Chapter 94: Strange Torment

Shadow was prepared for a battle, he knew he would need to at least make it look real if he were to allow them to escape again. But as he approached the shattered tree, he stopped in his tracks. He hadn't noticed it before, but there was a large airship hanging overhead. Disregarding it would be a mistake, especially considering it's rapid descent. Teams were dispatched with remarkable efficiency, collecting several pokemon.

First, his targets, Tel and Sobby. Then more familiar pokemon, Charizard, his hatchling charmander. And finally, Ashachu, a pichu, dratini, and Dragonite.

In a rather short time span they were brought aboard the airship. They were organized, Shadow might have considered them a rival organization, if not for the presence of the Primid soldiers accompanying the airship. Most likely the international police. That complicated things, he couldn't afford to risk exposing his ties, or endangering Pyre with his failure.

It was at that moment he noticed something small following them aboard the airship. A flapple, a small apple shaped dragon pokemon. Given none of them acknowledged it's presence, they didn't realize it was there. Ashachu and his friends were neither stealthy nor subtle in Shadow's experience, so that flapple was likely with Tel and Sobby. A loose end, or an unintended ally?

Shadow was grateful for the sun going down, it gave his dark form a better camouflage. Just as he went to approach the airship he felt a sudden pain in his heart, and a strong pull. Looking back, he saw them in the distance, the trainers. Ash and his friends. And a familiar presence, Blade, he was getting closer. The closer the sneasel got the more Shadow wanted To abandon his mission.

But he couldn't. As much as he wanted to be with Blade again, he was trying to be better. And abandoning his best friend to a group of dimension hopping nutcases wouldn't make him more worthy of Blade's love. Then he felt something else, like something touched him, an aura, one he'd encountered before, Lucario. That was a problem, the aura pokemon would most certainly recognize his aura.

He pushed the thought from his mind and finally approached the airship, the prisoners had been brought to the flight deck, and seemed to be under interrogation by the commanding officer. And in that moment Shadow knew what he needed to do.

The last time he had been outnumbered by humans, he'd managed to obtain a few bullet wounds, which more than contributed to his death only days later. He had been working at this ever since.

'It may be rather gauche, but I suppose I shall take a page from Pyre's book and name this.' The darkrai pressed his palms together forming an orb of dark energy between them, and then dug his claws into the orb, pulling in both directions, letting loose the energy in a massive wave of darkness. "Dark Nebula."

As the wave of nightmarish energy enveloped the airship, Shadow shut his single eye allowing himself to focus on the nightmare he'd produced. With a snap of his clawed fingers it began.

A tune, a melody, much more upbeat than one would expect, from a pop song if Shadow recalled. He had heard it somewhere, though he couldn't remember.

"Can we turn that off please," Shadow heard a feminine voice say as he focused on the stairwell leading to the flight deck.

"Who is that," Asked another voice.

Outside the airship, Shadow chuckled watching the entire bridge fall motionless under his nightmare. He blinked, seeing their motions within the nightmare. The primids had raised their weapons, scanning the bridge for the source of the music or the intruder, but there was nothing.

And then he made his move, using his practiced control of his nightmares, he projected himself to the stairwell, as if by teleportation.

This particular depiction was both degrading and cruel in Shadow's own eye. He had breathed his body in a dress of sorts, made of Charizard skins and over his shoulders was fuzzy yellow boa with brown stripes, accentuated by a stuffed Pikachu head on the end.

Part of him felt bad, for the cruel imagery, but it was the least he could do, for how cruel he'd seen them treat Blade.

Charizard's eyes widened, as the music blared louder still. "That's not possible!"

Shadow let a voice fill the airship projected to match the song.

"When you're feelin' sad and low…We will take you where you gotta go…Smilin', dancin', everything is free… All you need is positivity…"

Shadow's projected body made it's way up the deck, spinning elegantly, and twirling like a dancer. His arms were held high and his spindly legs exposed. And he continued his cruel serenade.

"Colors of the world…. Spice up your life…Every boy and every girl… Spice up your life."

The nightmarish projection vanished, only to reappear a moment later, seated on a computer desk with his legs crossed. Seated, beside Ashachu, Charizard and the others. In a panic Charizard and dragonite fell over each other, as if trying to scramble to safety, nearly crushing the smaller mons around them.

Shadow shot to a standing position, icking his legs in a rather disturbing dance, matching the pace and rhythm of the music he was forcing into their heads.

"People of the world…Spice up your life…Aah."

Shadow spread his arms, holding the Pikachu boa over his head, spinning on his right leg, as his left stuck straight out at a ninety-degree angle. His outfit flew out around him extravagantly, as the tempo of the music grew and he vanished again.

But he hadn't gone alone. He had grabbed Charizard, pulling the fire type with him toward a bulkhead of the airship.

"Slam it to the left… If you're havin' a good time…Shake it to the right…If ya know that you feel fine… Chicas to the front… Ha ha (uh uh) … Go round…"

Shadow held a tight almost crushing grip on Charizard's claws in one hand, his other guiding the flame Pokemon's waist, in a demented waltz. And Charizard was too surprised to offer any resistance. Finally, as the chorus ended. Shadow held the fire types claws over his head and spun him rather violently like a living top. Only to abruptly let go, allowing Charizard to teeter and fall.

"Chari," Ashachu shouted.

"Slam it to the left… If you're havin' a good time… Shake it to the right… If ya know that you feel fine…Chicas to the front… Ha ha… Hai Si Ja… Hold tight."

Shadow had again vanished and reappeared, again by the other pokemon, this time repeating his demented waltz with Dragonite. He forced them to dance with his nightmarish self, between desks and computers, then as he had with Charizard spun dragonite like a top, leaving him to lose balance and crash into a desk.

"Detain him," the leader ordered.

"La la la la la la la la la…. La la la la la la la… La la la la la la la la la… La la la la la la la…"

Shadow's nightmarish visage held center stage in the middle of the deck, kicking his legs in another show of his disturbing dance. Even as the primid soldiers advanced, forming a circle around him as two approached, in a truly perfect formation.

"No…Don't," cried Tel in warning.

As the Primid's closed the distance, Shadow reached out and touched the top of their heads. The effect was instant, the primids ceased to be, replaced by colorful and bouncy balls.

"That's not possible. Where did they go, what the name of the original one is going on,"

"I-I don't know," gasped Tel. "I've never…wait!"

One human retreated towards the flight deck, yelling into a communicator. "Distress distress. Distress on the flight deck. Requesting immediate backup!"

"All Primids take hostile positions," cried the leader.

The remaining Primids pulled back, maintaining a perimeter around Shadow, raising their weapons. The Darkrai continued to kick and twirl on the spot in time to the music.

"On my command…OPEN FIRE."

"Get down!"

Even as the sound of gunfire rang out, it did nothing to silence the music Shadow was projecting. And the darkrai continued his dark dance, as streams of glitter and confetti fired from the primids weapons.

Even as the humans drew their weapons, they too fired only glitter.

"Stop…STOP. Let me talk to him," Tel called out, trying to be heard over the music and commotion. "This isn't real. This must be a…"

"Bring in the heavy artillery," Ms. Cobell ordered as the chorus repeated once again.

"Slam it to the left… If you're havin' a good time… Shake it to the right… If ya know that you feel fine…Chicas to the front… Ha ha…"

More Primids entered the room, this time carrying significantly larger guns. The floor shook as they were fired. But it was to no avail, the heavier weapons only served to further fill the room with glitter and confetti.

"Hai Si Ja… Hold tight." The music came to a dramatic end…

Shadow booped Charizard on the nose, made a heart shape with his hands, and then disappeared from the airship.

Shadow had to fight every urge to laugh as the veil of his nightmarish illusion fell away.

That had proven to be rather illuminating. Though having so many within the effect of his nightmare had diminished it a bit he saw what he needed to. The confirmation that those aboard were interpol operatives. And how Blade had been treated, every cruel remark belittling Blade for Shadow's death.

But as much as that infuriated him, he felt as if his heart had been stabbed, with Blade's own claws. He had seen a memory of Ashachu's.

He could hear the words leaving Blade's mouth ringing in his ears as if he were there. "I...I love you, man! And don't get me wrong, I know that we're never going to be true mates and that our hearts both truly belong to someone else but...Doesn't change the fact that I love you."

Just as loudly he heard the raichu's rebuttal. "Blade...it's alright. I...I love you too...And I got this!"

But what played on his mind the most, what hurt Shadow more than he ever imagined…

"You mean," Blade started, but before he could finish, Ashachu pressed his muzzle against Blade's and kissed him.

That kiss, not one of lust or desire, but love. Shadow couldn't get it out of his head, it hurt, part of him wanted to be the only one Blade could love. But that was selfish and unfair, even so, knowing Blade truly had feelings for someone else, hurt. And Shadow felt his pain made real, as he felt a single streak of a tear slip from his eye.