A/N: So much for updating quickly, I'm sorry but here it is! Those of you who have watched Tsubasa Chronicles anime might recognize this chapter if I have done a good enough job of writing it, although I have changed it of course.
Chapter 13: Opened Gateway
Dawn slowly opens her eyes and finds herself underneath a blanket on the floor. She looks around the room and remembered where she was.
'That's right...we met Kimiko.' She thought.
Dawn noticed the girl beside her with Jigglypuff sleeping soundly next to her. Kuro was also asleep under a blanket beside his sister. Dawn smiled and turned to look on the other side. Ash, Brock and Gary were asleep and the room was dark. Dawn sat up and stared at the plain wall opposite her.
"Someone is calling me..." She muttered to herself.
A while past and Dawn found herself in the same laid down position. The light shone through the window and she yawned.
'Did I fall asleep?'
She glanced around again and saw that everyone was now awake and sitting up on the floor. Dawn smiled at Ash who was next to her. He stood up and turned to look at Dawn.
"Good morning, Princess," Ash said, smiling at Dawn.
He held a hand out to help her onto her feet and she thanked him. Kimiko jumped up and grinned.
"How does breakfast sound?" She chirped, seeming in a brighter mood. A good night's sleep did her some good.
The others nodded and all of them headed into the next room. Kimiko and Kuro prepared the food while everyone else helpfully set the table. The meal was ready in no time and was placed in the middle of the small wooden table. Ash was about to grab a piece of food but a sharp pain ran through his hand for a quick second. He flinched and waited for it to ease away. Dawn looked at him with concern. Ash noticed and reassured her that he was okay.
"That lord's power must be vigorous if it was able to defeat Ash like that," Brock exclaimed. Kimiko sighed.
"The lord is using that power to destroy the town." She said angrily.
"But there just two of them," Gary pointed out. "If the town team up and fight back, we'd take 'em down easily, right?" He suggested.
"They tried." Kimiko said, thinking back to when the event happened. "They really did. A few months ago, the people got together to overthrow the lord. But some sort of aura shield surrounded the castle and no one could get near. Everyone goes up to the shrine to pray and wish for peace. It's the only thing we can do for now." She explained, sighing with dismay again.
"I get it now...that 'shield' must be the one Jigglypuff keeps sensing." Brock said, glancing at the Pokémon which had its eyes open wide.
The place was full of weird powers and Jigglypuff couldn't pick out the feather's power specifically. Gary wondered out loud if they should all wait until the lord comes out himself, since nobody can access the castle. Kimiko jolted her head and shook it.
"No, he never leaves the castle." She muttered, frowning at the ground. Gary was shocked by this.
"Jeez, never?!" He asked.
"Never ever..." Kimiko confirmed. Gary crossed his arms, trying to think of another solution.
"How about the son?" Brock asked. He lowed his voice to a whisper. "Why not take him hostage?"
Ash's eyes widened. "Hostage?" He repeated a little too loudly.
"That was a pretty evil thing you just suggested there," Gary stated, smirking in Brock's direction.
Kimiko squinted as she carried on glaring downwards. "T-that wouldn't work."
"Breaking the shield would do the trick." Brock said, smiling to himself.
"There isn't anyone in the town who is skillful enough at fighting to do that, though!" Kimiko said with annoyance in her voice.
"Yeah there is." Gary said. He lifted his arm and pointed to himself. "Right here."
Kimiko looked up at him, her long black hair swaying as she did so. Her eyes widened and she felt the tiniest ping of hope.
"You'd do that?" She asked, smiling at him. Gary glanced at her and then looked at the window.
"I suppose." He replied. Brock grinned.
"Gary is unusually cooperative today!" He said, clapping his hands playfully.
Gary groaned and nodded. "I'm going to attack that castle. How hard could it possibly be for someone like me?"
Kimiko beamed and thanked him with an overjoyed grin on her face. "I'll leave that to you! Wait, I have an idea!"
The lord glared at Kimiko, Ash, and Dawn who were walking down the streets of Pastilous Town. The image of them appeared in front of him but he turned away from it when his son entered the room. He came and stood beside his father, looking at Kimiko mischievously.
"That girl is plotting something, Dad!" The son said, glancing over to his father. The lord nodded knowingly.
"I was thinking of making her your wife," He said, smirking down at the picture of her skipping happily along.
"What?!" His son shouted in surprise.
"She has the potential to follow in her mother's past." The lord said, laying his hand on the feather orb beside him. "But as long as I have this, we don't need anything else."
"Hearing you say that makes me feel better..." The son said, sighing with relief. The lord chuckled.
"Actually...I think we should let Kimiko join her mother in that world. At least they'll be happy together there...!"
Kimiko led Ash and Dawn to a small house in Pastilous Town. Gary, Brock and her brother were still back at her house waiting for them to return. Kimiko stopped in front of the door and looked up at it. Dawn and Ash came and stood behind her.
"What's this?" Ash asked, looking down at Kimiko.
She smiled. "You'll see! Go on in!" She held a hand out, gesturing for Ash to go inside.
He opened the door slowly and walked in with Dawn following closely behind him. Kimiko closed the door behind her and turned back to face everyone else. Ash was stopped in his tracks when two strangers blocked the way forward. Kimiko ran up to them and said that Ash and Dawn were her guests. The two people moved away immediately and Dawn glanced around.
"What's going on...?" She asked. Kimiko smiled up at her.
"This is where brave people gather. They are secretly deciding to fight the lord's control." Kimiko explained.
"Is that Kimiko, I hear?" They heard a voice say.
Ash, Dawn and Kimiko all turned to see two people they recognized step forward. Ash and Dawn smiled at them.
"It's May and Drew!" Ash said happily.
"It's been a while." Dawn added.
Kimiko did double-takes at them. "You know each other?" She asked.
Drew took a long stare at Ash and Dawn. "No...this is the first time I've seen them," He said, May nodding in agreement.
Jigglypuff came and jumped on Kimiko's head, startling May and Drew slightly. Kimiko smiled up at the Pokémon.
"This is Jigglypuff. It looks a bit strange but it's my guest, too." She said. Dawn came forward and stood beside Kimiko.
"I hope it isn't rude of me to ask but..." Dawn started, trying to remember what it was like when they met them in another world. "D-do you two like each other?"
May blushed and looked away. "W-well, um..." She stuttered but got cut off by Drew who put an arm around her.
"We plan to marry soon." He said smiling. Jigglypuff cheered as it waved its arms happily.
"I knew it!" Dawn exclaimed cheerfully. Kimiko smiled for a second until turning to May and Drew with a serious expression.
"I have a favor to ask." She said.
Kimiko, May and Drew sat down at a table as the girl spoke about what she had to say. Ash and Dawn sat at a separate table at the opposite end of the room. Ash began to explain to Dawn that Drew and May might look the same as when they met them before, but they're completely different people living in another world. They live a diverse life compared to the ones they met first. Dawn nodded, showing that she understood and eyed Kimiko. She wondered what the girl could have on her mind.
"Stop fighting? Why?" Kimiko asked, half surprised and half angry. Drew sighed and glanced at May who sat beside him.
"It's a long tale, Kimiko..." He said, clearly not wanting to talk about the issue.
"But-" Kimiko began to protest but got interrupted by May.
"We all discussed it and it came to this conclusion." She said somewhat calmly.
"The battle half a year ago was a complete failure," Drew continued.
He remembered vividly heading to the tower with his men. They stopped in front of the doors to the castle and watched them open by themselves. An illusion appeared and it showed Pastilous Town although it was upside down! Suddenly, the illusion disappeared to leave them staring at darkness. Two of the men in the group got dragged forcefully into it by some sort of physic power.
"We are no match for the power which the lord holds," Drew confessed, looking down sadly. "And we mustn't do anything more that risks our lives."
Dawn turned away from looking at the situation Kimiko was in and stared out the window. It showed a view of the tower and Dawn wondered what was beyond the doors. Her eyes narrowed and she clenched a fist.
"I have to go there." She murmured. Ash looked at Dawn worriedly.
"Dawn...are you alright?" He asked. Dawn shot him a glare which was full of determination and it caught him off guard.
"I-I understand." Kimiko said, staring at the ground. Memories of her mother came flooding back to her at that moment.
It was raining on that day and the water poured down at a fast pace. Kimiko ignored the bad weather and kept running down the path through the forest. She came to a standstill when she eventually reached the tower. Her eyes widened when noticed her mother laying lifelessly on the ground in front of the tower gate. The lord came and stood in front of her and smirked down at Kimiko.
"Mother!" Kimiko cried, her eyes filling up with tears.
"It's no use, Kimiko," The lord said. "Your mother is...already gone."
She couldn't bear to listen to the lord's hurtful words any longer. She called for her mother again but, like the lord had said, it was no use. The doors began to open and it revealed darkness beyond them. Kimiko's mother raised from the ground and was surrounded by a blue glow. She got dragged towards the darkness and Kimiko screamed as loud as she could. The lord laughed evilly and watched the young girl run. Kimko sped towards the doors which were slowly closing, shouting for her mother repeatedly. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she let her feet carry her forward.
"With this, all the obstacles in my path are gone." The lord declared and with that he left Kimiko to cry to her heart's content in the rain.
She fell to her knees and sobbed for what seemed like hours. The closed doors towered over her and she knew there was nothing she could do to open them.
Kimiko, Ash and Dawn left the house and made their way back. They arrived at the tower gate and Kimiko stared at the ground, still thinking about what happened to her mother all that time ago. She couldn't bring herself to tell her brother what had happened. All she managed to tell him was; "Mom's gone on a...vacation,". Even after that, Kuro asked his sister what a 'vacation' was. The small child didn't know what painful emotions his sister was experiencing.
Suddenly, May came from behind and called out to them. Kimiko turned around but didn't smile.
"I'm sorry...we can't help you," May said quietly. "Everyone lost their will to fight after the battle six months ago." She added and placed a hand on Kimiko's shoulder. "Please understand."
Kimiko looked away, still disappointed that everyone was giving up. Dawn was in front of them and was staring at the tower.
"I must go..." Dawn muttered to herself. Ash heard and looked at her with curiosity.
His eyes widened when Dawn closed her eyes and held her hand out in front of her. One arm held onto Jigglypuff as an eerie glow surrounded the Princess. Ash tried to stop Dawn walking towards the tower but she kept moving forward, as if his words meant nothing. The large doors opened and the darkness was shown. Dawn stopped when Ash called her name for the second time. She turned to take a quick glance at Kimiko and Ash. Jigglypuff jumped out of her arms in surprise.
"Princess, what's wrong?" Ash asked with worry.
All of a sudden, Dawn's feet lifted off the ground and she floated to the open doors.
"Dawn! Don't go!" Kimiko cried, reaching out to attempt to stop Dawn.
Her attempts didn't work and Dawn carried on making her way to the darkness ahead. Ash ran forward but got held back by Kimiko who stood in his way.
"No, Ash! If you go through that gate, you'll never come out!" She pleaded.
Ash saw Dawn go into the darkness and he called her name again loudly. Kimiko winced, still doing her best to prevent him going.
"Ash...don't go!" She let go of him and stood in front of him, looking at the ground. "I'm sorry Ash. I-if you go, people will begin to mourn again. Please, I don't want anymore sacrifices! "
Ash blinked but smiled down at her. "I know." Kimiko quickly moved her head to look at him. "I'll definitely bring Dawn back. That's a promise." He assured her.
Kimiko understood and trusted Ash. She stepped to the side and watched Ash walk past her. Jigglypuff placed itself on her shoulder and stared after Ash with wide eyes. Ash stood at the very foot of the entrance to the strange darkness and nodded. With that, he walked in to it bravely. Kimiko stared after him and saw the doors close. The loud 'bang' it made rung in her ears, making her feel even more uneasy.
Meanwhile, back at Kimiko's house, Gary was staring at a map of Pastilous Town. A picture of the tower was on the map and it had eight gates leading to it.
"We're gonna have to break one of them," He said still staring at the map. Something interrupted his trail of thoughts when the front door opened.
Kimiko stood in the doorway with a sorrowful expression. "I've got bad news." She said. "Ash and Dawn are..."
Brock looked up at her. "What happened to them?"
A few minutes later, the three of them were outside the gate which Ash and Dawn had entered. They stared up at it and Gary groaned.
"Honestly...that kid just goes waltzing in there as he pleases?!" He said with a hint of frustration in his voice.
"So...the power within this tower is stronger than I thought." Brock said, frowning at the gate. "Once you enter that, you never come out."
"What do you mean?" Gary asked.
Ash found himself standing on a sandy floor. There was a cloud-covered sky above him and Ash stared up at it.
"Dawn!" He called and waited to hear an answer.
"...Ash!" He heard Dawn's voice but couldn't work out where it was coming from.
Ash called her name again but this time received no reply. He stared ahead of him and spotted a trail of footprints. His eyes followed them and they brought the sight of Dawn ahead.
"Dawn...?" Ash said, his voice echoing.
She turned around to see him running towards her. Dawn smiled warmly and called to him. Ash was not far away from Dawn but stopped in his tracks when a large shadow appeared behind her.
'A...Pokémon?' He thought, feeling confused.
Flames came from the giant shadow and aimed directly at Ash and Dawn. Dawn quickly dodged the attack by falling onto the ground. Ash jumped over the burning flames and landed successfully on the ground. He saw Dawn stood on the spot, surrounded by flames.
"Help me." She quivered, her legs trembling slightly.
Ash swiftly made his way towards her, jumping over the flames. He came beside her and placed an arm around her.
"Are you hurt?" He asked and Dawn stared up at him with a small smile.
Dawn shook her head and Ash was relieved that nothing had happened to her. In front of them, the shadow hovered over them. Ash glared at it and saw a pair of red eyes gleam out from the dark figure.
Kimiko stood in the middle of one of the streets in Pastilous Town's markets. She began shouting out to the crowd that Ash and Dawn had entered the gate and would be coming back. The town gathered and listened to what she had to say.
"Don't speak such nonsense, Kimiko," A man said. "You know that once someone has gone through those doors, they will not come back out."
"No, Dawn is God's favorite daughter!" Kimiko opposed assertively. "She'll definitely come back!"
May and Drew stood apart from the crowd but could hear every word Kimiko was saying.
"I don't know, but of it's the truth..." Drew began to say. He was unsure of what to think about this situation.
"We'll just have to wait and see what happens," May said thoughtfully, watching Kimiko as she continued to speak. Could it be true?
Ash noticed more red eyes among the darkness and could only imagine what they might be at the moment. He looked on either side of him quickly to see that Dawn was no longer beside him. He began to panic and turned around in a full circle just to double-check. She wasn't there.
"Dawn!" He called, his words echoing once more.
"Ash, over here," He heard Dawn's voice come from further ahead.
Ash was glad that he hadn't lost Dawn in the darkness and ran forward. He saw her standing with some sort of Pokémon around her. There were so many, Ash couldn't even count them all. When Ash reached Dawn, he found her lost in thought. One of the Pokémon leaned closer to Dawn but Ash stepped in front of her, his arms stretched out to the sides. He glared up at the Pokémon, warning it that it shouldn't lay a finger on the princess. His eyes darted around, realizing that he could see what all the Pokémon looked like. They were all the same and floated in the air around Ash and Dawn. Each of them had a small gray body with two tails. Their tails had black gems encrusted on them and a similar gem was in the center of their forehead. Ash had first noticed their red eyes but ignored the fact that it send a shiver down his spine.
Dawn's eyes opened and she saw Ash in front of her. She placed a hand on his shoulder and he turned his head to look at her. Dawn smiled and Ash put his arms back to his sides.
"Wait," Dawn said, her eyes slowly closing again.
She walked past Ash who stared after her in wonder. Dawn stopped before one of the Pokémon and she laid a hand on its head.
"You're...lonely, aren't you?" Dawn said, rubbing its head softly.
Ash watched curiously. How could she tell? Her eyes were still closed but it seemed as if they were actually having a conversation with each other. A conversation that Ash couldn't hear or understand. Suddenly, the gray Pokémon began to fade away. Dawn's eyes quickly flew open and she moved her hand backwards in surprise. Another one came forward, wanting to experience Dawn's warm touch for itself. The blue-haired princess nodded and her eyes twinkled.
"You poor things." Dawn whispered, tears forming in her sapphire blue eyes. "These are...the townspeople."
Ash gasped at what Dawn had said. The townspeople? But what about that other one which faded away just then? Surely that couldn't have been someone, could it? Ash decided to ask Dawn about it since he was rather concerned.
"But the first one...faded away," Ash said, stepping forward. Dawn turned and shook her head.
"That one wasn't," She replied quietly. "It was-"
She stopped speaking when the creature beside her shook its head. Dawn understood that she should keep quiet about that, for the time being. Instead she continued to listen to the things they were telling her.
"All of them have been living in this world for so long, and have unknowingly took on these forms." Dawn said out loud, doing her best to repeat what they had told her.
"Is that so...?" Ash said to himself, looking around at all of them.
"But there's no need to worry," Dawn assured, a small smile on her face. "Once the aura shield around this castle has been destroyed, I'm sure they'll turn back to their original forms."
A blue light appeared above them and all stared up at it, except for Dawn. A voice was heard and everyone listened carefully. The light shone on Dawn, acting as a spotlight. The voice was speaking directly to her and Ash didn't interrupt.
"You, who has been able to touch those who have been reduced to these terrible shapes without hesitation. You are truly God's favorite daughter."
Ash carried on listening to the voice as it spoke again. Dawn's hand was on the creature's forehead again, and she was listening as well to what was being said to her.
"God's most beloved daughter...now, go...with the person you love, back to the place where you belong."
All of a sudden, Dawn began to glow somehow. She turned around when she heard Ash call her name. Ash's expression softened when Dawn wrapped her hands around his wrist. She smiled warmly and the light became stronger.
Kimiko's attention was grabbed by the spot of light that had suddenly appeared outside the gate. Everyone stared at it, all wondering what would show up. Kimiko hoped it was what she thought it would be. Soon the light died down and two people came to view.
"It's Ash, and Dawn's with him." Brock said happily.
Kimiko grinned brightly and she rushed up to them. When she approached Dawn, she gave her a hug and a smile to show that she was glad that both of them were safe. Dawn put her hand on the girl's shoulder and smiled down at her. The crowd behind them cheered and some punched the air with happiness.
"Just like Kimiko said!"
"That girl there really is God's favorite daughter!"
"It's amazing!"
May and Drew watched the scene in astonishment. They exchanged and glances and smiled.
"They...came back." Drew said and May nodded.
Kimiko stood in front of Dawn and grinned. "I knew you would come back! I knew it!" She exclaimed cheerfully.
At the tower, the lord and his son stared at everything that was happening outside. They both glared angrily, disappointed that their assumptions were incorrect.
"H-how did they get out?" The son asked his father in disbelief.
The lord groaned loudly. "Since this has happened...it's time to come to more drastic measures."
"Drastic measures?" His son repeated. "What would that be?"
"You'll see...soon enough."
Ash and everyone else were now back at Kimiko's house. Kuro ran up to them and greeted his sister lovingly. Kimiko smiled and knelt down next to him.
"See, I told you so!" She said, ruffling his hair. "The princess did have a happy ending."
Kuro ran to Dawn next and took her hands in his small ones. "Ash and Princess Dawn lived happily ever after!" He shouted joyfully.
Gary's smile didn't last long because he turned to Brock to discuss more serious matters. "We're not storming to the castle then?" He asked.
Brock shook his head, still smiling. "It's no fun." He replied. "And I think the townspeople have changed their minds a bit."
Drew along with May stood with Ash and Dawn outside. Kimiko joined them, her brother following after her excitedly.
"So, if we defeat the lord, our friends who got trapped in the gate will return?" May asked, filling up with hope for the first time in a while.
Ash nodded. "That's right." He said.
"Now we know that, we can't stop fighting now!" Drew added, bringing a clenched fist in front of him.
"So, that means..." Kimiko began, her eyes sparkling.
"It will take some time to convince everyone, so please wait until we do." Drew said before Kimiko could jump to conclusions.
She nodded with understanding and smiled. May and Drew left and Kimiko waved after them. Ash and Dawn smiled at each other and turned to look behind them. Brock and Gary came outside, smiling as they approached everyone else.
"Now then, I think we can call it a day." Brock said.
They agreed and went back inside. Today had been an eventful day, but none of them knew what awaited them in the near future...
A/N: I apologize...I'm not the best at ending chapters at all. Besides, I hope you liked this chapter. If you would like a better 'idea' of what the Pokémon looked like, please view my profile picture. I apologize again for my descriptions being poor. Thank you for reading and please review, if you can.