Battling the Darkness Away

Chapter One

A/N: Okay, so I had this story pretty much written up to the halfway mark until the family computer went stupid and got a virus, so the story got deleted. Not like any of you care, I think, but at least I can somewhat improve the plot and everything on a clean canvas…Hopefully. The original was a one shot, but I decided to turn into a multi-chapter. Also, this will be my first ever multi-chapter story, dunno how long, but definitely more than two chapters…Again, hopefully.

Anyway, please enjoy and leave a review. Constructive criticism, saying you loved it, it can be anything. BUT PLEASE GO EASY ON ME, I'm new :3

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Geometric circles emerged from where silent tears hit the dark, yet clear water. They raced down his cheeks at a quick pace, as if their own life depended on it. Down and down they fell, leaving shiny trails on the crying trainer's face. He watched them hit his reflection, making his moonlight-pale face ripple and wave. He watched those huge, sadden chocolate brown eyes fill with them, glassing over with unshed tears before spilling over like water in a cup. Not wanting to see them anymore, he closed them shut.

He felt terrible, beyond terrible, as the unexplained pain was too much. So much pain, infact, that he couldn't even call out to his sleeping friends for help. Pikachu, Brock, Dawn…No one was coming. They were innocently sleeping in sleeping bags nearby, unaware of his current suffering state. Whispering was difficult, so can he expect himself to yell? Maybe he'll just have to endure it for tonight, and tell them in the morning because, gosh, this pain was to excruciating to be simply an injury. And Ash couldn't even tell where it came from. It is felt all over his body, head, stomach, limbs, just everywhere. It was impossible to trace it back to a source. Utterly impossible.

Ash took a painful, silent, shaky breath with eyes shut to prevent tears from coming down. He thought back on the events that leaded up to tonight. And even that was a painful thing to do.

There was his usual hike through the dense woods with the others toward the next city, or town, or whatever. He didn't pay attention to what Brock had said about that.

Then the usual rest stop with lunch and having to deal with yet another hilarious (well, hilarious to Brock) argument with Dawn over how the other always eats the most. Pikachu had to threaten to shock the both of them so they can finally settle down and actually finish eating the food, and not disturbed the rest of the pokemon.

Then came the battle with another trainer which ended in an easy victory (although Ash felt he was too tough on the trainer).

Then came with the same, old routine with Team Rocket which ended with them blasting off again. Ash was beginning to question how they do not break any bones from that…

Then a dinner that seemed exactly the same as lunch.

After that came the daily event in which they had to help a stranger, pokemon, etc., etc.

And now going to sleep in his old sleeping bag before waking to clear his head, a few minute walk through the peaceful forest to a huge, and incredibly beautiful lake, and then suddenly falling to his knees hunched over in this pain, if you can even call it pain. It was just too horrible.

Ash knew that he felt normal, just the usual tiredness that comes from walking nearly all day, everything was just normal. Just handy-dandy. So why now, out of all times, did this pain suddenly emerge? If it came only a few minutes earlier, he probably could've been treated by now from Brock. But NO. It had to come the ONLY time Ash was alone, and away from company. He cursed his terrible luck.

"Is it finally over?" he said to himself after a few minutes past of that pain. Ash felt it fade away, slowly but surely, and he can now talk, quietly. That intense burning of all his being was going away: he couldn't be more relieved.

'Just a few more minutes,' he told himself in his head, comforting himself, 'Just a few more and it will all be over. Just think about that new badge you'll be getting soon. Yeah, and the new pokemon and trainers you'll meet…'

Just as he thought, the burning pain faded away entirely. No left-overs, stings, nothing. Like it had never happened. Ash just took deep breaths and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with a cold hand. He finally opened his eyes and met eye-to-eye with his pale reflection. Even in the clear water darkened by night he could see how red and puffy his eyes were. He mentally wished that they will clear up by morning so no questioning from his friends would occur. He didn't want to tell them, being his stubborn self, but then again…That episode just wasn't normal. No injury, or migraine, nothing could've caused this as far as he knows. He's no doctor by any means, but it doesn't take a degree to know that it was strange and far too excruciating. He'll just, put it off until morning. Until then, Ash will silently recover and return to camp, and fall into a welcoming darkness that comes with sleep.

"I guess I better head back now," he quietly said to himself after another few minutes. During that time he had calmed himself down some, splashed his face with chilly, but not cold water, thought the experience over, and finally he simply stared at his reflection. He didn't know why, but something was just so…eye-catching about it. The way his seemed to glow in the soft moonlight, the depth of his eyes, the way his soft face contrasted with the dark, yet beautiful water. Dark beauty. Ash just didn't want to look away, he was stuck in place, like he couldn't even move. Yet he didn't even think about it, his mind was blank. Of course, he came to his senses when a strangely sudden gust of sweet-smelling air came through and ruined the mirror-like reflection. He jumped, startled, and relaxed when he saw it was nothing. Ash waited a few more seconds, just to take in the beautiful, yet eerie darkness of the forest with the soft glow of moonlight before standing up.

"It's late now, the sun will come up soon I'm sure," he said to himself and headed back to the small dirt path back toward his friends and a comfy sleeping bag. Ash couldn't wait to be dreamland and scurried faster, all while the painful episode faded away to the back of his mind.

As Ash finally disappeared into the campsite, he failed to notice his reflection that was still present in the dark water. The same reflection that looked exactly the same, except with malice swimming in those pools of warm chocolate brown. And topped off with a mouth that twisted into a smirk filled with revenge and…Malevolence. It continued to simply stare into the air before vanishing into the water, leaving no trace of it ever being there.

As he was dreaming, Ash shivered when an icy cold wind blew across his face with a dark, voice quietly said…

"It's time."

A/N: Okay, so there it is. I KNOW IT'S SHORT. The first ever chapter to my first ever multi-chapter story. Ever. I'm still figuring out the plot, but it's all coming together now. Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon, before the weekend. I dunno though, I'm bad when it comes to deadlines. PLEASE BE PATIENT WITH ME! First year of high school just isn't helping either, too much work -.- but I'll figure something out :D

Until I see you again, PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! :3