Here it is, the milestone known as Chapter 50. I never thought I would go this far in any story I have ever written in my life. So this is a welcomed surprise for me. Rick has a new struggle and Alara as well, so let's see how this will go. Anyways, I hope you guys like this chapter as much as I like working on it. The forum is still up for anyone that wants to ask me or EmeraldDragon1 questions about our stories or ourselves. Just search the Blade and the Embrace in the forum area. So enjoy the chapter guys. View Rankings: 1st) UK, 2nd) Philippines, 3rd) Singapore, 4th) Australia, and 5th) Canada.

"speech"= talking out loud or conversing

*speech*= thoughts

speech= Pokemon moves

speech= telepathic communication

Rick and Twilight were battling one another, each one exchanging their own blows. Twilight was surprising Rick by easily overpowering him. Rick tried to hold his ground, but soon found that impossible against the power that Twilight was exerting.

Twilight was saying to Rick, "Aren't you a warrior? Fight like one!"

She then slashed at Rick and sent him falling back when he blocked it. She then grabbed his face and threw him across the wasteland until he was cratered into a rock wall.

Twilight laughed and said to him, "If this is the one that calls himself my master then I have to say that I lost my standards."

Rick pried himself out of the wall and fired a Shadow Ball at Twilight, who knocked it away. Rick then swung at her and she swung back, shattering his sword into hundreds of pieces.

Rick looked at his broken sword in shock and surprise, "What the hell?"

Twilight smirked, "Your power isn't strong to beat me. Hell right now you can't beat me by using me."

Rick vanished to dodge an attack from Twilight and reappeared behind her, trying to slash her with his arm blades. She calmly turned around and caught the blades with her bare hands, surprising Rick.

Twilight shook her head and said, "You can't cut me. You're weak against me. You haven't learned to use your powers to their fullest abilities." She then threw him on the ground. "Let me tell you a little secret. Battle is not about killing your enemy or even being stronger for that matter. It's about having the greater will to fight. If you have something to fight for then it will be easy to beat any opponent."

Rick got up and asked, "So you're telling me that I just have to have a drive and I can win, despite the difference in power between me and my enemy."

"Yes, but don't go getting killed and believing that the drive is all you need. If you're not strong enough then your drive is in vain."

"So what is the point of you bringing me here and destroying my sword?"

Twilight smirked and said, "Training."

"Training?"

"I want to teach you how to be stronger. Also, your coma presented the perfect opportunity for you to take your sword skills to the next level."

"What's the next level?"

"You'll find out. Now fight me."

Rick looked at her with a confused expression, "I think we've established that you're stronger and you destroyed my sword."

Twilight then said, "So it's a sword you want?" She then lifted her head and gave a howl. Suddenly the shards of Shadowbane came back together and flew into Rick's hands. Rick caught it and looked at it. Twilight chuckled and said, "So let's continue."

Twilight quickly slashed at Rick again, but Rick teleported away and tried to slash her from behind. Twilight moved the sword to her back and blocked the attack. She then kicked Rick back and turned around to face him.

Rick tried to find a way to hit her, but his concentration was stopped when she suddenly disappeared. Rick then ducked his head and saw her blade miss. He spun around and swung at her, but she blocked it and punched him in the gut.

Twilight sighed and said, "Looks like I'll have to train you bit by bit."

Rick looked up and said, "What do you mean?"

Twilight didn't answer and listed one of her arms. Rick looked at her hand and saw a dark aura circle around it. Twilight then swung her hand down at him and Rick blacked out.

Rick soon opened his eyes and looked at his surroundings. He was no longer in the wasteland. Instead he seemed to be on a plateau that was looking over a forest. Rick got up and wondered how he arrived there, how long he was asleep, and what was in store for him. Rick looked for Twilight, but couldn't find her anywhere.

He called out to her while drawing Shadowbane, "Twilight! Where are you!?"

A black void then appeared on the edge of the plateau. Rick took a battle position and then stopped when he saw a Gardevoir standing on the edge of the cliff. The Gardevoir was wearing a red dress, her hair was in various locks and some were braided. Around her waist was a black belt that looked like it was made out of leather. The Gardevoir turned around and Rick saw her face and noticed many similar features to Alara.

Rick was surprised, "Who are you?"

The Gardevoir chuckled and said, "You've seen me many times. However, never face to face."

"I'm still confused."

The Gardevoir sighed and summoned out her own Shadowbane. Rick was surprised by this, not because the Gardevoir summoned Shadowbane, but because of the shape of the Gardevoir's Shadowbane. Her Shadowbane was not serrated like Rick's Shadowbane, instead it was smooth and elegant.

The Gardevoir then said, "I was the first known master of Shadowbane. I built the Sanctuary, and for that I am the most treasured of queens."

Rick's eyes shot open and said, "Illia!"

Illia chuckled and said, "How right you are. It's great to meet you Aeruthael."

"If I may say, you bear a striking resemblance to my mate."

"Oh that's because she's from my bloodline, so she inherited some of my traits. So she has a resemblance to me, and not me to her."

Rick chuckled, "I guess. So what are you doing here?"

Illia replied, "I'm here to help train you."

"Train me?"

"You claim to be a master of Shadowbane, but you know very little about battle with this sword." She then pointed the blade at Rick, "This sword is not just a weapon. It should be an extension of your body. You shouldn't feel its weight in your hand. It should feel like moving one of your own fingers."

"I can already move Shadowbane freely."

"Oh really? So can you move it as fast as swinging you own arm?"

"Of course not. It has the weight of the blade itself to pull along."

"Then you have not mastered this part of Shadowbane. So let me show you."

Illia then disappeared and Rick took a defensive position. Rick managed to block the attack, but felt his muscles strain to stop the force of the hit. Illia saw him struggle, spun around, and kicked him in the gut, making him fall back and roll on the ground. Rick got back up and looked just in time to dodge an attack from Illia. Rick took the opportunity to attempt to attack Illia. Illia easily dodged it and pressed a Shadow Ball onto his chest. The blast sent Rick flying back several feet and hit a rock. Rick staggered to his feet and looked at Illia, charging energy onto her blade.

[Alara]

It was the day after Alara's last visit and she was still in Rick's room. She was taking a nap on the chair next to his bed and then felt someone tap her shoulder. She quickly woke up and looked at who tapped her, being revealed as Dr. Lian with a food tray.

Dr. Lian said to Alara, "You have been here for hours Alara. I was worried about you. You haven't eaten anything in the entire time you have been here."

Alara rubbed the sleep from her eyes and said, "Thank you, but I don't have much of an appetite."

Dr. Lian was surprised, "Not much of an appetite? You haven't eaten in hours. Also, this is the first time you have slept since you got here."

"I just stayed up telling Rick about the two days without him."

"This is not healthy for you. You're doing his job, but you're neglecting your body's health because of this event. This is a time where you must show strength. Not just for your own sake, but for this city's sake as a whole."

Alara got up off her chair and said, "I guess I have been pretty pathetic lately."

"And don't go bringing yourself down either. Listen, just go home, relax a bit, and maybe get Aeru's little cousin Maiyu so you guys can bond for a while. She should be able to relax as long as she's around."

Alara smiled, "Yes, she's a living anti-depressant. However, she doesn't know about Rick's condition yet."

"Don't tell her. Just spend time with her."

"Alright."

Dr. Lian smiled and said, "Good. Now listen, don't take this as spite, but I don't want to see hide nor tail of you for the rest of the day. I will send you updates on Aeru's condition. Now goodbye dear."

Alara laughed and said, "Yes ma'am! Goodbye!"

Alara teleported away and reappeared in front of her car. She then pulled out a list of responsibilities to attend to, "Alright let's see what I have to do before I get to pick up Maiyu. Meeting with the Council...FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCC CCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKK!"

[Three Hours Later]

Alara was sitting with her parents in the throne room of the Chief's Court. She was driving her forehead onto her fist until her mom stopped her.

Her mom said to her, "Alright, no need to bruise your head. We've been dealing with them for years, we can deal with their crap."

Alara sighed and said, "I can't believe the crap they come up with though. It irritates me."

Saifer said to Alara, "It's okay, just go home and rest."

"Yeah, maybe."

Saifer then remembered something, "Oh yeah! Your friend A came over earlier today."

"What for?"

"He had a request to make of me, he says it should help with the security of the Sanctuary."

"What did he have in mind?"

"He planned to send out scouting parties all around the region, to make sure Team Rocket does nothing without our knowledge of it."

Alara got up, "I have to hear this from his own mouth. Why didn't he bring this to my attention?"

"He didn't want to bother you since...well you know. I gave him my approval though. However, if you have another opinion then go down to see him about it."

"That's what I'm about to do. I'll see you guys later. Bye!"

[Rick vs Illia]

Rick and Illia were trading blow, during this fight Rick could see why Illia was legendary for her strength. Rick tried to go on the offensive and slashed away as best as he could at her. However, Illia kept dodging or blocking his attacks with little difficulty. In one instance, Illia caught his blade with her bare hands, astonishing Rick.

Rick was surprised, "How did you just catch my blade?"

Illia smirked and said, "You'll never be able to cut me until you decide to listen to your sword."

"What are you talking about? I listen to Twilight all the time. I've been able to listen to her for months now."

"Yes, you heard her, but have you listened to her. Think of it this way, think of the sword as your heart. Sometimes your heart tells you things but you can take it as just some random crap. However, the truth is that it's your instincts telling you the way to do something correctly. So far you have used your sword as a means of combat and chalked up Twilight's suggestions and mere opinions when in truth they are the way for you to win and the way for you to become stronger. Now I'm not saying that you have been ignoring her, you just couldn't listen. You were deaf powerwise. You relied of you current strength and you powers to win fights for you, but what if your enemy has more strength and more capable powers than you. What then?"

Rick took a second to process the information and then said, "So I have to learn to listen to Shadowbane as I fight?"

"That's the basic idea, yes."

Rick then lifted his Shadowbane and pointed the blade at Illia, "Then I guess I better listen."

Illia arched an eyebrow and saw a red ball of energy beginning to charge at the tip of the blade. Illia sighed and said, "Oh don't go all Xeron on me." Illia the pointed her blade at Rick and charged an energy ball of her own, "You're just like him, always jumping to an attack that you aren't sure will work."

Rick saw the energy ball and began to sweat, "Damn it!"

Illia giggled, "It's a game of chicken. Who fires first?"

Rick swallowed and then thought of something Illia said earlier, "Wait, you know my father?"

"Oh please! You're not the only one in your family to go through this trial. You're just like your father. I had to beat the living crap out of him so he can learn."

"So I'm like my dad?"

"You look like him and act just like he did when he first came here."

Rick scoffed, "I'm nothing like him. He's a clown compared to me."

"Trust me, he was exactly like you when he was your age. He was serious, objective, and didn't play around. You remind me of him too much."

"Well I guess time changes a person."

"It was your mom that changed him. However, that's a story for another time. Now are you going to shoot or are we just going to have this cannon point interview?"

Rick nodded and fired the blast. Illia smiled and swung upwards, making the energy ball turn into an energy shield, blocking the blast. Rick ran forward and sliced through the energy shield and tried to beat Illia. Illia seemed to of already expected the attack and blocked the hits again, frustrating Rick. Rick swung with greater force, surprising Illia and making her smile. Rick then roared, shocking Illia. He then charged at Illia and managed to grab her, and slammed her onto the ground. Rick threw his claws and tried to plunge them through her. Illia however vanished and reappeared kicking Rick in the head.

Rick growled in frustration and then shook his head so he wouldn't go into Alpha State. "No! I can't use Alpha State. I refuse."

Illia didn't take the opportunity to attack, instead she said, "That demonic power you gain when you're frustrated seems to be hard to control."

"It's been getting harder to control since Projects Mu and Nu died. I get headaches and then I just explode into a rage. I get to control it easily though, so it's not that bad."

"Well I guess it's not all bad. So let us continue our little training session, shall we?"

Rick smirked and took his battle position, "Sure! You first!"

Illia nodded and lunged forward towards Rick. Rick brought his sword up and swung, clashing with Illia's blade.

[Alara; 22nd Den]

Alara teleported to the 22nd Den. She stopped for a second and looked at the den. The den was the same, but it felt different without Rick standing next to her, walking with her. She took a deep breath and sighed before walking to the manor. As she approached the manor she could hear what sounded like two Gallades fighting. She decided to walk around the manor and found A sparring with his Gallade. A noticed her and stopped the sparring session.

He and Green walked up to Alara and Green said, "Alara! It's so good to see you." She then noticed Alara's new attire. "Oh that's an interesting new look."

Alara gave a brave smile and said, "This is the traditional female Warlord attire. Never in my life did I think that I would have to wear it." She then fixed Shadowbane onto her hip and looked at A.

A nodded and told her, "It suits you well. If all goes well, however, you will probably not wear that for too long. What do you need from me, My Lady?"

Alara looked at A seriously, "I heard from my father that you sent out some scout parties. I would like to know what that is all about."

A nodded and replied, "I have sent a variety of scouts all over the region to watch over the various cities and larger routes to keep track of any Team Rocket movements. They all come from my own stock of pokemon but will answer to your father in the event I cannot be reached. They understand that this is a very important stealth mission, and will not reveal the location of the Sanctuary under any circumstances. I have assigned Rose and my Whimsicott, Scott, to gather the reports of the scouts, then give me the information."

Alara nodded, "While I accept the idea I still have to ask you, why didn't you bring it to me earlier?"

A shuffled his feet and replied, "You were visiting Rick in the hospital, and I figured you needed that time to yourself. Your father said he would inform you of my plan once you returned. I would have addressed it to you directly, but I had to direct my troops first."

Alara looked down and then sighed, "Thank you for understanding. I know I shouldn't stay too long with Rick, now that I have to perform his responsibilities."

A nodded and encouraged her, "If you need any help, you shouldn't be afraid to ask. And I don't just mean me. Someone else held the position before Rick, no? Perhaps you could ask him or her for advice."

"His uncle Daedalus was the Warlord before him and his father prior."

A nodded and said, "Very well, if you find your position difficult to manage, you could ask him for advice."

"Well Xeron is dead and Daedalus has been sent by my father to visit the Medicham civilization."

A paused for a moment, then said, "Well, I know I don't hold a position in your society, and that might reflect on your view of me, but I believe I have a good understanding of battles and strategy. However, that might be the only help I can offer. I don't think I have any political influence here, nor do I think I need any. Especially since my time here is limited to the duration of this war."

Alara gave a slight smile behind her sad expression, "Thank you."

Alara's stomach then grumbled, prompting Green to ask, "Are you hungry?"

Alara nodded, "I am. I haven't eaten anything today. I woke up and immediately went to the hospital. Needless to say, my parents have been very worried about me since Rick slipped into a coma."

A hesitated, then said, "In all truth, we are too. You haven't been yourself since that... event, and I can understand why. However, you shouldn't allow this to completely ruin your life. I hope I don't sound cruel in saying this, but I'm sure Rick would tell you to pull yourself together and get the work finished. At least, that's what I would do." Green then slapped his arm, and he looked at her in confusion and said, "What? What'd I say?"

Green rolled her eyes, looking at Alara and asked, "Can you believe some men?"

Alara laughed weakly, "Yeah, they say a lot of things they shouldn't. However, he's right. I have changed, maybe for the worst."

A looked between them both, then shrugged and said, "Well, I'm probably no use here. Clearly I did something wrong. Besides, Rose is due shortly for a report, and I have to attend to that."

Alara stopped him, "Before you go, let me ask both of you. Should I go back to see Rick, or should I go home?"

A hesitated, then said, "Well, if you want my personal opinion, I think you should see a bit more of the sun. It can do wonders for you, and you would only be depressed seeing Rick. At home, the only thing you would do is contemplate him. Therefore, you should avoid both situations."

Green hesitated herself, then agreed, "As much as I don't like it, that would be what I would do. It's best you take your mind off the depressing matter. We're not saying completely ignore him, but you shouldn't spend so much time obsessing over something you cannot change."

Alara put her hand to her chin and thought for a second. She sighed and nodded, "I understand. I guess I should go for a walk or visit my parents for a while. I should see if they have anything to eat." She laughed and then said to A, "It's not that I want to live in a shell. It's just that I want my mate back. I wasn't prepared to lose him so suddenly."

A's eyes grew downcast and he replied dully, "We all lose those we love; it's a simple fact and consequence of life." He pointed in the general direction of his pokemon and said, "Already I have lost some of them, and in one instance I paid a price for it. But the heartache will not end there, because where there is life, there is also death, which is almost irreversible, except for Arceus. Rick is still alive; just keep that in mind." Before anyone could tell him off, he turned away and went back to the training grounds.

Green sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, and told Alara, "Sorry, he gets like that sometimes. I guess that's one of the consequences of his eternal youth."

"That sounds horrible. This may sound weird, but I'd rather not live forever. I want to grow old, live in peace, and then die in peace."

Green nodded and replied, "I know what you mean. I can only imagine the torture he must endure from realizing that for as long as he remains the White Knight of Arceus, he's subject to loss and despair."

Alara looked at them and then asked Green, "Do you have his eternal youth?"

Green paused, thinking the question over. Then she replied, "I don't know, actually. The only thing I was told was that Rick, your mate, requested my resurrection, but his reasons are unknown to me. What puzzles me more, though, is that Arceus complied. I mean, I haven't done anything special like Michael, so why would he consent to bring me back? I have a feeling both Rick and Michael know, but Michael diverts the subject every time I bring it up, and Rick is... unavailable right now."

Alara sighed, "I guess it's something to ask Arceus or Rick at another time. However, how does it feel to be given another chance at life? To be young again. At the moment, life is confusing to me and I don't know what to think anymore."

Green giggled, then sobered up a bit and replied, "It's a bit... humbling. I mean, I've already had a crack at life, and for the most part, I'm happy with how it worked out. I mean, there are obviously parts I wish I could redo, but it is what it is. If you're willing to take advice from an old woman such as myself-" she paused for a moment, then giggled madly. When she recovered, she said, "Ohh, sorry. If you're willing to take advice from an old woman, you shouldn't be afraid to take certain risks. Just don't be completely reckless. I tell you what, though, being young again certainly feels better than being old. I had the worst case of arthritis you could imagine, and the general area where I lived was not very compromising for something like that."

Alara giggled, "Well you must be very grateful. I wonder what Arceus has in store for me and Rick. He brought you and A back, brought Rick back to the Sanctuary, got me and Rick together. Now all I ask is to know how to move on from here."

Green shrugged and stated, "Well, in my experience, and Michael might have said this before, life is full of unexpected turns and surprises, not all of them welcome. But being able to move past all of that, and still enjoy what benefits life gives you makes you a truly strong person."

Alara chuckled, "Then Rick should of been indestructible. Mainly considering all that has happened to him in his life."

Green frowned, then replied, "Following that logic, Michael would be beyond indestructible. But that's not how it works. I really mean spiritual strength."

Alara sighed, "I guess that I'm lacking in that form of strength. As you probably can tell, I was pretty well protected as I grew up. You know, being the princess and all, I had all the luxuries that I wanted. However, I never wanted them. What I really wanted was to be like the people under me. My parents understood and allowed me to live like them on the outside, but on the inside there was still a pampered side to me. I never experienced true loss or pain for a long time, namely when I lost my grandfather, my Pop-Pop" Alara giggled lightly. "I'll admit, I'm always unprepared to lose anyone, thus why I'm taking Rick's condition so hard. Each time I lose someone I blame myself. Sure I'd wish everyone I loved could live forever, but then I would have to stay with the reality that not everyone gets the luxuries that you and A have been given. Not even my power and wealth could give that to me. If I couldn't blame myself, I would blame Arceus, but then I would feel bad for harboring such thoughts."

Alara then walked to a bench and sat down, "I have to be honest with you Green, the night I went home after Rick went into a coma, I broke down in our room and began blaming Arceus for not helping him. I actually stayed up crying, not only because of Rick's condition, but because I knew I was so weak. I was blaming the one being that had blessed me so much. I'm pathetic!"

Green sat by her and rubbed her back, saying softly, "We all go through that at some point. We generally blame the higher power, if only because we don't like to blame ourselves, which we have a tendency to do anyway. But A has realized for a while that there really is no purpose to blaming the higher power, least of all Arceus. In fact, if anything, we need to be sympathetic toward him. He experiences the death of each of his creations, and has to surrender them to Giratina. That would not be easy for any parent to do."

"I guess I never thought about that. I know I shouldn't blame him, but I always look for someone to blame, mainly because I know I can't protect Rick or myself. I'm one of the weakest on the team. But now I have to take Rick's place and lead the army while he's incapacitated. I have no idea how to do it."

Green grinned and told her, "Well, if you really need someone to blame, just aim for the one at fault, which Michael said was Iota. As for inexperience, that will pass quickly enough. Further, there are plenty people, and pokemon for that matter, who are weaker than you. Don't let yourself be discouraged, and by far don't discourage yourself."

Alara nodded, "Alright." She then gave Green a curious smile, "So, what are you and A going to do today?"

Green shrugged and said, "Not much on my end. Michael, on the other hand, has some reports to compile and look closely in an attempt to see if Team Rocket is doing anything, and then determine a course of action from there."

"Do you two even spend time together?"

Green sighed then, and she said sadly, "I'm trying to get him to relax, but that word is almost nonexistent in his personal dictionary, or at least very distorted." She looked up in the direction he had traveled. "I want to try and help him, but he's been a loner since battling Cipher, and that was reflected in part when he was going around as Red. I don't know what to do here. I can give you advice on how to deal with life, but I can't even help my own friend."

"Well what I usually do to Rick is force him. However, you don't have powers. You're going to have to find a way to get through to him. If you need my help then I will gladly give it."

Green nodded and said, "I could definitely use help, but I have to warn you, he is a deadly fighter. And since he doesn't quite have a social experience, one of the few things protecting you is the fact that you are pokemon, who he will not hurt."

Alara sighed, "So this is for not. He has to have some humanity in himself besides compassion."

Green sighed and hung her head, then said, "If you knew more about him, then you might understand why he is the way he is. Yet even despite what he's told me, I know that's not all there is to it."

"Well I'm still waiting for something. No one can be that closed up, even to people that he should consider as his friends. I can read his mind for you if you want."

Green shrugged and replied, "As far as I know, I'm the only human friend he has. Or even the only human contact. He might feel you in his mind, given that he's a part Psychic pokemon now, and I know he wouldn't take kindly to it. If you can be stealthy, though, then I guess it's worth a shot."

"And if we're found out?"

Green smirked and replied, "We run for our lives and pray to Arceus."

"Is he really that dangerous?"

Green chuckled and said darkly, "No, it's worse. We'd get leniency because we're females. He doesn't believe in violence towards them. If another psychic who was male tried to do that, however, and Michael caught him in the act, he'd get the beating of a lifetime. We could get off, but he would give us such a tongue-lashing. I've actually heard his upbraiding, and it can make you feel a low such as you have never known. Yet he can still employ compassion. I think he would make an excellent father."

Alara shrugged, "Whatever you say. Still he should know that we're just trying to help."

"The problem is that he doesn't think that he needs help. He believes in full-blown independence; in other words, if he thinks he has a problem, he'll try and take care of it himself, by himself."

That is absolutely no way to live. Were his experiences that bad?"

From what he told me so far, it's worse. And I don't even know what he's hiding from me, and I have a feeling that I will never know."

"You should try to find out what he's hiding."

Green hesitated, then asked, "How? Asking directly won't work, and I hardly think he'd be willing to say anything anyway."

"Then just wait him out. Spend as much time as you can with him until he begins to crack."

Green laughed humorlessly, then said, "That might take until past the end of this war. He has an iron will."

"Iron, but not diamond. It can be crushed."

Green frowned and said, "I don't follow."

Alara elaborated, "Everyone has their breaking points. You just have to find a good way of getting under A's defenses."

Green snorted and said, "Easier said than done. But I guess you're right. The problem is I have to do it in a way that doesn't make him suspicious, and just about everything makes him suspicious."

Alara chuckled and said, "Well I'm not sure if you're all for this, but just flirt a little."

Green cocked her head in confusion and asked, "Flirt? What does that mean?"

"You're kidding? Right?"

Green shook her head slowly, saying, "No, I mean it. What are you talking about?"

Alara sighed and said, "You know, try to use your womanly charm on him until he breaks."

Green looked forward in slight shock and asked herself, "Geez, have the times changed so dramatically? Where have I been this entire time? Then she looked at Alara and asked, "Any idea how I pull that off? Especially without tipping him off?"

"Just be extremely friendly, but not to the point where you get him to want to sleep with you. That's when you know you have gone too far."

Green smirked and said, "I'm protected in that realm, though. I suppose it would seem strange to you, but in our time, when we were about your age, pre-marital sex was very sparse as it was looked heavily down upon. Besides, I don't think that thought would ever cross his mind."

"Good to know. For us here we can only mate before marriage if we made the decision that the person we sleep with is the one we're going to be with forever. It's an honor thing that we can't break. Either way, just play with his mind."

Green laughed loudly and said, "Oh, that's courting danger there!"

"How so?"

Green looked at her and asked, "Do you honestly think after playing mind games against hardened criminals for the better part of his childhood and following through that for the rest of his life, he would succumb to whatever pathetic attempts I could make?"

"Trust me, as long as you make it seem like you don't want to know, the more this will work. I've done it on Rick a couple of times."

Green frowned and asked, "So... like reverse psychology?"

Alara smirked, "In a way, yes. You just have to make sure he never learns of your true motives."

Green placed a hand to her chin in thought and said, "That'll be hard, but I might as well try it. Can you help me out for my first round? I think I should be able to handle it from there."

"Sure, we'll have to wait for him to come back."

Green cocked her head and asked, "Why?"

"I thought that you wanted to try your luck. So to do that you'll need A to be here. Just to see what we do right and what we do wrong."

Green then asked, "But wouldn't it be more productive to go directly to him instead of waiting on him? Especially since he's the one that left us. That makes it unpredictable when he'll return, if ever."

Alara shrugged her shoulders and the said, "Alright, you lead the way. You know this place better than I do."

Green led Alara behind the mansion, where A could be seen sparring against Ixion in his war-horse form. Green looked at Alara and asked, "How should we start?"

"Simple. Get his attention and strike up a conversation."

Green thought for a moment, then called out, "Hey, Michael!" He turned around and was struck by Ixion's horn, sending him into the ground. Green winced and said, "Oops. We should be ready to run."

Alara winced and said, "Should I leave?"

Green held up a hand and whispered, "Give it a second. I'll try and signal for you if you should run, but otherwise let's see where this goes." She went over to help A up.

Alara waited outside the sparring grounds to see how things will go for Green. She noticed that A shifted his attention to Ixion, so she sent Green a mental message, "Make him focus on you right now." After a short while and noticing that A was getting suspicious over what Green was saying, she said to Green, "Better start denying it. Don't lose him."

Alara kept listening in until A said to her, "Hey Alara, want to join in?"

Alara shook her head and said, "No, I should be heading home right now. I need something to eat and I'm going to visit Rick." She then said to Green mentally, "Remember what I told you. Also, if anything just contact me mentally. I set up a link."

A and Green nodded and waved goodbye as Alara teleported away. Alara arrived in front of her car and soon took off to her next destination, Maiyu's house. Alara got out of her car and knocked on the door. Soon Celenia answered the door.

Celenia saw Alara and hugged her, "Alara dear! It's so good to see you again!"

Alara hugged her back, "Likewise!"

Celenia then said concerned, "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing okay. Is Maiyu home?"

"She is not. She's in her ballet class. I was about to go pick her up."

Alara shook her head, "No need, I'll do it."

"Are you sure you want to dear?"

"Of course! Who can stay sad with her around? I'll have her here in no time."

Celenia thought about Alara's willingness to volunteer and then said, "Alright. However, I want you to stay and talk to me when you get back."

Alara nodded, "Will do! I needed to talk to you anyways. I'll be back soon."

Alara walked back to her car and took off. She drove for about ten minutes until she reached the ballet school where Maiyu was supposed to be. As she arrived, she immediately saw Maiyu at the front door, talking to some friends. Alara parked the car and began to walk towards Maiyu. She didn't get far when Maiyu suddenly noticed her and quickly ran towards her.

Alara smiled and caught her as she jumped up at her. Alara hugged the little Kirlia lovingly and kissed her on the forehead.

Maiyu returned the affection and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to pick you."

"Am I going to your house today?"

"That depends how today goes. I'm just doing your mom a favor for now."

Maiyu smiled and said, "I never expected to see you here."

"I used to be a ballerina too Maiyu. This was my old ballet school as well."

"You never told me that."

"You never asked. So shall we leave now or are you still talking to your friends?"

Maiyu put a finger on her chin and then said, "One moment." She then looked back and waved, receiving waves from the other Kirlias. "Alright, we're good to go."

Alara asked, "That's it?"

"Yeah, I can just wave goodbye."

"Umm...alright then. Let's go!"

[Rick]

Rick has been training with Illia for the last thirteen days. Through the course of the days Rick has become substantially stronger and even gained new moves and abilities. His power and energy had also exploded to higher levels.

Illia was with him and told him while wiping the sweat off her brow, "Alright, you are now ready to ascend to the next level of your mastery."

Rick was panting and asked, "What can I expect from the next level?"

"Power. You'll be many times stronger, many times faster, and many times closer to becoming a Shadowbane grandmaster."

"What do I have to do?"

Illia replied, "Open your heart and mind. Free the beast of carnage that resides within you. All that untapped power and energy is yours for the taking. Now activate Noboru (Ascend in Japanese), your ascended form. After you do so, come and defeat me."

Rick nodded and lifted his blade and concentrated. He then said, "I accept the terms of this contract and all that abide withing it. I will take up my arms with the power of Shadowbane, the Wolf Queen. For the will of Arceus, I will become a weapon and a liberator...Noboru!"

Rick was then surrounded by a black aura and his energy exploded into a black column. Illia sank her sword into the ground and held on as the force was pushing her back. The column then disappeared and a black aura, in the shape of a large wolf. The wolf snarled at Illia and then howled and turned into a pillar of red light.

Illia held on as the gust of wind from the transformation kept pushing on her. She felt Rick energy and said, "You're doing it kid. Let it all go." A sudden shockwave then surged through the location, surprising Illia, "He has more energy and power than I thought. Reminds me of his father. I guess he did inherit something."

A scream then came from Rick and the light pillar disappeared. Illia was surprised by Rick's new appearance. Rick looked slightly bulkier, his hair was wilder, spikier, and was tied into seven locks. Rick's face seemed sharper, his head spikes had black lining. His eyes were now black with red, there was a tattoo-like lines that branched off under his eyes until they hit the bottom of his jaws. His eyes had a piercing appearance that almost made Illia feel intimidated. His Warlord attire changed into a red and black combat gi and he had a torn coat. On his arms he had the same red glowing tattoos as Twilight had and he his right wrist had a shackle on it that was connected by Shadowbane's chain. His left hand had sharp claws on it and a spiked wristband. His feet had black combat boots and a broken shackle on his left ankle. Shadowbane was cracking with black lighting and Rick cracked his neck and then breathed out, releasing smoke.

Illia smiled and said, "So this is your Noboru form? It seems powerful."

Rick looked at himself and then said, "I feel stronger." Rick took a slice at the ground. The ground then cracked open and a deep chasm formed. "Yep! Definitely stronger."

Illia took her sword out of the ground and pointed it at Rick, "Well before I can let you go, you have to battle me one more time."

"Alright. You start."

(Battle Music: Rise by Origa)

Illia nodded and sliced at Rick. Rick leaned back and dodged the attack. Illia swung again and Rick caught the blade on his spiked wristband. Illia smiled and pulled back, firing two Shadow Balls as she moved back. Rick quickly sliced the two attacks and disappeared. Illia stopped and looked around, searching for him. She then picked up his energy and swung backwards, with Rick blocking it and returning the attack. Illia caught his wrist to stop the attack and swung at him, Rick doing the same to her. The two struggled for a second and then Illia looked at Rick. After a moment she saw his eyes glowing and she ducked, dodging an eye beam.

Illia was shocked and vanished to dodge another eye beam. She transported herself throughout the field, dodging eye beams and Psycho Cuts. She kept the same pattern until Rick vanished and grabbed her shoulder. Illia looked back and saw an eye beam going through her shoulder. Illia punched him to make him let go and got a considerable distance from him, while clutching her shoulder.

Illia laughed and said, "Good job! You had me on the run. However, I'm not done yet."

Rick smirked and said, "I'm waiting for you to stop holding back."

"Fair enough. Get ready."

Illia gave a mighty yell and her aura exploded. Rick took a battle position and drew his own aura. Illia smirked and punched Rick quickly. Rick staggered back and was then bulldogged by Illia. Illia stood on his back and swung down on him, but her blade was stopped by the sudden appearance of a wolf that caught the blade in its mouth. Illia was surprised and then managed to wrestle the blade out of the wolf's mouth and was then tackled by the wolf. Illia kicked the wolf off of her and charged a beam on her fingertips. The wolf shocked her and charged a beam in its mouth. Illia fired the beam and the wolf fired back, making the two beams clash and explode on contact.

After the dust settled, Illia saw the wolf snarling at her and took a battle position. She then saw Rick clapping behind the wolf.

Rick said to the wolf, "Great job Fenrir! You're stronger than I expected. Now return to my shadow." The wolf nodded, turned into black mist, and sank into Rick's shadow.

Illia smirked and said, "Well I never got a wolf when I went into that form. However, it seems like an awesome partner."

"And a partner that has my last name as its first name."

"Let's end this right now."

Rick and Illia charged at one another and swung at one another, clashing at one another. They exchanged blows for a few moments and then Illia punched Rick. Rick shook it off and punched her back. Illia growled and fired a Signal Beam at Rick, but Rick dodged it and fired a beam from his eyes. Illia knocked it away stabbed towards Rick. Rick vanished and appeared behind her and charged energy onto his blade. Rick swung down at Illia, creating a gigantic black explosion. The dust settled and Rick saw Illia behind an energy shield, seeing a cut on her chest from his attack.

Rick chuckled and said, "Am I too fast or too strong for you now?"

Illia growled and said, "You're getting stronger by the second. I have to end you now."

Illia's aura then grow gigantic and it suddenly shrank down into her sword. She lifted it up and drove it into the ground, creating a monstrous Psycho Cataclysm. Rick acted fast and held his blade with two hands and waited until the shockwave reached him. Just then he swung down and split it in half, saving himself and causing a 'V' shaped crack formation on the ground. Rick looked at her and saw her panting, he used her exhausting to his advantage. Rick vanished and reappeared uppercutting her into the air. He vanished again and attacked her in the air repeatedly. He vanished one more time and appeared above her and charged energy onto his blade. He swung down and a gigantic energy blade hit Illia and sent her crashing into the ground, the blade causing an explosion as it hit the ground.

Rick was somehow standing in midair and slowly descended down. When he reached the ground he saw Illia leaning on her sword and staggering towards him, using her sword as a cane.

Illia stopped and looked at Rick. She then smiled and said, "You win. Time for you to face Twilight on your own. We'll meet again."

Rick smiled back and said, "I'm sure we will. I'll be waiting for that day."

"Now go! Defeat her."

Rick then saw as she faded away and the area changed. Rick looked around and saw Twilight in the same location she was when she sent him to Illia.

Twilight smirked and said, "So you reached the next level. Let's see if you can hold your own against me now."

Rick took a battle position and said, "I'm sure you'll be surprised."

"Good to know." She then began to run towards him, "Now show me what your training has taught you!"

Rick swung at her as she swung at him and the two clashed, with their power sending shockwaves through the field.

Well there you have it guys. Rick has a new form and now he has to take down his own sword in a fight. I'll try to make it as good as I can for the next chapter. Anyways, thanks for anything guys. Send me your reviews, questions on the forum, and your suggestions. Bye guys. I should have another chapter done for this week, so keep an eye out for that.