I saw Mystic in the doorway, looking terrible. Her eyes had gone a garnet red instead of the usual ruby red and her fur had started to lighten to a burnt charcoal colour instead of the midnight black. "Mystic?" I asked in disbelief as I slowly stood up as well as Chains as we both slowly made our way towards the doorway as Mystic stood still before slowly reaching her arms out for an embrace. I sighed as I touched the amulet of Arceus looking at mystic. Seeing nothing wrong with her form I decided to relax my posture and slowly approach her. Chains at my side the whole time before I let a small smile form at the corner of my lips just as I got within arm's reach of her.

I soon grasped Mystic's left hand gently with my right hand as she slowly looked at me before smiling slightly. I saw Chains do the same with Mystic's right hand before Mystic walked in between us both before slowly prying her hands from our grip as she then wrapped them around both of us being pulled into a gentle grasp. "Matthew are you alright?" Mystic asked me as she pulled back to stare me in the eyes. "I'm fine Mystic, you don't have to worry. But I could ask you the same thing?" I replied seeing Mystic smile slightly at me before closing in and putting her head on my chest. "I'm fine, but my balance is off. But why where you screaming?" she asked me making me smile down at her.

"I'm fine Mystic, just a little confrontation." I lied. Sara glared at me as a light appeared around her form, when it faded she was back in her Pokémon form still maintaining her glare as I just shrugged it off before the Absol morph came through the door. "Leone we need you. A small fire has started in the meeting room. It hasn't spread but it won't be put out." She said with a clear panic in her voice making me sigh before I gently pulled Mystic from me. "Rest here, I'll leave the door unlocked so if something in here happens, a strange noise, a growl for instance that you didn't make and barely heard. You can come and find me. Hopefully this is just a tough fire and not what I think it is."

Mystic nodded and went and began to lie down on the bed as I hardened my stare before turning to everyone else in the room. "All of you, you need to come with me. You need to know what can happen early on. Also Arceus, where were you earlier? And choose carefully what to say. The wrong answer could have you thrown into your own dungeon." I said seeing Arceus stare at me in shock before she answered. "I was asleep until your screaming awoke me. But before that if you must know I was out with the other legendary Pokémon. Organizing a treaty for them to move around freely without interference from us so and so that they can make trips into here without anyone going on the offensive." She said making me smile at her. "Glad to have you back then, alright. Let's hope that this thing is just a fire that refuses to go out."

With my words we all walked out of the room with me closing the door behind us before we began to make our way down the marble hall to the meeting room. When we reached the doors I heard the crackling of a fire but also a quiet mumbling making me freeze before I opened the door. "Leone are you alright?" Sarah asked sounding concerned as I slowly took a step back from the door. "Sarah, Chains. Do you remember when I said get incense or rosemary?" I asked seeing them both nod their heads. "Yes but what does that have to do with this?" Chains asked before I pointed to the door. "In there is something I really don't want to face without some type of protection no matter how minimal it is. Now go get some. And please be quick. I want this over with as fast as possible."

My words put Arceus on edge as she looked at me with small amounts of shock on her features before she slowly nodded before accompanying Chains and Sarah as they walked off. "I'm sorry." I said quietly before I turned around and opened the door hearing the Absol morph follow me into the room. She wasn't lying about a fire but it covered the edges of a pentagonal star that still shone a crimson red. "Something's not right, that thing was supposed to have closed when I walked out of it. Not stay open for some fool to summon something then run." I whispered harshly before hearing laughter in the centre of the circle. "You always were a fool." A dark, deep, guttural, feminine voice echoed from within the laughter before I began hearing insults that brought back painful memories of my childhood. My father's death, the murder of my brother, the time in jail and the monstrosities it held within the walls before I heard the voice again.

"I comforted you, gave you knowledge, gave you power, gave you faith when you had none. And this is how you repay me? I also gave you my heart, and yet you turned it black right in my face. I gave you everything, and yet, I don't remember why. You never deserved me. But I guess without you doing this I never would have known. I would have been that weak thing always trying to win your heart or even a smile." She said making me drop to my knees clutching my head trying to block out the voice. "I know you still carry guilt Matthew, but you need me. Just as I need you, we can help each other. And if you join me; to be standing by my side; Astra is free to go; you are her get out of hell free card. Or are you going to fail her again, just like you failed so many others?"

I struggled to stand up as the laughing and the memories continued to play like a looped movie. Each of the insults hitting hard at my emotional barrier as I finally stood up. "Yeah you gave me those things, and I thanked you and worshiped you for it. And yet when I got asked to start doing something good with my life, to serve under a banner of the good. I took it which you turned on me, sending what you called trinkets. That bloody Invunche nearly tore me apart. But you planned that didn't you? You always had a nick for causing trouble no matter where I was. And this is proof; tell me what you want with me? Besides wanting me swearing more allegiance to you."

The fire died down to show her standing there. A woman in a black robe was slowly advancing towards the end of the star before I quickly raised my hand ready to chant only to see her smile gently. "Matthew, you really thought I sent that Invunche? I stopped it, no being mortal or immortal can play the good cop and the bad cop. You need to understand, I don't want a forced allegiance, I'm willing to provide anything just to help you more than me. You still need comfort for that day in the prison, don't you. I can offer that comfort. Just if you say you will at least give me a second chance." She said making me sigh at the truth she just pulled. "You're right I do need some comfort for what happened that day. I tried to hide it but I can't anymore. All I can do is just own up to that fact."

My words caused a smile to form on her face before the Absol morph stepped to my right side looking at me worriedly. "Leone if she's a demon you know she is full of lies. She's looking for pawn in her game of chess. She doesn't need anyone else; she just needs idiots too selfish and power hungry to trick to be her little pawns while she makes them do her work for her." She pretty much yelled at me causing me to snap my head in her direction with anger rising inside me. "She's different. She tells the truth and I know she does, she always has. And I have damned my soul to hell for a long time now. This will be the final nail in the coffin. If I really was a pawn in her game why would she send her friends to me to retrieve me? They were her board, and now it's clear of pieces. Only the queen remains. But every queen needs a king."

The Absol morph looked at me with fear in her eyes as I heard the being emit a small chuckle. "You're right Matthew; a queen is nothing without her king. And yes my board is clear. But you have always been my king Matthew. You always have, now take my hand. And become my king." She said as I snapped my head to look at her to see her standing in front of a portal to hell, the fires soaring high and the screams passing the portal into the room, with her hand open for me. I smiled gently as I began walking towards her blocking out the sound of the door opening. A yell snapped me out of it only for me to be grasped around the chest from behind and pulling me back.

"Leone are you crazy? You know she's lying. She wants you there because you're important, a tide changer. And if she gets you on her side she's won and the control over earth is lost. We are always here for you. Please just understand that the world no matter how dark it is, you never give in to the dark. This demon wants you to give in. Don't Leone, you mean to much to most of us. And the ones you don't mean a lot to have only heard of you." I heard the voice of both Chains and Arceus say in sync perfectly. I sighed as I lowered my head in shame before I felt a hand on my chin, the warm feeling that spread through my chin was a clear indication of who it was.

"Matthew, at the garden where we first met. If you wish to join me and be my king. Meet me there. I'll hopefully see you there." She said as I smiled gently at her. "I'll think it over Narrasu. Should I know when?" I asked seeing her only hold up three clawed fingers before going through the portal and it closing behind her. "Leone you cannot go to this garden she speaks of. You are needed here, you also belong here." I heard Arceus say making me snarl at her. "I've been damned to hell because you never showed me any guidance when I asked, when I pleaded. You stood back and laughed. And the name is Matthew Sanders. Soon to be king of a section of hell."

My words made Arceus recoil in shock as I laughed at her. "You know that my mind is made up. Good. It makes it easier to accept. You never understood what I was going through. But she, Narrasu, does. She went through similar problems. She was ridden with guilt her entire mortal life, only for hell to catch up with her. It's happened again and again with my bloodline. I'm just the latest in a long line of victims, except it's more of a blessing to me. Because of her guidance, I was able to move on and have faith. Knowing someone was watching over me. You of course were never a mortal so you never had to face the problems that I do now. The fact that I can be respected for once in my miserable life. I'm damned to hell, so if you would just let go I can stop it from coming here. Sacrifices have to be made. So just don't bother looking for me in hell."

I heard the doors open again but as I looked in the direction of the door I saw Mystic and Rachel standing there with shock on their faces only for Rachel to start to walk towards me. Said walk then became a jog before she reached me. "Leone? Are you alright?" she asked as I smiled at her knowing what was happening behind me. "I'm fine, but whatever happens, remember that I did it for the banner of good. And what happens now is a test to see my faith." I replied already feeling something slowly inching its way towards me. Rachel placed her head on my chest and pulled me into her as she began to shake lightly. I didn't get to hear or see anything else because something jabbed me in the side of my neck before I fell unconscious.

Unconscious scene, Leone POV (Some things may seem off if I didn't put this here so now I feel it somewhat explains it. But better some explanation then none.)

I stood in the middle of a room of stone. The far right corner was raised so it looked like a small slab of stone. The roof was at a range to where I could stand up without bumping my head but jumping would be pointless. The door behind me where I had entered from scraped against the stone floor before closing with the sound of metal on stone. Darkness followed with the closing of the door making a small bout of fear course through me again knowing where I was. (For fucks sake not again.) I thought dryly before I began to scan the darkness waiting for something to happen. When nothing did I reached out with my right hand only to feel air as I felt myself begin to trip though I managed to catch myself.

"Arceus damn it." I said in a frustrated sigh before I walked over to the wall using it to help guide me to the slab where I felt myself immediately become drowsy at the darkness that threatened to take me. I eventually found it by tripping on it and landing hard on my right side hearing an audible crack echo through the room which led to my right arm hurting like hell. "Damn it all." I cursed under my breath as I breathed deeply letting the pain go through me as I waited for it to subside to a dull throbbing which it did in ten minutes of laying completely still. When it dulled I softly breathed in and out trying not to move my arm as I finally let the warm embrace of sleep take me as my eyes closed and like that I was out of it.

Conscious again, Leone's POV. (warning. Interrogation scene…kind of.)

I groaned as my body felt like it was made of metal as I tried to open my eyes only for my strength to begin to leave me rapidly. I stopped trying to open my eyes and just waited for feeling to return to my body. When it did however I realised I was heavily chained down to what felt like a steel bed. Knowing what this was I began to build up energy in my arms and legs before I opened my eyes to see a pair of ruby red eyes staring at me as I began to snarl. "Leone, what you are becoming won't end well for you. Trust me on that. Because I made the same deal that you are going to make. Don't do this…brother. They need you here, you are wanted here while what awaits for you in hell is only suffering. Please if you begin to listen to anything I have said let this be one of those things."

My eyes widened at the voice. "Keith?" I asked only to have a dim light appear above us showing me it was him. The only changes were his hair was now a pitch black and his eyes were a blood red. "Yes brother, it's me." He said as I began to smile softly. "I want to listen to you Keith I really do. But what happened that day. I still don't know if I can trust you. I'm sorry brother but Narrasu understands me. Why she does I still don't know but she does." I replied only to have Keith grab my shoulders and force me against the steel behind me feeling it cut shallowly into my back making me hiss slightly at the pain before Keith spoke making my eyes widen with what he said.

"She said she understood me as well. Then I bought into what she told me about becoming a king. She only wants you because of your willpower Leone, you never gave in. That's all she wants you for. She doesn't care about you, only for herself and her own power. Take it from me Leone. She lies just like the rest of them. She only wants to become a chief like Eve's sisters. She just wants power and something to back her up. So please Brother. Don't go there. I know what happens when you do. I met her in the underworld and she always said the same things to me. But I don't have a crown on my head do I?" he said as I shook my head in disbelief only for the sound of a door opening to reach my ears as Keith looked at me before disappearing in a quick burst of fire.

I looked around until I felt a hand land on my back and then a searing pain shot up through my back making me grunt through clenched teeth. I flexed every muscle in my body before lowering my head to stare at a midnight black carpet. I started to lose my eyes before I saw a pair of feet and a hand rest on my chin lifting my head up to stare at Rachel. "What happened?" I asked slightly dazed from the pain that now subsided to a dull throbbing. My only answer was a harsh slap across the face making my head jerk to the side from the impact before I let it hang again. "What are you Leone?" I heard Rachel ask. I looked at her with my eyebrows raised in confusion.

"I don't know. I thought I was human but I don't know anymore. I've had to deal with things here, but I'm not sure what I am anymore." I answered truthfully only to get punched on the tight side of my rib cage making me hiss in pain and trying to break out of the restraints. Only to have a single clawed finger placed at my throat over my windpipe making me freeze in my tracks. "You lie." Rachel spat making me lower my head and close my eyes. "Then kill me. I got nothing better to do and nothing to live for. I'm assuming my champion status was revoked, so I have nothing. Kill me then," I started before raising my head to stare into her face with a sinister smile. "Or are you still the same woman on that rooftop unable and unwilling to kill me?"

Those words struck a nerve within her as her eyes twitched and her nostrils flared as I began to lower my head again waiting for the final blow to descend onto me and end my life. "I would kill you but you are more useful alive. We want to know everything you know on the underworlds and what awaits. Then you can die. So are you going to make this easy or hard on yourself?" Rachel asked making me sigh inwardly while I chuckled lightly in reality. "What are you laughing at?" Rachel asked me forcing me to stare into her hardened glare making me laugh. "I don't know what's funnier, the fact that you think you have power over me or the fact that I would let myself live if you did." I had only a second to react as my words made Rachel raise her fist and strike me in the face between my eyes before I blacked out.

I awoke in the same room but with a migraine now in my head making me groan lightly lowering my head waiting for the migraine to subside I heard the door open again making me sigh and look up only to stare into Rachel's hard glare again, except this time she had what looked to be a trident but I had my suspicions. "What's with the spear?" I asked only to get the same cold glare except for a sinister smile to form at Rachel's lips. "If you lie you will find out. So I'll ask again. What are you Leone?" She asked again making me stare at her in disbelief. "I told you, I don't know, I was a human or so I thought. Only to find out I'm some kind of demi god meaning who I thought was my family wasn't really my family. I don't know what I am, human or freak. I don't know."

My answer brought the smile to widen on Rachel's lips. "Suit yourself." She said before I felt the trident pierce my stomach before electricity shot through the trident making me yell in agony. Eventually she withdrew the trident making my head fall to my chest from the pain having nearly stolen all of my energy. "What are you Leone?" she asked again before I smiled and began to laugh. "You just enjoy seeing me suffer; I could say I don't remember how I got here which is true. But I'd still get shocked because you just enjoy seeing me in pain don't you?" I asked only to have Rachel sigh sadly before looking at me. "Why do you continue to lie?" She asked before I sighed and began to think.

(Hold on, I'm telling the truth here and she says it's obviously lies. I'll try a lie and see if that works.) I thought as Rachel looked at me expecting an answer. "I'm a dead man." I responded warily waiting to see if what I thought was true. Rachel frowned at me before stabbing me again in the stomach with the trident beginning another bout of excruciating pain. When she stopped I looked at her. "Fine, I'm a friendly. I'm not an enemy. And I swear to Arceus if you shock me again I will find a way to break out of here and do the same to you." I said seeing her frown morph back into a small smile. "Good, now the next question. What did you see before I came in?"

Her question caused me to freeze before I quickly thought of an answer. "I saw darkness, nothing more." I said earning a slap from Rachel. "You idiot I meant the first time. There was something in the room with you. So answer truthfully." She said slightly poking my wound with the trident making me hiss in pain. I sighed and looked at Rachel when the pain subsided before I answered. "I saw a demon. It told me not to go with Narrasu so." I answered making Rachel sigh at me before I saw her raise the trident again making me slightly flinch before I saw her swing it above my head before I felt my wrists come free. However in doing so when I was feeling weak made my body tilt forward as the thing keeping up wasn't anymore.

I felt Rachel catch me and hoist my left arm over her shoulders supporting me as I felt my feet come free as well. I felt myself cringe at the feeling of carpet burn as I was dragged out of the room. I had to close my eyes as the light outside the room was blinding compared to the little light in the room. "What is he doing out so early Rachel?" I heard the unmistakable voice of Arceus ask making Rachel stop in her tracks before I was turned around to stare at Arceus. "I see the new weapon was sufficient enough. How did it feel Leone?" Arceus asked me with a smirk as I sighed. "It did do its job; however what it felt like was something you need to experience to truly know how it feels." My words made Arceus smile slightly before again I felt something jab into my neck knocking me out.

Another chapter is done and uploaded. I ask for you to review to both give me inspiration and the will to continue writing this story. It means more than just words to me because I do read them…so if you review it not only gives me the inspiration to continue it gives me the willpower as well because I write what I feel like writing. And this month I was busy writing a new chapter for Pain and scaring, A new start with old faces and a request or should I say several.