I decided to split this chapter into 2 parts, just to update faster. After all, I'm behind schedule and there's no way I'm finishing this before The Rise of Darkrai premieres tonight. Oh well.
Also, since I have never been in the Harbor Inn myself (stupid Action Replay giving me malfunctioning items) I wasn't exactly sure what the creepy man says or how anything happens. But it's my story so whatever.
There's also some blood and gore and whatnot in this chapter, but the gory horror genre isn't really my forte so it's probably not that bad.
And thanks to anyone for reviewed and faved!
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. But one day, I wish to own a Darkrai plushie!
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Facing the Darkness Part I
Hikari's gaze was transfixed on the Member Card held tightly in her grip. She had never felt more panicked or worried in her life. The Harbor Inn loomed before her, almost beckoning her to enter the dilapidated building. Hikari investigated the door to the Inn thoroughly, but ended up puzzled. There was no keyhole or card slot present anywhere.
Still, she placed her hand on the doorknob, and miraculously, the door to the Harbor Inn creaked open. Hikari tentatively stepped inside the musty lobby. To her right, there was a check-in desk where a creepy man stood, an unsettling smile plastered on his face. He craned his neck to gaze at Hikari with large, expressionless eyes.
"That's the Member Card!" he said, almost mechanically, "You must have a reservation!" The man strode over to the azure-haired girl, and grasped her wrist firmly. Hikari winced at the force of his grip, as she was jerked away. She glanced back at the entrance of Harbor Inn, which was now closing, leaving the lobby shrouded in total darkness.
The man stopped abruptly and finally slackened his hold on Hikari's slim wrist. "Here's your room!" he said, pointing to one of the many doors in the hallway. Hikari could barely make out the brass numbers on the door. She gulped when she realized they spelt out '491' and touched the Pokeballs on her belt for reassurance.
Before she knew it, the man shoved Hikari into the shadowy room and began to shut the door. The sliver of light began to shrink away as the door clicked shut. The last thing Hikari saw was his eerie, gleaming smile, sending shivers up her spine.
She felt around the grimy wall for a light switch, and fortunately for her, managed to find it. She flicked it, and a dimly lit bulb illuminated the room, flickering occasionally. Hikari stifled a shriek as she got a view of the room as a whole. It wasn't like the poorly decorated room and the wore-down furniture scared her – it was the remains of a body lying in the bed.
It was a skeleton, clad in a tattered sailor's uniform. Freaked out, Hikari tried to open the door and escape the clutches of the Inn.
I can't do this, she thought, losing her nerve. Tears formed in her blue eyes as she yanked on the doorknob. She kicked and pounded on the door, yelling for help. Seeing the decayed body – who she knew was Edward – sent the girl over the edge.
Do not fear Hikari… Come to me…
Hikari turned around, back against the door, and glanced around the room hectically. It was the same voice that had beckoned her once before. There was something so compelling about it, but also something to be feared. Suddenly, the bones crumbled to ash and the bed was cleared of all remains.
Sleep young Hikari… And all your troubles will go away…
The voice called out to Hikari once more, and she couldn't resist its pull. Hesitantly, but willingly, she climbed into the now inviting bed. Almost immediately, the girl shut her eyes, and drifted off into a deep slumber. A dark figure loomed above her sleeping form, piercing blue eyes the only distinct feature. A pair of ghostly, clawed hands reached out toward her body, and the entire figure disappeared into Hikari's head.
Almost immediately, her face became troubled and she twisted uncomfortably, as Darkrai took over her once-pleasant dreams.
X
Hikari was running. From what, the girl did not know, but nevertheless she ran, panting and glancing behind her occasionally. She was surrounded by total darkness; the only thing she could see was a pair of ice-blue eyes, following her.
Suddenly, she stumbled and skidded across the floor, scraping her knee and chin in the process. The eyes swirled around Hikari's motionless form, and menacing laughter resounded through the darkness. She groaned as she tried to get to her feet, wincing at the pain in her knee. Hikari felt warm blood oozing down her leg and soaking into her sock, but she ignored it as she limped forward.
She could see two figures in the distance, both lying in a heap on the ground. Alarm shot through Hikari's body as she recognized the two bodies in the heap. Fighting through the pain, she ran closer to the forms. She fell to the ground crying, upon seeing the bloodied bodies of Jun and Kouki before her.
Hikari yelled at her friends' names, and grasped them both by the shoulders, but it was to no avail. Both boys lay limp, apparently dead, in her arms.
"Hikari…" She heard her name being choked out by a raspy voice, and looked down to see Jun, one eye cracked open and his teeth gritted in pain.
"Oh Jun!" Hikari seized the boy tighter, and his body was racked by a hacking cough. Blood dribbled from the corners of his mouth. Jun took one last look up at her with sad eyes, before they rolled up into his head. Streams of crimson flowed out of the white sockets and down his face, causing Hikari to emit a scream of horror and agony.
Before she knew it, Jun and Kouki's bodies were disintegrating right in front of her eyes. First into rotting corpses, then into broken skeletons, and finally into ashes, which were swept away by a breeze. Tears dripped onto Hikari's bloodstained dress from the tip of her nose.
Suddenly, the atmosphere changed once more. No longer injured and bloody, she was surrounded by her three trusted Pokemon, Infernape, Vespiquen, and Floatzel. Hikari breathed a sigh of relief, as being around her Pokemon always brought a sense of comfort and security.
It was then their eyes glowed a vivid red, and narrowed into menacing slits. The three of them closed in on Hikari, readying attacks. She tore out of the pressing crowd of her Pokemon and took off, the Pokemon following close behind. They fired attacks at their Trainer – Flamethrower from Infernape, Power Gem from Vespiquen, and Hydro Pump from Floatzel. Fortunately for Hikari, all the attacks missed, but her Pokemon didn't give up.
"Guys!" she cried, turning her head over to shoulder for a brief moment, "Please stop! It's me!"
Her cries were futile though, as her Pokemon refused to listen and caught up to her, growling. Her own trusted partners, who circled around her, were trapping Hikari. She had never felt so betrayed. To have her best friends turn on her was one of the worst things that could happen.
The three powerful Pokemon were about to attack once more, when the crouching Hikari came to a realization. This wasn't real. It was all Darkrai, and she was only having nightmares. With all her heart and soul, the girl tried to break free of the hold the Pitch-Black Pokemon held on her.
She glanced up to see Infernape, Vespiquen, and Floatzel all panicking, as their forms were flickering and disappearing. The blackness surrounding them suddenly shattered, and Hikari felt herself falling, a scream escaping from her gaping mouth. There was no solid ground beneath her now, and she was being sucked into a dark void. Her Pokemon had disappeared completely now, and Hikari was all alone, screaming a silent scream that would never be heard.
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Anyway, reviews would be appreciated!