The wind...

That was all Caria could feel, until she opened her eyes. She was high up in the air, flying close to the mountain she was in, noticing the hole on top surrounded by ice for a ways down. Then the pain hit, and she felt clamped. Looking around, she the noticed she was still in the clutches of the beast she had just fought.

A searing, light blue beam shot forward from behind the beast, and she felt her captor veer off away from it. Despite her movements, the Kirlia didn't seem to concern the Salamence for the time being, as whatever had shot that beam was the bigger threat.

Another beam blew past, closer than the last. Caria could feel a chill coming from it, and the next one that the Salamence quickly rose up to avoid. It growled, circling around to face the attacker. It flapped its wings faster, intending to blow them out of the sky.

Caria got a good look at what was firing upon them: a beautiful blue bird with a white beard and a flowing tail. Was it after her, or was this territorial? She feels as if she'd had enough of being targeted for one day, but if it wasn't for them, she might be Bagon food by now.

"Can you escape? I will catch you if you can!" A voice...Caria isn't sure where it came from, but it sure wasn't the monster that had her in its mouth. The bird flew against the wind caused by the Salamence, not making any headway. With it distracted, she figured now would be the best time to make an escape.

Considering her situation, she didn't know how to begin freeing herself. Being so far up, and in the condition she's in, she can't wrestle its mouth open. She felt trapped...scared...too much about this situation reminded her of that day. The day where her own stupid decision forever changed her fate. Her decision...to...

Caria vanished. The Salamence's mouth clamped shut with no Kirlia inside, and stopped its attack to investigate. The blue bird flew down in a dive; Caria had teleported herself a few feet away from the Salamence, and was now in freefall.

"Grab on!" the voice ordered, Caria being hesitant to do anything as fear had taken hold. Still, she held her arms out, and when the bird got close enough, she hugged its neck as best she could. She held her eyes shut, and the stress caused her to momentarily pass out.

By this point the Salamence was diving after them. The bird quickly reversed its direction and fired another icy beam towards it. Its dive was too fast: the beam struck its mark, and the beast was instantly frozen. Deftly flying up to avoid the incoming hunk of ice, the bird, with Caria in tow, flew over to the mountain's peak. The Salamence's frozen form crashed into the rocky section of the mountain and rolled down it, eventually falling out of sight beneath the treeline and cloud of dust from its tumbling.

The two landed on a clearing close to the summit, and the Articuno gently let the Kirlia's body down onto the fresh snow. It was not long before she came to, and shot upright with the cold surroundings hitting her. She quickly got up, looking around, then at the large blue bird standing nearby. "You...helped me. How did you know...?"

The Articuno extended a wing towards the lower part of the mountain, looking towards it and the horizon; at such an altitude, the view was quite spectacular. "The dragon that attacked you was once a Guardian, set to test the strength of those that wish to claim the plates they, and we, the Legendaries, guard. But that is all they are meant to do, a test that those must pass. Those that come before Guardians do not forfeit their lives in the pursuit of meeting us or obtaining the plates we guard. Yet, ours has disobeyed, and has been causing trouble for the surrounding area for a few weeks now."

Caria could clearly hear its feminine voice, though she assumed from looking at it that it must be using telepathy. She spoke back, using the same telepathy as a Psychic-type, though she could tell just from trying to pry into the Articuno's mind that she was nowhere near its level. "What of the person with me? Are they safe?"

"Unfortunately," the Articuno shook its head and looked down, closing its eyes, "I did not see anybody else. Only you. But fear not; listen to your feet."

Stumped, the Kirlia looked down. "Huh? What do you...?!" She stopped her thoughts, and focused on a new sensation. It was a rumbling...growing stronger. Eventually the mountain was clearly shaking, and a deep earthly sound echoed from underneath. Caria looked around, flustered and looking for the cause of the shaking. It eventually settled, but not before the Articuno spoke up again.

"That is my friend, Groudon, deep below us. We send messages to each other based on these quakes. Allow me a moment." The bird began doing an odd dance, holding its wings up. Its talons scratched and pattered against the ground in a distinct tapping rhythm. After a few moments of this dance, it jumped and landed on both of its feet at once. "Forgive me if that looked...silly, but it's much easier for us to do this than to meet face-to-face. Perhaps one day you'll meet him and see for yourself, but for now, what he's told me is that someone has claimed his plate."

"What?!" Caria said aloud. "Then, that means...wait, what does that mean?"

The Articuno seemed to smile. "It means that destiny has chosen you. But, just to be sure, show your Gem to me as proof of your claim."

Caria nodded, still quite puzzled at the situation. Didn't the Guardian soundly defeat her effortlessly, regardless if it was being more wild than usual? What reason could there be for her to claim the plate with that loss? Either way, she procured the Ice Gem from her pocket and held it out for the Articuno to inspect.

"Ah...very good. The freezing energy flowing through that jewel gives you the right to claim the plate. Follow me." The Articuno began walking up towards the very peak of the mountain, having to pull its feet up above the snowline to get a foot forward, as did Caria as she followed behind. "Usually there are more formalities, but there isn't time for that now. Your destiny is with the girl below. The Salamence will thaw before long, and you two must face it together."

"B-but she...She's..." The cold was getting to Caria, clearly not dressed for the occasion.

"Do not worry. She knows to trust in you. Trust in her, and you can overcome anything together." The Articuno opened up its wings, and flew upwards. A stone pedestal beset by spires of ice lay in front of Caria, and behind this structure lay a great crater. The bird hovered above. "Touch the plate. Arceus will explain the rest."

Not one for hesitating, and rather inclined to be in the freezing cold for as short a time as possible, Caria nodded and made her way to the plate, and placed her hand on it.
