Wow, I'd like to thank everyone for reviewing last chapter, it was really cool seeing everyone excited for this chapter. Heh, well to milk out this story some more, I decided we're going into... FILLERS! Nah, I'm just messing with ya XD. Heh, I'd rather not update... fillers are evil. Anyhoo, enjoy the moment you have all been waiting for!
Book II: Impending Twilight
Chapter 98: Tears
third person Point of View
Rhys patiently waited atop of a building that towered over the scene below him. A thick smoke masked everything below, along with the new trees that were creating a thick forest in the middle of the streets of Shalour. Explosions and gunshots went off constantly, giving this whole scene the vibe of a war.
"Sir," the scratchy voice of a pokemon called out to Rhys.
"Kane, I'm glad to see you haven't fallen in the chaos of this night. I presume your mission tonight is going well?" Rhys asked as he didn't bother to look back at the black scyther behind him.
"I've retrieved the pokemon you asked me to, she's unharmed of course," Kane answered as he turned to show the unconscious pokemon he held tightly against him with his arm.
"Job well done, be sure to get her back to base unharmed," Rhys instructed, "She'll be useful when the time comes, I know she will."
"Yes sir," Kane spoke as he readjusted the unconscious jolteon in his arm. The jolteon let out a pained grunt, but she remained unconscious otherwise.
"Oh and Kane," Rhys spoke as the scyther was getting ready to leave, "Remember not to be seen, Crimson still thinks you're one of them."
"Sir, no one suspects a thing, I'll report back when I can."
"Very well, take care out there."
"You do the same sir," the scyther replied in his scratchy voice as he turned towards the ledge of the building. The scyther's wings came out and the bug type jumped with Kana in his arms.
Skull Face walked down the empty streets of shalour. Off in the distance he could hear the crackles and explosions from the war Mandus was fighting in.
"So, it comes down to this tonight," Skull Face said out loud. "All of this to get an umbreon they hardly even understand, how humorous," Skull Face snorted as he quickened his pace. A strong breeze blew through the air as he looked in the direction of his destination with a serious glare.
"Tonight, Skull Face joins the hunt."
Point of View Stark
'It's not possible, she's dead, she's been dead for over a full year. But… everything about her is the same.' Naomi glared at me from down the street. The fur on her back stood up as she snarled. Her sharp fangs showed and her eyes focused on me with fire in them. I looked at the golden ring on her forehead, I made out a scar, one that kind of made her golden ring into a crescent. The facts only seemed to lean more towards her being the one and only Naomi, that scar was also where she got shot.
The two other pokemon both got into defensive positions. One was a fennekin who gritted his teeth with rage as he huffed fumes of smoke from his inner flame. An absol seemed to be among us either, he seemed to be a bit angry as well. The last one was a grovyle, this one appeared tranquil, but his fighting stance showed his hostility, not only that, it was obvious that he's seen some battles in his day, I could see it in those yellow eyes. As I focused in on the two my vision began to blur in an out. My eyes lowered to see the puddle of blood forming. My own blood seeped down my shoulder and dribbled onto the ground.
"I've already lost too much… And I can't fight her, I'd rather bleed out here," I whispered to myself in a panic. My vision focused back on Naomi.
"Naomi… You're…" I tried to speak, but something blocked my throat, it was a brick of emotions and pain.
"Save it, Skull Face!" She snapped at me, causing me to stumble back a bit.
"What does that even mean?" the absol questioned Naomi.
"This thing, it's some kind of monster," Naomi replied back.
"No…" I whispered to myself as my head fell low. "Not you… out of all opinions..."
"We can talk later," the grovyle interrupted as he lowered himself towards the ground, placing one palm in on the ground. "We'll kill him here, then we can talk after. Follow my lead, and be careful." In a blurring speed the grovyle sped towards me. His hand extended out towards me as the leaf on his arm hardened into a blade and pulsed with energy. In a sloppy movement I jerked to the side. His left blade slashed over my back as I evaded, leaving another gash.
"Finish him!" the grass type ordered as the absol and fennekin closed in on me from both sides. The fennekin darted towards me as his body combusted into a powerful torch, while the absol came in to slash me with his claws.
Grunting in pain, I jumped as high as I could into the air, just barely avoiding death by those two. That's when a powerful force smashed into me and an intense energy ate away the flesh on my underbelly. Everything turned black and white for a moment. I fell onto the ground and remained still as my vision slowly returned to normal. While laying on my side, I glanced at my stomach. The flesh was eaten away in the dead center, causing blood to trickle down and dye my fur red, the wound wasn't serious, but it had an intense stinging pain to it. There was no doubt where the damage from that attack came from, Naomi.
The grovyle jumped in front of my and pinned his foot on my neck, crushing me with it. "It's over for this one, look away if you wish not to see thi-"
"Hold on," A voice cut him off. Joining the grovyle's side was Naomi. Despite my blurry vision, I could still make her out. She still looked just like the skinny umbreon that was a runt, but why does it have to be this way, why isn't she even acknowledging me? Naomi Glared down at me spitefully, not one bit of sympathy in her eyes.
"Why, why are you doing this to us!" Naomi yelled out at me, her body trembled with fury as she stood over me.
"Why… why won't you recognize me?" I weakly spoke.
"Because, you're an imposter. Did you really think I wouldn't recognize you after you took that form so many times," Naomi snapped at me. "Now tell me, who are you, why are you targeting Black, answer!"
For a minute I remained silent, her question caught me off guard, nothing she even said made sense. "I don't understand."
"Why're you bothering to play dumb now? After all you've done? All the mind games, the manipulating."
"I don't know what you're talking about. Don't you remember me?"
"I remember the real Stark, and you're just mocking his image right now with that illusion or whatever the hell it is."
"I'm not an illusion!" I yelled weakly.
"Then what are you, what else takes the form of dead pokemon? You took the form of Black's brother, my mother, someone Aiden cared for, and now this! Explain this to me, are you a zorua, a ditto, or what!" Naomi shouted, before she calmed herself to catch her breath.
"Naomi," the grovyle spoke up. "It's better to just end him here, he won't bother answering, that's just how liars are. You may not get answers, but I promise you closure."
"Fine, just do it," Naomi agreed. The grovyle rose his hand up as the leaf on his arm hardened into a blade again.
"Naomi…" I began as I focused on her one last time. "If me dying here makes you happy that's fine, but I can't die again without saying something." The grovyle held his blade up, but waited patiently for me to finish. "Remember long ago before we were separated by Jack? I remember that night where you got injured during a job and I ended up carrying you to a secluded spot where we could be alone for a bit and talk. We both talked about escape, and we were really close when I was about to tell you something, but Sam interrupted me..."
"I do, I remember," Naomi replied quietly as her ears rose up in interest.
"I never got to tell you how I felt, and to the end I regretted every second of never telling you."
"And… what did you want to tell me?" Naomi asked me as she leaned in closer to me.
I exhaled a long breath as I thought of a good way to say this, but I remembered that it didn't matter, I just needed to say this, even if she was trying to kill me... "On that night-" I began before I stopped. I inhaled another deep breath as I closed my eyes and began to tremble a bit from the fear. "Naomi, I've always viewed as something more than a very close friend, I… I love you," I admitted as cringed in terror, even if I was about to die.
"Stark…" Naomi whispered. "You really are him, aren't you?" My eyes opened back up to see Naomi tearing up. A teardrop fell from her face and landed on my fur.
"And what makes you so sure now?" the absol questioned.
"Because, only the real Stark would be so nervous about that, even in a situation like-"
"Naomi," the grovyle cut her off, "Don't get emotionally invested in this, in the end he's still a criminal. This will ends here," In a swift motion the grovyle's leaf blade came down towards me.
"Never!" Naomi screamed as she tackled into the grovyle and the two tousled to the ground. The grovyle ended on top as he held Naomi down on the ground. The absol and fennekin stared at the two of us, not knowing which side to take.
"You disappoint me Naomi, I told you that we wouldn't tolerate anything from you."
"Leave her alone…" I growled as I forced myself up. "No one… No one ever touches her," I snarled.
"And what're you going to do, if you come any closer I'll end her." Before I could even respond, I crashed towards the ground. I panted in exhaustion, just standing up used the last of my strength.
"Wait, you can't just kill her," the fennekin rose his voice. "This guy's a criminal, but Naomi isn't. She's a good pokemon, you can't," the fennekin argued.
"Flare, hold on, he's WPA," the absol warned him.
"I don't care who he is, Naomi was just trying to protect someone she cared for."
"Think about what you're saying, Flare," The grovyle rose his voice. "You're just going to side with criminals?"
"And what does this accomplish? This umbreon is finished, you don't have to kill Naomi!" the fox argued.
"Hmmf, if you convince Naomi to stand down, then I'll spare her." The fennekin looked into Naomi's eyes as she was pinned down by the grovyle.
"Naomi," Gray called out as he stepped forward, "I can't make this choice for you, but if you don't stop this you'll be enemies with-"
"Just bite me!" Naomi yelled as her body flared up in dark energy. The grovyle was forced off her and he leapt a safe distance from her. "I already lost Stark once because I was an idiot. If you hurt him, you'll regret it." Naomi snapped at the grovyle.
"And this is what you truly want?" the grovyle asked.
"No… What I want is for this to stop here, but you're not going to let it stop here."
"That is true," The grass type agreed. "But, ask yourself this. What about your brother, and the charmander? This one nearly killed them. If we didn't arrive, they probably would have bled out if not for us."
Point of View Naomi
The question Isaac asked me caught me off the guard. I just remained frozen in place. I glanced over towards Stark who was lying on the ground. His eyes showed that he was shocked, his jaw was slightly agape, and he looked downward.
"And let's also put this out, he's trying to abduct Ryder. These are three lives that he almost ruined tonight. All of which we prevented. If we hadn't come along, your brother would be dead along with that charmander, and Black would have been taken away. Not only that, who knows how many more people he's killed. Stopping him here will save many more in the future. In my opinion, that's a small price to pay to protect others. So, does this change your view on this situation, Naomi?"
I remained still as his question circulated through my mind, I had no idea how to even respond to something like that. Isaac had his arms crossed as he stared me down, while Stark remained in a nervous state where he wouldn't even look towards me.
"And you stay quiet because you know it's true," Isaac spoke as he began to walk towards Stark. "Don't be fooled by this umbreon, he's dangerous."
"Stark…" I called out as I stared at him, "Why… why did you attack Dante and Aiden, please tell me you had a good reason, please," I desperately asked as Isaac continued towards Stark. The white umbreon remained silent as he looked towards the ground. The only response I got from him was silence.
"Stark!" I yelled again.
"I didn't have a reason," Stark answered quietly. "Truthfully, I don't even know why I'm doing any of this. Even if I live this, it doesn't change the fact that I'm just waiting to expire in a few months. Even now when I'm free from Jack, I'm still being used as someone's killing tool," Stark finished and slowly pushed himself off the ground. "I'm sorry Naomi… all I've been doing lately is hurting others, it's all I know."
"Which is why you must be stopped here," Isaac replied.
"You WPA scumbags have it all wrong," Stark muttered before he looked the grovyle in the eyes. Blood dripped from his wounds, but they were managing to close on their own due to it being a full moon. "Pokemon like Naomi and me are victims to all of this too. I was just a kid when Jack captured me, I wasn't raised by a loving family, I was raised by killers. If I never met Jack or Sam, I would be a completely different pokemon, I wouldn't be me. Naomi as well, she had her whole life ahead of her, then Jack captured her and compromised every moral she had! Neither of us wanted this life, we were forced into it, and now we're paying for the sins of another man! How is this fair, why do we have to pay for what someone forced us to do?!" Stark yelled at the grovyle before he calmed himself. Stark remained silent for a moment before he exhaled a sigh. "Every morning I wake up wishing someone would just free me… sometimes, I feel like my only escape is going to be death. I never wanted any of this."
Isaac remained in place as he processed what Stark said. The grovyle crossed his arms as he stared the white umbreon down, "In the end, life is brutal. You may be a victim to one man's sick twisted mind, but in the end you're responsible for your own actions. It's sad, but no matter how hard you try to hide it and make others see your side, blood still stains your paws. Everywhere you have gone, death followed in your wake. It really does sadden me to see pokemon like yourself, but we at WPA will fight harder to prevent more pokemon like you from ending up with bad humans."
"Right now it's me being punished, my old owner still lives. Don't even begin to talk to me about helping pokemon like me, when you can't even stop Jack."
"We will stop your old owner, it's just a matter of time. When one does bad things, bad things will happen in return." Isaac said. The grovyle extended his arms outward as his hands formed rakes with his fingers. The leaves on his arms hardened into leaf blades with a green energy pulsing through them. "Now, stop fighting and allow my to show you absolution, only death can free you from your sins."
"Stark!" I screamed as the grovyle launched himself at Stark. The grovyle's swung his leaf blade at Stark, in a sloppy motion he jumped back. Stark stumbled around as he struggled to keep himself up.
"It'll be over in merely a minute, don't be afraid!" the grovyle yelled as he continued his onslaught. Stark barely dodged out of the way, every swing of the grovyle's leaf blade left a small cut. Just as Stark was adjusting to the pattern, the grovyle jumped up with a spin and kicked him in the temple. Stark flew to the ground as the grovyle landed and went in to finish the battle.
"Enough!" a wave of flames blasted between the two. The grovyle slid to a stop and jumped back to face towards the intervening fennekin.
"Why do you intervene?"
Flare's muscles tensed up as he stepped towards the grovyle. Heat vented through his nostrils as he stared at the grovyle with fury. "Killing him doesn't fix what he did. Just because he dies here doesn't mean anyone is brought back. He's just dead and that's that."
"Flare," Gray spoke up. "Why are you trying so hard to protect Stark? It doesn't make sense, he's the one who killed-"
"I know what he did!" Flare piped up. "I hate this guy so much, I'd love to burn him to ash, but at the same time, I understand what he's talking about."
"Understand what?" Isaac asked..
"The whole manipulation thing. I understand what it's like to have bad people forcing you to do things. After a while, you just accept things and do as you're told."
"And what does a simple fennekin such as yourself know about this stuff?" Isaac asked with his arms crossed.
"Gray… You know I wasn't with Alex first," Flare began. "I wasn't always the fennekin I am now, I've done things I'm not proud of… Maybe not on his level, but if I wasn't given a second chance, I would possibly be where he was. Actually, I would be."
"How could you possibly end up like him?" Isaac said.
"Because… about two weeks ago we were attacked by mercenaries who worked for the same trainer he had. One of the pokemon was a former friend of mine, a blaziken who ended up going a different path than me. If someone didn't save me, I would have probably followed my friend down the same path, I would be just like Stark right now."
"Wait, why didn't you ever fucking speak up on this, we all almost died and you held that back!" Gray snapped at Flare.
"Because I'm absolutely terrified of what everyone will think if they know things about me that no one knows! I'd probably be hated and maybe killed if the right person knew about me!"
"Both of you, quiet!" Isaac snapped at the two. "As much as I wish to kill this umbreon, I will give him one alternative option."
"What's that?" Stark asked.
"You'll surrender yourself to WPA and allow us to integrate your memories with a psychic. Then we will have our council decide what they want to do with you. It could easily be death, or perhaps hard labor, or perhaps you'll get off free if you really are innocent. So, what'll it be? I only offer this because two people here feel different about my decision."
"Fine. But if I'm found innocent?"
"You're free to do as you please, as long as it's legal. You'll also be watched, if you do anything again, you'll be killed on the spot."
"Very well, I don't wish for any further violence, so do what you need to do."
"Lie down then, I'm going to restrain you and take you into custody, then we'll continue from their," Isaac ordered.
"Wait!" I called out to isaac. The grovyle turned towards me and waited for my question. "I thought Stark was dead this whole time… If you take him, I probably won't see him for a long time. Please, can I just talk to him before that?"
Isaac stood in silence for a few seconds as he stared me in the eyes, "I'll give you a few minutes, but if you try anything, I'll kill both of you," Isaac warned me as he rose up his arm with the lead blade. I nodded in response as I nervously walked towards Stark.
My pace towards Stark picked up and I tackled him onto his back. "Agghhh, Nao-" Stark began to yell, but he stopped as I wrapped my arms around him. My arms tightened around him, I never wanted to let him go again.
"I've missed you so much," I said as tears started to form. It's been so long since I've felt Stark, I almost forgot how warm he was, and how soft his fur was.
"Me too," Stark responded as a tear streamed down my face. Stark nuzzled his head against my cheek, swabbing the tear away. I heard a sniffle and I pulled back in surprise. I looked in Stark's eyes to see tears.
"Are you… crying?" I asked in surprise.
"It's been so long Yet I honestly couldn't get over what happened… I know this night is going horribly, but this is the first time I've been happy in so long."
"Stark…" I began, but I couldn't find a single word that would express how I felt. Instead, I moved in close to Stark and my lips met with his. For a moment Stark's eyes went wide, but they relaxed and both of our eyes closed. I felt Stark's arm cradle the back of my head as he held onto me. After a minute, we both naturally pulled away just when we both felt satisfied.
"Hmmmf, how touching, a different voice called out, one that was familiar, yet felt different from its usual self. Stark and I both turned to see Kana standing over Black's unconscious body.
"Kana!" Flare called out, "We were all worried sick about you!" The fennekin yelled as he sprinted towards the jolteon excitedly.
"Somethings not right," Gray muttered as the fennekin ran towards her. "Flare, wait!" Gray yelled just as the fennekin neared her. Flare fell to the ground as blood splattered onto the ground, along with the electricity that was causing his body to shake. Kana retracted her paw that was covered in Flare's blood.
"Kana, what are you doing!" I screamed at the jolteon as I jumped off Stark and ran to the fennekin's aid.
"No… that's not her!" Gray shouted.
"Hmmf, you were fast to catch on, Grayson," Kana spoke as her body turned pitch black and morphed into a different eeveelution. I froze in my tracks as I realized who we were really dealing with, but if he was Kana… then that means…
"Aaron?" Gray spoke quietly as his eyes widened in surprise. "I… I thought you were…" Gray stuttered.
"It's been awhile, Gray. Do me a solid and help me stop these people, we both know they're all bad," the flareon smiled.
"Gray, that's not whoever you think it is, that thing is a liar!" I yelled at the confused absol.
"But… how else?" Gray asked as he slowly walked towards the flareon. "Aaron, why are you doing this?" Gray asked the flareon.
"Gray!" I yelled at him, but the absol continued to walk towards him like a mindless zombie.
"Aaron, how are you-" Gray began, before I ran behind him and clamped my teeth down on his left hind leg. Gray let out a yell of pain before I let go. The absol looked back towards me.
"Listen to me! That is not him, since when could your flareon friend turn into a jolteon that you already knew?!" I screamed at him before I smacked him in the face. Gray froze up upon impact with my paw, his posture lowered.
"Then… what is he?"
"Not your friend," I answered.
"And I thought he would have made a good pawn," Skull Face muttered as he backed towards Black's unconscious body. Flare laid on the ground groaning in pain from the wound on his side.
"Who are you?" Isaac spoke tensely towards the imposter.
"Who I am doesn't matter, but know that I am not a friend, but I also don't have to be your enemy. Stand back, or join the fennekin."
"You think you can intimidate me that easily?" Isaac scoffed. Isaac sprinted towards the false flareon with his leaf blades ready.
"Foolish move, grovyle," the flareon shook his head as Isaac closed in. In a spinning motion Isaac swung both of his blades at the flareon. The flareon just watched him with a bored expression. Black tendrils extended from the flareon's back and ensnared both of his arms. Isaac yelled in agony as the tendrils slowly ate away the flash on his arms.
"That's… that's dark matter," Stark spoke up as he moved in front of me for protection.
"But he's not an umbreon!" Gray yelled in confusion.
"Confused huh?" The flareon spoke as another tendril came from his back, this one slithered towards the grovyle's chest and stiffened up to make a sharp tip to pierce him with. "You should realize by now, I'm not a normal pokemon," Skull Face spoke as he slowly drove the black tendril into the center of the grovyle's chest. Isaac grunted in pain as he tried to refrain himself from screaming. " I am one who surpasses the miraculous. Tonight is the night where I take what is mine. I'd like to thank you though Naomi. While you teaching Black dark matter never did truly come in handy, I'm sure it would have if I didn't have to rush my plan," Skull face said as he slowly tortured the grovyle.
"Stop it!" Gray yelled as he charged at the grovyle.
"Very well." Skull Face used his tendrils to lift Isaac and throw him at Gray. The grovyle slammed into Gray and knocked Gray onto the ground. "If you chase me, I'll make it so this nightmare never ends for you. And might I add, you don't want to know what that means," Skull Face threatened as he used a tendril to pick Black up and place him on his back. "You should be proud of Black though, Tonight, he will fulfill his birthright."
"Stop!" Gray and I both yelled as Skull Face teleported away in a flash of darkness.
"Shit, he was to fast," Gray muttered as he looked at the area him and Black were last at.
"This isn't happening… Black…" I whispered to myself in a panic.
Chapter End
Author Note: Well, their you all have it, one of the most highly anticipated moments in Black Dawn followed by an intense follow up. Anyhoo, things won't be staying intense for much longer, I actually chose to remove content from this arc so it doesn't drag out... Heh, don't worry, it'll be added in one way or another, just not right now. Well, I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter.