Dante and the Darkri

by Cuspidsdoll

A town, a recluse, a few legendries, and no parents! What's the worse that could happen?

3. Confusion and Catastrophe

p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Confusion and Catastrophe"/span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"When we arrived, we saw an emptied/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" concrete/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" pool and warped pillars./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""This is terrible! Who could have done this?" Alice cried in dismay./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""It was Darkri!" My head snapped up to see a man emerge from the covered walk-way. He was a little taller than Alice and had peach-pink hair. He wore a red button up shirt with a gold sash and creamy white pants. White calf/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"-length/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" boots finished the look and I scowled. The spitting image of Tyrane, only Tyrane didn't have the sash of a Baron. He smiled in a I-get-everything-I-want way. I wanted to tear it off his face./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Alberto!" Alice exclaimed in surprise./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""It appears there have been recent sightings in town." /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"Crap./spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" I had asked Darkri to accompany me home when I stayed lat/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"e/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" and was afraid to go by myself. Alamos was a quaint town, but that didn't mean things didn't happen. Three times we had walked home together, but I thought no one had seen. After all, he was just a shadow on the wall./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""'Scuse me, but who's Darkri?" Ash inquired./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""The Pok/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"e/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"mon who wreaked this havoc!" Albarto stated. Placing a boot on one of the fallen pillars./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Pokemon!" Dawn exclaimed./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Darkri must live here in this garden." Alice murmured. I nodded, but said nothing. If Alburto knew I was friends with Darkri, he'd want my help capturing him. I had enough problems as it was, I didn't need another one./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""I've heard of Darkri before," Brock stated. "It's a Pok/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"e/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"mon that makes you have nightmares." He placed a hand on his chin thoughtfully./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"Ash muttered something in surprise and Alburto started kicking at the pillar, going on about his theory of the 'evil creature'. I had to physically restrain myself from pushing him into the drained pool./spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"A bush /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"rustled/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;", and we turned to see what it was./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""What was that?" Dawn asked./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Darkri." Alburto purred. I almost snorted. If that was Darkri, I was Pikachu. He would never make that much noise. He tossed up a pok/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"e/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"ball with a grunt./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Lickylicky, Hyper beam!" The large rotund creature pulled it's /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"ridiculously/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" long tongue in and shot the orange beam /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"o/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"f energy straight at the bush./spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"A pained cry came from the bush. A human cry. I stifled a snicker and watched as Tonio wobbled from behind it and crashed into a tree./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""What'd you do that for?" He groaned. Alice cried out and ran to him. We dragged him to the empty pool and sat him down. Alice gave him a hanky to wipe his face with./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Are you ok?" She asked. He hummed a yes and Alice introduced him to Ash, Dawn and Brock./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""He's a scientist."/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" I supplied. /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"After he was able to see clearly, /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"he started explaining/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""I was investigating a space-time anomaly that I had detected. Something has happened." He looked at his modified laptop and clicked a few buttons and toggles./spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"Then he looked at the pillars. Giving his laptop to a /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"surprised/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" Alice, he got down on his knees and exam enters the warped bases. Feeling them a/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"n/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"d looking at how they bent./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""It isn't possible!" He breathed./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Toni-" my warning came to late, and a chunk of cement came lose and whacked him on the head. I hissed in sympathy and kne/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"lt/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" down next to him, Alberto behind me./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""No, no I'm fine." He assured us. I didn't believe him as he was still cringing, but let it go./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Alice you don't have to be so nice to him!" Every one looked at him, shocked./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""After all, my dear, you are to be my wife, remember?" He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Tonio froze and my hand fisted in his vest. Oh, let me hit him, please, just once./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""No way!" Dawn cried. Brock gasped in alarm and Ash just opened his mouth in shock./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Excuse me! I thought I told you no, already!" Alice said, angrily. "Come on, I'm too young to think about marriage." Both Brock and Tonio let out relieved sighs and relaxed at these words, although my fist stayed tight./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Please forgive me. This isn't the time or place for such talk!" I scowled. He had oiled his words, trying to charm her anger away./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Now that that's done, why don't you come over to my place, for a little dinner?" He once again wrapped his arm around Alice's shoulder, and gestured for her to follow him. I stood, finally having enough./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"Dawn ran behind them. She pushed Alberto away from Alice, and yelled,/span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Cool it! Alice is so not interested!" I joined her and Chimchar jumped angrily between us, shrieking./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Excuse me ladies," he waggled a finger in our faces like we were naughty children and yelled, "butt out!" He made a grab for her, saying,/span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""So, Alice, let's get going!" But she ducked under his arm and ran to Toinio, who had joined Ash and Brock a few feet away from us/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;". /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"She hooked her arm through his and Brock looked horrified./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""You see, Tonio's the one I like."/span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Uh, I am?" He stuttered. I smirked to Alburto's back. Take that arrogant son of a-/span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Ha ha! You have quite the sense of humor, my dear!" /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"Well, n/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"ow I was ready to strangle him. Did he not get the message?/span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Oh, so it was just a joke! Ha ha!" Tonio said weakly. Seriously? Alice was aggravated as well. Suddenly, the air currents appeared again, although weaker./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Not again. What is it? Such strange phenomenon!" Tonio murmured. He tapped away at his laptop, confusedly. Absol stepped up next to me, an I fisted my hand in his fur. Umbreon clawed her way up my side and settled around my neck again. She nuzzled my cheek and then jumped down./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"The air waves stopped, but a screeching noise took their place. We looked and saw a small flower pot set in stone topple over, sliced diagonally from the middle. A shadow circled the ground. Darkri!/span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Somethin's there!" Ash said. Suddenly a cloud covered the sun, and Darkri slowly emerged from the newly formed shadows./span/p
p class="p"emspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"'Do not come here' /span/emspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"H/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"e growled./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""It's Darkri." Tonio stated. Duh, it's not Lugia! But I was worried. Alburto had it out for Darkri. If he attacked, I wouldn't be able to stop myself from jumping in-between him and the blast./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""I'd say so." Alburto /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"muttered/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;". Dawn ran closer to Brock's side and gasped. Darkri finally emerged from the ground, and a ring of shadow sprang from the last point and ran outward./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Darkri?" Dawn frowned./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""'Fraid so." Ash replied. Jerk. And I was starting to like him, too./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""So it was you after all, Darkri. Go, Lickylicky!" /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"The /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"rotund beast gathered the energy for another hyper beam/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"./spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" /span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""No!" /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"I screamed,/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" dash/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"ing /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"to the midpoint in/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"between the two and flung my arms out, just as he let the blast go./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Dantspan style="font-family: Corbel;"é/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri;"!" Alice screamed. The attack hit me in the stomach and I was thrown back. I hit the ground and rolled to my side, gasping./span/span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Oh, we were not supposed to take those hits." I groaned. I looked up at Darkri, who was floating just above me. He watched me worriedly./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""You ok?" I ground out. He nodded and touched my hair. Alburto chose this moment to speak up./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Dantspan style="font-family: Corbel;"é/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri;", you must control that clumsiness of yours! Tripping right into the beam! Silly girl!" Darkri's luminous eye darkened with rage and he looked at the baron./span/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"With a speed I didn't know he possessed, Darkri sank into the ground and zig-zagged over to the group. They shouted in shock as he moved under them and out into the open. Them he popped up and shot a Dark Ball at Lickylicky. The creature managed to dodge it by sucking in its stomach. Ash, who stood behind him, took the attack instead. He yelled and collapsed./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Ash!" Brock, Dawn and Alice all yelled in synch. They didn't notice Darkri sink back into the ground and dart over to me. By then, I had stood up and was leaning on a tree. My breathing was ragged, pain shooting up from the wound on my torso. He rose in front of me and wrapped his black arms around me./span/p
p class="p"emspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"'Why did you do that?'/span/emspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" He murmured, slowly pulling me into the woods./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""I...couldn't...let him...hurt you." I whispered, leaning on him. One eye closed reflexively as I tried to school my features into a less pained expression. Darkri just shook his head and paused. Two shadowed legs touched the ground, stabilizing us. My head dipped and I let it rest on him. /span/p
p class="p"emspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"'Let's get you to the Pokspan style="font-family: Corbel;"é/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri;"mon center, okay?'/span/span/ememspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" /span/emspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"Darkri /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"murmured, /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"strok/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"ing/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" my hair/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" gently. /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"I nodded and he used one arm to pick me up at the knees, /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"then /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"shifted to have the other around my upper back. I dimly heard myself breath out a thank you before he shadows enveloped us and I closed my eyes./span/p
p class="p" style="mso-pagination: widow-orphan; text-align: center;" align="center"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"8888/span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Miss? Miss are you alright?" I groaned and opened my eyes. White ce/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"i/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"ling greeted me and I paused, confused./spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"What? Oh, right. Everything came back and I turned my head to face Nurse Joy. She smiled at me/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Good afternoon, miss! I'm glad you're up! That was a nasty wound, what happened?" /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"She asked. /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"I grinned a/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"nd lied./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""I tripped and got in the way of a Hyper Beam, can you believe my luck?" I laughed and she just looked at me in confusion./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""All right, but you should stay here for a few more hours, just in case." I nodded. So not happening. The moment she left, I flung the covers off. So glad they kept my cloths on./spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"I peeked out the door and tip-toed around the corner. I sighed at the lax security and walked out the door. Well I tried, but I crashed into someone standing in the doors./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Ow! Hey watch it!" I rubbed my nose and looked up./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Oh, my bad Tonio!" He started and turned to see me./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Dantspan style="font-family: Corbel;"é/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri;"! It's alright! Hey are you ok? I saw you jump between Alburto and Darkri." He said, concerned. I nodded/span/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""What are you doing?"/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" I folded my arms behind my back, rocking onto my heels. /span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Well, I was going to investigate some more, because there is a strong possibility that the same thing has happened before!" He was getting excited, and I loved hearing about this kind of stuff. I linked my arm through his and started forward./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Tell me about it/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"-/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" it helps to think out loud." He smile and nodded. As we walked to his study beneath the space-time towers, he told me about his find/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;";/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" Godey's diary and the nightmare passage./spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"When we arrived, I sat on a desk, while he sat before many computer screens and continued his /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"theorizing/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;". I occasionally asked a clarifying question, but otherwise let him talk. We did this often. I enjoyed his company and he liked that I was a good listener. This was a sanctuary if sorts for me, because Tyrane never came down here. I don't think he even knows it exists!/span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Dantspan style="font-family: Corbel;"é/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri;", can you hand me that dairy beside you?" I nodded and hopped off the desk. Grabbing it, I walked over and gave it to him. He started flipping through the pages and I leaned over his shoulder. He turned another page and came across a picture of Godey and a small girl sitting on a bench./span/span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""That's Alicia. She met Darkri in the garden! Alicia-Alice's grandmother!"/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"Tonio read from the diary, telling the story of Alicia and Darkri. I had known that he knew Alicia, but not the full story./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""'And so Darkri, who was hated by every one else, opened his heart to Alicia, and began to live in the garden.'" He concluded. I whistled. Well, that's quiet the story. Tonio spoke my thoughts./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""Huh?" He flipped the page and a diagram of the towers was /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"meticulously/spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" laid out, incredibly detailed and labeled./span/p
p class="p"span style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;""'It turns out, the nightmare..." my head was nodding. Wow, I am so tired. I had tuned out Tonio and looked for the other chair stashed here./spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;" /spanspan style="font-family: Calibri; letter-spacing: 0pt; font-size: 10pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"I wobbled over to the second chair in front of the broken sound disks, and sat down. Leaning my head back, I slowly sank into the oblivion of sleep./span/p