Chapter 16: Betrayal…

As Riolu and Zorua scale up higher into the mountain, the snow gets thicker and the temperature gets colder.

Zorua thinks with a serious expression on his face, 'Mienfoo… I'll be sure to protect you. I won't let you face any more pain. I'll be sure of it…'

Riolu thinks with a serious expression on his face, 'This feeling… the closer I get to the top of the mountain, the stronger it gets… but what am I forgetting?'

As he continues to walk, he hears the voice say in his head, "Riolu… open your eyes! You're role as a Pokemon is…"

But Riolu can't hear the voice finish its sentence and it disappears completely.

Zorua looks up at Riolu with a serious expression on his face and he thinks, 'We're almost there… the midpoint of the mountain…'

Zorua looks away from Riolu and closes his eyes and he thinks, 'I'm coming, Mienfoo. We'll be together again as a family.'

After he opens his eyes, he says, "Riolu… it seems we're getting close to the midpoint of the mountain. Do you want to rest there and fill up on the Oran Berries to refill our energy?"

Riolu looks directly at Zorua and nods his head. "That does sound like a good idea, Zorua. We'll take a short break once we reach that point and continue our way up."

Zorua nods his head and looks straight ahead away from Riolu. He thinks with a serious expression in his eyes, 'It's almost time…'

As Riolu and Zorua gets closer and closer to the midpoint, Darkrai looks back at Dark Riolu, Mienfoo, and the other two and he says to them, "They're almost at the midpoint! Now's the time to start heading over there!"

Dark Riolu nods his head with a serious expression on his face and he replies, "It's about time."

After all four Pokemon disappear into the shadows, Darkrai looks in the direction where Riolu and Zorua are located and he thinks with a serious expression on his face, 'Time is almost up for you, Riolu. But I do thank you… for showing me the way to Mirage Island before you die off.'

After Darkrai closes his eyes, he thinks with a serious expression on his face, 'They've reached the midpoint… now it'll only be a matter of time until Dark Riolu and the others reach them.'

Darkrai opens his eyes and he finishes by thinking, 'Arceus… as soon as I find you, I'm going to kill you, along with your Heaven world!'

Riolu and Zorua are both sitting down on the ground with a bag of berries and apples opened in the middle.

As they both take a bite out of their Oran Berries in silence, Zorua thinks with his eyes closed, 'So… Darkrai has sent them to come as well, huh? I guess he wants to be sure I finish it…'

Zorua opens his eyes and thinks as he stares at Riolu, who also has his eyes closed, 'Riolu… I guess this will be final chance to say good bye to you. So…'

Zorua changes his serious expression to a calm one and he asks Riolu with a curious expression on his face, "What are you thinking about, Riolu?"

Riolu opens his eyes and looks directly at Zorua. He grins slightly as he replies, "I'm just thinking of a lot of things right now."

But Riolu ends up hearing the voice say in his head, "Riolu… did you honestly forget what your true role is already?"

Riolu replies in his head after he closes his eyes, 'What do you mean? You've never told me my true role…'

While Riolu and the inner voice continue to talk back and forth, Zorua thinks as he closes his eyes, 'It seems…'

The inner voice tells Riolu as Zorua slowly stands back up, "Riolu! You're still keeping your eyes closed to see the real truth! Don't you understand what I'm saying at all?"

Riolu replies as he slowly opens his eyes, 'Are you trying to tell me that if I open my eyes, I'll see my main goal in front of me?'

The voice replies after he sees Zorua staring down at him with a serious expression on his face, "That's right! Don't you remember? Zorua is the one you have to…!"

Before the voice could finish its sentence, Zorua say to Riolu with a serious expression on his face, "I'm sorry, Riolu… but this is it."

Riolu stands back up slowly as he asks, "Wh-what do you mean by that?"

Before Riolu could look back to see what Zorua is looking at, two blades pierce right through both of his shoulders.

Riolu's eyes widen with shock as he sees his own blood falling into the snow, staining it red. His arms swing down, unable to make any movement at all.

The voice says in Riolu's head, "You're main goal… was to kill Zorua…"

Riolu looks directly into Zorua's eyes with a confused expression in his eyes and he asks, "Zorua… what's the meaning of this?"

Zorua replies as he charges up for a Night Slash in both arms, "I have no other choice, Riolu… they have Mienfoo alive. I can't allow her to die again…"

When Riolu looks back to see who stabbed him in the shoulders, his eyes widen with shock when he sees Audino and Maractus standing behind him with the swords in their hands.

When he looked further back, he sees Dark Riolu standing there with his scythe up against Mienfoo's neck.

Riolu thinks with a serious expression on his face, 'So… this is who you planned to use as bait…'

When Riolu looked back at Zorua, he sees Dark Riolu and Mienfoo instantly appear behind Zorua.

Dark Riolu says with a serious expression on his face, "Zorua… kill Riolu… or I'll kill Mienfoo!"

Riolu has a serious expression on his face as he says to Zorua, "Zorua… are you seriously going to go through with this? Do you really believe that Darkrai will keep Mienfoo pain free?"

Zorua has a serious expression on his face as he replies, "I'll be sure that Mienfoo no longer goes through any pain. In order for that to happen… you must disappear from this world."

Audino and Maractus pulls out their swords from Riolu's shoulders, which causes his to fall onto his knees in the blood soaked snow. His arms are just swinging along with any movement of his body, completely paralyzed.

After Audino and Maractus disappears from behind Riolu and reappears by Dark Riolu's side, pointing the tips of their blades at Mienfoo, Zorua tells Riolu with a tear rolling down his right cheek, "Riolu… thank you for everything that you have done for me before."

Riolu's eyes widen with fear as sees Zorua running straight towards him. Everything around them has turned into slow motion as Zorua jumps up in the air towards Riolu with both Night Slashes pointing straight at Riolu's chest.

Dark Riolu thinks with a serious grin on his face, 'So long… Riolu…'

Mienfoo has tears rolling down her face and she cries out, "Riolu, run for it!"

But it is too late for Riolu as Zorua stabs his Night Slash straight through Riolu's heart. Riolu's eyes widen with shock as he starts coughing up blood. His blood makes contact with Zorua's forehead and it starts dripping down his face slowly.

Riolu has a weak expression on his face as he tries to mutter, "Z-Zorua…"

Riolu looks right into Zorua's eyes weakly as Zorua pulls out his front legs from Riolu's chest, causing him to fall onto his stomach with his blood staining the snow as it pools out.

Zorua just stands there, staring down at Riolu with a look of seriousness on his face, but a guilty expression in his eyes. He mutters as he closes his eyes, "Farewell… Riolu…"

But once he turns his back on Riolu and starts walking away, Mienfoo cries out Riolu's name with tears of sadness rolling down her cheeks.

But Riolu just lies there with his eyes wide open, just staring out into space as he slowly drifts into death. Riolu thinks, 'Zorua… I tried to help you get away from the darkness… but now…' Riolu closes his eyes as he finishes, 'You're on your own from here, Zorua…'

After Mienfoo cries out Riolu's name again and Zorua reaches Dark Riolu, they all disappear into the shadows, leaving Riolu behind to die.

While Riolu just lies there in the snow, he thinks as he slowly opens his eyes and tears starts flowing down his cheeks from his eyes, 'Zorua… so you were the one I was supposed to kill? But… how can that be my main goal?'

As the pool of blood flows further down the snowy mountain road, Riolu continues as he slowly closes his eyes in the cold, 'How much have I forgotten in my past life…? I guess I'll never know the truth… as long as I lie here…'

After Riolu closes his eyes, he hears a voice call out, "Mitchell!"

Riolu slowly opens his eyes as he thinks, 'Wh-who's there… and how does it know my name?'

Riolu feels a Pokemon lands right next to his back and starts examining his body for any signs of life.

Riolu thinks as the mystery Pokemon tries to find any sources of life, 'This presence… why does it feel so familiar?'

Before Riolu could continue his thoughts, he hears the mystery Pokemon say in a female voice, "He's still alive… but not for long. I have to get him up to Lord Arceus before he dies!"

The mystery Pokemon picks up Riolu and starts scaling up the mountain at a high speed with Riolu in her arms. When Riolu's eyes meet the mystery Pokémon's face, he notices that she's a Snivy.

Riolu thinks as Snivy continues to climb up the mountain through the snow, 'This girl… why am I feeling as if I know her from somewhere? What is going on here?'

While Snivy hurries Riolu up to the top of the mountain, Zorua, Mienfoo, and the others arrive back to the Underworld Island. They are all standing before Darkrai, who is looking down at Zorua with a serious expression on his face.

Zorua says to Darkrai with a serious expression on his face, "I have done as you requested, Lord Darkrai. Will it be okay if you can release Mienfoo from the torture chamber?"

Darkrai nods his head and he replies, "Consider it done, Zorua."

Darkrai signals Audino and Maractus to untie Mienfoo, and they do it without question.

Zorua stares into Darkrai's eyes with a serious look in his and he asks, "What is it that you wish for me to do, Lord Darkrai?"

Darkrai replies with a malevolent grin on his face, "The only thing that you'll be doing is going through training. But for now, you'll be taking Mienfoo back to your home. Get some rest for now…"

Zorua nods his head and he starts walking towards Mienfoo. But Mienfoo just stares at Zorua with a look of disappointment in her eyes and starts following him down the mountain.

Dark Riolu asks after the two leave, "My lord, why do you wish to train Zorua? Isn't he already strong enough to fight against anything?"

Darkrai has a serious expression on his face as he replies, "No… for there is still one Pokemon who'll be in the way."

Dark Riolu asks with a curious expression on his face, "But who else could there be that's…!"

Before he could finish his question, his eyes widen with shock when he comes to the same conclusion. He asks with a serious expression on his face, "Do you wish for me to kill Mienfoo now?"

Darkrai shakes his head no and he replies, "That won't be necessary. Zorua did stabs Riolu through the heart, but who would have thought that she would be there to rescue him."

Dark Riolu's eyes widen with shock and he replies, "You don't mean that…!"

Darkrai nods his head as he replies, "That's right… Riolu's very first partner and friend in the Pokemon World, Snivy."

Dark Riolu asks with a look of concern on his face, "L-lord Darkrai… what should we do about this? If Riolu finds out the truth, then…!"

Darkrai closes his eyes as he replies with a serious expression on his face, "I already know that much… but with Riolu still living, we can at least have an interesting war with Heaven."

Dark Riolu asks with a serious expression on his face, "You already knew that Riolu Heaven Spirit Blade would keep him alive, did you?"

Darkrai gives Dark Riolu a serious grin on his face and he replies, "Suppose I did…"

Darkrai turns his back on Dark Riolu, looking out at the ocean where Mirage Island is located and he replies, "With Riolu still in the picture… their combat force will be the same as ours. A war between Heaven and Hell… shall soon come."