Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of Pokemon, its characters, locations, or names. All of them, with the exception of the original characters, belong to Nintendo

Credits: The original fan fiction Shadow League was based off, Pokemon Master, was written by Acey. I retrieved permission before starting this the first time. Kiall and Elizabeth belong to me. "Paran" is the property of Elemental Sorceress, who had requested that I include her in my fan fiction.

A/N: I really need to start rewriting LT. I also want to write a Christmas story for my OCs, which I most likely will do instead. XD And I might post it on dA for once, since people normally don't get to see them in action besides pictures. Horrah for (my) Ash and Faysal. XD Hee.

Warnings: The pairing in this is RivalSibling. This fan fiction has a lot of violence and gore, not to mention some language, and implied rape/sex. Not for kids, that's for sure.

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Chapter 13: Ashura's Past

May blinked sleepily, and rubbed her eyes. She rolled over, noticing movement across the camp, and looked over, scanning the area over, the minimal light from the dying fire barely aiding her. She gaped; Ash was sitting up, his eyes closed and head tilted down, his chin against his chest. Pikachu was in his lap, ears moving forwards and backwards as it breathed.

She had to stifle her yelp when he leaned forward, scooping the snoozing pokemon into his arms, and stood up. May would have wondered if he was really asleep, except that his breathing was too regulated for him to be awake, and his movements too slow. She watched as the Shadow Master started walking away, his steps quiet, barely making a whisper of noise.

Glancing at the others, all of which were in their own dreams, May hastily followed after Ash. Within several minutes, she found that it was harder then she thought to keep the wandering Master within her sights, and realized that she had lost him. "Damn, this is what I get for stalking someone."

Turning around on her heel, looking for a way back or for some sign of Ash's presence, May frowned. She heard a snap behind her, and started in the direction of it, keeping a hand at her hip. She had stumbled on another clearing in the dark forest; May stared incredulously at the cavern entrance that was across from her. With no sign of Ash around, she let her curiosity get the better of her, and entered blindly.

It took several moments for the constricted, rocky passage to open up into a large cavern. May tilted her head back, basking in the moonlight that flooded in through the hole in the high ceiling, until a cough interrupted the serenity. Her eyes narrowed when she looked at the cause. She hadn't been alone; Ash and Elizabeth were several feet away, only the latter being conscious.

Ash, on the other hand, appeared to still be out of it, his head lulling as he was held aloft by solid chains of white light. She could see that his eyes were closed, even though his hair partially obscured her view of them. Elizabeth gave her a small smile. "Marian," she said, "It's good to see you again."

The Ice Master nodded. "What's going on? Why'd you-"

"Chain him up? It's simple really. He needs to be here, and stay here, for the Bonding. It's tonight. I can feel it, and I've a hunch that Ash felt the same thing. I didn't summon him." Elizabeth laughed. "I know when he wakes up though, he won't be all too happy that his own subconscious mind betrayed him."

May mirrored her smile then. "Most likely not," she agreed, and Elizabeth turned away from her.

She gave the sleeping Master a loving look, her eyes clouded over sadly, before she started the short walk over to May. "But yet," Elizabeth said, "at the same time, because of it, he could be the happiest he's been in years." She shook her hair out of her face, "Even though the Bonding is tonight, it isn't going to be to me. It's to be to you."

"What? How? Why?" May pulled her cloak around her, feeling a chill fall over her at the sad look of longing Elizabeth had.

"Because, for...for it to be successful, typically the Shadow Master and Light Master...they have to care about each other. To be willing to risk themselves to save their opposite, to love each other. I know, I do, but...Ashura...he's a different story altogether." Tears were forming in the deep pools of her eyes. "When we both were in the League, I remember how often he'd cry, and I could never tell why and how to get him to stop. It seemed to make it worse if I tried to help."

May wondered where the Light Master was taking the story to. "I realized, back in the forest near Mount Moon, that it was you that had him so torn up. He loved you more then anything in the world, and I've a feeling that is exactly how it has stayed."

Her eyes narrowed, the old memories resurfacing, and pain that had been attached to them burning her. "Then why...why did he..."

"Leave you?" May nodded, glancing away. Elizabeth gave a shake of the head. "I don't think even Ash knows the answer. Initially, he was a danger to even himself. He was doing what he could to ensure that you were safe from harm, so that you wouldn't get caught up in the mess of a life he had while he was so unstable. I know that he felt terrible about it." She laughed softly. "Ash used to talk in his sleep. It's a good way to learn things about a person, listening to them talk when they can't control their own ramblings."

"But you two were together? Didn't that mean anything?"

"We were, for a little while. When he showed up, he was so... worn out? I remember that the first thing I thought when I was introduced to him was how sick he looked, and how...how do I put this...suicidal he was at that time. At the time I thought it was just because he was struggling with his Element like I was with mine, so I tried helping him with his." Elizabeth sat on the ground, curling her legs under her. "I was surprised when Ash started expressing actual interest in training and learning what to do and how to do it. Though it seemed like out of the stadium he was just as gloomy as usual, except..." She smiled slightly. "Except for when we were together. It seemed like me being around comforted him, except for those times that I said that it made things worse. When I found out it was you that was on his mind so much, it clicked."

May blinked, watching her curiously. Elizabeth took a hold of her hands. "Do you remember when we were kids, and found it funny we had the same birthday, the same hour in fact, the same hospital? And how we both had never met our father?" she asked, and the brunette nodded hesitantly, "Well, I found out some things through Kiall, and from Mom. Dad...he...wasn't normal."

"What do you mean? What about your dad not being normal?"

"Not my dad." Elizabeth corrected, "Ours. We have the same father. That's why we both had fathers...a father...that disappeared. Mom said that after their night together, he...well, vanished. She never heard from him afterwards. The same thing happened to your Mom, didn't it?"

The Ice Master was silent, stunned. "He was an Elemental," she continued, "and to ensure that a Light Master was born, he made sure two children were conceived rather then one. We were tied together since that night. That's why whenever something happened, it happened to us both. When you started teething, I started teething. I started puberty, you started, probably." She took a deep breath. "When I found that it was you...it all made sense. Me and you are connected, we are on the same wavelength, even our Elements are combined to some small degree, and without even realizing it, Ash was picking up on the connection. I reminded him of you."

Elizabeth looked away then, tears streaking down her face. "That's why he hurt more when I tried to comfort him. It was because he was crying for you, and my presence was too much like yours, it made him hurt more." She wiped her eyes. "He loved me, I know he did in a way, but the whole time...the whole time it wasn't me he wanted to be with."

Standing, the Light Master looked up toward the sky. "I think it's time to make things right again." she said, her aura forming around her, "Marian, you better take care of and love him, because you're the one Ash'll be saving this world with."

- - -

Stirring, Pikachu looked up blearily, confused as to what had happened and where he was. When he had fallen asleep, he had felt leaves and moss under him; now, it was hard, cold rock. Blue eyes opening, they widened as he saw the still form of his friend and Master in a heap on the ground, cloak twisted around him. "Pikapi!" the frightened creature yelled, frantically shaking him.

Moaning loudly, Ash shifted, stretching his arms up over his head. Sitting up, he painfully rubbed his head, squinting. "I have such a headache..." he complained, glancing around.

"Pi..." the electric mouse cooed, and Ash looked at him. He sighed unhappily.

"Where in hell are we?" the Shadow Master asked, giving his pokemon a strange look. Pikachu shrugged and looked around. Squealing, his ears perked up.

"Pika!" Pikachu bolted away from him, skipping happily, and Ash followed awkwardly, still very much bemused. A small, white-furred rodent watched them, sitting on her hunches several feet away.

"Chuuupika! Pikapi!" the new electric-type squeaked, meeting them halfway. She met with Pikachu first, the two dancing around each other as they gripped paws, then she went on to find Ash. He let her jump onto him, raising an eyebrow when she giggled excitedly over being able to see them again.

"Lucia! It's been a while since I've seen you, girl!" he laughed, hugging the pikachu. Lucia licked him on the cheek, her small pink tongue whipping out in the quick movement before she finally calmed down. "Where's Li...Elizabeth?"

"Pikachu?" Lucia replied. Her tail jerked, and she peered around his arm. He turned slowly, and his eyes widened, shock showing on his face, along with Pikachu's. "Pikapika, Piiipika, chuuuuu..."

"What in hell is going on here?" he said, letting Lucia jump down, and approached the unconscious form. He knelt down, brushing the long strands of brown hair away from her face. "May...Lucia, what happened? What's she doing here?" Ash frowned. "What are we all doing here? I don't remember ever coming over here."

"Chuu pi pikachu," Pikachu affirmed, tilting his head. Lucia whimpered, leaping to cling onto Ash's shoulder.

"Pikapi...pi pikachu pik! Pikapika!" Ash stared at her in confusion, and when she pointed a small paw upwards, he started taking notice of their surroundings; the hole, the carvings in the walls, the general feeling he was getting from the cavern... He gently held May up, her head against his chest.

"Come on, wake up. You have to wake up." He felt her grip his wrist, her fist tightening, and her lips moved silently, the words they were forming silent, inaudible. Green eyes slitted open to meet his gold ones.

"Ash..." she said softly, tears shimmering as they slid down her face, "I'm sorry." He seemed to be baffled, looking around somewhat blankly – a look that was unusual for Ash, all things considered – as if he was trying to find someone or something to help with the situation. Pikachu shook his head, sighing.

"Pikachu cha Pikapika," the creature suggested, and he frowned. Being comforting was not his strong suit; he hadn't had to comfort anyone, and had had to steel himself against needing comforting himself for the most part. As such, finally being thrust into the position of needing to, Ash was at a lost at what to do. Without thinking, his embrace tightened around May and he felt her twist to face him, her eyes glowing.

Something was wrong. Ash's expression mirrored the surprise he felt when he sensed the change in Element; the mesh of Ice and Light, both separate entities within the same Master, yet seeming the same at one time. Realizing that something was going on, he prodded her. "Why did you change?" he asked warily, and May shook her head, "Where's Elizabeth?"

"She's..." Thinking over the answer, May was unsure of how to word what had happened. She clutched at his hand, squeezing it, not wanting him to let go. Pressing her cheek against his palm, the new Light Master smiled sadly. "She's...I'm her. We were linked together, and she decided that she wanted to become one person rather then two. Too much was at stake for her to remain the way she was."

He stayed silent a minute, the news that the woman that had proved to be the one that had saved his very life years back was, by all definitions, gone from existence. "What happens to you then?"

"I've got her Element, that's all. I'm no different." May felt oddly warmed when Ash nuzzled her, holding her protectively, and he let out a breath he had held in. "Do you have the Crystal with you?"

Even though his eyes were shut, Ash nodded, and pulled the offending item out of the pouch that had been at his hip. The black and white mineral was glowing brightly, the hard surfaces feeling nearly hot in his hand. May gently touched it, and it burned even brighter for several seconds. She took the artifact into her own hands, cupping it, and squirmed to get away from him, standing carefully.

Feeling wobbly, May shuffled her feet rather then walk, looking for some sign of how to go about getting through what it was they had to get through. Lucia and Pikachu, however, seemed to know exactly it was that they had to do; they trotted to the center of the cave, where the moonlight shone in brightly, and pointed at the floor hurriedly. Taking the hint, she set it down, and jumped back just as Ash stepped behind her.

A pedestal of grey stone rose from the ground, carvings of the sun, moon, stars, and planets dotting it, and the Forbidden Crystal sitting innocently on top, the light hitting it just right. They would have admired the beauty of it longer, had Lucia and Pikachu not already taken their places to the West and East respectively, and was waiting impatiently for them.

"Pika, pikachu, piii!" Lucia chirped, pointing a small furry paw toward the carvings in the wall, at the symbols that looked unreadable for any that weren't them. May circled to be to the South, Ash taking his spot at North. She nodded thoughtfully, looking at the ancient writings.

Ash frowned. "It looks like a poem of some kind," he said, displeasure in his voice. May was inclined to agree.

"I think so. I assume we have to recite it." Counting the lines, then the verses, she tipped her head slightly. "Three verses, each with two lines. Rather short for something like this, isn't it?"

Chewing on his tongue, Ash shrugged, reading the words three times over, until he had them ingrained in his memory. "Better short then long. I just memorized it," he remarked as the Crystal started glowing even brighter, indicating that the two Elements weren't willing to wait for the pair to figure out what exactly was happening. It was like they had no control over what they did and said, as the words tumbled out unexpectedly.

Master of Shadow and Mistress of Light,
Both join together, on this dark night.

The sun glows to the West,
the moon shines to the East.

To the North and the South
do our Chosens both stand.

Oh Crystal of mystery, shining so bright,
Bind us together, using your light!

They felt it get cooler and darker as the moonlight was abruptly cut out, leaving only the Crystal to light the cavern. Ash looked up and saw that clouds had rolled over the moon, shielding them from its reflected light. He felt May take hold of his left hand from over the pedestal, and he carefully lifted his other hand to hold hers.

They swayed slightly as energy shuddered through them as the Crystal grew brighter, slowly starting to levitate in the air between them. "This is...so strange," May said, feeling a tingling sensation as it floating in front of her at eye level.

"I couldn't agree more," he replied, wincing when the glowing stone seemed to pulsate, and started cracking, exploding with a loud pop. Crystalline chips hung in the air as the two halves twisted in the air, both of them getting smaller, rounding out, and chains forming out of it, and solidifying; one chain white, the other black. They twirled down onto the pedestal in front of their own Masters, the black and white gems dimming so the only light in it, was deep within the swirling snow inside.

"Chuu!" Lucia squealed, dancing about when Ash carefully picked his up, fingers curling around it and squeezing, May doing the same. He rubbed his thumb across the smooth surface, frowning, before waving the two pokemon off.

"Why don't you two go back to camp? Pikachu, you know where it's at." Cobalt blue eyes stared up at him, giving the Shadow Master a thorough scrutinizing, before Pikachu nodded and poked Lucia into following. Clipping the pendent on, May watched him.

"What's wrong?" she asked when Ash turned back to her, the chain hanging between his fingers. "I've never seen you tell Pikachu to go on without you before. You're always together."

"Nothing is wrong. I just..." He looked away again, chewing on his tongue. "I just need to talk to you alone is all."

Waiting until the pedestal melted down into nothing, May stepped across the flattened ground to get closer. "What is it?"

Rubbing his hands together, Ash shook his head slowly. "I don't know." he admitted. His expression changed from cool, to nervous, to bitter rapidly. "I'm the Shadow Master, I've fought against the League single-handedly, yet I'm nearly afraid of what I'm wanting to say, and don't even know how to say it to begin with."

"Oh...oh." May gently pressed the back of her hand against his cheek, smiling when he turned his head slightly, eyes closing as he brought his own hand up to touch hers. "It's alright, Ash. I know already."

The dark-haired man mouthed wordlessly, his eyes going wide; it took several seconds for the statement to sink in totally. "You...know." A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, one that it appeared he was trying to keep from getting out. "You knew. How long?"

"Not that long. An hour, tops? How long was I out for?" May smiled when Ash stared at her dully, and she clarified. "Elizabeth. She figured it out at some point. And made sure to mention it." When she saw the tired look he kept giving her, she took his hand and started leading the way out – May knew he wouldn't remember which way to go, being asleep when he had made the trek through the forest.

"May, is it alright if I ask you something?" Ash asked, scowling as he pushed branches out of their way, and some of them snapping back to hit him in the back of the head. She nodded, glancing at him; it wasn't usually a case where he'd ask if it was alright. Regardless, he'd ask anyway! "Do you love me?"

Startled, she snapped her head to look at him. Ash peered at her nervously, hugging himself, rocking back onto his heels. May would have found his sudden self consciousness amusing under any other circumstances, and had he been anyone else; however, she knew better then to think it was normal for the Shadow Master to act the way he was. Pushing her hair back out of her face, May stuck her tongue out, trying to ease his discomfort. "Well, yes, of course I do. How else could I put up with you?" she taunted.

Seeing that the humor behind the statement had just barely been appreciated by Ash – who only cracked the smallest of smilies – she decided to lay it out seriously. "I didn't go after you back at Cerulean for my health, Ash. And deciding to try helping you at Lavender wasn't exactly helping it either." May thought about it for a moment. "Actually, both of them probably took ten years off of my life."

That time, he laughed, and she grinned. He rubbed his eyes sleepily. "I thought you went with just to make sure I didn't die." Grimacing, he looked away. "Just like with the Rebellion. The only reason they don't try to capture me is because they know they need me alive and well to do...well, everything." Ash growled. "I'm nothing more then a walking, talking, treacherous monster to most of them probably, and only a pawn to be used by the rest."

Sympathetically, May hugged him, shaking her head. "Well, yes and no," she admitted, "I did go to make sure you didn't die, because I don't want you to. I was going crazy when you were in that coma, not knowing whether you'd live or die, or if you'd ever wake up. I think, after all this time, I probably would go insane if you did die."

Ash shivered, returning the gesture. "I missed you," he said quietly, and May could hear the misery in his voice clearly, and the effort it was taking not to close up again; it was, once again, almost foreign having someone around that he could actually turn to talk to without the wariness that had became a necessity.

"I know. I missed you, too." Forcing a teary smile, May looked at him. "How about we get to camp? There's a long day ahead, and a lot of explaining to do to the others."

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