Chapter 28: Break Through It All

"Hahaha, that's good. Bring some enthusiasm to this." Eclipse smirked as he began stretching his arms. "I'm much stronger than I was last time we met. I've grown by leaps and bounds. Truly I have grown beyond you."

Pyre waited a moment. "Ya know you asked if we were gonna talk or fight and then you started talking?"

"Fair enough." The onyx tailed Charmander rushed to Pyre, slamming a powerful punch into his gut.

Pyre felt all the air driven out of him in one go and he let out a coughing gasp as he grabbed Eclipse by the arm and slammed his head into the other Charmander. Eclipse stumbled back.

The sapphire tailed char took in a deep breath before enveloping his own fist in energy and punching Eclipse square in the nose.

The dark Charmander stumbled back further. But made no move to attack. So Pyre advanced, striking him three times with his fists, once in the gut, then in the chin, and again in the nose. Still he made no effort to fight back. Pyre pulled back his fist one more time and slammed it into Eclipse's nose again. The onyx tailed Charmander hit the ground.

"Sorry, but I can't really wait around for you to wake up." Pyre stepped by and began walking toward the stairs.

"Alright then. Now we can get serious." Pyre glanced back and watched as Eclipse rose from the ground, heels first as if he was simply levitating himself back in the proper position.

The two charmander's looked at each other for a moment. Pyre felt his heart thumping in his chest, not with fear, but excitement. And the sapphire tailed Charmander grinned wide. "Okie dokie then, round two it is!"

Eclipse shook his body for a moment before beckoning Pyre with a single finger. And Pyre took it as cue and rushed forth lacing his fists in fire and punching out at Eclipse.

The dark char dodged or blocked each strike perfectly, as if he knew Pyre's actions before he did. "There it is, now I've got you." Eclipse retaliated by throwing a punch toward Pyre's nose, and Pyre reacted by moving to block it only to have his stomach struck hard. "Predictable." Eclipse continued punching toward Pyre's stomach, only to stop at the last moment and strike him in the chin.

Pyre stumbled back. Eclipse pressed his advantage, advancing on Pyre and raising his fists again. Then Pyre felt a kick to his left leg forcing him to kneel, and in that same kneeling motion he felt a powerful knee strike his chin. And he collapsed.

"Don't tell me that's all you've got Pyre?" Eclipse taunted.

'Before you go rushing in again like an imbecile, consider a change in strategy.' Shadow's words rang out in his ears.

"Oooh, I see what you're doing. Reading my moves huh?" Pyre smirked as he hopped back to his feet. "Guess I'll just have to switch it up." Pyre rushed forth as electricity gathered and crackled around him. His eyes burst with a golden glow as his tail flame too began to shine in gold brilliance.

Eclipse readied himself for the coming attacks already seeing Pyre's next pattern of attack. But then, each strike made its mark faster than Eclipse had predicted, but Pyre hadn't lost any strength with his attacks.

Pyre struck again, hitting him in his right cheek with a punch, then knocking him off balance with a kick to his right leg, before finishing by sweeping his tail under Eclipse, tripping him entirely. The onyx tailed Charmander hit the ground, but before he could react Pyre had straddled his chest and let loose a flurry of fire punches. However with each successful high speed strike, Eclipse managed to block more and more until inevitably he found the pattern again. And he shoved Pyre off him.

"Don't be a fool Pyre, you may momentarily gain the upper hand, but I've got you now." The dark char once again rose, heels first back onto his feet.

"How do you do that, it looks really cool?" Pyre smiled innocently.

"Your stupidity is only becoming more infuriating!" Eclipse let out a roar accompanied by a large wave of flames billowing from his maw.

Pyre took in a deep breath and responded in kind, spewing bright blue flames from his own mouth to match, and though the flames were not nearly as large they managed to over power Eclipse's and sent the dark char sliding back. "You look like you're relying on your muscles a bit too much there dude! You know power in fire breathing comes from the breath right? No matter how strong your muscles are, I breathe better than you."

"You won't breathe at all when I'm done with you!" Eclipse closed the distance. And he struck Pyre again, hitting harder than before and sending him sliding back across the cloudy ground they stood on.

"Okay, speeding up alone didn't work. Gotta try something…more." Pyre took a deep breath again and the gold hue of his eyes and tail flame seemed to crackle and spark with more electricity. "Help me out here bro." Pyre's speed hadn't increased at all, but his attacks were different.

Eclipse moved to block a strike to his nose but found his arm purposely struck three times, then felt two quick kicks to the insides of both his legs, before finally Pyre slammed his tail into Eclipse.

The dark char staggered back. "What? What's this pattern?!"

Pyre smirked as he rushed forth again, this time side stepping Eclipse and striking him in the back. Two strong jabs to each shoulder, followed by a kick to the back of the leg, finished with a flourishing leap which Pyre used to spin his body like a top and strike Eclipse multiple times with his muscles tail slamming him face first into the ground. "The happiest guy I know, fastest guy I've ever met, and a master of high speed combat, Rai the Raichu!" The charmander struck a quick pose attempting to mimic a raichu's battle pose.

Eclipse shot back to his feet. And when Pyre struck forth again, Eclipse was ready, catching and evading each strike with perfect precision. Only to retaliate with a mighty mega punch rocking Pyre to his core.

Pyre staggered back this time before focusing himself again. The golden hue and electricity fell away, replaced by violent crimson eyes and a cruel black flame.

Eclipse seemed more surprised than before. "This darkness, it feels so similar to Father's!" Before the onyx tailed charmander could react Pyre had performed a somersault through the air and slammed a heavy heel kick into his counterpart's head.

Eclipse powered through the kick and grabbed Pyre slamming him down to the ground. Just as the darker charmander prepared to continue his attack, Pyre grabbed him by the face and pulled him down slamming his head to the ground hard. "And this is from the strongest mon I know, a guy who's cruelty is matched only by his love, Shadow the Darkrai!" Eclipse shielded his face as Pyre began laying punches into him. But even with his guard up, the raw force behind each strike seemed to rock Eclipse completely. It didn't matter if he found the pattern in these attacks, they hit too hard to block, and given Pyre's position atop him he couldn't avoid them at all.

Eclipse waited until one final punch slammed his face. "COUNTER!" And he hit Pyre twice as hard slamming the Charmander into the ceiling. And the onyx tailed Charmander rose once again like a vampire from their coffin heels first back onto a standing position.

Pyre comically hit the ground. And he struggled to stand back up, panting heavily.

"Okay, that actually really fucking hurt."

"When I'm done with you, there won't be anything left to clean up!"

"Jeez, ya know you don't have to go as evil as the other ones do. You're a strong guy, you don't have to obey the calamity."

"Silence! You sound just like her!" Eclipse growled, losing his focus. Pyre was preparing to strike but felt he shouldn't yet. Eclipse let out a maniacal laugh. "Hey Pyre, want to see something only my father and I can do?!"

Pyre felt apprehensive and yet his excitement only increased.

Eclipse chuckled as he held up one clawed hand. Dark energy formed into a small but highly dense ball. And the onyx tailed charmander held it out for Pyre.

He knew it was a bad idea, but he approached confidently. "What's the move? Don't know many char's that can do that…"

"Dark void." Eclipse smirked as a white smokey pattern appeared atop his head, the scales on his body turned a cold black, and energy enveloped his legs like a cloak. With his words the ball suddenly burst and expanded enveloping them both. "Welcome to your nightmare bitch."

Pyre however seemed unfazed by the attack.

"Why aren't you asleep?!" Eclipse grabbed Pyre by the neck. "Trapped in a nightmare!? Something!?"

Pyre smiled. "Because I'm not afraid." The dark energy dissipated and Pyre stood tall, his sapphire flame burning brighter than ever, but its core glowing and swirling with violet, gold, and black flames. "I have amazing friends in my life. And though I lost the love of my life I can still bring light to the world." Something about Pyre's aura had changed, it was as if his was not alone anymore but cradled helpfully by others.

"Grrr, just die!" Eclipse punched him in the face. "Just die like our mother you stupid fuck!"

That stopped Pyre. "Our mother?"

"Yeah, you never figured it out?" Eclipse laughed. "Brother."

Pyre's eyes widened and the swirling upwell of energy surrounding him vanished. "We're…"

Eclipse readied himself to strike as Pyre stepped closer. But his body never moved, his instincts didn't defend him when Pyre lunged forth. He braced for the worst, but felt Pyre gently hugging him. "What are you…"

"I'm not fighting my only brother."

"But, you have to, I have to…I need to kill you."

"No you don't…you're so strong on your own, you don't have to serve the calamity."

"Shut up…my father…"

"Is destined to lose to me according to prophecy. So if you're as strong as me, and I'm gonna beat him, then you don't need him, you're stronger than him too."

"You don't understand I…"

"You don't need him. From what I saw when I got here, you've got plenty of love in your life."

"It's not thaaaa!!!" Eclipse fell to his knees. Darkness enveloped him.

"Eclipse, my boy, I told you what would happen if you even considered betraying me."

"Hey dicknips! Over here!" Pyre called out getting the calamitous beings' attention. "You're not taking my little bro from me."

"I'll deal with you in due to…" the dark creature was cut off as Pyre hugged Eclipse again, this time pouring his own aura over them.

"It's no use, I have no mark, you can't save me…"

"Like hell I can't!" Pyre didn't let go. "I'm not gonna lose the only family I've got to some cheap knock off!" He glared at the single crimson eye staring at him. "When I meet you in person, I'm gonna kick your ass. Now go home and wait for the ass kicking."

The dark creature vanished.

"He's…gone…"

"Yeah, he is." Pyre pulled away smiling.

"Thank you Pyre, thank you so much, but why?" Eclipse glanced to his side seeing his mother floating there.

'He learned it from his big brother, not me.'

"Because, a big brother should always protect his little bro!" Pyre smiled.

"Clipsy!" Swindle slid into place beside them scooping Eclipse into his arms! "Aw babe I was so scared I was gonna lose you just now!"

"I…I know Swin, I'm glad you didn't." Eclipse nuzzled the Krookodile.

"Hate to cut and run, but I gotta go help Rayquaza real…quick." Pyre stared at Eclipse for a moment.

"What, is something wrong?"

"Clipsy, it's your tail!"

Looking toward the charmander's tail flame Eclipse found it was now simply a deep purple as opposed to pitch black.

"Guess you really are free to be you now huh?" Pyre smiled. "You guys wait here, I'll be back in a minute once I'm done with Rayquaza! We can all go to Firelink Square together!" Pyre waved to them as he ascended the final staircase.