Chapter 14
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or it's affiliates.
A/N: I'm sorry for the long wait but I hope that this makes up for it. I appreciate all the reviews and advice that you guys and girls have been giving either in reviews or PM's, I take all of them into consideration while I'm writing. I want to give another shout out to the guest reviewer who left the awesome review last chapter, I took what he/she said to heart so this chapter is dedicated to them. I hope that you all read, enjoy and review. Thank you.
"I'm going to ask again, who are you?" Ash asked the strange man who looked just like him.
"I told you already, I'm you. Granted I'm the only one of us with the balls to get anything done." The black flame covered Ash responded with a smirk.
"And whats that supposed to mean?" Ash answered, slightly irritated at the jab.
"I mean if it wasn't for me you wouldn't be here now you pathetic shell." Dark Ash spat venomously. "Who do you think got us through that wilderness when the world tossed us out like a piece of trash?"
"What are you talking about? I was there alone, no one helped me till Master Red found me and took me in"
"weren't you listening stupid? I'm you, we are both a part of the same person. If you were there so was I." Dark Ash said coldly while shaking his head disbelievingly.
Shock crossed Ash's face as he thought about what the other Ash had said. Was it even possible that there were two of him and if so, why? He had to know more and there was only one person who could tell him. "So if we are the same person, why are there two of us? I mean there is only one Ash but there are two of us in my head, so what are we?"
"Well, it's about time you asked something intelligent." Dark Ash replied sarcastically gaining a scowl from Ash. "I'll give you the simple version with small words so you can understand it. Everyone has two sides to them, a good and a bad side. Depending on which side you use more determines which side is dominant and how the public sees you. That's what we are, bad ass side and goody two shoes side." Dark Ash gestured to himself and then to Ash.
"Ok, I guess that makes sense." Ash said while ignoring the sarcastic comments. "But what are we doing here right now? In my whole life I've never talked to you, so why now?"
Gaining a much more serious look, Dark Ash answered. "Well after what you did when I had Yveltal destroy that tower I thought that we needed to chat."
"What do you mean? What did I do?" Ash asked while eying his counterpart warily.
"Don't play with me, you know what you did. I control the black flames and you control the white but you just couldn't let me enjoy my fun. You had to but in and throw our body out of whack. So now here we are."
"You we killed innocents for no reason!' Ash yelled, recalling the massive wave of guilt that had hit him just before the white flames had appeared. "Why?"
"Why? Why not?!" Dark Ash yelled back. "We have the power to bring humanity to it's knees, make them worship us and pay for the cruelty that was done to us all those years ago. We could be a god, rivaling Arceus himself."
"No, that's not what I want!" Ash yelled back, disbelief coursing through him that a part of him wanted something like that.
"Then tell me what you want?" Dark Ash asked darkly, almost anxious to hear a response.
"I.. I don't know." Ash stuttered before dropping his head.
"Hmph pitiful." Dark Ash said quietly while shaking his head. "Well since you don't have an answer there's really only one thing left to do, kill you so you can't get in my way ever again."
"Wait what?!" Ash said in panic but Dark Ash was already speeding toward him with his wings spread wide and an aura sphere in his hand.
Meanwhile...
The girls had gathered around Ash's body on the beach because they were unable to move him because of the flames swirling around his body. Lily, Misty and Sabrina were on their knees next to Ash while Cynthia was off to the side talking on her phone. Ash's Steelix and Tyranitar had formed a protective circle around their master's body and were watching the four women cautiously while Pikachu and Jigglypuff were huddled as close to their dad as possible.
"I think his arm is broken from the fall but other than that he is alive." Sabrina stated sadly aloud to whoever would listen.
"Yeah, he is lucky to be alive at all after the fall he took. That was a long way up." Misty said while looking up into the sky. "By the way, where did that bird Pokemon he was riding go?"
The other two girls that were listening looked up to see that Misty was right, the black and red bird was gone. Lily was first to say something. "We will worry about that later, Ash is more important."
Nodding in agreement, Sabrina and Misty turned back to watch over Ash. After a few moments of patiently watching, Cynthia came back over with a serious expression on her face. "Well that was my grandmother and she didn't have much of an idea what was going on with Ash. All she could say was Ash is a human being with emotions just like the rest of us. Her guess is that a conflict of conscience is what is causing the black and white aura in his body to go out of balance."
"A conflict of conscience? Do you think destroying the tower caused that?" Lily asked, hoping beyond hope that there was still good inside Ash.
"It's very likely but we can't be sure till he wakes up." Cynthia replied and then turned toward Sabrina. "Unless Sabrina wants to take a look for us."
"Honestly, I don't know if I can. Remember last time he forced me out almost immediately before I could find out anything." Sabrina said uncertainly while looking between the others.
"That's true but this time he is unconscious so maybe he won't be on guard like he was last time." Misty spoke reassuringly.
"Please Sabrina. I know you want him to be ok just like the rest of us, please just try." Lily pleaded with the psychic.
Sighing deeply Sabrina nodded. "Ok, I'll try. No promises though." Moving near Ash's head, Sabrina put her hands on either side and closed her eyes as a blue glow covered her body.
"Sir! Yveltal has been spotted heading this way." A Team Flare grunt yelled from across the lab below Lysandre Cafe. Lysandre was standing next to Dr. Xerosic who was working on a strange device on the table in front of him.
"Excellent. I knew Ash would get the job done. Is he following Yveltal on that Skarmory of his?" Lysandre asked.
"No sir. There is no sign of Ash anywhere but Yveltal's current course is straight for this facility."
"Hmm, it must be naturally drawn to Xerneas. They do say opposites attract after all." Lysandre said with a chuckle. "Doctor, how long till the device is operational?"
"Not long now sir. Should we send agents out to subdue Yveltal till it's completed?" the doctor asked while not taking his eyes off his work.
"No. Lets allow Yveltal to do what comes naturally for now. Everyone else prepare for full lock down of the base! Raise all blast doors and seal all exits!"
"Oh Red dear, would you just look at that tower. Isn't it beautiful dear?" Yellow said excitedly as the two of them were stepping off of Red's Aerodactyl near the edge of Luminoise City.
"Yes, beautiful." Red muttered sarcastically as he looked around at the large buildings and crowds of people, two things that he could very much do without. It wasn't that he didn't like people, just large crowds of strangers made him uncomfortable. The only reason he had come here was to find the boy.
Seeing her husband's uncomfortable expression as he looked out at the city and all the people, Yellow tried to ease his worries. "Come on dear, lets get to the hotel and get settled. Then after a bite to eat we can look for Ash. Ok?"
Nodding and looking at Yellow with a small smile. "Ok dear." Taking her hand in his the two began to navigate the city streets in search of the hotel.
High in the sky over head a dark shadow loomed on the bright city, an ominous warning of what is to come.
Sabrina was surprised at how dark and empty it seemed in Ash's mind compared to others that she had entered. Normally someone's mind was cluttered with random things that the person had been thinking of but Ash's was barren, almost like it was it wiped clean to focus on one thing.
As Sabrina was pondering this, she began to hear loud noises coming from one direction. Curious, Sabrina moved through the blackness cautiously as the noises began getting louder the more she moved in that direction. As the noises got louder she started to get an idea of what was going on and after a few more steps her suspicions were confirmed but the sight still made her gasp in surprise.
There in front of her were two Ash's, one covered in black flames and black wings on his back and the other covered in white flames and white wings on his back. They appeared to be fighting each other and judging by all the blood that was covering the two of them they were playing for keeps. Despite the damage that they had done to each other it seemed like they were even, neither one able to gain the advantage over the other. They continued to exchange devastating blows to each others faces, stomach's, legs, arms and anything else that would cause blood and pain to the other. After a powerful punch to each others jaw they separated.
"Is that all you got? Pathetic!" The black flame Ash yelled at his counterpart.
"We are even you fool! This fighting is senseless!" The white flame Ash yelled back.
"No! I'm better than you in every way! I am the superior half and I will destroy you and take full control of this body!" The black flame Ash yelled but then Sabrina caught his eye. "Ah just what I needed to prove my superiority. Now you will lose." Charging an aura sphere he fired it at Sabrina.
White flame Ash looked and saw what the sphere was headed for. "No!" he yelled as he gave a powerful beat of his wings, heading toward Sabrina in white blur. Just as he crossed in front of Sabrina the aura sphere collided with his chest sending him crashing into a unmoving heap off to the side of Sabrina.
"No Ash!" Sabrina yelled and began running toward the fallen Ash but was grabbed from behind by a pair of black flame covered hands over her mouth and around her waist.
"Now now witch, can't have you helping that pathetic shell. It's best if you just let it die." Black flame Ash said coldly in Sabrina's ear causing her to shiver. "Besides, you and I have some unfinished business to attend to. No one gets to restrain me and get away with it."
Fear began to creep into Sabrina's eyes at those words and seeing the fear in her eyes brought a cruel smirk to black flame Ash's face. 'Don't worry my dear witch, I won't kill you. No but once I get done punishing you in the most intimate and painful ways that I can, you will beg me to kill you." Then turning on his heel, he began to drag Sabrina away but stopped when a voice behind him spoke.
"Leave her alone you scum!" White flame Ash spat as he struggled to his feet.
"Oh and are you going to make me? From the looks of it you can barely stand."
"I don't care! You will not hurt her or anyone else anymore even if I have to kill us both to do it!" White flame Ash yelled while standing tall as the flames around him began to burn brighter.
"Hmph, we will see about that." Black flame Ash said as he threw Sabrina aside and charged at his other half.
White flame Ash charged ay his counterpart and they collided with a sound like thunder and a flash like lightening. Once the light died down, Sabrina could see both of them with their hands around the others throat. "Sabrina, get out of here now!" White flame Ash said as best he could with hands around his throat. Hesitating, Sabrina nodded and vanished in a wisp of smoke. "Now lets finish this."
"Agreed. Argh!"
"Argh!"
Panting heavily as she opened her eyes, Sabrina looked around to see that she was back on the beach.
"Well what did you find out?"
"Is he ok?"
"Guys give her a minute to catch her breath." Cynthia said sternly to the other two girls.
Looking up with tears in her eyes, Sabrina said with a shaky voice something that she didn't want to believe. Ash is fighting himself or at least a dark version and I think, I think he's going to kill himself."
"What? No no he wouldn't do that." Lily said angrily as tears welled up in her eyes.
"Yeah Ash wouldn't, he couldn't..." Misty said but started to get choked up.
To make things worse, at that moment the flames around Ash began to die and go out. Cynthia rushed to Ash and checked to see if he was breathing. "He's not breathing! Quick unbutton his shirt, we need to do CPR!"
"Ok." Lily answered as she positioned herself near Ash's head and began giving him mouth to mouth. Cynthia and Misty got his shirt unbuttoned and Cynthia began to do chest compressions.
"Anything yet?" Cynthia asked between compressions.
"No, keep going." Misty said as she checked for a pulse.
Suddenly there was a loud gasp and the flames burst back to life around Ash, startling the four women.
"Oh thank Arceus!" Lily sighed in relief.
"Uh guys, now that Ash is breathing again I think we may have other problems to deal with. Look." Sabrina said while pointing toward the city where a group of officers and Gurkinn were heading toward them.
Ash sat up slowly and looked at his surroundings to see that nothing had changed. He was still stuck in the darkness of his own mind and across from him his dark half began to sit up.
"What happened? I thought we died?" Dark Ash asked curiously.
"We did. But I think our friends brought us back."
"Ha, what friends? Those bastards who betrayed us? Why would they do that?" Dark Ash said disbelievingly.
Because they didn't betray us, you know that. I know you heard Goodshow confess to setting us up and getting our friends to say those things." Ash said seriously while looking at his counterpart. He could see his words were having an effect on him. "And as for why they would save us, that's what friends do. They look out for and care for each other, even love each other."
That was the final straw for Dark Ash. To do something for love, just because you care for someone else was beyond anything he could comprehend. Falling to his knees, he looked at his hands as if the answers were there, hidden beneath the skin. Was caring for others such a powerful thing, powerful enough to defeat him?
Ash walked over and knelt down to look at his dark half in the eye. "I want to thank you, if not for you we would have died in that wilderness. You have been an important part of my life and I don't know what I would be with out you. Can we work together, equally, as two parts of one person. One Aura Prince."
Dark Ash looked at Ash for a moment before smirking cockily. "Fine, but don't think for a second that I like this. Not one bit. But if you start going soft or try and get us killed, I will kill you and take over. Got it?"
"That won't happen." Ash said seriously but then jerked his head with a smirk. "Come on, lets go back to the real world."
"Yes officer, can we help you?" Cynthia asked politely while Steelix and Tyranitar growled softly behind her.
"We are here to arrest the individual that destroyed the Tower of Mastery. Also what is that man doing floating in the air?" The officer in charge asked while looking between Paul and the growling behemoths standing behind Cynthia.
"That man needed to be restrained because he was being hysterical. Alakazam is merely holding him, no harm is being done I promise you." Cynthia explained.
"I see. Well let him down and show me where the man who destroyed the tower is please."
"Ah if I may officer, it was Yveltal who destroyed the tower not a man." Sabrina interrupted.
"Yes I know but according to an eye witness, there was a man who directed Yveltal to do it. That makes him just as guilty. Now please show me where he is." Jenny said in an irritated tone.
"He is over here." Cynthia said unwillingly while leading the officer toward Ash's body.
Misty and Lily were still sitting next to Ash's body keeping watch when suddenly the flames began to fade again. Panicking Lily lent down to check to see if he was still breathing. She could feel his hot breath on her ear and then something that she did not expect. A soft kiss on her cheek. Turning her head to look at Ash's face, Lily saw two bright chocolate eyes looking back at her. "Ash." Lily whispered as more tears began to fall.
"Hello beautiful."