Chapter 13:

A Blood Storm Builds

Moonsbane woke all at once, as he always did. He tightened his grip on a small dagger held in his right hand. He glanced about in a rapid, almost choppy manner.

He had fallen asleep a few hours before, leaning against an old, weathered stone wall next to his motorcycle. The ancient wall was on the edge of a forest, where the tree types were mixed and had an elderly feel to it. Rather fitting, that this would be where she made her home…

Moonsbane glanced in the direction of his bike again. Next to it was the reason no Pokémon had approached him as he slept: a tied up corpse of a rather large Charizard. Well, it had been a Charizard, before Moonsbane had tricked it into breaking its mortal bond and Evolving. Then, it had simply been a game of waiting for it to slip into utter madness and death. This, in retrospect, had taken a lot less time than he had thought it would, as the beast had Evolved out of rage.

Now…now it looked like some sort of dark red, mutated…dragon-thing, one that barely resembled a Charizard anymore.

Only, Moonsbane couldn't really use the corpse for much of anything useful. Not yet.

Oh, he could try. He had been able to perform the spells and curses necessary on his own before. Once upon a time, it had been effortless, as natural and easy as breathing. But as the years had drug on…

That ease of power seemed to fade a little.

So, when he had discovered her…

Moonsbane smirked, slipping the dagger into a sheath strapped to his motorcycle. He then walked over to the corpse and picked it up with almost no effort whatsoever. He still had his supernatural strength, an aptitude that rivaled even Pokémon as strong as a Machamp. And, unlike his magic and Elemental powers, it had shown no sign or threat of ever lessening by even the slightest amount.

I have eyes sharper than a Pidgeot, more strength than an Aggron, and a faster mind and reflexes than an Alakazam, he mused, as he made sure everything was set and all tied up on his bike. I'm as inconspicuous as a Haunter, heat-resistant as a Slugma, a more graceful swimmer than a Milotic, and I have a life-span greater than a Ninetales. And yet, I can't seem to hold on to the Elements and other magic that once swam in my veins more freely than any other human… than any other being period.

I was once powerful enough to bring down an entire Order, he reminisced with an angry growl. And now, I am reduced to using a blood-witch to do what I once could without limitations.

Though, in retrospect, the blood-witch herself wasn't such a bad find. Her expertise in blood magic and other magics, which were often frowned down those moral high-Ponyta Orders…they would have saved him at least some time and energy, even if he was still at full power.

She was, of course, also a woman.

The corners of Moonsbane's lips twitched.

No, he had to deal with the dragon's corpse, first. It would have little use to him before she had a chance to use her blood magic. She was quite difficult to deal with if you tried to ask too much of her, too fast.

He blinked.

I've had hundreds of years of practice, but even such practice can only speed up the process so much, her voice echoed in his memory.

Hundreds of years.

Yet, Moonsbane knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he was the oldest living human on the planet. So…

So, he thought to himself as he tied to corpse to the back of the bike with care. Then, I must be even older than I thought. Not hundreds of years, but thousands.

Maybe even tens of thousands.

Or older.

How old am I?

Moonsbane shook his head.

His age didn't really matter anymore. The past was the past. It was the future that he was interested in. And, in order for his plans for the future to finally take root, he had to focus on the present.

He gently placed a hand against the corpse. It should have begun decomposing by now, but Moonsbane had enough magic ability left to delay the rot. At least, he could do so long enough for the blood witch to perform her magic.

And, Moonsbane smirked to himself, one day I will no longer have to depend on her in order to conserve my strength. My old power will be returned in full, will be increased beyond what it had ever been. I will become one with the very Elements, controlling them by my will and by mine alone.

And not even Arceus will be able to stop me.

Moonsbane turned at the sound of feathers ruffling and a soft thud behind him.

The creature that stood there barely resembled the Fearow it once was. Its beak curved at the end into a predatory hook, and its feathers were shaggy and longer than it had been in life and were of a mottled, dark brown color, minus the drooping, deflated crest feathers, which were instead a dark, dull cerise color. Its feet were a dark, brownish color that made one think of rotting flesh, and the actual talons were the same jet black as the beak, and had a ragged, serrated appearance. The eyes of this creature were a dark red that seemed to glow with a hellish quality, and at that moment, a color of dark goldenrod appeared and swirled in them, disappearing just as quickly, which revealed its recognition of its master.

Moonsbane walked up to the beast with a smirk. The ancient human gently took the dangerous beak in his hands, as if he were greeting a prized Ponyta. There was no real love in Moonsbane's eyes as he gazed upon the Fearow-like monster. It was admiration, not in the creature itself, but the pride that an artist feels as he or she gazes upon a painting that they have poured their sweat and blood into for months.

"My beautiful, loyal pet," Moonsbane breathed.

He thought quickly.

"Make your usual round again, and as you seek me out after," he smirked again, "bring me a fresh source."

He would thus be able to stay near the blood-witch, until the beast brought him a new blood source for her magic.

He went back to his bike, and unsheathed his dagger just as the bird-beast took flight and disappeared into the horizon. Moonsbane rubbed his left hand's fingers against the blade.

The younger, the better, he narrowed his eyes in his bloodlust. At least, to a certain age of youth, anyway.

He had to admit that he could never risk taking a child under five years of age. Seven or eight was the youngest he had ever dared to sacrifice for the blood-witch's magic, and even that he had only risked once. Too young might raise the suspicions of the wrong groups. And, he was far too close to risk revealing himself just yet. His plan was on the border of fruition.

He glanced at the Charizard corpse again.

He only needed a couple of more aces to throw down on the table, before he could reveal the explosive one up his sleeve.

He sheathed the dagger again, and watched as the demon Fearow disappeared into the darkening sky.

Soon, Moonsbane smirked to himself, his eyes glowing with malice. Soon, the Dawn of Age will break, and the world will face the dawn of a new era. An era in which I am beyond my previous height in power, an era in which the very Order of the Elements will break under my might. An era as endless as my life, with the world firmly in my grasp.

An era of blood and fear.

And the only being that the Order believes to stand in my way will be the very cause to my rise to power.

...

Ash twitched his hand.

"Are you sure that this isn't going to have some sort of really bad side effect?" He frowned slightly. "Like losing feeling in my hand or something?"

"Oh, yeah," Aura muttered under her breath. "Because the worst thing that can happen to your hand is for it to go a little numb for a few hours."

"What'd ya say?" Nyx grinned at her.

"Nothing," The Lucario sighed.

"It's perfectly harmless," Odin nodded, hiding his amusement with a rather straight face. "As long as you do not wish it to harm you or others, it should remain as if your hand was bare."

Ash looked up at the mountain one more time.

"Are you sure we shouldn't stay one more night?" Misty asked the Sage. "I mean, wouldn't he–uh, we be pushing it after…last night?"

"If he was a ten-year-old child or some recluse off on his first journey, perhaps," Odin shook his head. "But, I can tell from just looking at young Ash here that he has traveled before, and has been for years. He should be more than strong enough to make it to Vermillion."

"After all," Nyx turned to grin at Misty now. "We can always take a nice long rest on the boat to Two Island."

"Now," Odin raised a paw. "The Shrine isn't on the actual Two Island, but a nearby, smaller island often claimed to be a part of Two Island by the humans there, if the Birds of said Shrine and Temple are a credible source on the matter. You may have difficulty reaching it by normal standards once you are in Sevii. Just as a warning."

"We'll play it by ear as always," Aura shrugged in indifference. "C'mon," She grabbed Ash by the shoulder that wasn't already occupied by Pikachu. "I'd like to get going sometime during this century."

Misty looked at Nyx.

"Just when I think I have her figured out," Misty suppressed a chuckle.

"At least we know that she's not going to kill us in our sleep," Nyx gave a half-shrug, before bounding after the others.

Then why do I still have the feeling that she's not so confident about us? Misty grimaced briefly, before following Nyx.

"He's going to be great," Godric smiled, his arms crossed in a positive manner.

"No, Godric," Odin shook his head. "He's going to bring about a new Age."

But, the Sage of Struggle wondered as he watched the group disappear into the foothills and beyond towards human civilization. I can't help but fear that he may yet be tempted by the curse of the Betrayer…and if that Age will be the Age of Hope…or Despair.

...

Aura clenched onto the edge of the ship, her head drooping limply over the edge.

Why did I agree to this madness?

The ship jerked slightly over a wave. Aura's knuckles became much more pronounced as she struggled to neither be knocked overboard or to lose whatever still remained in her stomach.

Don't worry, you thought. Aura snarled bitterly to herself. You've gone rafting down the river on the mountain, it's the same principle, you thought.

Thank you, Arceus, for proving me ever so wrong, and in such a cruel manner.

Just when I thought I was forgiven…

"You alright, Aura?" Nyx's voice cut off her thoughts.

"I'm fine," Aura snapped. "How much longer are we stuck on this…on this… on…?" The Lucario struggled in vain to finish her sentence before clenching her mouth shut in an effort to hold back another wave of regurgitated waffles.

"If I'd known you'd get motion sickness," Ash walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder, "I wouldn't have made that bet at breakfast."

"If I had won," Aura snarled, "I might have considered this to be worth it." She retched uncontrollably once. Ash tried to refrain from revealing his instinctual disgust. Aura wiped her mouth. "I don't even like Bluk Berry Waffles…" She took a deep breath, before straightening up to look Ash in eye. "I hate you."

"As you often tell me," Ash removed his hand and sighed.

Just when I thought she was getting over the whole crazed-psycho thing and becoming an actual friend….

"I'm gonna go brush my teeth now," Aura sulked off towards the ship's cabin.

"We're never gonna understand her, are we?" Ash narrowed his eyes.

"Probably not," Pikachu chuckled as he jumped onto his friend's shoulder. "I thought I did, once," the electric mouse added to himself, "a long time ago."

"Speaking of understanding," Nyx looked at Ash. "Just how do you understand Pikachu so well? Most humans have difficulty communicating with a Pokémon that still speaks its natural tongue."

"Huh," Ash glanced at the Dark Pokémon. "I don't understand him word for word, exactly. It's more…I get the gist of what he's saying." He rubbed Pikachu's cheek affectionately. "I may not get that he's saying that the tunnel ahead is filled with monsters made of red gelatin and scrap iron, but I understand that there's something dangerous in it, and that he wants me to be careful."

"Red gelatin and scrap iron?" Misty sat up from where she lay on a reclined beach chair. "That sounds pretty specific."

"I've had some rather strange dreams lately," Ash shrugged, trying to hold back a bitter tone. "Sue me."

"And these dreams wouldn't happen to be caused by our recent plunge into a secret world and society and your new, mysterious mission as the great Chosen One, would it?"

"No," Ash muttered under his breath. "More likely it was caused by eating your cooking for the past couple of weeks. If you could call it cooking."

"What was that?" Misty narrowed her eyes.

"Nothing," Ash smiled in fake innocence.

He understands Pikachu, Nyx tilted his head. Yet, he doesn't seem to understand Misty to the same level, even though they speak the same language. Humans are very strange.

The Umbreon grinned.

"What's up?" Ash raised an eyebrow.

"It's Nyx, Ash," Misty chuckled. "What do you expect?"

Aura wiped her mouth, but stayed where she was, standing in the doorway to the ship's cabin.

"It's not every day you see such an interesting group as you young'uns," an older voice chuckled behind the Lucario. "Most people keep their Pokémon in their Balls, nowadays."

"They didn't use to?" Aura tilted her head.

The elderly sailor stroked his beard.

"Nah."

Aura didn't speak, but simply looked the old man in his blue eyes.

"Once, people and Pokémon alike lived together as equals, free from war or hate."

After a moment, Aura found her voice.

"What happened?" She narrowed her eyes.

"Things changed. People became less trusting, and thus less trustworthy."

"So, what you're saying is…?"

"They must be trustworthy kids, then."

Why is he telling me this? Aura's eyes narrowed even further, becoming little more than slits. What is he really saying?

"Just who are you, that you have such keen insight?" Aura made no attempt to hide her skeptic tone.

"Just an old sailor," he shrugged. "Ferryin' folks back an' forth in Sevii…you learn things."

Aura wondered just how much he'd learned in life.

"Like how you're used to rough trips, but not quite the rhythm of a boat on the sea," the sailor added.

Aura opened her mouth to protest, but was unable to speak.

...

Khasandra slithered back in forth in a manner not unlike pacing.

Was there nothing they could do?

"Khasandra?" Hikari's voice issued from the next room. "Are you still…?"

"We have to stop this!" The Dragonair pleaded with the Light Sage.

"There is nothing we can do, Khas," Hikari's voice was heavy. "I simply cannot find him."

"But the Orb…"

"The Light Orb can tap into the flow of magics of all sorts, yes, even Blood Magic, but it makes for a poor physical tracking system. By the time we were able to even discover their location, we would be too late, let alone arriving in time."

"We have to do something," Khas stressed again.

"I have tried countless times before, my dear. I have never succeeded. On the rare occasions I have managed to find the location…I only arrived in time to find dried blood splatter…and once even a…"

Silence.

"A body?" Khas finished eventually.

"Yes." Hikari sighed. Her voice softened to a level the Dragonair could barely make out. "A husk, really. It was drained of all blood, as I'm sure was the killer's goal."

"What…" Khas started. "What if this one was…was the Chosen?"

"It's not," Hikari stated immediately. "The Chosen One is safe enough from the Traitor. At least for now. I trust that Aura will keep her word."

"To keep blood pure…" Khas recited bits of old writings she'd read as a Dratini. "Blood for blood, two shall become one and become two. Together, slay, sacrifice and bring about the new dawn."

But…a child? They could not just stand by and let this…this evil occur. Not to such an…an innocent! They could not be that powerless.

"Hikari…" Khasandra whispered. "Are you sure we can't save…we cannot stop this?"

"I wish I could say we could, but…no. We cannot."

"But…you can tap into the flow of the magic…of this wretched ritual's power?"

"…Yes," The Light Sage hesitated. "I suppose I…of course…. It's been so long. I almost forgot."

"We can…ease it, then," Khasandra dared to hope. "We can…take away the pain. Give the innocent what little comfort we can manage. And maybe…."

"Maybe we will grow stronger again, too." Hikari agreed. "And when the Chosen One defeats the Traitor once and for all…we shall truly have peace again."

At least, the Light Sage added to herself. At least, I pray we will know peace in the new Age…I can only pray.

"Come, Khasandra," Hikari spoke quickly. "I shall need your help. Let us give this poor, terrified soul the comfort of a painless death…instead of the one that looms ahead for him now…"

...

Moonsbane smirked.

The young boy tied up before him stared back with wide eyes. He tried to scream through the gag, but the blood-stained cloth was too tightly woven around his face to allow anything more than a muffled whimper. His limbs were bound behind his back with similar material. All he could do was stare up from where he lay, on his side, on the cool, dirt ground, up into the cold eyes of the ancient man.

Moonsbane flicked his dagger out of his belt, and twirled it in one hand.

"It looks like my little pet did rather well on his hunt," the ancient man chuckled darkly. "I'd say you're about ten or eleven. Old enough to be out journeying on his own, but still young enough…for potent blood."

The young boy's eyes threatened to bulge right out of his head. Just what did this…this man want? Why did he want to…to hurt him?

Moonsbane began to strike the dirt around the boy with the blade in brief bursts. He drew a strange symbol in the ground, and began to chant in a strange language, one the young boy had never heard before. The boy tried to scream again.

"Yes," Moonsbane gently pressed the dagger's blade against the boy's cheek. "Yell. Plead for help. It's the middle of the night, far, far from any sign of civilization…of any kind. Traveling trainers do go missing from time to time. You'll…" Moonsbane started to chuckle again. "You'll just be another one of them. I see your Pokéballs are not on your belt. I do hope that someone finds them, wherever they are, before they perish in their electronic prison. They will serve me no purpose if they die in that manner."

Moonsbane put a slight amount of pressure on the dagger, and slid it across the boy's cheek slowly, drawing blood on one side of the blade.

And the boy knew that he was going to die.

"You should consider yourself lucky," Moonsbane sneered. "Normally, I'm a very patient man. I usually take my time. In most cases, I would start here," he struck gently against the boy's left arm, nicking it just enough to draw blood. "And, I would let the blood drain before using what magic I have to seal it. Then, just as you began to regain consciousness, I would move here," he struck the boy's right arm, "and when I was done there, I would do the same here," then the boy's right leg, above the knee, "and here," and he finished with a light scratch just above the boy's left ankle. "After I was done with those, I would work several other locations across your body. And yes, I'm certain it would hurt, young lad. I see the fear of pain in your eyes.

"But, even with all the blood you would lose, you would not die. For, that is what the magic circle I have drawn around you is for; as long as there is the slightest amount of blood left in your veins, even if it would not be enough to even blink normally, you will survive. And, one the wound is closed, your body draws upon the Circle's power to replenish itself and make new blood at an accelerated rate, without the need for food or any other materials. And I would simply bleed you again…and again…and again…until I had drawn enough for my purpose at the time or, if time allowed, until I grew bored of the bleeding. And then…then I would make one last wound, and spill your Life Blood onto the Circle, killing you at last, and allowing me to collect your blood."

The boy could no longer attempt to scream. He was simply terrified to the point that he couldn't pass out, though he wished that he might.

"Fortunately for you, I do not have time to bleed you even once beyond your Life Blood. I must get your blood and have the Ritual of Return performed soon, and I have no desire to do that myself, or to have it preformed in a hasty and messy manner. It must be flawless, and my window of opportunity for this particular specimen is rapidly closing. So, give thanks to whatever deity you pray to or believe in, be it Arceus or God or whomever it is these days. Your death will only have the pain…of your actual dying. And, of course," Moonsbane added with a deep chuckle, "the minor wounds I have given you during my…presentation."

"So, I shall do this quickly."

Moonsbane placed his left hand on the boy's shoulder for support, and rested the tip of the dagger against the side of the boy's throat against the ground.

"Oh, one last thing," Moonsbane added, already feeling the pulse of fear-and of life-from the boy's throat beating against the dagger's blade. "Tell your deity, when you meet him...that the Great One has sent you…and that my Age is coming."

And, with the mutter of a single, archaic word of a lost tongue, Moonsbane made a swift, deep, and powerful upward cut, killing the boy and spilling his blood, as he had promised onto the magic circle around them.

Wordlessly, Moonsbane stepped off of the circle and picked up a large mason jar that lay just outside it. He unscrewed the lid with a flick of his wrist, and tapped the open top of the jar against the ground near the body. A dark red fluid began to fill the jar, as the blood-stained ground began to inexplicably cleanse itself. When Moonsbane was satisfied that he had enough, with the jar not even half-full, he tilted it back up and screwed the lid back on.

He looked back at the body, before gazing up at the dark, cloudy skies.

"Part of me almost hopes you know," he muttered. "I can almost hope that you felt the boy's life being severed, that you felt it with your oh-so-keen psychic senses and deep connection to the Orb. Yes, Hikari, I hope that you do know…and that you know how powerless you are to stop me."

Moonsbane gave a short whistle, and his Fearow-monster landed from above. The beast now wore a saddle of sorts on its back, the leather twisted around in a strange and complicated manner, with some of it appearing to be far too old to be used for such a demanding purpose. He stuffed the jar of blood into one of the pouches that was crudely sewed onto the strange saddle.

He preferred to use his motorcycle to travel, but he had not lied to the boy before; he was running out of time to use the Charizard corpse–which the Fearow-beast held gently in its talons–for his dark purpose.

Moonsbane looked back at the boy's body. He walked over to it, considering what option to choose. With an uninterested air, the ancient man picked the body up effortlessly in one hand. He then tossed it into a nearby bush without a second thought. He picked up a fallen tree branch, with some of the leaves still attached to it, and gave a brief sweep of the area, covering up most of the circle's marks with dirt once more. The ground still had some splatter, but most of the splatter had covered Moonsbane. He would wash the blood off later.

For now, the metallic taste in his mouth would drive him, would give him a burst of energy. There was a lot of work to be done, and not a whole lot of time to do it in. Satisfied that the obvious signs of his ritual were covered, Moonsbane mounted the Fearow-beast's saddle, and gave a single, sharp kick to the bird's side.

The Fearow-monster took off with the youthful-appearing ancient on its back, and disappeared into the stormy skies above.

A new Age was indeed approaching; the only question that remained was whether it would be Hope or Blood that ruled.

A/N: Holy lord. I think I just gave myself nightmares. Did I earn the M rating yet? (My answer: not yet…I will). I honestly didn't plan to have the blood ritual until next chapter. Just fit here better. The title also took forever to come up with. Ominous enough for you guys?

I'm deeply sorry that this took forever…and that it's so short. And so forth. Anyone who is still reading this, thank you very much for sticking with me. Any new readers, well, thank you too. As always, feel free to drop me a question in a PM, message, comment or however. See you guys again soon.

(I have just noticed that my time breaks all seem to have vanished. In every chapter. Great. I'm working on fixing them. Might be rather difficult, but I should have it fixed within a week. Sorry for any confusion. EDIT: This should be fixed now. PM me if there seems to be a sudden change in scene where a time break was lost. It was 3 asterisks [***] before, but now is simply an ellipse [...])