The Village Guardians Chapter 4 Twilight Below Chapter 1: Section 1, a pokémon fanfic

+The Village Guardians Anthology+

-Chapter #4- Twilight Below-

Gremlin and Crystal, a Sableye and Kirlia who were recently married, have journeyed to the sprawling city of Alakaz to spend their honeymoon in the abandoned building known as the Alakaz Hall of Dance and Performance: where Gremlin lived for several years. While there, Crystal learns more about Gremlin's past, but the peaceful days come to an expected end as the young couple are soon on their first adventure together as mates.

Meanwhile, all seems quiet in the mountain village of Gardev. Still, Mack, a Guardian of Gardev, suspects that his wife, Aura, has something planned for him: some sort of surprise. Nonetheless, things are about to take a frightening turn in the small, alpine village as Team Shadow continues to gather strength...

Written by Dr. Mack Foxx and Aaraboga Jones

Ages 13+ Suggested for Violence and Romance

[The Village Guardians Anthology]
[Chapter #4- Twilight Below]

-132-

Without warning, Dr. Mack Foxx was jolted awake by a loud "Thump!" that seemed to echo throughout the sprawling bedroom. The Guardian quickly sat up in bed, wondering where the loud noise had come from. The male Gardevoir turned his gaze upon a nearby alarm clock on his nightstand: it was just barely 7:35 in the morning. Mack was really hoping he would not have to fend off an intruder at this hour. He was very tired, especially after the long day he and his wife, Aura, had gone through just yesterday. The previous twenty-four hours may have been filled with much joy and celebration, but going to 8 weddings and celebrating one's own third wedding anniversary in but a single day had taken its toll. Mack stretched out his arms and unfurled his majestic wings, covered with white feathers, as he let out a yawn, but quietly enough as to not disturb Aura. Mack couldn't help but look down at himself and then at his sleeping mate with a smile on his face. Per tradition, the two Guardians of Gardev had worn their splendorous wedding attire as a sign of celebration. Of course, wearing a soft, white dress that was covered with exquisite embroidery, accented with hundreds upon hundreds of small deep blue sapphires and diamonds would feel quite foreign to almost any male. The fancy garment had a very full skirt and no lack of soft petticoats underneath for lift and volume: this clothing had taken a considerable time for Mack to get used to. Still, this was the traditional attire for a married male Gardevoir, especially for a member of a Pokémon royal family. Aura lay next to her mate, still in a deep sleep. The thousands of small rubies and diamonds that accented the decorative designs sewn onto the female Gardevoir's dress were sparkling brightly, as was the diamond and platinum jewelry that adorned Aura's wrists, ears, hair and ankles. Aura's feet and ankles were just barely visible as they poked out from the bottom of her skirt and fluffy tulle petticoats. A long, delicate lace veil, attached to a stunning diamond and platinum tiara, covered the lovely Gardevoir's back as well as her own beautiful white wings. Aura was lying on her side, a bright smile on her face as the morning sunlight continued to march through the large glass door at the far right corner of the room and into the Guardians' bed chamber. A soft groan from somewhere in the room quickly snapped Mack out of staring happily at his sleeping wife and back into reality. For the Guardians of Gardev, it was always their duty to be vigilant as they protected the small, alpine village from natural disasters as well as lend a hand to the few remaining residents with keeping the isolated town clean and in good order. Since Mack and Aura had no set hours for their work, they had decided years ago to let the rising sun gently stir them awake every morning. This was easily accomplished by leaving the blinds on the 10'-wide sliding glass door open right before going to sleep. The Guardians quickly found that being awakened by the warm sunlight every morning was very pleasant compared to the obnoxious noise of an alarm clock. However, leaving the blinds on the large glass door wide open every night and well into the morning had some occasional drawbacks. Mack slowly made his way to the edge of his side of the bed, hoping he could avoid waking Aura as he really wanted her to get plenty of sleep. Much to Mack's disappointment, the soft rustling of his lavish dress and his movements on the bed, despite being so subtle and gentle, were all it took to awaken the female Guardian. Mack let out a sigh, shrugging his shoulders as he set his white feet onto the soft, burgundy carpet and carefully stood up. Aura yawned as she sat up in bed with her arms and wings outstretched.

"Good morning, my dear," said Mack softly, smiling at his mate as he cautiously made his way towards the glass door.

"Good morning indeed, my love," said Aura sweetly as she opened her eyes, "Is something wrong, Mack? You're up awful early." Mack sighed again as he stepped towards the glass portal.

"I think something hit the balcony door… again…" said a very disappointed Mack. Aura closed her eyes, bowing her head and slowly swiveling it back and forth with dismay.

"Oh, not again…" said Aura, yawning softly as she dangled her feet over her side of the bed and gently touched down on the soft floor. Aura grumbled to herself as she stood up straight and gently shook her fluffy skirt a few times to even out the petticoats. Aura was very tired indeed and had been looking forward to sleeping in with her mate, but once again, fate had other ideas. Aura walked up behind Mack and said, "I just hope it wasn't another stupid bird…" Mack froze in his tracks, his jaw hanging slack and his eyes opening wide when he got a glimpse of what was lying on the balcony.

"You're not all that far from the truth," said Mack in a very worried tone of voice, "For the most part!" Mack quickly threw open the sliding door and knelt down next to the winged male Gardevoir who was lying with his arms, legs and wings sprawled out on the balcony with his face flat against the floor. The Gardevoir wore a wedding dress much like Mack's, but the embroidery was accented with small, smooth and clear diamonds. Mack quickly recognized who the unfortunate soul was who had crashed onto the balcony.

"Artemis?" asked Mack with shock; tenderly placing his hands on the young Gardevoir's back, "Can you hear me?" Mack gently shook Artemis, hoping the newlywed Gardevoir would soon wake up. Aura knelt next to Mack, hoping and praying that their friend would be alright. Artemis groaned as he started to wake up. He sluggishly rolled onto his back and tried to sit up.

"Easy does it, Artemis," said Mack softly as he and Aura helped the woozy Gardevoir sit up straight.

"Are you okay?" asked a very concerned Aura.

"I think so," said Artemis, placing his left hand on his head as he folded up his wings behind his back and took a few deep breaths, "Maybe I shouldn't have tried to be so bold, especially on my first flight…"

"You mean you tried to land on mine and Mack's small balcony on your first flight?" asked Aura with slight anger in her voice, "Artemis! You should know better than that! You could have been seriously hurt or even killed!" Mack carefully looked Artemis over, checking him over for any injuries.

"For your sake, and Fina's," said Mack softly as he ever so carefully helped Artemis back on his feet, "I would strongly recommend that you be a lot more careful from here on out, Artemis. You may innately know how to fly, but that does not make up for experience. Besides, I would rather not have to place you in a body cast for several months because you decided to take a foolish risk."

"Or in a casket for that matter," said Aura harshly, "I imagine that Fina would want you to be her mate for longer than a few days." Artemis looked up at Aura, took a deep breath, closed his eyes and nodded his head in agreement.

"Flight can be very wonderful, my friend," said Mack, hoping to reassure Artemis, "But it is also very dangerous. I trust you will be more careful from now on?"

"I will," replied Artemis with a nod of affirmation. Aura took a deep breath, quickly regaining her composure.

"I'm sorry for being so harsh, Artemis," said Aura softly.

"I forgive you," said a remorseful Artemis, "Still, if anyone should be apologizing, it should be me for waking you both up and giving you such a scare. I'm sorry about that…"

"I'm just glad that you're alright," said Mack with a friendly smile, "Still, I better check you out in the lab and make sure you really did come out of that crash without a scratch."

"Say…" said a curious Aura as she turned her gentle gaze upon the shaken male Gardevoir, "Where is Fina, anyway?"

"Up here!" said a voice from directly above Mack, Aura and Artemis. The Guardians and their friend quickly looked up and watched as Fina flew over the roof of the mansion. She flapped her mighty wings vigorously as she slowly drifted down towards the balcony, gently setting her feet down on the floor. The newlywed Gardevoir leapt forward and wrapped her arms around her mate, holding him tightly.

"Are you okay, Artemis?" asked Fina frantically as she buried her head into the soft satin on her mate's left shoulder, "Are you hurt?" Artemis gently stroked Fina's back with his right hand as he tenderly wrapped his left arm around her lower torso.

"I'm okay, Fina," said Artemis softly, "I'm okay. Don't worry; I'm never going to try anything so foolish again." Fina looked up at Artemis with a scowl on her face.

"You better not!" snapped Fina, "I want you to be my mate for at least the next two hundred years, got it?" Artemis gulped.

"I certainly hope I can promise you that," said Artemis nervously. Fina's scowl quickly changed into a bright smile.

"I'm glad you're okay, Artemis," said Fina, relieved that her husband was not hurt.

"Now, if you'll kindly excuse me," said Mack, smiling at Artemis and Fina as he let out another yawn, "Is there any particular reason why you've come to Gardev this morning?"

"Did you want to come and visit us as part of your honeymoon?" asked a cheerful Aura.

"Sort of," replied Artemis as he and Fina continued to embrace.

"You see, Angel sent a message to Glacian earlier this morning, summoning us and the rest of the royal family to Gardev. Apparently, she has some sort of project she wants to show all of us," explained a smiling Fina.

"And for some reason, she asked that we each bring all of our dresses and a set of regular Gardevoir clothing to change into later on. A few palace attendants should be arriving with mine and Fina's ball gowns shortly," said a curious Artemis, "I wonder what Angel is planning…"

"Well, how about we all come inside and out of the cold air?" suggested Mack as he motioned for Artemis and Fina to follow him into the mansion. As Mack slid the glass door closed behind Artemis and Fina, Aura was picking up and placing her and Mack's white satin slippers on their bed. Mack's ornate white cape was still draped on the floor.

"Say," said Mack, taking a glance at Artemis and Fina's backs, "How come you aren't wearing your veil, Fina? And where is your cape, Artemis?" The two newlyweds smiled and chuckled warmly.

"Don't you think having our backs covered is a bad idea when it comes to flight?" joked Artemis.

"Ah! Of course," said Mack sheepishly, "Maybe you haven't noticed, but I am rather tired this morning." Mack laughed to himself as he knelt down and picked up the heavy cape from the floor before gingerly laying it out over his and Aura's bed.

"So," said Aura sweetly as she walked up to the young couple, "Aside from Artemis's crash landing, did you enjoy your first flight together?" Artemis smiled, nodding his head.

"Yes, we did," giggled Fina, "Why, I'll never forget the moment when Artemis's wings were born, just before dawn."

"How about that, Artemis?" said Mack happily as he came alongside Aura, "Now, are you finally ready to be called Artemis, Prince of Olympus?" The young Gardevoir nodded his head as he wrapped his left arm around Fina's torso.

"He certainly looks the part," giggled Fina, blushing slightly, "Especially with a princess at his side."

"Don't I know it, my love," said Artemis blissfully, "Don't I know it." The newlyweds kissed each other passionately. Just as Mack was about to say something, another voice was clearly heard in the room, squeaking with irritation and impatience: coming from behind the bedroom door.

"Gee, I wonder who that could be…" said Aura, smiling with slight sarcasm in her voice. Aura quickly walked to and then opened the door, revealing a lone Pikachu.

"Now, what does the little cutie want?" asked Aura, placing her hands on her hips while speaking in a sickeningly-sweet voice.

"I just wanted to say good morning," said William, quite annoyed as he looked up at Aura, "However, it seems like everyone is too busy to answer the door. I must have been scratching and knocking on the door for the last ten minutes…"

"Don't be sour, my little friend," said a happy Aura as she bent over, gently picked up the furry rodent and cradled him in her arms, "We're all glad to see you." William squeaked softly and happily as Aura held him close.

"Good morning, buddy," said Mack cheerfully, reaching out with his left hand and then gently stroking William's forehead, "Say, do you know when breakfast will be served?"

"I don't know," said William with glee, the Pikachu immensely enjoying the attention from his owners, "Agatha is having a rough time this morning because the stove is on the fritz again." Mack and Aura glanced at each other nervously.

"Mack, dear, didn't we replace the stove just last year?" asked a bewildered Aura.

"We did," said Mack as he looked down at William, "What's wrong with the stove, little guy?" A loud, yet muffled boom echoed throughout the entire mansion. If anyone in the lavish home had still been sleeping just moments ago, they were now wide awake.

"That," was William's blunt reply. The Guardians, Fina and Artemis said not a word for several minutes. The dreadful silence was soon interrupted by a barely audible voice, coming from somewhere on the mansion's first floor.

"Don't worry, Warren!" said Agatha with triumph, her muffled voice just barely being understood by the four thoroughly surprised Gardevoirs and one Pikachu, "I'm just fine and I managed to save the doughnuts!" For several more minutes, the group of astonished Pokémon remained silent, standing completely still until another voice echoed through the mansion.

"There wasn't anyone in the kitchen, was there?" asked Warren.

"Nope! I got out with plenty of time to spare," said Agatha with pride, "Plus, we still get a nice, hot breakfast this morning!"

Mack glanced over at Aura with a smile on his face.

"Do you suppose everyone in Gardev is awake now?" asked Mack jokingly. Aura, Fina, Artemis and William laughed warmly.

"I'm glad no one got hurt," said Fina with a sigh of relief.

"Well, I see everyone is up bright and early this morning," said a feminine voice cheerfully from behind Mack and Aura, "Then again, after that blast, no one really has a choice now." Artemis and Fina laughed to themselves at the remark while the Guardians quickly turned around to see Ramirez and Angel walk through the open doorway into the bedroom. It didn't take Mack and the others long to notice that Angel was not wearing her lace veil. Nor was Ramirez wearing his ornate cape.

"I hope we're not intruding," said Ramirez. He was smiling but had just a hint of nervousness to his voice.

"Not at all, brother. Good morning," said a happy Aura as she then turned to face Angel, "And a good morning to you as well, sis." Angel smiled and giggled to herself.

"Now there's something I can definitely get used to," said Angel with glee while looking at Mack and aura, "Having another pair of Gardevoirs I can call part of the family."

"Don't forget about us," said Artemis with a smirk, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Of course! How could I forget?" laughed Angel.

"So, what brings you here this morning?" asked a curious Mack, "Is there something you wanted to ask us, or is there something you need from Aura and I, Angel?"

"Not much," said Angel nonchalantly, "I just need you to hand me all of your dresses." William glanced back and forth at Mack and Aura and then at Artemis and Fina: the four Gardevoirs were staring at Angel as if she had gone absolutely bonkers.

"Why?" asked the confused Guardians, Artemis and Fina in unison.

"I'll be blunt," said Angel, a mischievous smile creeping across her face, "Earlier this morning, I finally realized all of our fancy attire needed some considerable alterations."

"Is that so?" asked a somewhat perplexed Fina.

"What more could our wedding attire need?" said Artemis with disbelief, "More jewels and embroidery?"

"I guess a little fashion show is in order," giggled Angel, glancing at her mate, "Go ahead and turn around, dear." Ramirez smiled and nodded his head in reply. The relief Guardian slowly turned around and spread out his wings as Angel explained what she was planning and pointed at Ramirez's upper back.

"You all probably are well aware that the dresses worn by all members of the Olympus royal family, except for our normal gowns, require that slits be cut into the upper back to allow our wings to pass through the garments," stated Angel as she walked up close behind her husband and pointed at a row of buttons that extended roughly twelve inches below the base of each of the wings slits in Ramirez's wedding dress, "So, it was very easy to come up with a way that will make getting into our wedding attire, ball gowns, ballet attire or any other fancy clothing with ease. As you can see, I made the wing slits in my mate's dress longer and then added some buttons to close up the slits all the way to the base of his wings."

"The alterations certainly made getting this heavy attire on and off a lot easier," remarked Ramirez, "As you can probably guess, Angel already modified her own wedding dress in the same way."

"So, I summoned the entire royal family here to join us for breakfast and to get all their attire modified today," said Angel, taking a glance at Mack's alarm clock while Ramirez folded his wings behind his back and turned around to again face the Guardians, "They should be arriving within the hour." Ramirez couldn't help but laugh as he put his left arm around Angel and held her close.

"And you said you were going to give sewing a break until after our honeymoon," said Ramirez with warm laughter.

"I'm a master seamstress," giggled Angel, "Need I say more?"

"I guess not," admitted Ramirez, leaning over to quickly kiss Angel on her right cheek.

"Now then!" said Angel with excitement, clapping her hands together once, "I may as well start with your attire, Mack and Aura. Just give your ball gowns to Ramirez and we'll be on our way for now. You can give me your wedding attire later. Artemis, Fina: I'll be expecting all of your dresses after you get a chance to change." Mack leisurely made his way to his and Aura's closets, draping his green ball gown and then Aura's sky blue gown over his left arm. As Mack handed Ramirez the two heavy garments, Aura ran back to her closet and started digging through the extra pairs of shoes and her spare Gardevoir gowns.

"Ah! Here it is! I almost forgot!" said Aura with glee. Mack looked over his right shoulder and watched as Aura pulled a beautiful ballet dress from her closet, the same lovely garment that all Kirlia, Gardevoir and Gallade ballet dancers traditionally wore. Aura shook the long-sleeved dress out a few times: a few small clouds of dust erupted from the garment.

"I don't think I've had this out in years," said Aura gleefully as she walked up to Angel and held out the dress to her, "Do you think you could please alter this dress for me as well? You know, in case I'm able to get back into ballet again?"

"I would love to," replied a smiling Angel as she gingerly took the dress from Aura's hands and draped it over her left arm. Mack quickly remembered when Aura told him how, several years ago, she was very close to earning her tiara as a ballet master. However, that dream had to go on the wayside as Aura instead had to take up the duties as Guardian of Gardev.

"Maybe I should make a ballet dress for Mack," said Angel with a sinister smile, "I'm sure he would do anything for you, even if it meant he had to learn ballet at your side." Mack frowned, blushing deeply with his eyes wide open. The Pokémon around the worried male Guardian burst into laughter.

"What has you so afraid, doctor?" laughed Ramirez, "I had to take ballet in school when I was a Kirlia and no one gave me any grief about my attire!"

"If I remember correctly, you were very popular with the girls in our ballet class, weren't you, brother?" giggled Aura.

"Oh, yes!" said Ramirez with pride, "I only wish you were there with me the day I received my tiara, Aura. Joyce would have declared you a ballet master as well in a heartbeat."

"Ah, I didn't know I married a great ballet dancer as well," said Angel with delight, "And I only thought you were good for ballroom dancing." Ramirez smiled at his wife.

"I can teach you the basics someday, if you want me to," offered Ramirez. Angel was giggling with glee at the idea.

"Maybe after our honeymoon," replied Angel, blushing slightly as Ramirez held her close to his left side, "And I promise you my love: after I get everyone's dresses altered, I won't let my work interfere with the rest of our honeymoon."

"I'm going to hold you to your word," said Ramirez with a smirk, "After this little project of yours, no more working for at least the rest of our three-week honeymoon."

"That will be easier than you think, honey," said Angel, grinning at her husband, "It should only take me a good month to get our family members' dresses altered." Ramirez was no longer smiling. Angel laughed and embraced Ramirez.

"I'm just kidding, dear!" said Angel with warm laughter, "Everything should be taken care of before the day is over. Then, it's just you and me for 20 whole days and nights." Ramirez took a deep breath and looked into Angel's eyes.

"Angel, I love you," said Ramirez, chuckling softly as he and Angel kissed. Mack sighed, smiling as he came alongside Aura and put his left arm around her. The Guardian looked over his left shoulder to see Artemis and Fina facing each other, holding hands and staring into each other's eyes. Mack held his blushing wife close: he wondered what Gremlin and Crystal were doing for their honeymoon and he could only hope they were doing their best to not just stay out of sight, but out of trouble as well.

-133-

Darkness had fallen over the massive metropolis of Alakaz hours ago. The skies were clear with the stars twinkling brightly overhead, all while a gentle breeze blew down the abandoned avenues and byways of the old, crumbling outskirts of the city. Normally, anyone in their right mind would avoid this expanse of dimly-lit streets and dilapidated buildings. Nonetheless, a group of five young boys were marching down a dark avenue. There were more than a few legends of how these blocks in Alakaz were supposedly haunted, which was exactly why they were there. A young man, roughly 13 years old by the name of Anton, was leading the small group onward to what many considered to be the very epicenter of all paranormal activity in the entire city: the Alakaz Hall for Dance and Performance. A devilish grin spread over Anton's face as he and his compatriots came to a stop twenty yards away from the old building's front doors. Anton took a glance at his watch: the time was 12:31 AM.

"Perfect," thought Anton with glee. He turned around fast to face his two 12-year old friends, Tiburon and Edgar, and then at Timmy and Mike, who both were merely ten years old.

"So, your parents have no idea that you've come all the way out here, right?" asked Anton quietly to the two brothers.

"I snuck out without any trouble," said Timmy confidently.

"Yeah, our parents could sleep through the next world war," said Mike with fearless laughter, "As long as Timmy and I are back before 7:00 AM, they should never know we left." While Anton and his two teenage followers wore dark cloaks over their rather fancy clothing, Timmy and Mike merely wore black long-sleeved shirts, blue jeans and white sneakers. The young brothers' garb was complete with each of them wearing a white hardhat with a battery-power lamped attached the front of each boy's helmet.

"I see you both came adequately prepared," remarked Anton, noticing the full backpacks that Timmy and Mike had over their shoulders, "Very good. Very good, indeed…"

"So, why are we here again?" asked a bewildered Mike.

"You don't remember?" asked Tiburon with laughter.

"You are both here to go through your initiation in order to join Anton's club, remember?" said Edgar with a smile.

"You might recall that I have a huge game room in my basement with all kinds of arcade machines, arcade games and even my large collection of game consoles," boasted Anton, "My club meets down there every weekend where we have fun and play games for hours on end… with no one bothering us."

"Not to mention the snacks!" chuckled Tiburon, "Cookies, pizza, ice cream, pie: anything you can imagine!"

"You guys really just game and enjoy munchies during the entire weekend?" asked Timmy with amazement, "You guys have it made!"

"Did I mention I live in a mansion?" asked Anton, "I practically have anything I want at my fingertips."

"And we want to share the fun with you two," said a cheerful Tiburon, "All you have to do is pass the initiation and your memberships will become official."

"But why would you want to hang out with us?" asked Mike skeptically, "I've heard rumors that you two are nothing but a bunch of rich bullies, tightwads and liars."

"I'm hurt!" snarled Anton as he stomped towards Timmy and Mike with a scowl on his face, "I invite you two to hang out with my friends and I every weekend for fun and treats and you dare say something like that to my face?"

"You can't believe everything you hear," said Tiburon with a smirk, "What do those kids know, anyway? I bet they're just jealous because our families are rich and theirs aren't!" Anton took a deep breath as he looked down upon Timmy and Mike.

"Tell you two what," said Anton, calmness returning to his voice, "I'm willing to forgive you two. Nonetheless, you still have to face your initiation. Edgar? Care to tell them what they have to do to join our club?"

"Timmy, Mike: the requirements are really quite simple," explained Edgar as he pointed towards the old, 4-story building, "You must spend a night in the legendary haunted dance hall. In this case, I would say you are getting off easy as you will only have to stay inside the building for a grand total of six hours. If you leave the dance hall for any reason at all, you lose."

"If you still want to hang with us, you'll have to try again," said Anton firmly, "And next time, you WILL have to spend an entire night in there."

"They say an evil spirit has made its home in the old Alakaz Dance Hall," said Edgar calmly, "No one has dared enter the building since an incident several years ago. In fact, no one will even try entering the building during the day. Just try not to wake the spirit, if it actually is there. Just stay put until sunrise and you win."

"Try not to get scared," chuckled Tiburon, "Remember: if you leave the building, you'll just have to do it all over again." Anton adjusted his black leather gloves, walked behind the two boys and placed his hands on their shoulders. He leaned over and whispered to Timmy and Mike.

"Now, are you ready?" asked Anton softly. Timmy and Mike quickly turned around with big smiles on their faces.

"Yes, sir!" replied Timmy and Mike in unison and no shortage of confidence and bravery. Anton smiled and laughed to himself.

"Good," said Anton in a sinister tone, "Because you're going to need all the courage you can muster."

"The front doors are right over there," said Tiburon, pointing towards the front entryways with both hands.

"Nighty-night!" laughed Anton, "Be brave, little ones!" Timmy and Mike marched up towards the front doors of the darkened building, wondering if hanging out with the rich kids of their school was really going to be worth potentially, at the very least, getting scared within an inch of their lives by a malicious ghost. Timmy and Mike paused, taking a look over their right shoulders towards Anton, Tiburon and Edgar.

"You can do it!" said Edgar confidently, giving the two younger boys a thumbs-up, "See in you two in the morning!" With that, Timmy and Mike pushed open a pair of the double-doors and walked into the dark building in unison. The moments the doors closed, Anton and Tiburon doubled over with laughter.

"I can't believe they fell for it!" laughed Anton.

"What a bunch of losers!" said Tiburon, laughing so hard his face was starting to turn blue, "I never thought tricking those kids into spending a night in that creepy building would have ever been this easy!" Oddly enough, Edgar was not amused.

"You are going to keep you word, are you not, Anton?" demanded Edgar with his arms crossed in front of his chest in an imposing manner. Anton looked up and took a few deeps breaths with a big smile on his face.

"Of course I'm going to keep my word to them!" laughed Anton, "But really, what are the odds that those little munchkins will actually stay in there the whole night? I bet they are going to come bursting through one of the front doors any minute now, screaming their heads off out of sheer terror!"

"And what if they get hurt?" asked Edgar forcefully.

"Edgar, buddy… you worry too much," said Tiburon cheerfully, "The building is completely safe. The structure is perfectly sound. The only reason the old dance hall and these surrounding blocks are being torn down in a few weeks is because they're ancient. Just about every other building is falling apart."

"You know, I remember hearing about a very wealthy businessman who is buying up all this land for some reason," said Anton, "I can't quite remember his name, though… Can you please tell me who was it again, Tiburon?"

"I believe it was Gregory Allens, head of the Allens Corporation," answered Tiburon, "I wonder what a business heavyweight like him would really want with this place…"

"Enough chatter!" said Anton sternly as he faced his comrades, "You two know the drill: cover the back exits to make sure Timmy and Mike don't leave the buildings and I'll stay out front to make sure they don't leave through the front doors unnoticed."

"Right!" said Edgar and Tiburon in unison as they started on their way to the dance hall's rear exits. Anton laughed to himself as he sat down on the pavement and pulled the hood of the cloak over his head.

"I remember when I spent an entire night in that building," thought Anton with glee, "There may not have been any ghosts, but the silence, darkness and ruined décor certainly were quite frightening. Heh! Every time a board would creak, I would think there was something behind me. Those poor little kids… Heh, heh, heh! I'm going to really enjoy this!" Anton waited patiently on the pavement, hoping for the moment when Timmy and Mike would come screaming out of the building. The night air may have been warm as the summer was still not quite over in the Gardev Region. However, after a few hours, the cracked asphalt was starting to become quite uncomfortable. As time dragged on, Anton was starting to wonder if scaring a couple of kids was really worth all this trouble. Anton tapped his fingers against the cool pavement while the minutes dragged on and on. Before Anton realized it, the sun was starting to rise over the mountainous horizon toward the east. Anton stood up and stretched out his arms, slowly taking a few steps forward to loosen up his legs and hoping he wouldn't get any cramps from sitting still in the middle of the degraded parking lot for so many hours straight. A few minutes later, Tiburon and Edgar had regrouped with their leader.

"So, did you two see anything?" queried Anton.

"Nadda!" replied Tiburon bluntly.

"I didn't see or hear anything," said Edgar with a sigh of relief, "I'll take it as a good sign that Timmy and Mike are safe and didn't get hurt last night."

"Unless the 'Evil Spirit' devoured them and their souls with one monstrous gulp!" laughed Tiburon. The sound of creaking doors quickly grabbed the trio's undivided attention. Timmy and Mike emerged from the front entryway of the theater. They were completely unscathed and, most importantly, did not seem to be frightened, not even a little bit! Anton and Tiburon were aghast while Edgar did not seem surprised at all. Instead, Edgar was smiling, glad that the young brothers were alright.

"So…" said Anton with amazement as he approached the two boys, "You guys did alright in there after all, huh?"

"We had a great time!" said Timmy happily. With that comment, Anton, Tiburon and Edgar were all slack-jawed and wide-eyed.

"Say that again…?" asked Anton with disbelief, "You two actually enjoyed being in that place…?"

"Anton, do you think they might not be playing with full decks? If you get my meaning," asked an astonished Tiburon, tapping the left side of his head with his left pointer finger.

"Oh, be quiet, Tiburon!" snapped Edgar as he walked up to Timmy and Mike, "So, what happened in there during the night? Did you guys throw a party or something?"

"Actually, we were invited to a party," replied a happy Mike. Again, Anton and his friends were taken aback, not at all believing what they were hearing.

"Invited to a party, eh?" asked Edgar while he slowly regained his composure, "So, who did you meet and what did you do?"

"Well, Mike and I were scared at first, but then the lights came on and we saw that the inside of the building was clean and in very nice order. A couple of nice little girls in beautiful white dresses approached us and asked if we wanted to join them for tea and cookies," explained Timmy with a smile.

"Wait a minute! I thought the building was a complete wreck inside!" said Anton with amazement, "It's like 'Creepy Central' in there when it gets dark!"

"Someone must have cleaned up the building's interior, maybe renovated the place?" suggested Edgar as his gaze again fell upon Timmy and Mike, "Wait… you said a couple of little girls invited you to a tea party?"

"That's right!" replied Mike gleefully.

"The purple girl was kind of creepy at first, but she was nice and told us the coolest stories," said Timmy with excitement.

"The pale, blue-haired girl even gave us the most delicious cookies we've ever had!" said Mike energetically, "I must have eaten a dozen of them!"

"Yeah, we had a great time," said Timmy, letting out a sigh of disappointment, "It's just too bad they had to leave us before the sun came up…"

"This is downright eerie," whispered Tiburon to Anton.

"You don't need to tell me that!" snapped Anton.

"I think you two may have met the ghosts who are said to haunt the old dance hall," said Edgar with an appreciative nod, "I think that's pretty cool!"

"Oh! That's reminds me!" said a wide-eyed Timmy, "I almost forgot! Anton, Tiburon? The girls said they really wanted to meet both of you as well."

"What about me?" asked Edgar with some disappointment in his voice, "Don't they want to meet me, too?"

"They really do want to see you, Edgar, but they said they don't know if they'll be able to," replied Mike, "They told us that they had something very special planned for your friends."

"Well," said Anton, smiling while he adjusting the collar of his shirt, "I may as well go in and introduce myself, then."

"That goes double for me!" said Tiburon with anticipation, "Some great cookies would make for an awesome breakfast!"

"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Anton impatiently, "Let's go see them!" Timmy, Mike and Edgar only watched as the two older boys strutted up towards the main entrance of the building with smiles on their faces.

"We aren't really going to let those little punks join our club, are we Anton?" whispered Tiburon to Anton.

"Of course not!" snarled Anton quietly, hoping he would not be heard by anyone else but Tiburon, "Remember, we were hoping the little weasels would be scared out of their minds while we all got a good laugh at THEIR expense."

"Maybe we need to do something better with our free time," said Tiburon with a heavy sigh as he pushed open one of the front doors. The two young men peered into the building: for some reason, many of the floorboards were ajar, sticking up through some ratty-looking old red carpets. There were cobwebs and dust everywhere and on everything while all the light fixtures were either cracked or broken. Anton and Tiburon took a few slow and cautious steps forward. Sunlight was pouring into the area through broken windows. Nonetheless, Anton and Tiburon knew something was amiss.

"I have a really bad feeling about this, Anton…" whispered Tiburon. Anton said nothing. Suddenly, the double doors behind the two boys slammed shut, as did the shutters for every single window in the building. As the front room was plunged into deeper and deeper darkness, Anton and Tiburon knew they were in serious trouble. Tiburon ran towards the front doors as the darkness continued to overtake the area. He grabbed onto the door's bars and pulled with all his might, but to no avail.

"We're locked in here!" yelled Tiburon. Anton moved not a muscle as the entire building was plunged into the deepest darkness he had ever experienced. Timmy, his brother, and Edgar only watched in horror: their eyes wide open in shock as the sound of maniacal, evil laughter echoed throughout the empty streets while bloodcurdling screams erupted from the old dance hall. After a few minutes, the building's shutters and front doors quickly opened back up. Edgar, Timmy and Mike were not entirely sure what to make of what had just unfolded before their eyes. They watched as Anton and Tiburon emerged from the building's front entryway, staggering with each step.

"What in the world?" shouted Edgar with disbelief. Anton and Tiburon's hair was sticking straight up, bleached white. The two boys looked as if they had been nearly scared to death. They stopped a few feet away from Edgar and the younger boys.

"So…" said Anton, his eyes wide open while he breathed heavily, "They had something… 'Special' in store for me, huh…?"

"They didn't want us to tell you," said Timmy angrily.

"Yeah!" said Mike, "The girls told us they only scare bad people, like you losers!"

"Excuse me?" thundered Anton with unbridled anger.

"You were never going to let us hang out with you!" said Mike, shaking his fist at Anton, "You were hoping my brother and I would freak out in there!"

"Who told you that bundle of lies?" asked Tiburon, trying to act and sound innocent.

"Those girls did!" answered Timmy sharply.

"But they didn't want to scare Edgar, 'cause he's cool," said Mike with a quick nod of his head, "And nice."

"Well," said Edgar, "That would explain what just happened."

"Mark my words! You two little creeps are going to pay dearly for this!" snarled Anton. Right before Anton was about to speak again, he felt a strange coldness about his body as a hideous voice spoke into his right ear.

"You better not, for your sake…" said the malicious voice, sounding much like a horrid monster, licking its lips with glee as it spoke, "Do you really desire to become my next meal…?" Tiburon looked over at Anton, wondering why his friend had suddenly seized with a look of absolute terror on his face.

"Are you alright?" asked Tiburon, "Why don't we beat these little punks into the ground and be done with it!"

"You'll have to get past me, first," warned Edgar, holding his clenched fists up, ready for a fight. Anton put his right hand onto Tiburon's left shoulder.

"Leave them," said Anton softly, "I don't know about you, but I really do not want to become some demon's lunch…"

"I doubt they were demons," said Timmy with a stern voice, "They were nice and were going to give you two freaks what you deserve."

"Here, here," said Edgar in agreement.

"Edgar! How dare you side with them!" shouted Anton with fury.

"I'll get you guys home," said Edgar with a friendly smile, "Let's leave Anton and Tiburon here. Maybe your spirit-friends will be eager to teach them another lesson if needed."

"That's right! We need to get home before our parents get up!" said Mike with fright. Edgar and Timmy nodded their heads in agreement and, without speaking another word, started on a hasty walk back to their homes.

"Wait! Come back!" pleaded Anton as he and Tiburon started running after Edgar and the two brothers, "Timmy! Mike! I'm sorry! You can hang out at my mansion if you want!"

"Yeah! We won't be bad anymore! Don't leave us here!" yelled a thoroughly scared Tiburon as he followed behind Anton. From the fourth-story windows of the large, old building, two pairs of eyes, their faces obscured by shadows, were watching the five boys closely as they all ran down the street and were soon out of sight once they rounded a corner. Crystal giggled with sheer delight and Gremlin laughed up a storm as he and his Kirlia wife tightly embraced each other.

"Oh! You were perfect, Gremlin!" said Crystal gleefully, "Not only did you scare those bullies silly, but I'm sure you taught them a lesson they won't forget any time soon!"

"I couldn't have done it without you, my dear," said the grinning Sableye, "Your psychic abilities were most useful in giving those two goons the full treatment!"

"You really think so?" giggled Crystal.

"I know so!" cackled Gremlin as he leaned forward to land a quick kiss on Crystal's soft, white lips, "We're going to be a perfect team. No doubt about it!" Crystal laughed warmly as she stroked Gremlin's belly with her right hand. She couldn't help but look down at herself and her mate as they stood together in their glamorous wedding attire.

"I still can't believe that you actually wore a wedding dress," said Crystal blissfully, "Especially one like this… I just love the way the black bramble embroidery moves as you walk: like it's trying to wrap and constrict around you. Then there are the diamond-tipped thorns… dangerous looking, yet still pretty…"

"Anything for you, my little princess," said Gremlin with a smile, chuckling warmly as he embraced his wife. Crystal put her arms back around her mate, holding him close and tightly.

"Do you really think Anton and Tiburon have learned their lesson?" asked Crystal sweetly.

"I doubt they walked out here without learning something," replied Gremlin with a mischievous smile, "If I didn't know any better, I would say we shook those two young men to the core at the very least!"

"Which reminds me," said Crystal, looking about the ruined hallway, "Don't you think it's time to dispel this little illusion of yours?" Gremlin nodded his head.

"Right! Just a moment," said Gremlin as he held Crystal close and shut his eyes. A loud "Poof!" echoed throughout the nearly empty building as smoke engulfed the interior. The purple smoke cleared within a few moments, revealing the dance hall's bright interior: returned to its full glory.

"Much better," said a grateful Crystal, "Thank you very much."

"You're very welcome, my love," said Gremlin with a tender voice, leaning towards his beautifully-dressed wife about ready to kiss her once again.

"Is there a fire in here or something?" demanded K-1 as his metallic feet clanked against the white marble-tiled floor. He walked into the hallway and glared down at Gremlin.

"Is something wrong, K-1?" asked Gremlin, grinning as usual.

"I suppose not," said K-1, his angry scowl becoming a look of despair, "Still, I really wish you would give me more warning before using your powers. I thought the entire building had suddenly erupted into flames."

"And why would I burn down my honeymoon suite?" asked Gremlin.

"Good point," was K-1's reply.

"Good morning to you, K-1," giggled Crystal, turning her head to face her robotic friend, "How is breakfast coming?"

"Everything is going well," replied K-1 respectfully, "I hope French toast, scrambled eggs and bacon sound good to you."

"Sounds great, K-1," said Gremlin, "I'm looking forward to a good meal, especially since my parents are coming to visit us today." Crystal gasped.

"That's right!" said Crystal with mounting fear, "Honey, do you think your mom and dad… will like me?"

"Of course they will," said Gremlin softly, hoping to reassure his wife, "I think they will enjoy having you as their first daughter-in-law. Trust me."

"If you say so, dear," said Crystal, smiling as she quickly kissed Gremlin's right cheek, "That reminds me…"

"Reminds you of what, milady?" asked K-1 as Crystal looked up and met K-1 face to face.

"Whatever happened to the S-5?" asked a concerned Crystal, "Is it still in the parking lot? I'm surprised those five young men didn't walk right into it!"

"That's because I moved the Titan to the roof not long after you and Gremlin went to bed last night around 8:00. The S-5 is currently hovering over the roof in stealth mode. Nobody should be able to find it," was K-1's confident reply. The moment the robot had finished his remark he, Gremlin and Crystal were startled by a metallic "Thump!" and a loud "Squawk!" from somewhere up on the roof, followed closely by a soft "Thud!" Gremlin and Crystal looked at the robot with looks of horror and bewilderment on their faces. K-1 let out a heavy sigh, shaking his head back and forth with dismay.

"Well… everything would be alright if those stupid birds would quit running into the S-5…" said a despairing K-1, "That's the third one to crash into the Titan since I moved it to the roof… You think they would have learned their lesson after the first two impacts…" While K-1 walked away, the pleasant smells from a nice, warm meal began to drift into the hallway. Crystal could hear the soft clicking and whirring from the R-25 robots' servos as they worked to make breakfast for her and Gremlin. One of the robots poked his head out from around a corner down the hall.

"Sir, Madam," said the R-25 with an almost nasal, very much metallic voice, "Breakfast shall be ready soon. May you please follow me to the dining room now?"

"Certainly!" said a cheerful Gremlin as he faced Crystal, "Time to get breakfast and then get ready for our parents' arrival."

"'Our' parents…" said Crystal with a smile as she leaned against her husband, "I'm looking forward to meeting them."

"Shall I carry you, my love?" asked Gremlin, bowing towards his lovely wife with a big smirk spread across his face, "And take you to the dining room with you kicking, struggling and screaming?" Crystal couldn't help but laugh.

"Don't you dare take me away, you little conniving monster…" said Crystal, giggling and blushing. She took a few steps away from Gremlin, just to further humor him.

"Oh, you have no choice, my dear…" said Gremlin sinisterly as he stepped towards Crystal, "You're mine now…" Crystal smiled, shrieking and kicking her legs playfully as Gremlin took her up in his arms and then draped her over his left shoulder.

"Oh, no!" laughed Crystal, "This horrible monster is taking me… taking me to breakfast! Someone please save me!"

"There's no escape now, my pretty!" laughed Gremlin, leaning his head against Crystal's left side, "You will never be rid of me!" Oddly enough, Crystal really enjoyed this little game of Gremlin's. She struggled and kicked her feet while the soft petticoats under her skirt rustling softly. Of course, Crystal wasn't trying to escape: she loved how much Gremlin cared for her and rather enjoyed being in his gentle grasp. Still, the young newlywed Kirlia couldn't help but wonder how Gremlin's parents would react when they met her.