Chapter 15: Endless Clouds

After the ship completely slows down to normal speed and enters the cloudy area of the ocean, Riolu thinks with an awe-inspiring expression on his face, 'This feeling… it's so comforting!'

Kirlio says as he looks around at his surroundings, "It looks like no matter where we go, we'll keep going through this fog. I guess the legends were true after all… Mirage Island is definitely a place that'll be difficult to find…"

Riolu thinks as he continues to venture blindly through the dense fog, 'No matter what happens, we'll make everything better. Arceus… I hope we'll find you soon.'

While everyone outside of the ship is looking around, Zorua is inside the cabin, his eyes widening with fear. Tears of sadness rolls down his cheeks as he thinks, 'Mienfoo… you're still alive… and in order to keep you alive, I need to kill… Riolu…'

Zorua closes his eyes and he thinks as he wipes his tears away with his front right leg, 'Lord Darkrai… if it means keeping Mienfoo alive and safe, I'll follow your order as your apprentice…'

After he finishes that thought, Darkrai's voice replies in his head, "Very good, Zorua… wait until you reach the mountain of Arceus and be sure to kill him."

Zorua nods his head and he replies in his head, 'I understand…'

After Zorua manages to calm himself down, he thinks with a serious expression on his face, 'I can't allow her to die… the only type of family I have left in this world.'

Zorua stays in the bed, sleeping in it until they reach Mirage Island.

While Riolu activates his Aura Eyes and follows the path he should take to Mirage Island, Darkrai is standing near the edge of his mountain on the Underworld Island, looking out at the ocean in the direction where Mirage Island is located.

He grins malevolently and he says with a confident expression on his face, "It's almost time!"

He looks behind him and sees Dark Riolu, Audino, Maractus, and Mienfoo standing there. Maractus and Audino are holding on to swords, while Mienfoo is still tied up with more cuts and bruises all over her body.

Dark Riolu grins with a confident expression on his face and he asks, "How much longer do you think it will be until they reach Mirage Island?"

Darkrai faces Dark Riolu and the others and he says, "Not too long. However, once they reach the mountain, I have a request for the three of you."

Dark Riolu asks with a curious expression on his face, "What would that be, my lord?"

Darkrai relies as his grin disappears behind his serious expression, "Once Zorua tells Riolu the truth, I want Audino and Maractus to get the first attack by stabbing Riolu in both shoulders, causing him to lose his ability to move his arms."

Audino and Maractus nod their heads in agreement and they both say in the demon language, "We'll do as you say, Lord Darkrai…"

After Audino and Maractus bow before Darkrai, Dark Riolu asks with a serious expression on his face, "So we'll be using the Hell Spirit Blade as a way to get to Mirage Island?"

Darkrai nods his head and he replies while turning his back on them, "Yes. Now get ready until the time comes for you four to go to Mirage Island."

Dark Riolu nods his head and he leads Audino and Maractus away from Darkrai, while he drags Mienfoo behind him.

After they both leave the island, Darkrai thinks as he continues staring out at the ocean, 'All of my plans are working so well… if it weren't for that time, none of this would have been able to work.'

Darkrai grins with a serious expression on his face and he continues, 'Riolu… if it weren't for you, none of this would have come together.'

Darkrai closes his eyes and he continues, 'Soon… very soon… I shall take down Arceus and turn this world into complete darkness.'

It has been an hour since Riolu entered the dense fog.

He continues to follow the trail with his Aura Eyes, deep in thought. 'What is this feeling? Why does it feel like I'm completely forgetting something important?'

Riolu has a serious expression on his face as he continues, 'Moreover… why does it feel like I've been here before? What is going on here?'

Kirlia looks up at Riolu with a concerned expression on her face and she asks, "Are you all right up there, Riolu?"

But Riolu doesn't answer and is just focused on his thoughts and the path he should take. 'Now that I think about it… I wonder if Zorua is all right. He's still in the cabin, right?'

Riolu looks down at both Kirlia and Kirlio and he asks, "Will it be okay if one of you could check in on Zorua? He's been in there for too long."

Kirlia nods her head and walks to the door as Kirlio uses his Recover on his right arm to close up his wound.

When she opened the door and peeked inside, she sees Zorua lying on the bed, sleeping on his stomach.

Kirlia leaves the room, closes the door behind her silently, and she replies to Riolu, "He's asleep right now."

Riolu looks down at Kirlia, nods his head and he replies, "Thank you, Kirlia."

When Riolu went back to focusing on his path, he thinks with a serious expression on his face, 'This feeling… why am I getting the feeling that coming here will answer all of my questions?'

Another hour passes by, but the same surroundings are still there. In every direction, there are endless cloud paths. As they venture deeper into the sea of clouds, the temperature begins to drop and it starts to snow lightly.

Kirlio thinks as he starts seeing his own breath in the cold air, 'I guess we're getting closer for it to get this cold.'

Kirlio walks to the side of the ship and looks down at the water. He thinks as he stares down, 'The water… it's not even frozen from this cold.'

Kirlio looks up and around at his surroundings, only seeing endless supplies of cloud and snow.

Kirlio looks straight ahead and he thinks as he closes his eyes and crosses his arms, trying to keep from getting cold, 'This is unbelievable… how much farther do we have to go until we reach Mirage Island?'

While Kirlio keeps his eyes closed, Kirlia thinks as she looks down and sees her own breath, 'I can't believe how cold it has already gotten… this is intense.'

When Kirlia looks up at Riolu, she has a look of concern on her face and she thinks, 'But Riolu… why are you feeling confused? Ever since we've entered this area, you're inner aura has changed slightly…'

Kirlia closes her eyes as she finishes her thoughts, 'What's going through your head right now, Riolu? I can only read your emotions… but not your thoughts.'

Riolu shivers slightly as he continues to think, 'How long is this supposed to take? Are we even getting any closer?'

After three more hours passes on, Kirlia and Kirlio went into the cabin and slept on the floor, while Riolu is still outside, still controlling the ship. Riolu is wearing a warm cloak over his body. Riolu looks around at his surroundings and only sees an endless ocean of clouds around him.

But the deeper he gets into it, the colder it gets and the thicker the snow gets.

Riolu thinks as he shuts his eyes with an exhausted expression on his face, 'My energy… I'm almost out of energy to keep the Aura Eyes going…'

After he opens his eyes, he remembers the bag of Oran Berries still on his back. After he reaches into the bag and grabs out an Oran Berry, he thinks as he takes a bite out of it, trying to retrieve some of his energy, 'I need to keep going… I can't stop until we at least reach the island…'

After he finishes the Oran Berry, he looks straight ahead and starts seeing a slight trace of white aura up ahead.

Riolu thinks as he grins with relief, 'We're almost there… just a little while longer…'

Another hour passes on. While Riolu continues to follow the path with his Aura Eyes, Zorua opens his eyes and looks around his surroundings.

He looks down and sees Kirlia and Kirlio sleeping on the floor.

Zorua looks down at them with a serious expression on his face and he thinks, 'I can't have these two interfering with my goal.'

Zorua's eyes glow red as he stares down at Kirlia and Kirlio, trapping them both in a long lasting sleep.

Zorua thinks as he looks away from Kirlia and Kirlio, 'Once I finish the job, these two will wake up from their sleep. Sorry… Kirlia and Kirlio. But there's no need for you two to get wrapped up in this situation.'

Zorua gets up out of bed and gets both Kirlia and Kirlio up onto the bed by transforming into Mienfoo.

After he gets them up onto the bed, he instantly transforms back to his normal form and he thinks with a serious expression on his face, 'I guess I better go ahead and head out to the deck. I might as well say my final words to Riolu as a friend.'

He puts on a cloak and heads out to the deck.

After he closes the door silently behind him and gets out onto the deck, he looks up at Riolu and he asks, "Are you all right up there, Riolu?"

Riolu snaps out of his train of thought and looks down at Zorua with a grin on his face. "It's about time you got up, Zorua. How did that ride treat you at that speed?"

Zorua chuckles slightly and replies, "That was an incredibly fast ride! I'm surprised that Kirlia had that much power within her."

Riolu chuckles as well and he replies back, "I couldn't agree with you more! I was amazed indeed!"

After it got silent again, Zorua asks with a curious expression on his face, "By any chance, how far are we from Mirage Island?"

Riolu points straight ahead and he replies, "We're actually a few more hours away. But at least we're finally getting close."

Zorua grins as he replies, "Yeah, no kidding!"

Zorua thinks as he closes his eyes with the same grin on his face, 'I'm going to miss you when you're gone, Riolu...'

Another two hours passes by and the ship has finally reaches Mirage Island. The top of Mirage Island's mountain that lies on the middle of the island is as tall as the cloud dome.

Back in the Underworld Island, Darkrai has a serious expression on his face as he says while facing the direction where Mirage Island is located, "They have finally made it to Mirage Island!"

Darkrai looks back at Dark Riolu, Mienfoo, Maractus, and Audino and he says to them, "The time is almost here. Get ready to enter Mirage Island once Zorua reaches the midpoint of the mountain! That's when you strike and strike hard!"

The three Pokemon nod their heads, but Mienfoo looks down at the ground with a depressed expression on her face.

She thinks with tears of sadness rolling down her cheeks, 'Riolu… Zorua… I'm sorry…'

After Riolu parks the ship right next to an empty dock, he knocks on the door and tries to see if anyone is awake.

Zorua looks back at Riolu on the dock and he says, "Don't worry about them, Riolu. Let's just leave them there to get some sleep."

Riolu looks back at Zorua and replies, "All right, Zorua. I guess they've been through a lot already while I was in bed."

After Riolu gets off of the ship and both Riolu and Zorua start walking down the snow covered dock, Zorua thinks with a serious expression on his face, 'Riolu… I'm sorry for what I'm about to do to you. But… I have my reasons and that's to protect Mienfoo.'

Riolu thinks after they get off of the dock and walk through the snow covered ground, 'I'm still having this powerful feeling that being here will answer all of my questions. I can't back away now, our only direction is to go to the top of the mountain and come face to face with Arceus.'

After thirty minutes of walking passes on, Riolu and Zorua have reaches the foot of the mountain.

Zorua has a serious expression on his face as he thinks after they start scaling the mountain up on the pathway, 'This is the place where you'll die, Riolu…'