. "Algator," he said flatly. "No more comforting. We're in trouble."

I turned, and tensed. My heart leapt up into my throat and stuck there. In front of us, glittering with sparks and tiny flashes of lightning, stood the Nightmare of Electricity, Threija.

It would be her, wouldn't it? I thought dully. May Kyurem freeze you, Darkrai.

As though she could hear my thoughts, Threija laughed, a harsh, crackling sound, painfully changed from the crystalline tinkle she'd had before Darkrai took her. Algator, my love, she murmured, a cruel smirk crossing her features as her glowing eyes met mine. It has been far too long. How are you, dearest? Why have you not come to see me in so long?

Star didn't even give me time to continue the banter of the demon that was made from the shell of my lover. He charged, face set in a mask of rage. His mouth opened, and his throat started to glow as fire seeped forth from within.

Threija didn't seem to like the idea much. Her fingers clamped together into a position like that of a karate chop and her arm swung about as through her hand was a sword. As she did this, electricity lanced out from her knife-hand extending like a sword outward. The blade slashed Star in the chest as he ran and he was thrown back to me, tiny bolts of lightning arcing all over his body.

I helped him up and looked at Threija. I couldn't hate her – not the Raichu I had loved. She had been co-leader of another Rescue Team. We'd first met on a joint mission to rescue a Camerupt that had gotten itself trapped on the 74th floor of Far-Off Sea. Star said that since their two-Pokemon team consisted of her – she was just called Raichu then – and her partner, a Meganium, they'd be really helpful in that Water-Type dungeon. I'd always had a feeling, though, that it was all some elaborate plot by Star and Meganium to get me together with Raichu – Star had run into their team a few months back, and was always trying to get me to meet her, saying I'd like her.

Like her I had. The moment I saw her, I fell in love with her – and going down the entire dungeon with her, watching her fight with a skill I'd never seen rivaled in an Electric-Type – including Zapdos and Raikou – only intensified it.

Before anyone knew what was happening, she and I were the ones planning rendezvous instead of our teammates. Within a year, we were mates.

And then, five years later, Darkrai had come. The Cataclysm had happened. And she was transformed from the beautiful Raichu I had known into Threija, the Nightmare of Lightning.

By now, tears were falling. Aw, don't cry, she whispered in a sadistic imitation of loving concern. I'm here now.

"Burn in the Underworld, demon," snarled Star, leaning on me as he recovered. "Fikhse is one thing, but this? You've gone too far!"

Oh, have we indeed? cackled Threija. Fool. 'All is fair in love and war,' is it not? That is a human saying, isn't it, spawn of men? Well, this is war, and it is love too, apparently. Do you not see? There is nothing you can do. If you kill me, you will have taken me from your dear partner. You cannot do that. And yet if you do not, Algator will be forever tormented by my existence as your enemy – and by the faint hope that I may be recalled to the cursed light. You are trapped between two blades, Starbane.

"A rock and a hard place," muttered Star, his eyes closed.

What? Threija hissed.

"The saying's 'trapped between a rock and a hard place'," Star said, opening his eyes, his face calm. "Another human saying."

Threija rolled her eyes. Fool. You may be the Hero of Arcea, but you will die by the Master's hand when he stretches it forth.

"Maybe," said Star, and now his eyes narrowed. "But Darkrai still doesn't understand if he thinks it'll be that easy. He's strong. That defeat at the Lake was a ruse, and I know it. He probably can beat me – especially if he has you and the other Nightmares to count on. But that's not how it works.

"I'll start by flaming him. If he uses disable on my Flamethrower, I'll bite him. If he tears out my teeth, I'll claw him. It cuts off my claws, I'll choke him. If he cuts off my hands, I'll kick him. If he removes my legs, I'll club him with my tail. If he removes my tail, I'll curse him. If he rips out my tongue, I'll headbutt him. I will never give in."

There was a moment of silence as all of us stared at Star following this little speech, and then Threija, who looked as stunned as I'd ever seen a Nightmare look, tried to salvage her air of power by saying in an attempt at sarcasm, Actually, if he cuts off your tail, you'll be dead – separated from your tail-flame.

"Whatever," Star grunted. "You get the point."

Oh, yes. The point is that you can't keep track of your bodily capabilities as a Pokemon, said Threija sardonically. It's due to your humanity – and your human weakness. Enough. I will allow you to live today. Algator, I'm sorry, but our reunion must be delayed a little longer. She gave me a feral grin. Try to survive, she whispered, almost seductively. I'd very much enjoy it if Master Darkrai can catch you. We would make a grand pair of Nightmares, and Aguikh outlives his usefulness to our master. Aguikh was the Nightmare of Water. Farewell. Wargs! Do your task as it was set to you! And she vanished in a bolt of lightning.

At once, Wargs charged in from all directions. Star and I met them halfway.

"We should have tried to get to high ground!" Star shouted at me over the howling wolves.

"Let's go there now!" I yelled back as I shoved my claws halfway down a lunging Warg's throat.

"There's a hill behind us!" Grovyle cried as he whirled, Leaf Blade active. "Everyone! Make for the hill behind us!"

"That won't work!" Star screamed. "Heat Wave!"

At once I felt the temperature rise to dangerous levels – but as always, I wasn't harmed. A lot of Wargs fainted dead away from the sudden rise in temperature, though.

"Now we can make for the hill!" Star called.

We did, and soon we were standing, all fourteen of us, in a ring atop the hill. The Hobbits stayed close to me, Star, Gandalf, or Aragorn. Bill, the pack pony was in the center of the circle. He was injured – his right-front leg was bent oddly and bled profusely.

There was a ring of stones around us and the wolves formed a circle around it. Some of them even came right up to it, growling at us. At a gap in the ring, suddenly a great Warg came up and stood alone. It howled, and suddenly I was taken back in memory to the time of the Cataclysm – remembering the war-horns of the great captains on both sides of the war. This wolf was a captain, calling forth its troops for battle.

"Listen, Hound of Sauron!" Gandalf cried, pointing his staff at it. "Gandalf is here. Fly, if you value your foul skin! I will shrivel you from tail to snout, if you come within this ring!"

"Leave burning and shriveling to be, Gandalf," said Star grimly. When I'm through with this thing, one won't even be able to find bones."

The wolf snarled and leapt at the Charizard. Star didn't even flinch. A Flamethrower lanced out and fire engulfed the wolf. True to Star's words, what fell was nothing more than dust and ashes. That wasn't natural – Star's fire wasn't that hot. These weren't normal wolves.

As one, all of the watching wolves turned tail and sped down the hill. What worried me, though, was the fact that there was not a single dismayed yelp. This wasn't a retreat – this was a feint.

A few hours later, I was proven right. At once the forest all around us lit up with howling and the Wargs charged at us from all directions.

"Stand back to back!" Star shouted. "Hold together! Celebi give me fuel!" He shat a great burst of flame at the dying remains of our fire as Celebi shot it with a couple Razor Leaves. It burst into light and heat like a bonfire.

In the sudden light I saw a veritable army of wolves leap over the stone ring. Star, though, had a plan. He flew up into the air with a couple flaps of his great wings and lanced Flamethrowers all around us in another circle. Now, just inside the ring of stones, a circle of flame defended us from the Wargs.

All of those wolves in the flame area quickly burned to death. Those inside were soon beheaded. My task now became quenching the fire whenever it tried to come inward. So we waited again, waiting for either dawn or for some brave wolf to leap through the fire.

None did. We all heard yelps as the wolves fled from the expanding fire, and Star, high above, called down, "They're running! This time really!"

"Good!" I called. I started hosing down the flames with by Hydro Pump. The entire forest seemed alight now – I only quenched the fires threatening us. "But next time try not to burn down everything, all right?"

"Fine," Star said as he alighted on the ground beside me. Anyway, it's nearly dawn."

I nodded.

"That was some heated flame, Master Star," said Gimli, coming up to us. "As you said, all that was left was dust and ash!"

"My fire's not actually that hot," Star replied. "There should have been at least some blackened bones. It must have been an enchanted wolf, if not merely an illusion."

"Bill's hurt!" cried Sam from his position behind the pony.

"I know!" I heard Celebi say as she came up to them. "I've got Oran Berries. He'll be as good as new in a moment."

"Sounds like everything's fine," Star said to me, grinning. "When people are worried about the pack animal, you know it's all right."

"Yes," I said with a grin. Then my smile faded. "Tomorrow we head for Moria."

"Yep," said Star with a sigh.

"Am I the only one with a bad feeling?" I asked him.

"Nope," he replied. "We're in for something – I'm sure of it."

"How bad?" I asked dully.

"Like the first time we faced Moltres," he grunted. I winced – we'd gotten flattened. "But I've been wrong before. We can hope."

"No other choice?" I asked hopefully. "No other road to take?"

"None."

"I guess we're stuck then."

"Yep."

A moment of silence. Then,

"Crap," I said.

"Yep," he replied.

A/N: How was it? Not as action scene-esque as you might expect from a battle, but I thought it was all right. Now, I have a question to pose to the lot of you: Who can guess what the other three Nightmares' elements will be? The first person to guess correctly will be allowed to make a request for a oneshot depicting any single piece of the lore I've set up for the between-games universe of PMD AS LONG AS it's not that missing time Star and Algator saved the world, OR it can be a fluff scene for any pairing I use. Answer via review or PM and make sure you have Private Messaging turned ON so I can reply. Thanks, and please, review!