Chapter 36

When Shadow awoke he shot straight up in the bed, his heart racing like never before. He began to frantically look around.

"Master Shadow, you're awake." Codsworth knelt by the bed trying to get Shadow's attention. However, the darkrai suddenly tossed the blankets from the bed and stumbled to the floor. "Be careful what are you doing?"

"Blade…need to see…Blade." Shadow forced himself to stand, noticing a pain in his stomach. Even so he pressed toward the door, only for his Lucario butler to stop him.

"You need rest."

"No…Blade…my…our…" Shadow collapsed against the door.

"Shadow," Codsworth spoke sternly helping him stand. "Blade can wait, your friend Rai is checking on him right now."

"Codsworth I need…is he awake…"

"No, he's still unconscious." Rai spoke as he walked in. "Shadow, what happened?"

"I…I happened…some…thing…" Shadow slumped against the wall. "It looked like me, but it was not…it stabbed me assaulted me…" A look dawned on Shadow. "The egg, Rai, is our egg okay?!"

"Egg?" Codsworth looked surprised.

"Shadow…" Rai frowned tears forming in his eyes. "The egg…it's gone…"

"G-Gone? Rai…what do you mean?"

"I mean it…isn't there, they had to sew up his stomach and use all sorts of healing abilities just to get him stable…" Rai looked distraught beyond belief.

Shadow's face was a mix of sorrow and rage. He wanted to lash out, but wanted to hold Blade close.

"Shadow…you have an egg with Blade?" Codsworth was kneeling in front of Shadow.

"I…yes…" Shadow sighed trying to control himself. "We only just found out…"

At that moment the door opened again. "Hey, has Pyre been through here?" Tin was standing in the doorway, holding himself up on a crutch. His right arm was gone, leaving a small stub in its place.

"No, he's not in his room?" Rai asked worriedly.

"He's not, not even in the hospital. I'm worried about him."

*With Pyre*

The charmander had wandered outside, as if drawn by something. He could barely focus on anything but the voice.

"Danger awaits in the pyrous crater. Darkness seeks the end of your world. A disciple patrols the vessel. Follow our light to find the child."

"I…don't understand…" Pyre felt his legs moving on their own, carrying him forth.

"They fear the light we offer. They seek to keep you from your prime power."

"Prime…power?" Pyre looked around feeling as if he was insane.

"Hurry to the crater. Bring the bearers of dark and thunder."

*Elsewhere*

"The time is near my Witness. The veil is weakening by the second, and soon enough the child of light and dark will die, to welcome your arrival, and the finality of this world." The calamitous being held the egg in his claw, gazing at it with resentment.

The world cracked and opened before him. "The vessel calls to its guardians."

"They'll be no threat in the state I left them."

"Arrogance! The guardians will rise to delay finality, and you have left it to the incompetent disciple!"

"My witness, I assure you, Naraku will be more than…"

The cacophonous voice vanished.

The Lich reached into his well, the glowing green energy swirled and crawled up his arms. "The energy has been built, once I absorb it, I will begin tearing down the veil."

*Panchu Hospital*

Shadow was seated beside Blade, the sneasel was surrounded by his siblings and mother. No one dared speak a word. Shadow couldn't bring himself to move, he needed to be here, with Blade. With his Blade.

Even as he heard the ringing of his phone, again and again and again. He couldn't even bring himself to pull it out, that is, until Codsworth pulled him carefully away. "You need to answer that Master Shadow."

The darkrai absentmindedly pulled his phone out. "Hello. Pyre? Where are you? What? No, I can not leave, Blade needs me. You realize you are making no sense, correct?" he listened for a moment, a look of anger blazing in his eye. "That is the last thing to joke about and you know it!" He angrily closed his phone and hugged Codsworth.

"Mas…Shadow, what's wrong?"

"I…I am scared Codsworth." The confession hung silent in the air. Until Shadow let out a hitching breath, looking the Lucario in the eye. There were tears streaming from his eye. "I do not know what to do! That egg, that is a life Blade and I created…and I could not protect either of them…" The darkrai hugged tighter. "if anything were to happen to that egg…"

Codsworth pushed Shadow back looking him in the eyes. "No tears. Nothing will happen. We will save your egg."

Rai suddenly entered the room, looking strangely winded. "Hey, Pyre just called, said he had something important, needed both of us…apparently Naraku is at the crater."

Shadow felt a thrill in his body as he grabbed Rai, and teleported away.

*Nightshade Manor*

Mare was glancing over old maps, trying to find where someone would take a stolen egg. Suddenly his search was interrupted. As Shadow appeared, with both Rai and Codsworth in tow.

"Shadow, you shouldn't be teleporting about like that, what if your wounds open up?"

"Naraku is at the crater. I think it is time to finish him Father." Shadow had an almost bloodthirsty look on his face.

Mare silently nodded taking Shadow's hand and teleporting with them.

*The Crater*

The four pokemon appeared abruptly to the sight of Pyre fighting, Pyre. And beyond that, the small sphere floating in the center of it.

"Pyre." Shadow spoke coldly.

"Sup dude?" both Pyre's replied instantly.

"I do not have time for this. Father, grab the one on the right." Shadow spoke, suddenly lunging and slamming one of the two Pyre's into the dirt and pinning him down, as Mare did the same. "Now that I have your attention properly. Tell me something only Pyre would know."

Both charmander's looked at each other, then back to Shadow. "You sure dude? What if its like really private?"

"I do not care." Shadow glared at them both.

Suddenly the Pyre beneath Mare spoke up. "You make Blade call you daddy during sex!"

Everyone present stared baffled by his words. Except Shadow. "I said something only Pyre knows. Apparently he is loud enough for that to be common knowledge. Try again. There is something I have told Pyre and nobody else knows." The darkrai stared at the charmander beneath him.

Pyre sighed "Okay, fine, didn't wanna embarrass you…You have a lockbox under your bed that has a diary full of every way you planned to ask Blade to date you, and every idea you've had for proposing to him!"

If not for the crimson collar covering his face, Shadow might have blushed. "That is the one." He let go of the charmander allowing him to stand.

"Thanks dude, sorry to out your secret."

Shadow ignored him as the Pyre beneath Mare popped transforming back into ditto. "You think you've won? Fools, I was just here to delay you! By now that egg is long dead!" The ditto suddenly shrank, minimizing as if to escape capture. And Naraku was gone.

"Damn it. I knew I should have killed him when I had the chance."

"You will have your chance sir." Codsworth consoled the older darkrai.

Looking over, Pyre had already approached the sphere in the crater. "Hey, guys, come here!" The charmander seemed stronger already somehow, as if being near this sphere was empowering him. Rai approached, feeling it as well. And finally, Shadow hovered over. Glancing down, the wounds on his abdomen seemed to heal, leaving only scars in their wake.

"Grasp the light" a voice spoke.

Pyre was the first to reach out, gently touching the orb. He felt something strange. His eyes shut and he saw himself, protecting Cynder, his tail crackling with electricity and his flame was golden.

Then it shifted, he was clutching Cynder close, the fennekin was dead. And the flame on his tail was tinged with black.

Then it changed again. He stood before groudon, his tail blazing a brilliant violet.

Then, he stood beside Eclipse, and both their tail flames were white.

And finally, he saw himself standing before Calamity Shadow, the flame of his tail blazing gold, violet, and white, with its core pitch black.

"What you see is you from your prime reality. The first Pyre." The voice seemed to touch his mind directly. "This vessel will allow you to tap into his power and love."

Pyre stepped back, releasing the sphere. He felt stronger than ever, and glancing back, his tail flame was swirling with power. "Woah. I feel…undefeatable!"

Shadow gripped the sphere suddenly.

His mind was intruded upon, and he saw himself, holding out a bundle of berries to a sickly sneasel beneath a tree.

Next he was training Blade, helping him grow stronger.

Then his mind shifted, filling with love as he saw himself kissing Blade lovingly.

He felt pain as he saw what appeared to be Blade, running off with a raichu.

Finally, a sea of corpses surrounded him as he held Blade close, along with a smaller sneasel.

"What you see is you from your prime reality. The first Shadow." The voice seemed to fill his mind. "This vessel will allow you to tap into his cruelty and protectiveness."

Shadow pulled away, slowly opening his eye, and it was glowing a deeper crimson than ever before. "They will suffer for what they have done."

Rai took hold of the sphere, shutting his eyes.

He saw himself, with a Pikachu, happy.

Then he saw that Pikachu leave, abandoning him. Breaking his heart.

Next he felt a familiar joy, a pangoro was holding him close.

Then it shifted, he was kissing the pangoro, happier, stronger than ever.

And finally, he was held close to that pangoro, as they clutched a trio of eggs carefully.

"What you see is you from your prime reality. The first Rai." The voice seemed to fill his mind. "This vessel will allow you to tap into his compassion and determination."

Rai pulled away abruptly. He could feel the electricity around him, empowering him.

Finally the sphere pulled all three of them together as it showed them more.

Pyre, Shadow, and Rai in this prime reality, smiling and laughing.

"What you see is you from your prime reality. You have always been…friends." The voice spoke to them all. "The child, is beneath the arena."

They were able to see, as the sphere showed them Calamity Shadow holding the egg, just as Naraku returned.

"They reached the vessel."

"Believe me, I am aware." Calamity Shadow turned, as if staring straight at the trio.

And the vessel released them.

"Beneath the arena, it likely meant the stadium, come on." Shadow held out his clawed hands as Pyre, Codsworth, and Mare took hold. "Rai?"

"I…I can't go with you…" Rai turned away looking down.

"What do you mean you cannot come with us?" Shadow sounded angry. "We need you!"

"I just can't! Just go save your egg!"

"We need you Rai, so unless you have a good reason…"

"I'm pregnant!" The raichu threw his hands up in sudden anger. Then he covered his mouth.

"You're…" Pyre rushed over "For how long? When did you find out?"

"A few weeks now…I found out before Russ got to the icekey hospital…I…I haven't told him yet…I don't know if…if I'm ready or if he is…"

Pyre hugged him tight. "Okay, you just head home then okay. We'll manage without you. Promise we'll come home safe."

"Thanks Pyre." Rai hugged him back.

"Sorry I yelled at you Rai. Keep your egg safe okay?" Shadow bowed his head, as Pyre grabbed on again.

"I will, go get your egg back now!"