Chapter 8: Darkness Returns

Houndoom stared off into the distance at all of the glowing lights. He always wondered where they came from. Yveltal never spoke about them and there was so many of them. Maybe they are similar to this "sun" Yveltal spoke of. Then Houndoom thought of the battle that he was just in.

"Why didn't we stay and finish off the others?" Houndoom asked.

"Because there was no point in staying there to finish them off. Besides it wasn't a fair fight. I was going to tell you before, but I wasn't sure if it was just my imagination, but you noticed how Arceus had turned to stone? I wasn't born to have the power to do that. Something is not right, Houndoom." Yveltal replied.

"What do you mean, master?" Houndoom questioned.

"I heard voices right before we left to leave to go battle with Arceus. They said that they will find me and that I was just a pawn to this dark voice."

"That could never happen. You are the strongest, master Yveltal!" Houndoom assured.

"I hope you are right. Something about this whole 'voice hearing' doesn't set right on me. So let's be on our guard."

"Yes, I understand!"

Lucario stood there in shock. So much had just happened right before his eyes. So many questions was running though his head. What was those objects that he just had in his hands, or more importantly, what was he suppose to do about Arceus. Arceus was his best friend, his only friend.

"I need to figure out what to do about Arceus." Lucario finally said.

Lucario observed the stone statue of Arceus. Arceus was still there, alive underneath all that stone. He could feel it. He knew that it wasn't just a stone shell around Arceus. It was the whole being that was turn into stone.

"I just cant break it with force." Lucario observed. "I might destroy the being of Arceus. Hmm.."

Lucario noticed the burn on his leg again. How did that even happen? It was all new to him. Strangely it stopped burning after the match, but Lucario couldn't help to remember that short scene in his mind of when he kicked Houndoom back."

"Houndoom, I think that is what he was called." Lucario noted. "He must of been created by the one he was calling master."

Suddenly, Lucario's burnt leg started glowing. Lucario closed his eyes and meditated, trying to find out if his aura could tell him anything about what was happening. Out of nowhere, Lucario felt a presence behind him. A friendly presence, but who was it? No one that he knew. Then a touch on his shoulder made him look to see a small pink creature hovering, while holding on to his shoulder. It was a little over a foot tall with two small arms with three fingers on each and two slightly large hind legs. It twitched its two small triangular ears and stared at Lucario with its big blue eyes.

"Who are you? Where did you come from?" Lucario questioned.

"Hi, I'm Mew! I dont remember where I'm from. I don't really remember much about my life before." Mew replied.

It paused for a second; "Lets play!" it said cheerfully.

Lucario was definitaly not in a playing mood. His friend was in trouble and alot had just happened that he didn't even understand. Lucario frowned.

"What wrong?!" Mew said. "You look upset."

Lucario explained to Mew what just happened.

"That's no good!" said Mew. "Lets figure this out together, then we can go play!"

"Okay!" Lucario said reassured. Somehow he felt better after his little chat with Mew.

"Where am I?" Arceus asked itself.

"YoU ArE In OuR WorLd NoW. HaHaHa." a sinister laugh came from afar. "ThE LaNd Of ThE VoiD."

There was a cave right in front of Arceus. The rest of the landscape was just a wasteland with mountainous scenery around.

"I need to get back to Lucario! He is in trouble!" Arceus said.

"YoU Will NeVeR EsCapE!" said the eerie voice.

Who was this voice that spoke? Arceus wondered. Arceus knew that it could not just stay there. It had to get out of this land and go help his friends.

"A shadow traveled under Arceus, as a dark being rose from the ground, standing about 5 feet tall. It's dark legs retracted into its dark body and it hovered right in front of Arceus. It had a white fog-like ghostly plume covering the top half of its head extending upward as a set of blue eyes stared right at Arceus. It also had a red spiky growth around its neck.

"I am Darkrai!" said the figure. "I've been stuck here for some time. I have studied these ruins and I think I know a way out. Follow me."

"Well I guess I don't have any other ideas." Arceus said.

Arceus followed Darkrai through the cave. There were footprint and handprint writings on the wall.

"Day 1. I'm hearing strange voices all around. I dont remember much before but I need to get out of here." Arceus read the first panel. "Who wrote these?"

"I did." replied Darkrai. "I've been keeping track and leaving recordings so I can help all of those who are unfortunate to get trapped in this realm."

Arceus read the second panel. "All I can remember was darkness surrounding me, as every inch of my body suddenly froze and could no longer move. Next thing I knew, I appeared in front of a cave. My curiosity led me into the cave. I had to find out where I was and how to get back."

"I feel the same way as you did. How long have you been stuck here?" Arceus further replied.

"For a few days. Come on, lets go, it's not much further."

Arceus continued down the tunnel with Darkrai into the next room. "The voices all around me appear to belong to an unknown being called 'Dark Matter'. Whoever is unfortunate to come in contact with this 'Dark Matter' gets the life sucked out of them and gets turned into stone." as Arceus read the next panel.

As of once before, the two continued down the path and stumbled across yet another room.

"This is the last room that I have wrote a panel for." Darkrai commented.

"Apparently, 'Dark Matter' feeds off of all negative emotions. This includes - Fear, Anger, Sadness, Envy, and emotions similar to these. The more numerous these feelings, the stronger they get." Arceus read.

"Were almost to the last room." Darkrai announced. "I think I know how to get out of here."

The last room contained of a set of stairs with a platform up ahead. Darkrai and Arceus went to stand on this large platform. Up ahead, a door could barely be seen. It seemed transparent.

"We just need to defeat the darkness and that door will be accessable to us. That has to be the way out!" Darkrai said

"Why haven't you tried that before." Arceus asked.

"There are endless waves of darkness. I ran out of the cave once I grew exhausted from the battle and rested in the shadows, and then I found you. Together I know we can defeat the darkness and escape here." Darkrai said

"HaHaHA DefEaT Me? I sEe ThAt YoU ArE BacK FoR MoRe. YoU CaN nEvEr DefEaT ME!"

Dark blobs fell from the sky in numerous numbers. Ten blobs surrounded Arceus and Darkrai. Darkrai unleashed a Thunderbolt out at the five that was closest to it. Arceus followed suit and unleashed a Thunderbolt of its own at the remaining dark blobs. Several more fell from the sky. Once more Darkrai and Arceus struck them down with streaks of lightning. Several minutes passed and it seemed as if it was raining darkness. Arceus struck the ground with its feet and power erupted from underneath the dark blobs, destroying a large number of them. Darkrai proceeded to sweep the remaining blobs with a Blizzard then shattered the frozen blobs with an Omnious Wind.

"We make a nice team!" Arceus commented.

"Yes we do!" Darkrai agreed.

The fighting did seem endless.

"I thought there would be an end to these things!" Darkrai exclaimed.

The darkness slowly pushed Arceus and Darkrai to the middle of the platform. All hope seemed lost. There were just too many of them. The dark blobs gained up on the two beings. What was there to do? Both Arceus and Darkrai were exhausted with no escape.

"We aren't going to make it!" Darkrai cried out.

The darkness slowly engulfed Arceus and Darkrai. Arceus could feel its body freezing over once more. "Is this really the end?" Arceus thought. It looked over to see what was visibly left of Darkrai. The one blue eye that slowly vanished behind the darkness. Arceus could not move its body, as much as it tried.

"No!" Arceus cried out. An enormous amount of energy shot from its body and beams of lights poured out in every direction. All the darkness was gone around them and there they stood on the platform once more.

"What just happened? That was a close one!" Darkrai said.

"I'm not sure." Arceus replied. "Must be some kind of inner power I have."

"It just saved our lives!"

"Its not over yet!"

They both looked up to the sky to see the cloud of darkness still hovering over thier heads.

"Now together!" Arceus shouted.

"Together!" Darkrai seconded.

Darkrai used Thunder and Arceus focused on all of it's inner power and shot a large beam of light through the middle of the cloud of darkness. The door that was transparent was now shining with light. It seemed to be some kind of portal.

"Nows our chance!" Arceus cried out.

Arceus ran through the door and a blinding light shined all around. It was now Darkrai's turn. Darkrai floated to the door but it was too late. The door had vanished!

"Oh no!" Darkrai shuddered. "I'm stuck here."

"ThE OthEr OnE WaS LucKy To EscApe." said the familiar dark voice. "TheRe CaN NevEr bE EnoUgh LigHt To ChAsE AwAy DaRkNesS. WhEn We ReCovEr YoU WilL bE ConSumEd."

"There's is not much time." Darkrai noted. "I must leave one last warning for those who get caught in the darkness."

Darkrai read as he wrote, "Light is the key to your escape. The door will only be open for a short amount of time after light shines on the darkness. Then the dark consumes the light and the door is gone. I could not make it out of here in time. I am afraid I'm stuck here for the rest of my time. Here is a warning to help any who are unfortunate to get caught here."

Darkrai proceeded out of the cave once more to go rest, hoping that one day, it could escape out of darkness and rejoin the only friend that it had made..

Right in front of Lucario and Mew's eyes, Arceus was a statue no more. Arceus looked all around.

"Where could Darkrai be?" Arceus thought

"Who is this?" Arceus asked.

"This is Mew!" Lucario replied happily. "You're safe now!"

Lucario ran up to Arceus and gave it a hug. Lucario told Mew of Arceus before, while they were coming up with a plan to get Arceus free.

"I'm so glad everything is all right now!" Mew said happily. "Lets play!"

This time Arceus was in no mood to play. All Arceus could think about was Darkrai. Did he not make it through the door?

"Darkrai was right behind me." Arceus thought

"What's wrong?" Mew asked.

Arceus told Lucario and Mew about its adventures in the Voidlands and about how it fought off the darkness with Darkrai.

"Well, I'm sure where ever Darkrai was turned to stone, is where it will appear after the escape." Lucario comforted.

"I have a really bad feeling that Darkrai didn't make it." Arceus said. "If only I could go back. I should of stayed and made sure he escaped. I have a feeling deep down inside that Darkrai is still trapped there."

"We will find a way to find Darkrai." Lucario continued to comfort Arceus.

"I really hope so." Arceus replied.

...

"I promise Darkrai, I will be back for you somehow." Arceus said in it's mind.

Chapter End!