Chapter 31: Hanging On To The Other Side

Author's note: I appreciate everyone who's read and reviewed this so far. Thank you all, without you I may never have reached this point. This is the beginning of the end for this journey. I hope you all enjoy it.

The darkrai returned to an upright position. The sneasel and four Weavile stood behind him in equally upright, passive positions.

"Impressive, most impressive. You know my name. I assume because I share it with that doppelganger that threatened me." Shadow, if he could even be called that, chuckled.

Pyre turned to the malnourished sneasel. "Blade?"

"And mine it seems." The sneasel chuckled as well.

"I take it there's not gonna be any reasoning with you?" The charmander frowned.

"None at all, after all, I don't negotiate with corpses." The darkrai's single crimson eye darted between Cobalt and Ivy. "But I do like to make more of them."

"Guys?" Pyre turned around to face Ivy and Cobalt, a fearful look in his eyes.

"Pyre?" Ivy looked at him quizzically as the Charmander laid one hand upon each of them.

"I'm…I'm sorry."

"What do you…" Cobalt began before Pyre forcefully shoved them both backwards and a massive wall of flames separated them.

"Oh my. Blocking your friends off to fight me alone?" Shadow's eye focused on Pyre. "How gutless."

"Yep, he said stuff that made no sense too. So I'll bite, how is fighting you alone gutless?" Pyre glared at the Darkrai.

Blade and the Weavile let out a single chuckle, before the pitch black pokemon continued. "Suicide is the cowards way out."

Pyre chuckled himself now. If he was anything like the Shadow he knew, he had a plan. "Since I'm doomed to die, would you humor me?"

"Bold to ask, but fine, I'll prolong your suffering." The other Shadow took a relaxed position and folded his arms. "I assume you have questions. Ask?"

"Just one. Why? Why do this?"

"Because it is my birthright, I was told long ago that I was to be the ruler of this world, and that under my rule all would prosper and be free."

Pyre smiled. "Okay, now the real version please."

"Oh? You know it's a lie? Might I ask how?"

"Well, I know a Shadow. And I've never seen him lie, and that's the first new thing I've felt from you."

"Well, I've answered your question. Now," the darkrai unfolded his arms as a small dart of dark energy struck Pyre in the forehead. "Fall."

Pyre felt his body give out beneath him, and he fell to his knees. Almost immediately he began struggling to stand up again.

"You are alone Pyre." Shadow began to slowly hover toward him. "There is only darkness for you, and death for your people."

Pyre fell face first onto the ground as he again forced himself to his knees.

"The legends are just the beginning. I will command a great and terrible army." He continued his slow, agonizing approach. "We shall travel to a billion worlds. We shall do so, until every light has been extinguished."

Pyre managed to stand up completely, but he struggled to remain standing.

"You are strong Pyre, but I am beyond strength." He reached out slowly with a dark clawed hand. "I am the end." He held his claw just over Pyre's face. "And I have come for you."

Just as it reached the charmander and the fire lizard grabbed him by the claw and pulled him down with one hand as his other, enveloped in flames, slammed into the darkrai's face sending him flying backwards into the cave.

"Yeah, he doesn't monologue like that, and I got a pretty good feeling for you just now." The charmander smirked. "You're nowhere near as scary as my Shadow is."

From within the cave the darkrai's voice echoed forth. "Kill him."

Blade stepped forward extending his claws as the four Weavile behind him followed suit. And all together the five of them rushed the charmander.

Beyond the wall of flames Ivy called out. "Pyre, please, let us help you!"

"Let us in Pyre, you can't do this alone!" Cobalt called to him as well.

Two Weavile approached on his left, the other two on his right, with Blade rushing down the middle. He took in a deep breath as the flames on his tail took a sudden golden hue and his eyes gained that same golden tint.

Using the breath he'd held Pyre stepped suddenly between the two Weavile approaching from his left, surprising them with his speed. And without warning let loose a sapphire flamethrower from his maw.

To his surprise, despite being engulfed in flames the two Weavile turned on their heels and leapt at him, trying to tackle him to the ground. Feeling the connection to his friend strengthened, he jumped up, placing a hand on each of their heads and pushing them down as he landed in front of the other two Weavile. He prepared to strike them both at once, but was suddenly off balanced as Blade slid under him kicking his legs from under him.

The speed he felt while connected to Rai, allowed him to firmly plant his hands on the ground before falling and slamming the two Weavile with his tail, knocking them down. He used the momentum to once again touch the ground and face Blade. "Don't make me do this Blade, please."

"Awww, pleading, I only like hearing that when Shadow forces himself inside someone."

"And there's another thing my Shadow doesn't do."

"Stop saying that!" Blade lunged forth. "Shadow isn't yours!"

Pyre caught him and lifted him into the air before falling backwards slamming the sneasel back first into the ground. "Oh yeah, Blade's a jealous boy." He jumped back to his feet as the Weavile returned.

One slashed at his head, and the other at his legs. With the electricity from his friend coursing through him it was as if his mind was moving faster, allowing his body to keep pace. He. Jumped in such a way that he went horizontal, and the two dual types hit each other as he landed. He wasted no time following up with a precise punch to each of their noses.

The first two stumbled back as the next two approached. Just as he prepared to move to dodge he watched them change their posture, practically standing on their clawed toes.

"Keep moving like that now fuck shit!"

He turned back to see ice spreading across the ground from where Blade was laying.

And Pyre exhaled, the golden hue leaving his eyes and flame. And when he took his next breath his eyes began to glow a threatening red, and his tail flame was tinged with black.

Now surrounding him, and quite unbothered by the ice beneath them, the four Weavile's approached at high speed. From each side they struck the charmander, but he didn't move. A slash to his arms, legs, back, and chest. And yet the Charmander didn't even budge.

In retaliation the fire lizard grabbed the Weavile behind him and yanked him forward and held his arm over his shoulder. "Sorry about this." He apologized as he yanked their arm down, breaking it almost immediately.

The Weavile didn't flinch, but simply attacked with his other arm, only for Pyre to catch it. And the charmander slammed his elbow into the weavile's wrist with a sudden crunch. And he slammed him with his tail smashing the dual type against the ground.

Three left, and Blade makes four. Pyre knew Shadow well, he wouldn't bother letting someone else wear down his enemy, so that meant this one was watching, studying his moves. This Shadow actually perceived Pyre as a threat, which meant the darkrai's tactic of intimidation first wouldn't work.

Being lost in thought allowed two of the remaining Weavile to thrust their claws at him in an attempt to stab him. Though his speed wasn't enhanced by his victory form anymore he was still fast enough to catch them both under his arms. They tried to press their attack, but he suddenly jumped backwards, pulling them to the ground with him.

Pyre quickly rolled on top of one of the two as they hit the ground and let loose a flurry of fire punches in such rapid and powerful succession that the Weavile was completely unconscious before he entirely hit the ground.

The charmander stood up as the third weavile recovered. Two left. And Blade hadn't gotten back up yet it seemed.

"Stop." The Weavile suddenly pulled back to the cave mouth. At least those that could still move. The one with the broken arms lowered his head as Shadow approached. "Poor child, you tried your best didn't you?" The Weavile nodded. "A shame." And with that same breath the weavile's head had been snapped backwards and he crumpled to the floor.

"That's just wrong."

"Oh doesn't your Shadow do this? Punish weaklings when they fail." The darkrai reached out and the unconscious Weavile seemed to simply appear in his hand. "I have no patience for failures. After all, Blade can make more." He abruptly twisted that weavile's head as well.

"Wh-what?!" Pyre looked in disbelief. "You mean they're…they're your kids?"

"Oh don't look at me like that Pyre, you'll hurt my feelings." The darkrai joked.

"What kind of a monster are you?" Pyre looked sickened and angry.

"I'm surprised, it's not the first time I tried to kill my children in front of you. Tell me Pyre, do you know Eclipse's mother?"

"You mean his and mine?" Pyre glared.

"Yes, her. Do you know why he calls me Father?" Shadow gave a cruel stare as he watched the realization dawn on Pyre.

"You…"

"Oh how your mother screamed as I gave her my seed, it was so much fun. I even let Blade watch."

"You…"

"Why I did it more than once too, I had to ensure my heir was born after all."

"Shut up."

"She never stopped screaming, I think I did it about a dozen times before Eclipse was conceived, and she never stopped begging to die."

"I said, shut the fuck up!" Flames burst around the charmander dispelling the ice along the floor.

"Oh, did I strike a nerve. Good, now finish the job or you'll join your brothers." The two remaining Weavile nodded as they rushed Pyre.

The black tinge in his flame had vanished, and he'd returned to his normal sapphire flame. That didn't stop him as he suddenly tripped one and grabbed the other tackling them to the ground.

Without warning he felt a sudden heel kick slam his head. As he reeled from the hit he saw Blade in front of him. The sneasel rushed forth taking a quick swipe at him with one claw, then the other. Without his form changes the sneasel was undoubtedly faster than he was. And so he had no time to block or dodge.

Blade kicked one of his legs sending him stumbling forward into a cut across the chest. The sneasel continued his momentum with renewed vigor. It was as if he was fighting for more than just Shadow. He stepped forth slamming his knee into Pyre's gut causing the charmander to stumble back. The ice type pressed forward, placing his left leg between Pyre's legs and behind his right. And with a hard shove sent the charmander to the ground.

But his assault wasn't done, he leapt into the air in a move Eclipse had become quite familiar with, and he brought his heel down hard upon the charmander. Or so he thought, with all the wind up of that kick Pyre had ample time to block, and catch the sneasel pulling him down on top of the charmander.

"Ooh my, I didn't know you were a slut like that." Blade taunted as he straddled the Charmander.

"If only my Blade told jokes like that." With surprising force, Pyre jerked up headbutting Blade and putting him on the ground again.

"Enough, I've grown tired of this constant failure." Shadow's voice rang out. The two weavile's did not hesitate to return to him. "Look how you've hurt my poor boys."

"Stop!" Pyre shouted as he watched in horror as the darkrai grabbed each of the weaviles by their chins. And in one swift horrid motion, he snapped their necks.

"Nooooo!" Blade cried out. "You promised you wouldn't kill them all!"

Pyre looked on in shock as the sneasel's eyes poured tears.

"They were all failures."

"Shut your mouth, how can you be so cruel!" Pyre dropped to his knees and suddenly hugged Blade. "The Shadow I know would never do something that could hurt Blade like that."

"He promised…" Blade wrapped his arms around Pyre. "He promised…"