So, when I started this chapter not only did I start with ADD Chapter 28, but I started withonlythe number 28. Feeling intelligent right now xD (And then I ended it there. I came back and was like, "I didn't even decide the perspective yet?" *Sweatdrop* AND AND AND AND I wrote the header in the wrong style.)

I really, really love the last parts. In fact, if I choose to change the name, it'll probably be called The Bravest Chosens. This also might be one of my favorite chapters because of the last parts. But what do you all think about the name?

ADD Chapter 29

The Lucario

As we walked through the last of the floors, I saw more and more of the ghosts. An angry marowak, pacing the halls while lightly slapping his bone onto his paw over and over again. A sad bibarel aimlessly walking about the place with a blank expression. A lonely furret running past us, looking for something she'll never find.

Every time I saw one of the wandering spirits I would stop and watch it until it left or the others called out. Wylie hung next to me. I knew he hated not being able to help more than mentally being my friend and physically being there to tap my shoulder and bring me back into the world of the living.

After a while the ghosts stopped appearing. I resorted to staring at the patchwork floor of gray sand splashed with the dried blood that gave it the occasional red coloring and thinking about all the poor pokemon Darkrai had killed. Eventually the red sand went away as well and I began to sense the darkness.

"Shit," I swore loudly when I realized I was actually sensing it and it wasn't me who was conjuring the feeling.

"What?" Wylie demanded, worry etched into the lines of his face and the wideness of his eyes.

"I didn't bloody realize! F**king hell," I swore again, spitting my words at the ground.

Carry gave me a careful sideways glance and asked with a combination of fear and demand, "What did you not realize?"

"The damn spirits wandering around here aren't just a warning! They're a goshdamn distraction!" I swore a few more times and punched the air again and again. After a moment of this I stood with my head in my hands. "Damn it."

"Oh, gawd, what?" Wylie said slowly, fear taking over his expression. His voice sped up as he asked, "What, Austin, what?"

"The darkness is Darkrai," I said quietly. "He's here."

"But your dad said it was his presence and not specifically him. I thought it was Craeg because he's Darkrai's Chosen and he has those similar dark powers," Carry said, speaking quickly. I could hear the fear, the please-tell-me-this-is-a-dream tone of voice. I could see it in her wide eyes and her set jaw.

I took my head out of my hands and shook my head. "Carry, it's him. Craeg's aura is similar but Darkrai's is much, much stronger and much, much darker. I'm so sorry, guys. I was so preoccupied with the dead that I forgot about the living. I fell into Darkrai's trap by getting so distracted. I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter," Wylie said with a touch of determination in his voice. "We knew we would have to face him eventually. It's better it's sooner than later."

"You really think we can beat him now?" Jared asked quietly, looking crestfallen. There was a thread of bitter sarcasm in his sad voice.

Wylie closed his eyes and bit his lip for a moment. I knew what he was going to say, so I looked away as he reopened his eyes. "I'm going to tell you all the truth."

"Then do it," Carry said. I glanced at her. Her eyes were full of fierceness and sadness, her jaw was set, and her chin was up. She sat up tall and straight. Carry knew what he was going to say and she was preparing herself for it. "Don't hold back. Tell us the truth and nothing but it."

I turned my gaze back to Wylie and watched as he met each and everyone's gazes for but a second. His expression turned bittersweet as he began, "Look how far we've come, everybody. We have survived Skun and Azelf, Craeg and disease and pain and injury. We've gotten Dark almost all of his old memories back and we have made many new ones. We've stood tall and strong and, most importantly, together for all of it."

"Stop sweet-talking us and just say it," Carry demanded, her voice demanding but her face red, her body slightly shaking, and the fur around her eyes darkened with tears. Her eyes showed pleading. She wanted it said and done.

Dark sat behind her with his head down. His eyes were closed. His ears were hanging down near his head instead of up and alert. He looked up suddenly, his eyes empty, his ears twitching, and caught my gaze, what he'd been looking for. He gave me a slight nod. He also knew what Wylie was going to say.

I switched my gaze to Heather and Jared, who stood close. They were the bravest kids I'd ever met. They both knew, too, but they still held their heads up high. They both looked close to tears. They were both afraid. They both knew that neither of them had to stay. They both knew that they had chosen to stay with us this far, through all this danger, and they could leave at any time. They both knew it, but they stayed.

We started this together, and I know we all wanted to see it finished together.

Besides, Heather and Jared had chosen this path, just as I had chosen to be Chosen and Carry had chosen to become Dark's guardian.

They knew what Wylie was going to say.

They knew it.

But still Heather and Jared stayed.

Not because they had to. Not because they'd made the choice to be Chosen long ago and didn't want to go back on it. Not because they were forced to. Not even because the exit had been blocked or something.

Heather and Jared stayed because they believed in each other and in us and in friendship.

They were Chosen by themselves but had the rare opportunity to take it back easily.

But they didn't.

I think that makes them the bravest Chosens.

I looked at Wylie, who looked near tears by now and, heck, I probably did, too.

But he took a deep breath, put his head down, and said quietly, "No. We won't win." Then he picked his head up again and decided, "And none of us will make it back in one piece. We'll all be slashed, cut, bruised, bullied, buffeted, bleeding, and maybe even fainted. But we'll get better. We'll train more. Then one day we will go back and win. Then Craeg and his team will fall. Darkrai has played a horrible, terrible, long game of chess and we finally will beat the king. Craeg is the queen and he's been moving around the board, taking out all our pieces. Azelf was Darkrai's knight and she took out our own knight. Our pawns are everyone Darkrai has hurt or killed and his is Skun."

"And the rest of Them," Carry put in quietly.

Dark nodded. "And Them. They're the pawns that Darkrai moved to try and take me out before Carry and I both came here, I think, since Craeg is one of Them and he tried to kill me."

"Makes sense," Carry agreed, shrugging.

Wylie had no idea what they were talking about (I could see it in his aura) and neither did I, but he continued anyway. "And Them. But They're not problems as far as I know and Skun is easy to beat. The guild was our castle, and this mountain is theirs. Both are unsafe now and neither force can return to them anymore, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that we will take out the dark king one day."

"Yeah!" I said joyfully, raising my fist in the air.

"Yeah!" everyone else repeated, beginning to smile.

"Yes! Now let's go!" Wylie pumped his fist in the air, bringing the last of bit of excitement that he could fit in the air between the sadness.

Overall, I felt bittersweet. It was a better feeling than I'd expected to get.

"Wait! Wait! Hang on!" a high-pitched voice called.

We all fell into fighting stances, unsure of what who was coming.

A little shaymin came into sight, panting.

"She's an actual shaymin," I said, standing up.

Everyone relaxed. Dark, receiving the memory, fainted.

"Damn, and everyone was all pumped up, too," I said, shrugging. "Oh, well. Shaymin? What's the news?"

After a few more pants, she said, "You can't go up there. Darkrai's there!"

***AUTHOR NOTE ON NEXT CHAPTER!***