Wow, it's been so long since I last updated. Sorry about that. I sorta ran out of idea plus it was hard to write as it's the next chapter. Well, I hope everyone likes it.

disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.

Chapter 21: The Beginning Of The End

"Come, let's get out of here." Chaud said to Cynthia who was in the floor. He extended his hand and helped her stand up. It was then he noticed something was wrong with her foot. Without a word he pulled her towards him and carried her in the princess hold.

The others looked surprised at Chaud's sudden actions.

"W-w-what are you doing?!" protested Cynthia completely flushed as she waggled her legs and arms while hitting him on his chest. "Put me down, put me down!"

"Ow, stop it." He replied. "You're hurt and we have to get out quickly."

Cynthia pouted not being able to come with any sort of retort and finally calmed down. The blush on her face, however, never left her.

"Is that true, Cynth?" Misty asked.

"Yeah." The embarrassed-girl answered avoiding everyone's face.

"We don't have time to be dilly-dallying, let's get out." Drew pointed out.

They quickly exited the ruin. Once they were all out, Chaud put Cynthia down but insisted on being her support. She agreed reluctantly since if she didn't, she was sure he'd carried her like before.

It was pouring and the storm was really wild. The waves of the ocean were high and even splashing on them. They walked away from the border and to where the bags they have left were.

"Mary!" Exclaimed Cynthia when she saw the girl, who was completely soaked.

Mary saw her with a taken aback expression at seeing her friend being carried by Chaud. It took a second for her to react and immediately recovered her usual composure.

"You're hurt?" Asked Mary to her friend, who simply sighed and nodded. "Anyhow, we don't have time to for that now," she said when she saw May with the Blue Orb. "We have to return to the ship immediately." With that said she started running.

"Where's Sam?" Asked Misty curiously.

"I'll explain everything later." Replied Mary. "It's good to meet you, Misty" Mary said with her back turn as she walked away. "And everyone." She added a second later.

Everyone else followed running after her, except Chaud who could really run because of Cynthia.

"We're far enough of the Ruins, you can let me go now." She said when they could no longer see the Pyramid.

"It's okay, I can carry you-"

"You're tired. Meganium can carry me the rest of the way." She took out her Pokeball and the green dinosaur-like Pokemon appeared.

"As you wish." He replied as he carefully put her on her Pokemon's back so she was ridding side-saddle.

"Meganium, please follow Chaud." She ordered her Pokemon.

Chaud run the rest of the way till the chasm.

Meanwhile inside the ship…

"May, May!" Cried out Max as he ran to greet his sister. He hugged her and she returned the gestured. "What's happening?" he asked a bit frightened by how the ship was moving.

It was still raining hard and the sea seemed to be furious. The sky was dark as the night even though it was still afternoon. The clouds would occasionally illuminate with the thunder.

"It has begun it appears." Mary said as she solemnly gazed at the sky which now was completely different than before.

Everyone looked at the sky with shocked expressions.

"What exactly is happening, Mary?" Asked Cynthia as she finally made it safely back on the ship. "Thanks, Meganium, rest for now." She said to her Pokemon as she returned it to its Pokeball.

"Cynthia?! But didn't go down with Sam to see your foot?" Asked Max shocked when he saw her as he was sure he had seen her go to the same room Joe and Brock were.

Cynthia looked confused at him. "No, I just came."

"But I'm sure I saw you just now. Your clothes were different too. I thought you had changed your clothes." Max continued completely convinced that she had arrived earlier.

"Max, she's been with us and she didn't change clothes or anything." May said to him, not knowing why he was saying all that stuff.

Mary turned and faced everyone. "I guess it's time to explain everything." She said with a weak smile. "But first, where is Joe? I need to speak with him first."

"He is with Brock on the room at the end of the hallway." Replied Max not knowing what was happening anymore.

Mary nodded at him. "Thank you." She was about to walked away but a hand on her hand stopped her.

"Where is Sam?" Asked Cynthia worriedly.

"Sam was with you in that room." Max said. "Or with someone who looked like you." He added.

Cynthia and the others felt completely lost.

"I'll explain everything later. Please wait." Mary said before leaving them in the room where all of their stuff were, which was like a living room.

They all, except Brock, sat in the couches and sofas since they were nothing else they could do.

"Hey, Max, what you said before… there was a girl who looked exactly like Cynthy, here?" Asked Chaud with a somewhat serious expression.

Cynthia glared at him for calling her by that nickname but immediately dismissed it.

"Uh-huh. She looked exactly like her, but I only saw her for a second since I left the room when I heard you guys coming and also because it was bit crowded." Explained Max.

"If she looks exactly like you, doesn't that mean that she's your twin sister?" Misty joked knowing perfectly well she was an only child as Cynthia herself had always said.

"Or your clone." Added Ash.

Chaud let out a dramatic sigh. "Please, spare me. With one of her is enough. She's already too troublesome, now I can't imagine two of them." He smirked.

"I agree. One Cynthia is enough." Commented Drew jokingly as some sort of revenge.

"Ha-ha. Very funny." Cynthia rolled her eyes.

"Aw, c'mon, Cynth, we're only joking." Misty said to her friend.

"I know," she said tiredly. "Chaud, pass me some ice."

Chaud raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?" He said at her command.

"Your ankle still hurting, right?" Asked May.

"Yeah." Cynthia replied. "Pass me some ice, please." She re-directed her attention to Chaud.

Drew who was next to May said to her. "I thought you had hurt your ankle too." Drew said.

"Oh, yeah." She said remembering. "I guess it's all better now since it doesn't hurt anymore." She smiled while sweat-dropping.

"Thank you." Cynthia muttered once the fore-mentioned did as he was told. "My ankle is swelling."

"You're ankle is hurt?" Asked Max rhetorically. "Don't tell me is your left ankle."

"No, it's my right ankle that hurts." Cynthia said a bit taken aback but Max sudden comment.

"Why you asked such strange question Max?" May asked her little brother.

Before the boy could reply a grumbling noise startled everyone in the room.

"What was that?" Asked May.

"It was really loud." Commented Drew.

"Don't worry about it," Misty said calmly as she looked at her right at Ash. "It was only Ash's stomach." She finished with a sighed.

The teenager chuckled lightly. "Heh-heh. Sorry about that but I'm starving."

Everyone either chuckled or rolled their eyes.

"Some things never change." Misty said as she looked into the fridge to see if there was something Ash could eat.

Meanwhile in other part of the ship…

"Mary!" Exclaimed Mistress from the chair as she saw her friend and boss entered the room.

"Hey." Mary smiled slightly, with a mix of relieve and guilt. "I'm glad you're okay." Mary said.

"Sure, I have more lives than a cat, after all." She joked and smiled at her. She winced when Sam put started rubbing the cold cream on her ankle. "I-I'll do it. Thanks."

"How is Joe?" Mary redirected her attention at the man resting in bed; she looked up at Sam and then noticed a boy standing behind her.

"Oh, I'm guessing you're Brock, right?" Asked Mary trying to be polite despite her mind was elsewhere. "I'm Mary." She extended her hand for a handshake.

"Nice to meet you, Mary." He replied.

"Yes, you too." She smiled unenthusiastically because of the situation.

"Joe hasn't woken up yet." Sam informed Mary. "He just tired and a little dehydrated nothing to worry too much."

"I see. I'm glad it's nothing serious." Mary said relieved. "Eriol?"

"He's navigating the ship." Sam replied.

Mary nodded. "The orb?"

"It's there." Mistress replied for Sam as she pointed at the bag May and Drew had found earlier.

Mary nodded once again. "Can you guys come with me? There…there are some things… I have to talk with everyone." She said a bit reluctantly, she really didn't know how they would react. She had made mistakes and she was regretting now, not only that she had endangered their life too not to mention she had kept quiet on… 'It's time to tell the truth.' She thought.

"Sure, let's go." Said Mistress from her chair, she wobbly stood up and Brock, helped her keep her balance before she fell. "Thanks."

With a little difficulty they all made it to the living room, where everyone else was everyone, except Eriol and Joe, obviously.

They had been talking about the happenings in the last few hours. This morning had been normal. Eating breakfast at the Pokemon Center, talking to each other about the upcoming Pokemon Contest, Brisa coming unexpectedly along with Drew, Sam coming to pick Cynthia up, Brisa getting scolded, suddenly decided to tag along to the mysterious Labyrinth Island and then everything that happened in the ruins…

The only normal part of the day was eating breakfast at the Pokemon Center and maybe not even that since Cynthia overslept which was a first, according to both Chaud and Misty. Wasn't there an expression that went with that sort of thing? "The end of the world is coming," was it?

"I don't think this is over, yet." Thought Drew out-loud.

"What do you mean?" Asked Cynthia, pressing the small towel with ice against her foot.

"He means that something else probably is going to happen now." Chaud replied for Drew. "The reason why Mary called you to come was probably because she wanted you to get that Orb." He said referred to the Blue Orb which was in one of the black bags Sam had provided for them to take.

"Does that mean the Blue Orb was meant for Cyn to be picked up?" May asked.

"If it had been like that then they wouldn't have sent someone else, May." Replied Drew with a smirk.

"Well, excuse me, but isn't that what Chaud just said? Mary wanted Cynthia to get the Orb?" May retorted slightly annoyed at Drew's remark.

"Actually," Mary's voice came from the door which was ajar and three people behind her. "Both are correct. I did send people to retrieve the two orbs because we- I had made a mistake. I know I can't really do anything to compensate the fear you must have felt when the ruin started sinking with water, but I still offer you my apologies. I was too careless." Mary's looked down feeling guilty for what she had made them go through. "I'm terribly sorry." She bowed.

"Forget that," Cynthia was the one to break the ice. "What's done is done and thank goodness we're all okay, right?" She asked everyone.

Everyone seemed to agree with her and forgave Mary.

With a weak smile she said a thank you before becoming very serious again. "It's time to explain everything now." She made way so the three people who were behind her could come in. Sam was the first who looked stunned at seeing Cynthia with an ice pack on her right ankle. Brock, who went into the room right after Sam, also made the same face the Sam. Finally, Mistress entered while limping slightly.

Sam's and Brock's faces were matched by everyone in the room, except for Mary who continued looking very serious.

Mistress looked shocked too. It was like looking at a mirror at her very own reflection except her reflection was of flesh and was sitting instead of standing like she was.

"Everyone sit down and I'll start explaining everything." Mary said to the dumbfounded people in the room.

Sam, Brock and Mistress sat in a couch, although it was a bit crowded now with all the bags, and backpacks and all that stuff.

"I guess I'll start first with who is Mistress?" she asked and everyone nodded in agreement. "About four months ago, when I was transferred to the HQ of P.C I met Mistress and I was really surprise like you guys are right now. I thought it had to be more than coincidence, since there couldn't be two people who look exactly the same without being related. Thus I started investigating both Cynthia," Mary nodded toward her. "And Mistress," she nodded towards her too.

Everyone's attention was glued on Mary. "The real story is too long so I'm just gonna sum it all up, okay?" Mary said as she was beginning to get nervous with so many people looking at her so intensely. "Mistress isn't her real name, by the way, that was the name her foster parents; that is to say the people who found her, gave to her. When she was small she was found outside a forest on a rarely visited island on the Orange Islands. She was found days later on the same Island you were found unconscious, Cynthia. She also has a necklace like the one you have, a gold heart-shaped locket with a picture of when you were small. The clothes are the same, by the way, the only difference it's the color. Through my research, I also got hold of Mistress' birth certificate and her real name is Demitria Waterearth." She said as she looked at everyone trying to get all this information in their heads.

Everyone was shocked to hear it say like that but not as shocked with the news as they were when they first saw them together.

"All that fits," admitted Cynthia while thinking about everyone Mary had just told them. "Except one thing, my last name isn't Waterearth. It's Bauer." Cynthia replied. "Don't tell me you didn't know?" she asked to Mary's and everyone else's faces were shocked.

"Whaaat-?" everyone gasped in surprised, except Mistress who was still confused and surprised to see someone who looked exactly like her.

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