Chapter 18

The violet darkrai sat motionless in his seat, thinking of how he'd come to this point. He glanced around his study. Paintings along the wall depicted himself and Shadow, seeing how small the other darkrai used to be when he was younger. And how much more imposing he grew with age. "Damn it, Shadow! Why are you so difficult to control!" His mind wandered, he recalled it so vividly.

*Flashback*

His body was scared, deformed, what he'd been when he was alive was no longer recognizable. His body was almost completely covered in burns, charred all the way through. What a cruel twist of fate, he had died, and yet in this seeming afterlife, his body was just as wrecked as he had been left.

He could see nothing, or at least he thought it was nothing, utter absence of being. Neither light nor darkness, nothingness itself, in all it's indescribable horror and beauty.

And from that nothingness a cacophony of voices, merged into one. "You made it...we have heard your cries for help. And we will answer.

"Who are you?" The being known as Naraku asked.

"We are not your friend. We are not your enemy. We are your...Salvation."

"There is no salvation…I am a dead thing, I cannot even remember what I once was…" Naraku sighed, resigned to his death.

"Come to us. Do not be afraid. Respite lies ahead." The discordant voice beckoned.

"But how, my body is broken, useless, I am but goo drifting through eternity."

"You live without purpose. Anguish. Bliss. A meaningless cycle...of action and reaction. Let us bring an end...to your futile exertions. Chaos will untangle...made knowable...with immaculate intent. Let us rebirth you into perfection." The dissonant voice offered.

"Rebirth…perfection…you can give me a body…a life…what…what are you?"

"We are your salvation. We are your judgment. And soon we will be…your Witness." The cacophony of voices fell silent as the great nothing before Naraku was swallowed in darkness.

When his eyes opened again, he was, not quite alive, and his body was wrong. He was a blob now, more specifically a ditto. But where its backside should be was a deep discoloration in the shape of a spider, a permanent reminder of what he was.

He had but one thing on his mind. "Maaaare…" one singular desire, revenge. The memory was plain in his mind, a violet darkrai unleashing a strange violet orb, that scorched his body to near ashes. The memory took hold, and his body morphed, mimicking the form of the one who had killed him. And he felt the violet darkrai's presence nearby.

*End Flashback*

"Sir, Anelace is here." Shockwave spoke. "It would be best to resume your act."

"Of course." The violet darkrai stood up. "Shockwave, it's time we set our plans in motion."

"Then I shall activate the tracker. Cleave will be the final piece to break that family apart. And Shadow will be yours to control."

At that moment Anelace entered the room. "I got your text, you say you have a lead on my dad's location?" Anelace spoke softly, as if she considered the two pokemon before her to be utterly superior.

"Yes." Naraku, still parading around as Mare came closer holding a small device. "When you get close to Cleave this device will begin to glow. And last we heard, he was somewhere in the shopping district."

"I'll go then," she took the small box like device and left the room.

"Good luck Anelace." The violet darkrai smirked.

*Later, Firelink West*

Blade and Shadow were walking together, accompanied by Pyre and Tin, who'd just been released.

"I must admit, your recovery has been rather miraculous, Tin." Shadow spoke

"You're telling me, the nurses said I just needed rest to finish my recovery, but Pyre never left my side, one of the doctors said something about Pyre accidentally sharing his aura with me to help me heal faster." The charmeleon smiled looking at the charmander riding his shoulders.

"Thanks by the way Pyre," Blade spoke up "You didn't need to do that for me and Gladius."

"Don't mention it…" The charmander looked wiped out and exhausted, smiling nonetheless to enjoy his time with his big brother.

"Ya want some food Pyre? Can grab some Mcdandy's." Tin asked happily.

Shadow stopped suddenly and pulled his wallet out. "If it is not too much trouble, would you take Blade with you?" He pulled a substantial amount of money from his wallet and held it out.

"Sure, but why?"

Shadow glanced over, seeing Anelace full on sprinting out of a store, hot on Cleave's heels. "I have something to finish." Shadow knelt down in front of Blade. "Darling…"

"It's okay, do what ya need to do."Blade gave Shadow a kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you dearest. I will return shortly." And with that Shadow teleported away.

When next he reappeared he was in an alleyway, Anelace was locked in combat with Cleave. The sneasel had managed to severely wound the weavile and he was trying to beck pedal and escape. Only to bump into Shadow.

"Aw great, you're here too now. First my daughter now you, gimme a break you big edgy cunt!"

Shadow simply looked to Anelace. The sneasel was surprisingly in good condition, a few scrapes and bruises, but Cleave looked significantly worse, more cuts, even a few stab wounds.

"Shadow?"

"Anelace, do me a favor, take your time and collect an officer." Shadow stared the weavile down as Anelace passed him.

"Okay."

"Now it is just you, and I."

"Get away from me you freak! You ruined my life!"

"Not nearly enough." Shadow retorted, shoving Cleave to the ground. "Do you recall? I warned you, I would show you, hell on earth."

Just as Cleave tried to push himself to his feet, Shadow brought a swift heel kick down upon Cleave's right knee. The force of the kick was enough to break bone, and caused one to protrude out the back of the weavile's leg. He quickly grabbed Cleave by the mouth holding him silent.

He then took hold of Cleave's left claw, and in a quick twist snapped one of the clawed fingers clean off. Suddenly Shadow pinned Cleave on his back, the silent way Shadow acted was more terrifying than anything he'd said.

The silence showed Cleave that Shadow was not interested in talking. He didn't care to hurl insults, he wanted one thing here and now. For Cleave to suffer and die.

The darkrai tore open Cleave's pants, causing the weavile to panic and struggle. He thought the darkrai intended to force himself upon him, as punishment for what he'd done to Blade. But the look in Shadow's eye told a different story. And that's when Cleave felt his own sharp claw pressing against his privates.

He thrashed and struggled, screaming into Shadow's clawed hand, begging for mercy, for forgiveness, for respite. But the cruel crimson glow in Shadow's eye did not relent. The silent and cruel eye contact persisted even as Shadow made a sawing motion with Cleave's broken claw, sawing the weaviles genitals off ruthlessly.

After a few moments Shadow dropped the claw and held up a hand, flaunting a small blue flame before suddenly thrusting it downward, cauterizing the missing body part to stop the bleeding. Shadow, unbeknownst to Cleave, was smirking as he let go and came away.

"There, now you are as much of a man as you act." Shadow insulted as he turned away, facing the newly arrived Officer Igni and Anelace. "How much did you see?"

"As an officer of the law, all of it." Officer Igni spoke. "As a husband and father, he was like this when I arrived."

Cleave looked on in horror. "But that…monster just…"

"Cleave Iceson, you have the right to remain silent. Whether you choose to or not is your choice." Ember kneeled in front of Cleave cuffing him as he continued listing the weavile's rights. Once he finished he turned back to Shadow. "I'd take you in for what you did, but considering his crimes and the evidence around them, a jury would likely have ruled in favor of letting you walk for carrying out his sentence for them."

"You are an honorable man Officer Igni, if you deem it necessary," Shadow held out his hands in surrender. "I will not resist."

"Open your ears kid, if I thought it'd do any good I would, but I know you're not a bad kid. So I won't report this, but no more vigilante justice got it?"

Shadow gave a bow. "Thank you Officer Igni. I vow, no more vigilante justice."

"Then get out of here, both of you." The officer turned back quickly calling for an ambulance.

Shadow and Anelace left the alleyway. "You did well Anelace. Fighting him as you did." Shadow offered his praise.

"Thanks, it means a lot coming from you." She smiled. "I'm glad he's going away again. And I'm glad ya snipped him. I still can't believe he did that Blade."

"And now he lives in perpetual hell on earth, may he rot."

*Later, Nightshade Manor*

"Ah, Shadow you're back." Naraku spoke, finding Shadow in the main foyer with Blade and his family, including Anelace.

"Yes, father. I have returned." Shadow looked at him.

"Perfect, I have something for you." He held out what appeared to be a watch.

Shadow stepped over and took it. And he wrapped it around his wrist.

"That was easier than I thought. Now!"

The watch around Shadow's wrist locked in place and he suddenly felt all his strength dampened. "Father, what are you?"

"I'm getting rid of my obstacles. I doubt even now I can defeat you, but I have ways." Naraku spoke. "Shockwave, do it."

Suddenly, blaring loudly throughout the manor, "Only youuuuuuuu"