Thanks ever so much for sticking with me. There's still lots more to come, so don't be too cross with me!

---------------------------------On To The Story-----------------------------------------

Dusty, who had been lagging behind, struggled to catch up, but when he reached the old dilapidated kitchen, there was no Mac, just an old man in a butler's suit. He was somewhat transparent and his feet didn't touch the ground. He was just hovering over the broken tile.

"Who are you, and what are you doing in the young master's house?"

Dusty didn't know what to do. He stood there open mouthed at the ghost. His face switched from confusion to impatience.

"Do you care to tell me?" he demanded. "Any day now would be helpful."

"Um, w-well," Dusty stammered out, "my friend and I were, uh, exploring. W-we didn't r-realize someone w-was here. S-sorry." The butler nodded curtly before beginning to fade. "Wait!" Dusty yelled. The butler returned and looked at him expectantly. "W-where's m-my friend?"

The butler shook his head. "There wasn't anyone else here but you when I arrived." He stopped and thought for a moment. "You may want to talk to the young mistress on the second floor. She enjoys pranking the living that come here." He was gone in an instant and Dusty wasn't sure what to do. That was a real ghost he'd talked to moments ago.

"Right, the second floor," he thought, "That's where I should look for Mac." The stairs weren't difficult to find; they were just outside the dining room. Dusty climbed cautiously for every other step creaked in protest. The same call that Mac and he heard that started this little adventure sounded again. It was coming from upstairs. A girl's scream was also heard and fearing it was Mac, Dusty began to run. A little girl's giggles followed soon after.

Panting, Dusty wrenched open the door where the scream came from. Sure enough, it was Mac, but a little translucent girl was there also. She had short dark brown hair with violet eyes and was wearing a cute pink and yellow dress. She looked over at Dusty and her already big smile grew larger.

"Ooh! Another play thing!" she shouted clapping her hands together happily. A small orange Pokémon appeared. It had a wide smile, much like the girls, with green lightning bolts surrounding it and crystal blue eyes, much like Mac's. "Rotom," she said to the Pokémon, "make sure neither one of them escapes." The Pokémon trapped Dusty and Mac in a shield of green electricity. The girl laughed manically. "Yeah! We'll play dress up next, then have a tea party!" she disappeared leaving the Pokémon in charge.

"H-hey." Mac said smiling sheepishly at Dusty. "She w-was, um, 'playing' a game with me. She wanted to see if she could drop me and then see how close to the ground she'd let me fall 'till she caught me." Dusty nodded.

"I ran into this butler ghost."

"What did he want?"

"Just to know why I was here. He didn't see you." Dusty quieted for a moment. "How do you think they died?"

Before Mac could respond, the little girl cut in.

"A disease that wasn't normal struck us. Mommy died first, then Daddy. I don't know if Alfonse or I went next…" she was holding a dress and a suit, her face somber and her shoulders hunched. A moment or so later, her eyes brightened. "But, now I have a new Mommy and Daddy! I'll be back with Alfonse to show you to him." She smiled. "We'll play together forever!" then she was gone.

A glint of gold caught Mac's eye and she stooped down to see what it was. It was a gold locket, broken somewhat and refused to close. Inside was a photograph of a smiling woman with long blond hair and light blue eyes, much similar, besides the face, to Mac. A photo of an expressionless man with gray-ish hair and violet eyes was in the other. He looked much like Dusty, but, also, the face was different and so were their eyes. Mac tapped Dusty and showed it to him.

"We look like them, so she's going to keep us." Mac said. Just then, Alfonse, the butler, and the little girl appeared.

"Hey, Mommy! Hey, Daddy!" she cried out happily. Alfonse shot them sympathetic looks. "Let's play now!"

----------BREAK--------------

"More tea, Mommy?"

Nevaeh, the little girl, had dressed up Mac in a flowing blue gown with her hair pulled out of her face and exposing her blue eyes. Dusty was in a stiff black sit with his hair combed back. Mac shook her head no and took a sip of the "tea" which was really just water from the small brook outside. The table they sat at was in Nevaeh's room covered by a white table cloth and cracked plates, cups, and forks. Alfonse stood, rather floated, at the door supervising. He shot another sympathetic glance their way.

"Just play along. In a year or two she'll grow bored and you'll be able to go on your way." Mac spluttered out her drink and Dusty's cup halted in front of his mouth.

"P-please, kind Sir," Mac said composing herself, "my friend has been kidnapped and I need to get to him as soon as possible and also find a very important legendary Pokémon." Alfonse shrugged.

"I dare not go against the young mistress."

Mac sighed in vain. Her Pokémon had been taken away, as had Dusty's, so there wasn't anyway to sneak out. Rotom was guarding their Pokémon still inside their pokéballs.

"Nevaeh," Mac called gently, "we need to go home now. We're on an important mission. Please give us back our Pokémon and let s leave peacefully."

Nevaeh shook her head stubbornly. "NO!" she cried, "You're staying with me forever! Mommy and Daddy left, so I need new parents." She sniffled. "You're never leaving me!"

--------------BREAK------------------

Jupiter paced the floor impatiently. The search for Darkrai was taking far too long. They needed him soon, and by the looks of it, they were way behind schedule. Banging from the cage in the room resumed and she sighed impatiently.

"Stop banging around in there." Jupiter ordered, "If your friend finds you all damaged, her true power may overload and kill us all." The cage quieted.

"What 'true power' are you talking about?" Seth asked. Jupiter smirked.

"Oh, you'd like to know." She paused for a minute before continuing. "All that you need to know is the combined power she and Darkrai produce will be all the power we need for creating our own universe, destroying this one of course."