A/N: Another update for anyone who cares: I got third at the science competition. I'm feeling pretty happy about it. Also, I got into my dream school (I still can't believe I got into an Ivy of all places!). Now to prepare for my next presentation in two months... c:

Also... I hope you enjoy this chapter. Not much else needs to be said.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. Just the story and stuff.

"In my dream, I know I am falling. But there is no up or down, no walls or sides or ceilings, just the sensation of cold and darkness everywhere. I am so scared I could scream. But when I open my mouth, nothing happens. And I wonder if you fall forever and never touch down, is it really still falling? I think I will fall forever." -Lauren Oliver

Chapter 19: You're Your Own Worst Enemy

By the late afternoon, Chari and Charizard landed in front of the Prism Tower. They looked up at the tall tower in awe. Bonnie and Clemont immediately jumped off of Chari once they landed and looked up at the gym. They were overcome with both joy and sadness. They were happy that they were home, but knew that their journey with Ash was ending. Ash got off of Charizard and helped Serena off the fire type. Ash held his side as a sharp sudden pain consumed him. He recovered enough to regain his composure. He took Serena's hand and used her as support.

"Ash…" Serena held his hand in concern.

"I'm fine, just a bit drained," Ash answered. He tried to stand on his own, but his legs gave out. Both Serena and Clemont kept him from falling on the ground. Bonnie looked up at him with unease.

"No, you're not fine." Serena pressed on further.

"Can't hide anything from you, can I? I feel a lot weaker than I did earlier." Ash told her. Serena looked grim.

"(The third stage must be starting faster than I thought it would.)" Chari said grimly. She looked down at her trainer. She wondered if Aurora was unconsciously losing energy like Ash was.

"Ash?" Serena looked to her boyfriend for a translation.

Chari sighed as she roared, "(This is getting annoying. Chi-Chi, get your furry butt out here and talk in my place!)"

From Aurora's pouch, one of the capsules began to rumble. It emitted a bright light as a bipedal cheetah-like Pokémon came out, looking none too pleased. She was ringing out her ears. She spoke aloud, "(Yeah, yeah, I heard you. You're loud, you know that? Besides, you can speak telepathically, too.)"

"(Maybe I won't want to be reminded that our friend is nearly dead because of me! Did ya think of that!?)" Chari gave a murderous glare to the electric type and said in a testy tone. Her tail flame blazed with anger and her the pupils in her red eyes changed to resemble dragon slits. Chi-Chi's fur bristled in anxiety as she stepped back slightly from the blue flamed lizard.

"(Fine. Jeez! No need to look at me that way. I'll talk for you.)" Chi-Chi placed her paws in a placating manner. Chari's expression immediately went back to normal, but she still looked sad and softly nuzzled Aurora. Chi-Chi sighed and thought, "Sometimes, I wish I wasn't a scaredy cat..."

"(I'm sorry about that, Chi-Chi. I'm just…)" Chari started in a tired voice.

"(Don't sweat it, Chari. I know how hard this is hitting you.)" Chi-Chi responded with a soft smile. Chari flashed a small smile in appreciation.

"All right, humans. I'll be Chari's voice for now… until the Mistress wakes up and allows us to talk normally to you. You two…" Chi-Chi turned to the blond siblings. "You live here, yes? Can Aurora stay at your house for a little while? We understand if you don't want to after what's Aru's done, but…"

"It isn't a problem. I know she needs to rest. All of us, really. I'm sure Dad wouldn't mind." Clemont said.

"Yeah. Papa is nice!" Bonnie agreed.

Chi-Chi and Chari's expressions lightened up. Chi-Chi bowed respectfully to the duo. "Our thanks."

"Right. Then that's our game plan. For now, let's see Papa!" Bonnie decided.

Bonnie started to run away from Prism Tower and towards their house. Serena and Clemont kept Ash up, but soon realized that Charizard was offering to carry his trainer. Ash smiled in thanks at the lizard as he climbed on the lizard's back and held on. Serena stayed right beside Charizard and Chari offered the same for Clemont. Initially, he seemed unsure, but Chari looked inviting. Clemont gingerly climbed on Chari. She waited patiently as she felt him trying to get on. Eventually, he successfully situated himself.

"Chari, are you sure you should be carrying both Clemont and Aurora? Aru did sap you of your strength." Ash pointed out.

"(Don't worry about it, young master. I have the largest endurance out of any of Aurora's Aspects.)" Chari roared proudly. She smiled at the concern, but she didn't mind walking. Ash nodded and looked ahead. With two Charizard, a Chelectsic, and a few shaken up teens, they walked towards the blond siblings' house.

The Blaziken Mask certainly wasn't expecting two large Charizard to appear at the front of his door. Clemont got off Chari and hobbled to his father. Meyer rubbed his head affectionately. Bonnie was gleaming with happiness as he received a hug. He felt happy to see his daughter, but he noticed that she was holding on to him longer than normal. He also observed her crying on his leg. He was confused, but tried to comfort her.

"What happened to Bonnie? Who is this woman?" Meyer asked, concerned. The woman in one of the Charizard's arms looked charred and slightly bruised. Once he noticed them, he started to notice everyone else. Clemont didn't look visibly hurt, but noticed he was walking with a slight limp once he got off of the larger Charizard. Ash looked gaunt as if he hadn't eaten anything in days and Serena didn't look hurt much at all. She looked at Ash with a worried expression, but was otherwise fine.

"It's a long story, Dad. Can she rest here until she wakes up?" Clemont asked.

"Uh.. sure. I can lay her down on the couch, but I'm not sure if the two Charizards can fit in here." Meyer furrowed his eyebrows and scratched his head. Meyer was about to take Aurora's body, but it immediately heated up when he got too close. He winced when he touched her skin. Chi-Chi sighed when she noticed this.

"That's a natural response to being near someone unfamiliar. No need to fret over that." Chi-Chi rummaged into the unconscious Aurora's pouch and found a Poke Ball with a blue flame sticker in the middle. With her free paw, she used Psychic on Aurora. Slowly, she moved her trainer in the house and laid her gently on the sofa. Aurora's body visibly relaxed at the contact of the soft material. Then, Chi-Chi pressed the Poké Ball on Chari's forehead. The draconian instantly transformed into a red light as she was sucked into the ball. Chi-Chi walked over and sat the foot of the couch on all fours, looking at Meyer with a guarded expression.

"It can talk?!" Meyer looked wide-eyed.

"'It' has a name, you know. Don't think of me as being downgraded to just 'it'." Chi-Chi snorted in response with her nose up in the air. She hated the ignorance of some humans. Meyer looked puzzled at the sassy tone.

"It's a very long story, Papa…" Bonnie said in a tired voice.

"Well… let's hear it." Meyer sat down on a nearby chair. Something told him that it was going to be one of those stories where he's not going to like it. Ash returned Charizard in his capsule. Clemont and Serena helped Ash sit down on a couch. They sat on either side of Ash. Bonnie chose to sit on her father's lap. They waited until they were comfortable to say anything.

Ash told him and Aurora's spirits were in conflict due to an unsettled memory he still doesn't remember. He told him that the conflicted sides of themselves were the reason that everyone looked banged up. He told him that they just made it through Aurora's counterbalance's rage . He didn't go into detail of either attack, especially Bonnie's encounter of Aru, for fear of Meyer's reaction. He ended it off with how they got to Meyer's house.

Meyer looked like he was in deep thought. He didn't like how vague Ash was. He didn't want to imagine what Clemont and Bonnie went through. He looked at Ash, Serena, and Aurora somewhat puzzled. He heard about aura guardians. That's how he had the idea of being Blaziken Mask. He always thought of aura guardians as mysterious, but powerful beings. He wanted to emulate that to protect his home city. He was confused only because Ash didn't seem like a bad kid. Considering Aurora was knocked out at the moment, he wasn't sure what to think of her and eyed her wearily. Ash gave him some time to collect his thoughts.

"So… counterbalances. How do you know when you're going to attack?" Meyer said carefully.

"I think that they were frustrated. My counterbalance isn't hostile." Ash's eyes slowly shifted into a bloody red hue. Meyer stepped back in alarm. He didn't expect Ash's eyes to change immediately. He looked at Ashton wearily.

Ashton regarded him properly, "I am Ash's counterbalance, Meyer. Ash is right; I'm not hostile normally. If I was… well, Ash and I really wouldn't be seeing eye to eye right now. Heck, he wouldn't have given me control so easily."

"How do I know you won't attack anymore, Ash… er… Ashton?" Meyer reiterated, slightly hesitant.

"If I really wanted to hurt you, I would have done it already," Ashton said coldly to the adult male. Meyer looked at the boy in alarm. He was getting a bit intimidated looking into Ashton's eyes. He said in a lighter tone, "However, even though I'm not completely at peace, I'm a lot better than I was the day I did attack. Ru- er… Aurora helped to calm me down. I don't feel mad anymore. I'm… more accepting of the situation at hand."

"You sure you've calmed?"

"Yes. I even tried to stop Aruru er- Aru from attacking."

"Is this true?" Meyer asked.

Bonnie gently nodded her head. "He surprised me. I thought he was going to go all crazy like Aru did. He almost convinced her to stop, but she didn't listen."

"Nice to see everyone has faith in me." Ashton bitterly whispered mordantly.

"She didn't mean it like that." Serena picked up on the tone.

"Trust me. I know how you feel about me. You've made that all too apparent, Serena." Ashton remarked. Serena looked guilty for hastily judging Ashton based on one bad encounter. She still didn't trust him completely, but she could see where he was coming from a little more. She could imagine he felt like the only people who cared about Ashton himself were Aurora, Ash or anyone else that may know about him prior to Ash's amnesia.

"After today, I can't say I don't like you anymore, but it will take me a while to get used to you," Serena told him. Ashton gave a small smile and chuckled slightly. It sounded so much like Ash's that Serena almost thought Ash returned. One look on his face showed her it was Ashton regarding her.

"That's fair. Maybe one day, you'll actually like me for me," Ashton shrugged his shoulders.

"Wait. Ash never told me what happened to Bonnie and Clemont. What exactly did you and Aurora do?" Meyer scrunched his eyebrows.

"I did nothing to Bonnie, as she was sleeping. Clemont… well… that's a different story. I prefer not to say anything. The best person to tell you is Clemont himself. As for… Aurora, her counterbalance attacked every single one of us, but she did not try to seriously hurt me. Again, I think Clemont, Bonnie, and Serena would be the best people to ask for specifics," Ashton explained.

Meyer looked at Bonnie and Clemont for any sort of explanation, but neither of them looked him in the eye. They both tried to move away from his line of sight. He decided not to ask about it until they felt comfortable.

"Counterbalances will only attack those they don't love and considering Aurora just met them a few days ago, that didn't give Aru much time to start caring about your kids. I'm sorry for what Aru and I caused. I don't know how badly we hurt you guys…" Ashton turned to regard the entire group, "...but for what it's worth, all I can offer is my apology. I feel guilty for what I've done to Clemont and Serena. I'm sure Aru is feeling the same way. I can't do anything else but own up to my mistakes."

"It takes a man to own up to his mistakes, Ashton. I can respect you for that." Meyer patted Ashton on the head. Ashton wasn't used to contact and shook his head away. He understood it was a positive gesture; it just felt weird to him.

He expressed his gratitude and made a small bow. "Thank you, sir. Sorry… I don't like to be touched on the head."

"No need to apologize, lad. How long do you think Aurora's going to be out?" Meyer scratched his head in wonder.

"Maybe a few days. Probably longer this time." Chi-Chi chimed in. "The last time this happened, she was out for about four days. As an aura guardian, her body will naturally heal faster than a regular human, so she should be somewhat well when she wakes up."

"Somewhat?" Ashton asked, a little worried.

"Yeah… you both are in the third stage, so she's going to feel very weak upon waking up. This shouldn't be much of a problem for her as she made the snacks before all this happened. Don't worry about her, Ashton. For now, everyone should recover." Chi-Chi said soothingly. She purred and rubbed herself against Ashton's body. Pikachu eyed her with narrowed eyes, but his trainer didn't notice.

Ashton visibly relaxed. His eyes shifted back to brown. Serena immediately grabbed his hand, noticing her boyfriend's return. Ash squeezed her hand in response. Chi-Chi curled up as close as she could to Aurora and fell asleep. Everyone else decided to rest for the rest of the day. Ash laid in a bed in one of the guest rooms and was immediately knocked out.

"Ugh… where am I?" Aurora held her head groggily. She felt like she had been sleeping for an eternity. She looked around and gasped at what she saw. She was in a distorted place where half of it was black and half of it was white. There was absolutely nothing in it; it looked like it could run forever. She recognized the place and it gave her shivers down her spine. She felt a sense of foreboding approaching her. Aurora stood still, but had her back turned away from the approaching figure. She steeled herself for the encounter and curled her fists tightly.

"Hello again, Aurora." The tone was full of malice.

Aurora turned around and noticed her counterbalance standing right before her. Her red eyes were glowing angrily and her fists were glowing slightly. In the dream realm, she looked like she was in her preferred form. Being the other half of Aurora, she looked like she could be her twin. They had the same hair, body tone and shape as each other. However, Aru's skin was slightly paler and she retained her red eyes. She was also wearing a modified version of Aurora's outfit. Her outfit was red and white instead of black and blue and was slightly more revealing. Aru's shirt revealed her midriff while Aurora's did not.

They circled around each wearily. They didn't know what the other person would do and that kept both of them from fighting each other. Aru growled at her balance, "Look what you've done!"

"What I've done?! You're the one who extended most of our aura. Why didn't you just listen to me and stopped attacking?!" Aurora spat back.

"You're the one who resisted me to cause our aura to be exhausted!"

"And risk those kids getting hurt further by you? I wasn't sure when your 'duty' would end!"

"Why ever should I listen to Little Miss Perfect?"

"Stop calling me that!"

"I can call you whatever I please. If I want to call you Little Miss Perfect, I have a damn right to call you Little Miss Perfect." Aru snorted. Aru gestured to the background. "See this place? You can only come here when you are nearly dead, but I was stuck in here when you had lost your memory. This landscape is a manifestation of the nothingness you feel. Do you know how boring it is in here? All you can do is wonder around here. Maybe I've lost my mind being trapped here before. Do you even remember this place?"

Aurora looked around, but noticed there really wasn't much to look at. Half of it was black and half of it was white. Just standing around here made her depressed and helpless. She remembered this feeling and felt this way one other time. She responded, "Yeah. We fought here once. I… I knocked the both of us out before you could snuff out Chari's flame in the real world. This is where I beat you the first time."

"You only beat me because you were quicker on the draw with your attack. I had no idea Heal Pulse could hurt me here. That move is normally beneficial." Aru remembered bitterly.

"You should know that Heal Pulse cancels out negativity. You were about to emulate Dark Pulse, a move that channels negative emotions. You just happened to be charging up that move when I struck you with mine, leaving you more vulnerable." Aurora recalled. The counterbalance crossed her arms in annoyance.

"Whatever. I almost had you." Aru tapped her foot on the ground.

"Do you know why we're here? Are we still in conflict?" Aurora asked. Aru shrugged her shoulders indifferently.

"What do you think, Pokémon Professor? Take a wild guess." Aru answered. Aurora face-palmed upon hearing this.

"Noted," Aurora said, annoyed. "What can I do to help repair our relationship?"

"You can start by not asking stupid questions. What do you think you can do?" Aru crossed her arms in annoyance. Aurora didn't know what to do, so she decided to do what her gut told her. She slowly approached her counterbalance. Aru's fists were set ablaze. She surprised both of them by not attacking Aurora. She merely stepped back uncomfortably. She didn't know what Aurora was planning. She was even more surprised when Aurora gave her a hug.

Aru stopped dead in her tracks. She was tempted to push her twin away, but found she couldn't do it. She was too bewildered to do anything. Aru didn't reject her nor did she accept her. Her fists stopped being on fire. Aurora took that as an invitation to continue.

"W-what are you doing?" Aru struggled to ask.

"Well, I'm trying something different. I don't want us to fight anymore." Aurora responded nonchalantly.

"S-s-so a hug is your solution?" Aru said, clearly uncomfortable.

"A hug is only part of it. It's not as enjoyable if you don't try yourself. Come on, Aru. Try…" Aurora said in a soothing voice. Aru didn't know what to do. Aru was disarmed in the oddest way possible to her: by hugging. She was reluctant to hug, but eventually started to give in the odd feeling she was experiencing. She hadn't felt like this for years. The feeling had become foreign to her.

She felt fluffy.

There was an air of euphoria to her. Here, Aurora was hugging her and was nearly dead in the same dreamscape she had accidently trapped Aru. The counterbalance didn't know what to think of it. So, she decided to stop thinking and hug back. She could feel Aurora's surprise, but that surprise faded the more they hugged. Eventually, Aurora broke contact with her. Aru found herself disappointed and craving for more. She never expected a single hug to do that to her. Aurora gave her an inviting smile. It was mixed with happiness and relief.

Aru stated with a hint of her normal tone, "A hug… you are a filthy genius."

"A genius? Well, I'm happy you're feeling better. I want us to get along again, but we both have to be willing to do it." Aurora brought her hand out. Aru knew what she was trying to do, but she hesitated.

"Even after all the things I did… and all the things I've said… you're still so kind. Why? Why are you so kind to me?" Aru asked with a guarded voice.

"Why should I be mean to you? I want us to be friends again. No, I want us to be sisters again. Other than Chari, you're… you're the only sister I still have. I… don't want to lose you, too." Aurora admitted quietly. Aru widened her eyes upon hearing the revelation. She didn't expect Aurora to feel that strongly about her, even as her other half. It made her feel weird, but touched.

"Lose… me…?" Aru looked down. She seemed deep in thought. Then, she grabbed Aurora's hand. Aurora perked up in seeing this and tightened her grip. "As long as we share the same body, you'll never lose me. We'll always be together until one of us dies."

"I need to properly apologize to you. I had no idea I had neglected you. I never wanted that at all. I understand why you were so bitter in the years after I remembered. I'm so sorry… is there anything I can do to make it up?" Aurora asked her earnestly. She clasped both of Aru's hands tightly and looked up at her pleadingly. Aru was getting more uncomfortable from the touch, but she didn't stop her.

"To be honest, I think you already did. In my rage, I forgot you cared for me so much. I really did think you thought of me as a flawed copy of yourself. I guess I took it a bit too far, huh…?" Aru admitted.

"I think we both took it too far. It was a bit uncalled for saying that you're no better than the Zurui," Aurora said.

"The truth hurts, though. We both hate the Zurui and yet I'm like them. There's some irony for ya," Aru made a hollow laugh. Aurora looked at her sadly.

"You were right when you said I am a hypocrite. That hurts hearing that because deep down I know it's true. If you're like them, that means I'm like them, too. It is something I don't like, but it is something I can accept. However, unlike them, I would never kill anybody unless you influence me enough. I guess that's within my individuality." Aurora admitted.

"Just talking about what's happened between us makes me want to laugh because of how silly we've both been acting. It's amazing what getting knocked unconscious and being in a near-death state does to a person," Aru acknowledged. Aurora agreed with her and gestured her to continue. "As your counterbalance, I must respond your most primal emotions, even when you aren't fully aware of it. If you give me the OK to... kill... again and you can't do it yourself, let me know. I'll carry the burden. I always have."

"That's really isn't fair to you, though. I don't want you to feel guilty… or feel pressured to do anything you don't want to." Aurora continued to subconsciously hold her hand. Aru once again felt the inclination to snatch it away, but chose not to.

"Trust me, Aurora. The life of a counterbalance has never been fair. I may feel bad at first, but I eventually shrug it off. If I didn't have that mentality, I wouldn't be me." Aru winked and finished with a small smile.

"That's respectable. I won't change who you are." Aurora responded. The thought of killing someone frightened her, but she knew she could easily do it. She knew she would never truly understand Aru's plight, but she could sympathize with her a little more than before.

"Naturally, I'm right." Aru snorted like her usual self. She took her hand away from Aurora and rubbed them together nervously. She said with a minuscule voice, "By the way… I'm er… s-s-sorry for acting like a jerk to you… and those kids."

She asked innocently, "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you. What do you want to tell me?"

"I…"

"Aru, what is it?"

"I… um…"

"Aru, tell me."

"I… er… Gah! I freakin' hate to apologize! I said I'm s-s-s-sorry for being a jerk. There. I said that horrible word. Happy?" Aru crossed her arms and had a small blush formed on her face. Aurora was surprised by the sudden apology and accepted it wholeheartedly. Aru hated to apologize to anything. She knew her words resonated with her in some way if she apologized. It was enough for Aurora to try to go in for another hug. However, Aru anticipated this and blocked her face with her hand.

"Don't touch me again," Aru growled. Aurora shrugged her shoulders and simply smiled in response.

Suddenly, the ground began to rumble. Aurora and Aru looked own and wondered what was happening. The tremor grew worse and worse. It got to the point where Aru and Aurora had to levitate above the ground not to be shaken up. The black and white sides of the dreamscape started to break apart. Both sides of the guardian were blinded with a bright light. They had to block their eyes. The white side of the dream eventually spread to the black side and completely overtook it. Then, the tremor stopped.

Aru and Aurora opened their eyes and noticed that the dream was completely white. Both of them stopped floating and landed on a flat surface. They looked around, but there was nothing to look around for. They were in a completely blank space. Aurora looked bewildered while Aru was thoughtful. The confused balance asked, "Aru, do you know what just happened? Are… are… we dead?"

"I don't think Arceus would take us that easily. I know we're still barely alive, though. After all, you're still unconscious." She looked down at her hands. "You noticed that we were able to use our aura? How could that be when we're so low in aura and in the third stage of Mew's conflict?"

Aurora was just as confused as her twin. She tilted her head as an idea began to form, "I'm not sure. Maybe something from the outside is helping us gain our aura back. Maybe this place itself responds to our thoughts and feelings?"

"Where did you get that idea from?" Aru wondered.

"The landscape completely changed when we forgave each other. You said so yourself that this place represented the nothingness I had. Well, I don't feel that way anymore. Do you?" Aurora explained and asked Aru. Aru touched her chest with her hand. She inspected herself and realized she did feel different. She did feel a lot better… was forgiveness the reason why? She really couldn't argue with Aurora's logic.

"If this is the case, maybe we can turn here to whatever we desire. What's the one place we both feel at peace?" Aurora and Aru thought a moment. They realized they knew the answer immediately. They said at the same time, "The Tree of Beginning!"

Upon saying those words, the blank space began to shift in appearance. It started to gain more vibrant colors. A large tree erupted from the round and around it were many rock formations. Aurora and Aru looked astonished as the landscape became more complex and detailed to the tree's features. They stood right at the entrance of the sacred place they both loved. Aru whistled in admiration while Aurora was shocked her notion worked.

"I didn't know you had a brain." Aru complemented gruffly. Aurora pouted and crossed her arms. She wouldn't have her any other way, but it still annoyed her slightly. The red eyed half ignored her other side and continued, "How did you figure this out?"

"Since this is our mind, there should be some perks to that, right?"

"True. The tree still looks just as good as I remember. Just seeing it is making my heart flutter."

"Me too." Aurora nodded. They both began to stand around awkwardly untile Aru broke the silence.

"So… what do we do now?" Aru asked.

"I absolutely have no idea. Until I wake up, we're stuck here. I guess we explore?" Aurora offered.

"I guess so -AHH!" Aru suddenly clutched her head in pain. She fell on her knees and everything became nothing but misery. Aurora immediately noticed and tried to get her up from the floor. Aurora got on her knee, touched her shoulder and looked at her concerned. Aru looked like she was in immense pain. Aurora wasn't sure how she could help, especially since their physical body was still in critical condition.

"Aru? Are you alright? Tell me what's wrong." Aurora pleaded.

"You have all the opportunity to strike. Kill your balance!" A voice persisted in Aru's head. It sounded so soothing for a voice so demanding. It was the perfect intensity and the perfect tone. Every part of her body wanted to strangle Aurora while she had her unaware, but her mind fought off the horrid thought. Aru murmured to herself, trying to prevent Aurora any pain. The voice grew more in intensity, trying to convince her to do what she didn't want to do.

"I… won't… do… that! I… hear… his… voice…" Aru struggled to say. Aru forced herself to move away from her. Every nerve in her body was telling her to do the opposite option. Aurora walked closer, ignorant of what was happening.

"What…?" Aurora echoed in confusion.

"Do not listen to her earlier lies. She doesn't care about you. She only cares for herself. Strike her now while she's weak! Destroy your balance!" The voice had more force behind it. Aru was no longer in control of her own body. It moved on its own, trying to do what the voice wanted. Aru created a bone club of aura and started to twirl it around in preparation. Aurora backed away in alarm. She knew Aru wasn't angry at her, so she figured it had to be something else. She racked her brain for any ideas. Aurora created her own aura bone club, but she was holding it defensively.

"N-n-no. Urge… to destroy… you…. Destroy… my balance…. Kill… my balance…" Aru struggled to speak. She sounded dead in a trance. Aurora paled. It didn't even sound like the snarky half that she knew and loved.

"Destroy me?" Aurora thought about what she just heard. There was one Pokémon who had enough power to make most people yield to him in dreams and it made her blood boil that he had to invade hers and Aru's mind again.

"If I… do… anything… to... you, I'm… so… sorry. I understand… how you… felt… with Charles… and freezing up. Unlike you… I… can't resist him. His voice… it's too…" Aru screamed in pain as she prevented herself from swinging her attack. Aru couldn't stop herself a second time and tried to strike Aurora. Aurora quickly parried the hit with her own bone club. They both fought to overtake the other.

"Don't worry, Aru. I will get you back completely." Aurora said as calmly as she could in the moment. She then narrowed her eyes and growled, "Nyxcipher… If you wish to turn my dear counterbalance against me, I fully accept your challenge. I will bring her back from your fowl words."

"Kill… my balance…" Aru echoed the job she needed to accomplish for the voice. All signs of her were gone with that one statement.

Aurora pushed Aru back. Aru looked like she was attacking against her will and Aurora hated seeing her like this. They both clashed attacks. Aru's movements were more savage while Aurora's was more poised. They both glared at each other as they once again reached a stalemate in their attacks. Both sides tried to push the other back. Aurora didn't want to hurt Aru and the brainwashed counterbalance took advantage. She used the base of the club to knock Aurora off balance. Then, she used the tip to trip Aurora. Aurora landed on her rear, but quickly recovered from the ground.

Aru's eyes became completely red as she seemed emotionless. Aurora shuddered in horror. Aru suddenly became even more aggressive with her attacks. She tried to strike Aurora at multiple pressure points, but Aurora was quick on with her reaction. She blocked every single attempt with her own two fingers. Aurora fought an increasingly terrible pain in her head and her enraged half. She found it to be nearly impossible to keep up steam.

"Kill your counterbalance, Aurora. It's clear she doesn't care about you. She's attacking you willingly." The same voice that was in Aru's head was now in Aurora's head. She struggled to ignore him, but it sapped her of her energy. Aurora made her bone club disappear to conserve aura and settled for simply dodging Aru's moves. Each time Aru made a thrust, Aurora jumped back. Every time she made a slice, Aurora moved to the opposite side. She noticed her movements were getting more sluggish the more Aru tried to attack her.

"Lies!" Aurora hissed at the voice.

"I am not lying. Look at her. She hates your guts. She wouldn't be attacking you if that wasn't the case."

"You're forcing her to do this!" Aurora continued to resist him, but she could feel herself falling for the temptation. It was hard not to summon her own weapon and knock Aru in the head. She crossed her arms and shook her head. The voice growled.

"I'll admit, I'm impressed with your endurance. No one has ever resisted me or my demands directly for nine years, but I know I'm close to breaking you. Eventually, even you won't have enough strength to fight me. Aru will certainly help to assure that." The voice sneered.

Aru's bone club started to become radiated with yellow aura as she rose it high in the air. Aurora felt the air getting hotter, but she was used to this heat. Aurora ran as fast as she could and collided with Aru. This was enough to break Aru's concentration, destroy her bone club and cool the area down. Aurora pinned her down so that she was on top on her. Aru struggled to force Aurora off of her, but Aurora wouldn't budge. Aru resorted to biting Aurora's arm. She could see blood coming out from it. Aurora hissed in pain, but tried her best to ignore it.

"Calm down! I don't want to hurt you!" Aurora pleaded. Her pleas were fallen on deaf ears. Aru continued to try her best to escape. Covering her eyes, she decided to slap Aru on her cheek as hard as she could. It had no effect. She still was trying to bite Aurora. The balance was mindful that she would continue to do the same thing. So, she moved her hands down to Aru's arms and sat on her legs.

"Must… kill… balance…." Aru said dully.

"Come on, snap out of it!" Aurora slapped her counterbalance in hopes of the spell being broken. Aru flinched slightly, but had a cold undead look to her eyes. Aurora shivered slightly and prevented herself from making tears. She refused to let Aru have the same eyes as Charlie… at least not without a fight.

"Kill. You… must… die…" Aru murmured monotonously.

"That isn't you speaking! Please, Aru… break free!" Aurora continuously slapped her hypnotized twin. Aurora was quickly beginning to lose her composure. She had no idea what else to do, so she continued to do the one thing she could think of. Eventually, Aru began to get red marks on her face. Aurora was mindful of possible bruises, but she stopped her assault.

"Die…" Aru spat. Aurora began to shake her body as hard as she could. Aru's body quivered on the ground, but her eyes remained the same.

"Aru, I know you have more fight in you! Don't give in to Nyxcipher's corruption!" Aurora continued shaking Aru roughly. Aru still had a blank red look in her eyes and her lifeless voice. She knew she couldn't hold Aru down like this forever. Then, a lightbulb flashed in her head.

"Wait… corruption? Maybe I can do this!" Aurora thought. She hoped her idea would work.

"Aru, use your voice! Force her off of you and take her life!" Nyxcipher commanded in Aru's head. Before Aurora could try her plan, Aru took a deep breath and screamed at the top of her lungs. The move she emulated was Hyper Voice and its effects were potent. The force of the voice was enough to knock Aurora off of her and hurt her ears.

Aurora fell on the ground and tried her best to shake off the ear-splitting scream. Aru wouldn't give her enough time. Aru got up from the ground first and kicked her in the back. Aurora groaned in agony at the hard kick and landed on her knees. She felt her breath taken away from her. Aru grabbed her by the hair and forced her to stand up. Then, Aru grabbed her neck with both hands and lifted her up. Aurora's feet dangled in the air and she gripped her hands with Aru's in an effort to force her counterbalance to let her go. Aurora could feel herself losing air.

"Aru… think about… what you're… doing…" Aurora barely choked out. Aurora felt herself slipping into unconsciousness. Aurora could see the cold, dead, emotionless look in her eyes had taken over any rational thought. Aurora did the only thing she could think of. Closing her eyes, her body disintegrated into aura and moved away from Aru. Aru looked surprised at first, then she realized what had happened. Aru growled and turned to where Aurora was. Making herself visible again, she held her neck and took a deep breath. Then, she coughed a little bit trying to get used to air once again.

Nyxcipher used Aurora's trembling state to his advantage, "See? She nearly killed you. You're stronger than her and yet you hold back. You're the real Ketchum and the original is always better. It's time to use your power to end her."

"Lies! We're… equals." Aurora could feel herself slipping under his control. Changing herself into aura sapped her a lot of her strength. The Pokémon knew this and kept egging her on. He was relentless in using his irresistible voice.

"End your counterbalance. Do it. It's what you've always wanted."

"No…"

"It's what you've always wanted."

"It's… no!"

"It's what you've always wanted."

"It's…

"It's what you've always wanted."

"It's... it's…"

"It's what you've always wanted."

"It's… it's… it's… what I've always wanted. Kill… my counterbalance." Aurora mumbled lifelessly. Her eyes turned completely yellow.

She summoned her bone club and twirled it around. Aru did the same thing and mirrored her. They circled around each other, ready to attack. Aurora could hear triumphant laughter echoing in her head. She ignored it to point her weapon at Aru. They both screamed as they hit each other once again with their bone clubs. They both were savage with their clashes. They both kept hitting each other, waiting for the opportunity to make a decisive move. Aru swung her club too far to the right and Aurora capitalized on it.

While Aru was thrusting, Aurora elbowed her in her stomach. Aru immediately clutched her stomach. As Aru attempted to recover, Aurora twisted her arm and flipped her over her side. Aurora kept her arm twisted and sat on her to make sure she wouldn't escape. Aru screamed in pain. Aurora's grip was much stronger than when she pinned her down. Aurora held no mercy in her eyes.

"Ahahahaha! Excellent!" Nyxcipher congratulated. He commanded with a powerful voice, "Finish her!"

"Finish… my counterbalance. It's what always I've wanted." Aurora continued to echo.

Aurora's eyes looked dull as she looked ready to finish the job. Her hands began to glow yellow. She poured all of her energy into Aru. Aru's eyes returned to normal and she looked at Aurora in shock. Aurora released her hold and helped Aru up from the weird positioning. She was terribly confused. She noticed Aurora looked gaunt and she seemingly aged several years in the span of a few minutes. Aru looked at her with concern. Aurora clutched her stomach in pain. They both knew her body was burning her from the inside out.

They both heard terrible roaring. Suddenly, the area became enveloped with purple gas. The gas formed into a more physical shape. It was large, purple and draconian. His reptilian scales looked like it could cut steel and its teeth look like it could cut into any meat. He resembled a raptor-like shape. He looked incomplete, but he still looked daunting. Aurora stood in front of Aru holding her arms out protectively. She glared at the beast defiantly. Aru noticed that her arms were shaking.

The air became highly uncomfortable. The sky blackened upon the Pokémon appearing. The tree looked withered, much different than before. Noxious fumes plagued the air. Every breath Nyxcipher made, he emitted more gas. Aurora wanted to cover her mouth so badly, but she wanted to protect Aru more. The poisonous dragon looked irate.

"What are you doing? How are you not under my spell?" Nyxcipher bellowed. Aurora shivered when she heard his rage and flinched slightly upon hearing his mouth out in the open. She summoned enough strength not to cower in fear. Aru glared at him. Since Aurora transferred her strength to her, Aru felt stronger than normal.

"Heal Pulse… cancels out negativity. I used it… to dispel the negativity… you had in Aru. I figured… you'd let your guard down… once I gave in to you, but… it was all acting. I had to convince you… that I was in your control, but…. your arrogance got the better of you." Aurora smirked, but winced slightly in pain. Aru worried for her balance's health. She was pushing herself to her limit.

"This was all for kicks, anyway. I wanted to end you without getting directly involved just to please myself. Now that you've shown that you can resist me even while weakened, I see no purpose in trying to weaken you any longer. It's a shame that I need to directly slay you. I would do it to your pathetic counterbalance, but it's not as satisfying as slaughtering the real thing." Nyxcipher smirked. It took all of Aurora's resolve not to hiss in disgust and scowl in anger.

"I… won't let you come… anywhere near us!" Aurora growled in a low voice.

"Such pointless bravado. How depressing." The dragon said in mock sadness. "Whatever outside aura you gained from one of your partners is gone. You cannot stop me from having my way. Ashton will revive me as planned and he won't have your interference."

"As long… as I have a shred of energy left… within me, I will stand… and fight. You will never take me… at least… not without a fight," Aurora growled. Aru looked at her like she was crazy. She could tell in Aurora's tone that she knew she wouldn't win. She wanted to do all that she could against the dragon, especially since Aurora poured her energy into her.

"I'm not going to let you throw your life away. We'll find a way to beat him. We're in this together. Always." Aru winked. Aru stood in front of the weakened Aurora. Aurora smiled, but then got into a fighting stance. Aru did the same. Nyxcipher laughed at their attempt. He roared loudly. Aurora and Aru flinched involuntarily. He swept one of his claws at Aurora and Aru. However, they were protected with a forcefield. Everyone involved looked shocked. Nyxcipher's claws bounced back from the field.

"Do not dare touch them!" A feminine voice bellowed. Aurora, Aru, and Nyxcipher were all confused as to where the voice came from, but they all recognized it. Aurora and Aru looked thrilled while Nyxcipher looked pissed. Teleporting right in front of the two women was a small pink feline-like Pokémon. She had a long tail and cat-like blue eyes. She looked incredibly jovial, but extremely annoyed at the same time.

"Mew! How dare you meddle in my affairs?" Nyxcipher growled.

"Meddle in your affairs? You're meddling in mine! It seems you've been getting comfortable torturing all my beloved Ketchums recently. Anyone who messes with them, messes with me." Mew growled.

"No matter… You're no match for me, especially in that puny body." Nyxcipher scoffed. Mew flew up to be right in front of the dragon's face and stared him down eye to eye. His eye was the size of Mew's body, but she didn't care.

"Really now? Keep in mind this puny body can transform into its true form at any time. I don't need my true form to dispel you from Aurora's mind." Mew poked at his snout. Aurora and Aru were looking at the sight, completely awed.

Nyxcipher tried to swallow Mew whole, but she created an aura sphere and shot it at his mouth. Nyxcipher swallowed it and puffed up smoke. While he was coughing, Mew snapped her fingers. Several orbs of psychic energy appeared right above Nyxcipher's head and plunged into him at the same time. Nyxcipher howled in pain as he took the super-effective attack hard. He backed up slightly in recoil. Mew did not let up. She used the same attack again and again until Nyxcipher hissed.

"Unless you want to taste more of my psychic fury, I suggest you leave Aurora's mind permanently. You cannot hope to match me in your current form." Mew snarled. Nyxcipher roared. Aurora and Aru shivered but Mew was not deterred. Mew closed her eyes and waved her arms around. Nyxcipher couldn't move. Every one of his nerves was deadened. Then, Mew assaulted him with an even stronger psychic attack. Eventually, the dragon couldn't take any more and conceded to Mew's will. He hissed as he sighed in defeat.

"When I become complete, you will rue the day you humiliated me, wretched swine!" The dragon roared.

"I will never rue the day I made you, dear. Your anger clouds your judgment. However, the next time you cross me, I won't be so nice. Get out and stay out of all of my Ketchum's dreams." Mew sighed sadly. Nyxcipher scowled at her.

He vanished in a puff of fumes. Aurora and Aru coughed from the gas and started to feel nauseous. Noticing that they were starting to lose consciousness from the poison type's last stand, Mew knew she needed to do something before they both perished in their own sleep.

Mew flew to Aurora and Aru and touched both of them. A bubble formed around both of their heads, enabling them to breathe normally. With a snap of her fingers, she created a gale of wind to dispel the remaining gas. With Nyxcipher gone, the clouds in the sky dissipated. The tree looked like it was intact, but Aurora and Aru looked visibly shaken. Now that the looming threat had passed, Mew tended to the weakened guardians.

She popped both of their bubbles and gave them both a hug, letting them both know that it was alright. She could see their fear etched on their faces. She wanted a way for them to forget their fear… at least temporarily. She giggled mischievously as an idea formed in her head. She grew taller, her hair got longer and she developed brown eyes. Her shape changed to resemble Aurora's mother.

"Hello, dears. Are you two alright?" Mew said in Alice's voice. Both Aurora and Aru looked completely weirded out.

"Lady Mew, please don't do that!" They said simultaneously, somewhat flustered.

"Hahaha! You two must be getting along again if you're speaking at the same time. This is perfect!" Mew shifted back into her feline form and started to squeal in delight. The two humans were delighted in seeing her like this again. They weren't used to seeing Mew's serious side.

"Thank you… for saving us, Lady Mew." Aurora bowed. Mew touched Aurora's forehead. Her paw glowed slightly as some of Aurora's energy returned to her. Mew gave her a minuscule amount, but she made sure that it was enough for Aurora not to feel the burning sensation anymore. Aurora nodded in thanks.

"Yeah, we would have been goners if it wasn't for you, my lady." Aru also bowed. Mew looked amused, but forced them to stand straight. They wondered if they did something wrong, but they could tell from Mew's face that they did nothing of the sort. Mew raised her paws in the air. Aurora's and Aru's marks appeared involuntarily upon seeing Mew like this.

"You know, you two should have your marks out more often. Oh, I'm so happy that you're alright, you two." Mew twiddled her fingers and lifted them both in the air with her telekinetic powers. Aurora yelped as she was tossed into the sky while Aru looked a bit spooked. Mew forced them to dance in the air. Neither of them had any control over their bodies or movements.

"Please stop, Lady Mew!" Aurora and Aru echoed at the same time. Mew giggled let them back on the ground. Mew started to freely float around the two sides playfully.

"You two flatter me... and make me feel old. It's the least I can do for your loyalty to me for all these years. You need not call me 'Lady Mew' or 'my lady'. I've known your family since the beginning of the Tree of Beginning. I would think that you'd learn not to treat me with such formalities by now." Mew sighed.

"Sorry. It's a force of habit." Aurora apologized.

"I can see that. I'm glad I noticed you were in danger in time." Mew said. She started to twiddle her paws somewhat anxiously. "Legendary Pokémon aren't allowed to see humans normally, but I kinda had to disobey my mate in order to save you. You two are still needed in this world… and… I'm… not ready to see my babies go just yet." Mew told them.

"How are we still needed?" Aru asked.

"I cannot explain your roles, as they will complicate the predetermined actions set by my mate. It's a burden all who are involved with the Great Prophecy must accept. All I can do is try to guide you to the best possible future." Mew explained.

Aurora was getting shivers down her spine. She didn't want to be a part of the prophecy, but knew she didn't have too much choice over what would happen. If everything was already predetermined, what was the point of all of this?

She knew Mew cared about her a lot, but she also didn't know where Mew's head truly was at. Mew was always a wildcard, even among the legendary Pokémon. She did things in her own agenda. Mew never visited her directly unless she wanted to show or teach her something important. She wanted to get her head away from the prophecy and Mew's plans.

"What caused Lord Arceus to mandate the separation of humans and Pokemon?" Aurora asked.

"Arcy's way too traditional. I understand to have some boundaries, but to force all legendary Pokémon to have complete separation unless a crisis occurs… you're basically spelling out trouble! Pokémon and humans should live together in peace and harmony… not be segregated." Mew huffed in annoyance.

"Don't you think Arceus did that for a reason?" Aurora continued to question her.

"Yeah… I know he did, but that doesn't mean I agree with it. Then again, he is my counterbalance. We aren't supposed to agree on things from time to time." Mew crossed her arms.

"I never understood how your counterbalance is also your mate. It's weird thinking about it." Aurora glanced at Aru when she said this. Aru seemed to have similar thoughts and a look of disgust washed through her face. They loved each other, but definitely not in the way Mew and Arceus loved each other.

"Pokemon work differently from humans, dear. Neither Arceus nor I have a real gender. We just call ourselves male and female to make regarding us easier. Don't think about it too much, alright?" Mew implored on Aurora.

"I'll... try not to think about it too much." Aurora nodded awkwardly. Then, she began to look down and asked, "Lady Mew… am I doing the right things with Ash? I love that boy to death, but I'm afraid that I'll either be too late or Ash won't accept himself."

Mew floated to where her head was and lifted it up slightly. Aurora looked worried, but Mew made a reassuring smile. Aurora made a small smile back, but she immediately frowned again.

"Don't worry a wink, Aurora. I can't say how you've been doing. Even I can't say what will happen with prophecies… well, one of the many futures of prophecies. You just gotta follow your heart… and do what you think is right. If Ash is still here and with you, that means you're doing something good." Mew answered her with a smile.

"Wait… is Ash and Ashton in the same state as us?" Aru asked. Mew immediately frowned upon hearing the question.

"I'm afraid so. I can sense he expended much his aura due to fighting you. For such a young man, he has more power than any other Ketchum I've ever been a benefactor for. I can't wait to start torturing… er… I mean… training Ash once he reaches the tree. It'll be good to have fresh meat… I mean… It'll be nice to see him again." Mew laughed mischievously. Aurora and Aru looked at each other, then looked at Mew. Aurora narrowed her eyes.

"I hope you aren't serious. You know if you try anything on him that I don't approve… I don't mind defending him against you." Aurora growled. Mew was surprised at the dangerous tone and sweat-dropped.

"I would expect some claws to come out from a mother protecting her young. I promise I won't be too rough on him." Mew winked. Aurora made a sigh of relief. Mew continued in a more serious tone. "I was planning on properly making you go through six trials while your body recovered from the strain of your counterbalance's attack, but now I decided to cut it to two."

"What are the two trials?" Aurora and Aru asked at the same time.

"The two trials are themed on strength and wisdom, with other aspects mixed in. You may be a powerful guardian, but you'll need to get even stronger between now and if Nyxcipher arises." Mew started. "Based on your recent experiences, I do think I should teach you some more things. Every opportunity is a training one. It'll be just like when you were younger, my dear."

Aurora and Aru both whimpered in fear. Mew had a track record for using humans like they are her playthings. She could be training them in one instant, then use them like toys in the next. They hadn't trained under Mew directly in twelve years and was dreading what she had planned.

"Oh, don't give me those faces. It'll be fun! Now begins the first trial: strength. May Arceus and I bless your souls. Hehehe…" Mew giggled as she snapped her fingers. Aurora and Aru had very little time to react as Mew changed the dream landscape. Everything felt dizzy to them.

A/N: This is the last chapter I wrote in advance, so I'll try my best to finish the next chapter before April 16th. I'm a little over halfway done with it. If I am unable to finish, I'll post a little note and a preview of what I've typed so far on the 16th and take a small hiatus. I'm still deliberating on what I'm going to do.

I do hope you enjoyed this chapter, though, and hope you have a wonderful day.

Next Chapter: Prudence and Strength

~SPG123~