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The remains of the Tower of Rebirth after Chapter 31.
Temporary thread until the end of the Balance Arc.

"I can only hope you're as strong as the bloodlust you seem to have, Orion." Tolin appeared quietly with Desmond behind him. Tolin quickly advanced to the ruins of the tower and found a suitable beam to sit down on before settling in for the conversation. "Don't mind Desmond. He's just here to make sure you don't try to kill me or rip the password from my mind. I have the password, of course, but I'm more inclined to ask my questions first. You'll have to forgive me, but it seems fairly plausible that you would kill me as soon as you had the plate and then simply wait for a chance to advance upon Darkrai yourself while the Elite were distracted."

He was, of course, treading a dangerous line that would probably get him killed. Even though Desmond was shielding both of them, it was difficult to tell if Orion's attitude was a result of simple arrogance or if it was well-seated in his strength. Without the gem, he should be much weaker... but he still had the blood of Arceus. It was distinctly possible he had some kind of special skill or ability that would allow him to overpower the both of them.

"If Alfred set the password, I know what it is. The only others who may have set a password... Well, that would be the Elite." If they somehow managed to put a password over the original one, then that would explain the existence of them both. Though if it came down to that, it was simply a means of securing Orion's knowledge in the meantime and gathering the password later. The Espeon wouldn't care so long as he got his revenge.

"But, I have a question for you. Just one, that's all I require before I open the door. I wish to satiate my curiousity. Where does Darkrai fit into all of this?" It didn't matter in the long run. He knew Darkrai was involved, which meant he had to be killed. At best, the knowledge of how Darkrai fit into it would help ascertain the timing of the fight, but nothing more. It was simply a thirst for knowledge, though knowledge was necessary.

So there was something tactical to come out of that. It put a much more significant (if odd) stress on the blade. Taking it actually posed a risk if it was done without care. If Darkrai became aware it was taken (especially if Creaus was sealed in the process) then it was fairly likely he would immediately blitzkrieg the guild to get it back. Or at the very least possible, unlike before. That was assuming the theory was correct, though.

"Ahh. Well then, that does explain quite a bit." Tolin promptly hopped off of his seat and went over to the password door. O-U-R-O-B-O-R-O-S. The symbol of Rebirth and actually a rather obvious password. Maybe the stress was making him slow.

The door immediately popped open to the sound of electrical crackling and slid about half way open before stopping. Although the room was still safe, it seemed as if the exterior speakers were damaged and the rubble was interfering with the gears. Not that it stopped Tolin from stepping in sideways, grabbing the plate and walking right out. "There was only one password, Orion." He swung the plate over to Orion with ease, letting the Espeon catch or stop it on his own.

"Now, then. You have your plate. Do I have your cooperation?" If he didn't, it was time to put a massive red flag on the Espeon's existence. They couldn't safely do anything about him... but they would have to be more defensive. If he attacked there was much he could do, but the backlash would be immense.

I've recruited someone dangerous, haven't I? Well, it was too late to change that. Hopefully they could keep his sanity under control without having to give his pendant back to him whenever they managed to find it. Giving the pendant back to him would give him the power to murder everyone in the guild, considering exactly what they did. It wouldn't be like the other Elite where he would be limited to attacks that could be avoided or even blocked. Judgment would slice through the guild like butter.

Ah well. I'd best make the pendant a priority then. "Let's go, then. I'd like to ask you a bit more about the relative strength of the Elite, if you wouldn't mind. It would be nice to know if I stand a chance." Tolin stepped over to Desmond who promptly laid down a wing. Having the Espeon hug his leg for the sake of a teleport would be awkward for all three of them. It would be much preferred if Orion would just hop on the damn wing.

Desmond nearly threatened the Espeon then and there, but a sharp look from Tolin cut the words off in his throat. Desmond was there as a soldier. Though they would be friendly when they could, that was the core nature of their relationship. Desmond was there to shut up, take orders and kill whatever Tolin told him to kill. "Mostly, I'm concerned about your brother. I had assumed that only the strongest would sit at the top of the Elite. I had assumed it would be a naturally powerful pokemon; a Dragonite, Metagross or Gyarados... something like that. Perhaps it's a faulty assumption, but it seems likely still that the strongest sits on the top. Which means something about your brother is extraordinarily special. You, as his brother, must share some of that. So I need to know. How strong is he, compared to the rest? How strong are you?"

The obvious guess was the ability to use Judgment, specifically without a plate. Orion had done so only once, but if the ability was there for him, it may be for his brother. And if that was the case... how much had Orion's power waned? It was possible that the Eevee who sat on the throne could be strong enough to obliterate the guilds entirely on his own. Desmond held his teleport for a moment. It would be best to finish the conversation before hitting public areas.

Desmond was repressing murderous thoughts.

Well then, he was the real concern then, wasn't he? That was troublesome. "Disgustingly strong, then. How would you fair against him if you had the mirror? Alternatively... This is going to sound terribly stupid, but is there any chance we could forcibly evolve him? If we took him away from his form as an Eevee, he would grow in strength but the pendant would stop working." It was a very, very stupid sounding idea but it didn't hurt to ask. If it worked, they had a very simple shortcut to killing him. Analyze what type they have the most fire-power of and then change him to something weak against it. And then murder him. Bathe him in so much judgment and legendary power that he would simply keel over.

Oh, right, that. "And... one other thing. Would judgment work? Not against him specifically, but against the Elite in general. If it does, your children might yet serve a purpose." He had been planning to just string Pluto along as best he could. Lucinda had only been given the offer to lead as a purely political move; Tolin planned to hold as much control as he could by acting as a hub. But if Judgment had the possibility to be used as a weapon... Bringing in the Eclipse family as a series of cannons could prove crucial.

Teleport him to the courtyard, I'll meet him there with a ball of yarn. Tolin stepped away slightly, content with what he had learned. He had managed to get a good look at just what was on the other side of the board, as well as his own pieces; it was a significant boon. Orion might have been able to tell him more, but Lloyd could cover anything the Espeon could at this point. "Thank you for your help, Orion. I'll be seeing you again in just a moment, though I have business to attend to."

Desmond quietly disappeared with Orion in tow.

It seemed that Orion would be a valuable ally. Whether or not he wanted to. Though, time was running short. The meeting would be gathering in fairly short order, and although he hadn't had the time to find a swordsman he had covered his essential bases. He still, at the least, had to give Lucinda a briefing of what he had learned in the meantime. Or, at the least, what he planned to tell the guilds.

Well, first was the yarn.