'Here we are.' Darkrai stopped at a dark patch on the ocean surface. Mewtwo looked around him quizzically, for there was no sign of land or any sort of island.

Where?

'Oh, sorry. . . please wait a moment.' Darkrai said, apologetically. He placed his hand onto water's surface where the ocean suddenly turned dark. A swirl of shadowy substance opened up, dark energy crackling around the edge of the enigmatic portal.

'In here. Come.' Darkrai beckoned to Mewtwo and floated inside. Mewtwo eyed the portal with relative unease; an odd Aura emanated from the portal that made him nervous.

'Well? What are you waiting for? Come in!' Darkrai's voice came from inside the portal. Mewtwo shrugged and entered.

Inside, he found an even stranger world. Columns of earth rose endlessly upwards and downwards, portions of the rock pillars expanding outwards in platform-like structures. Grass, trees, and bushes grew on these portions of the rock and inside some of the pillars were tunnels. Other than the eerie feeling of an unseen presence, the world seemed uninhabited.

'Here.' Darkrai led Mewtwo to one of the tunnels. He knocked the wall several times and waited patiently.

'Darkrai? Is that you?' A voice.

'Of course it is,' Darkrai grumbled, 'who else would come here besides. . . him?'

Him? Who is him? Mewtwo wondered to himself. A bluish being floated out the tunnel. Her head had a crescent-shaped crest and pink, lace-like crescents flowed off her back and paws. A strip of yellow ran from her face down the length of her belly. Her eyes were a dark pink.

'Cresselia,' Darkrai greeted the being, 'this is Mewtwo. Mewtwo? This is Cresselia. She. . . is an expert with healing and light-related magic.'

'Mewtwo, huh?' Cresselia snorted, 'I heard he was the being the humans created.'

'He may have been brought onto this earth by artificial methods,' Darkrai said, 'but he has power that far surpasses anything the humans can come up with.'

'Oh, really,' Cresselia said, clearly unimpressed, 'well, we shall certainly see about that.'

Darkrai.

'Yes?' Darkrai turned.

What is your reason for hating the humans? And what do you intend to do?

Darkrai and Cresselia exchanged glances. Cresselia rolled her eyes and Darkrai sighed.

'Well. . . you could say that I was badly mistreated. The humans have no right to exist,' Darkrai growled, 'and what I intend to do. . . well, you will find that out later.'

What do you need me for?

'For. . . helping me find certain objects. There are, eh. . . these. . . how to call them, plates?' Darkrai shrugged. Cresselia snickered and earned a sharp glare from Darkrai.

Plates?

'Yes, and not just any normal dinner plate, Mewtwo. The Shards of the Alpha One,' Darkrai explained, 'the humans believe that the plates belong to the Alpha One and that he is the original bearer of the Shards. Humph. What fools.' Darkrai crossed his arms in irritation.

Where they wrong?

'Of course. I was the bearer before the Alpha One, but this stupid deer freak. . . took all the glory. Humans then somehow came up with the twisted story that I stole the Shards from the Alpha One, causing him to fall into a deep slumber.'

I see. . . and who is this Alpha One?

'The third being to come into the world. I was the first.' Darkrai declared, a hint of pride in his voice.

Oh. Who was second?

'Second? Why, the being who lives here. . .'

'YOU!' The voice bellowed outwards, reverberating throughout the world, the single word stretching out for several long seconds.

'He doesn't sound too happy now.' Cresselia bluntly stated.

'Quick! Inside!' Darkrai yanked Mewtwo in the tunnel and the three Pokémon quickly reached the deepest room in the tunnel. Outside, a shadowy being lurked, its bloody eyes glowing with fury.

'WHERE ARE YOU, DARK ONE? SHOW YOURSELF!' It roared.

What does he want? Mewtwo asked, his telepathy hushed.

'Same as a lot of humans,' Darkai casually stated, 'he wants me gone.'

'COME OUT HERE, COWARD!'

Darkrai, I don't understand. . . this is all. . . confusing. . . Mewtwo slumped to the ground, bewildered and slightly vexed by the series of events that had just occurred. Darkrai turned towards him, his azure eye gleaming.

'It's as I said,' he grumbled, 'you will find out later.' Outside, the angry being screeched and roared, its wings smashing on top of the earthen column that contained its targets.

'Oh, stop it Gawain.' A feminine voice sounded and the clamor outside stopped.

'Guinevere!'

'Gawain, it's alright. Darkrai. . . even if he's in there, he's not doing anything to harm the Shadow World. Leave him be. . . please, Gawain.'

'Oh, alright.' Both beings left, the wind from their wings making loud whooshing noises outside.

Is it over? Mewtwo asked, after a moment of silence.

'Yeah. Apparently,' Darkrai said, 'and anyways. . . we already have a couple of my missing Shards: Spirit and Darkness.'

Where are the others?

'A being called Mew bears the Mind Plate. I want to go after her first and then we go for Water, Flight, Ice, Fire, and Lightning. After that. . . well, let's not get too ahead of ourselves, shall we?'

Alright. Where is Mew?

'All over the place,' Cresselia answered, 'but I know how to track him down.'

'Good. Now, Cresselia. . . you know what to do.' Darkrai said.

'Yes. I will see you. . . later.' Cresselia nodded and her form melted away.

What happened to her? Is she. . . ?

'Relax,' Darkrai waved off Mewtwo's concern, 'it's her way of travel. She's fine.'

Alright. . . so, now what?

'You follow me.'

Mewtwo shrugged and followed the Darkrai out the tunnel and through a similar portal that he made out on the ocean. As he floated, a tiny voice sounded from inside his head.

Mewtwo. . . don't do this. . .

Huh?

Please. . . don't do this. . . Mewtwo. . ./i

'Hey! Mewtwo!' Darkrai's call shattered the tiny voice.

Oh. . . sorry.

'Come along, now. We do not have much time.'