It's like that...

The Light Within

Chapter 7: Now What

They sat in silence for what must've been an hour in the dark. Ash traced his finger around in the dirt, James stared at the creek, pikachu dozed in Ash's lap, the only one of the three exhausted companions who could sleep.

"So what's next?" James looked over at Ash for the first time since he'd been hit.

Ash winced at the bruise that was forming on the team rocket member's face, "I don't know. I guess I'll leave in the morning."

"To where?"

"I don't know." Ash shrugged. "Doesn't matter."

This isn't good...he's starting to sound more like me than himself. James bit his lip, and looked at the creek again. "What'll you do?"

"I don't know, Okay? Why are you asking me all these questions?" Ash growled.

That's more like it... James shrugged, "I don't know."

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The suns' rays landed directly on the sleeping trio. The tallest lay forward over his crossed legs, his pale hand almost reaching the edge of the creek. The shorter boy had fallen asleep sitting up, and the small pokemon lay curled between his legs.

"James! How dare you walk off like that! And what are you doing with him? JAMES! JAMES GET UP!" The screeching voice scared a few birds from a nearby tree.

Pikachu was the first to wake, taking one look at who owned the voice, the pokemon quickly pushed against his friend's chest and then sent a small shock on him to wake him up.

"Ow!" Ash woke up, took one look at the infuriated person standing above him, and kicked James in the ribs.

"Uhcapo." James mumbled, holding his side and sitting up in pain. He turned, and then stood in immediate recognition. "Jessie! Uh, hi...what are you...doing here?"

"Looking for you, you knuckle head! Why did you walk off with him?"

"I...uh, I didn't...it's not like that Jessie. I just went on a walk, because I couldn't sleep and y'know..."

"Oh and you just happened to find him there?" Jessie turned her glaring eyes to Ash, who stepped backwards.

James frowned, "Well actually..."

"I don't want to hear it!" Jessie said, folding her arms and sighing in a huff.

Since the argument involves me... Ash put his backpack on, "Look, I'm leaving anyway so it doesn't matter."

James watched him carefully then looked at Jessie, "I...I..." The woman you love... or your partner against crime... Ash started to walk away, Jessie turned to glare at him now. The woman who has no idea you love her and probably never will...or the only person who believes that you have good within you.

"I'm going with him."

"What?" Jessie asked, her eyes ablaze with anger.

Ash turned around.

"I said, I'm going with him. With you, Ash."

Jessie growled, "James, you know what we told you about him! He's just using you!"

"You don't have to do that James. What about your friends?"

"Yes! What about us?"

James bit his lip, "Well, I mean... They don't believe in me...in this. And right now this is really important. If I go back with them we'll just keep trying to steal pokemon and...that's just not who I am."

"What do you mean?" Jessie felt tears in her eyes. Damn he is the only person who could do this to me...

"I'm sorry, Jess. It's not that I don't care about you anymore. I.. I..." Love you. "I just can't live like this. And this whole saving the world thing is true, I just wish you could believe me."

James looked at her one more time, then walked away, head down. Ash patted him on his back, and together they walked further into the woods.

"Oh James..." Jessie said, her knees falling to the dirty ground, tears mixing with her blush and dripping pink across her chin.

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"So, uh, where are we going again?" James struggled to keep up with Ash, who's pace seemed only to quicken.

Ash threw him a look, "I told you last night. I don't know."

"Yea, but we've been walking for an hour now. Thought you might've figured it out by now."

"Well, I hoped the fairy would...whisk us away and all. But nothing." Ash sighed, they were further into the forest than he had meant to go and now he was definitely lost.

"We're lost aren't we?" James said, as though he'd shared the same thought.

Ash turned to him, "No. We're not. I know exactly where we are."

"Which would be?"

"In a big forest."

"In other words, we're lost..."

"I-..." But before he could say anymore, his head reeled sharply. Ash put a hand to his screaming forehead.

"Pika?" The small pokemon stared, worry in it's big black eyes.

James looked at him, saw the pain in his eyes, "Hey, are you o-.."

But then he felt it too, pushing him into the brink of oblivion, shoving him into nothingness. It was dark, and that was all they knew.

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Opening his eyes hurt, but James refused to fall back into the darkness. Part of him wanted to stay in that nothingness so badly, he was afraid he'd never come back out of it if he stayed any longer. They weren't in the stone room, like he expected; they were in a cave. A green cauldron sat in the middle of the cave, it looked similar to the fairy one. Somehow he could sense the magic pouring from it.

Next to him, Ash stayed unmoving and unconscious. He looked peaceful for the first time since James had found him by the creek last night. He didn't want to wake and ruin it for the other boy, but then... He remembered his own feelings in the darkness. No pain. Nothing. It had been wonderful. Ash could very well get stuck in that state if he didn't do something about it. James kicked him softly. No response. He kicked him harder. Still nothing. He felt the worry knot up at the pit of his stomach. James took both of Ash's shoulder and shook him.

"Ash! Ash, wake up! Come on, wake up!" James' frantic voice grew louder, "ASH! We've got a world to save. Snap! Out! Of! It!"

"Try this, it might work better."

James jumped. Who the-? An old man sat beside a dwindling fire near the cauldron. Hi, I'm James. From the real world. And where did you say you came from? Thin air? Wonderful... The old man held out a cup towards him, and James warily accepted it. He looked at the mushy green contents, and frowned in disgust.

"It may look disgustin', but it's the only thing that'll wake him up." The man said and smiled revealing his yellow teeth.

James gave a weak smile in return, This guy is weird. He put the cup up to the unconscious boy's lips, and watched as it slid in. Ash gasped and then sat up, sputtering green goo all over. Wiping some off his face, James let out a sigh of relief.

"Welcome back, boy." The old man laughed, and poked a stick into the fire.

Ash raised an eyebrow, "Who the hell are you? And what was that...stuff? God it tasted horrible."

"Heh, that's my own little secret boy. Here relax." The man threw him a rag to clean up with. "I'm the guardian of this cauldron, the plant cauldron."

"You?" Ash blurted out. What could this old fogey do against attackers?

"Old fogey? Boy, you sure don't know how to talk to your elders."

"How did... when did...but I..." Ash turned to James. "He just read my mind!"

James gawked at them both, then realized what that could mean for him. Don't think, don't think, don't think...can't let him... enter... damn, this is thinking isn't it?

"You're not very successful at trying to keep me out, boy. Heh. Yes I can read minds, humans are more difficult to read than other creatures. You should learn not to judge someone before you give 'em a chance, eh? Mind control, mind reading, telekinesis, my powers don't require physical strength, only the strength of the mind." He stated, tapping his head knowingly.

"Okay, great! So now that I've been violated! Mind telling us why we're here?" Ash would get up in leave if he knew...where he was in the first place.

"The fairy's after the earth cauldron."

"What?" James looked at him as though he were crazy. "But that doesn't make sense! Why would she recruit us to protect it if she wanted it herself?"

"Because it was her job to recruit you both. Because she didn't realize that she wanted it until after she'd gotten you both. The earth cauldron holds more power than anything else in this world, everyone, good, evil, is attracted to that power, and eventually will become consumed by it."

"Why should we believe you?" Ash really didn't like this guy.

"What reason would I have to lie to you?"

"Maybe you have something against the fairy! How should I know?"

"It's your choice, believe me or not. In the end, it will be your own down fall..." The man said, looking annoyed himself as he clicked his fingers.

"Wha?" But then there was the sharp pain beating against his head. This seems awfully familiar... And he sunk into the darkness, despite all his attempts to fight back, once more.

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When he awoke this time, he wished he could go back to sleep, would do anything to be able to, but his heart raced and he could hardly catch his breath. James opened his eyes to darkness. Must still be unconscious... But eventually, his eyes adjusted to the pale light from the stars and moon. They were back in the forest where they'd collapsed. Ash sat against a tree, arms folded, eyes staring off into the distance, Pikachu sat next to him, strangely silent.

"Ash. Ash!" James called.

Ash looked at him, "What?"

"Do...do you think what the man told us about. I mean," James sighed. "It's not true is it?"

"How should I know? I was there with you just the same. I don't know anymore than you do."

James looked away, "I...know. I just thought. Well, if everyone's so attracted to that cauldron, shouldn't that man be too? Shouldn't he want it just as much as he says everyone else does?"

Ash nodded.

"So either he was lying or he's just as much of a threat. But then if it's true about the cauldron changing people, consuming them.." James bit his lip and tried to come to terms with it all. "Who can we trust, Ash?"

"We can trust each other." Ash said firmly, and James looked at him, surprised. Trust? Sometimes he had doubts thateven Jessie trusted him.

"Okay...okay." James repeated trying to sound confident. "But what'll we do? Anything the fairy tells us could simply be a way to get her closer to the cauldron."

"We find the cauldron ourselves."

"If we get to it first, we can protect it directly."

"Exactly." Ash sighed, looking at the tree branches above him. "Only problem is we don't even know where to start."

"We're going to need some help, definitely. And that means..."

"Yea...I know what that means..."

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Author's Note: One chapter in one day, wow, I didn't expect that myself, so you all better be appreciative. ;) Well so far I've gotten one review and 79 hits, that's exciting, lol. Thanks Nikki for your review, it's appreciated more than you know. And getting a review at all, pumped me to finish this chapter more quickly.

More action next time, I promise. " And romance too.

Hope you enjoyed.