KH: TDK ch06

~Kingdom Hearts: The Dark Keyblader~

~Chapter 6: A Battle for Survival~

"Now I get why Mew lives here," Kidd said, "Mew and the Tree of Beginning are symbiotic creatures. They depend on each other for survival."

Mew grabbed Ash's hat and went to return it to him. "Mew, thanks for saving us," Ash said. But before Mew made it to Ash, he began to descend. Something was wrong with Mew.

Kidd picked up mew and felt his forehead, noticing a fever. While this was happening, all of the crystals began to turn a fiery orange and crumbled one by one.

Suddenly, a yelling was heard down one of the caverns, "SOMEBODY HELP US!" the voice said.

"That sounds like James!" Meowth said as he headed in the direction of the voice.

"Return, everyone!" Ash said as he returned his pokemon to his pokeballs.

"Kidd, you won't believe the energy readings I'm getting!" Banks said, "There's a foreign energy that's causing the tree to go into shock! If it continues at this rate, the tree will experience a catastrophic collapse!"

"You and the Tree of Beginnings depend on each other for life," Kidd told Mew, "If the tree doesn't survive this crisis..."

"Then neither will Mew," Xecal finished.

"Meeeeew," Mew said weakly as he struggled to take flight again, "Mew...mew mew." Mew then slowly flew off.

"I think Mew wants us to follow," Ash said.

"Pika," Pikachu confirmed.

The group then followed Mew into a chamber with a large crystal...the heart of the Tree of Beginnings. Mew then lost his strength and Kidd caught him. Lucario noticed a pair of gloves next to a smaller crystal. "These were sir Aaron's," Lucario said.

"So, you've made it this far, have you?" A voice said in their heads. It was telepathy, "I must admit, I'm impressed. You've managed to evade my heartless, and Mew even got the tree to release you all when I was the one controlling the whole tree."

"What?" Lucario said, "Who's there?"

Out came a large cat-like pokemon that resembled Mew, "It's Mewtwo!" Ash said.

"Close," Xecal corrected, "This is the nobody who was once Mewtwo."

"And you must be the Dark Keyblader," Mewtwo said, "But how did you get here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Xecal asked rhetorically, "I was sent here by the one you're trying to kill. Mew sent me here."

"You are just delaying the inevitable, Dark Keyblader," Mewtwo said, "I am much stronger than I was before I joined the organization."

"Oh yeah? Well he's not alone!" Ash exclaimed, "I'll he's got my help! And Pikachu too! Right buddy?"

"Pika!" Pikachu said with confidence, confirming Ash's assumption.

"Don't count me out!" Kidd said as well.

"I may know very little about Xecal. And even less about what a 'Dark Keyblader' is," Lucario said, "But I can see that unlike you, he has a noble heart. AND I WILL FIGHT BY HIS SIDE TO STOP YOU!"

Xecal summoned his Dark Keyblade...but it wasn't his regular Keyblade. This one was designed like a pokeball. The blade was several different types of pokeballs stacked in a row. The key tip was designed like an open pokeball. Even the handle had a pokeball design.

"So, you've managed to summon the Pokeblade," Mewtwo said, "That is impressive. But don't think it'll do you any difference. You probably don't even know how to use it."

"Are you underestimating my fighting abilities?" Xecal said with a cocky grin.

"I never underestimate the fighting capabilities of my opponent," Mewtwo said, "But even if you do defeat me, you will still lose, you will still fail. Even as we speak, the Tree of Beginnings is dieing, and Mew along with it. There's no way for you to defeat me and save Mew and the tree in time."

"I guess that means we'll have to defeat you quickly then!" Lucario shouted before charging at Mewtwo.

"NO WAIT!" Xecal shouted. But he was too late.

"Pitiful," Mewtwo said before using his psychic abilities to stop Lucario and lift him off the ground. Then he threw Lucario upward into the ceiling, just missing a stalactite. As he fell back to the floor, Xecal jumped up and caught him.

"Are you okay?" Xecal asked.

Lucario was a bit wobbly, but he was on his feet, "I'm fine," Lucario said, "But we have to stop Mewtwo and save Mew and the tree."

Xecal turned to Mewtwo and charged. He struck at Mewtwo with his Pokeblade. But it was deflected when Mewtwo used a barrier. Xecal continued to strike, but the barrier would not break.

"You're just wasting your energy," Mewtwo said, "And your time."

Lucario was concentrating his energy to see Mewtwo's aura. What he saw of Mewtwo bothered him. But what he saw from his barrier gave him hope, "KEEP ATTACKING!" Lucario shouted, "HIS BARRIER IS WEAKENING!"

Xecal had a cocky grin, "And you said that I didn't know how to use this Keyblade properly," Xecal said, "It has the power to negate pokemon's abilities." Xecal took one for shot and the barrier shattered.

"You've just found one of it's automatic abilities," Mewtwo said with a smug grin, "You still don't know about it's true potential." Xecal was then thrown back into a wall. But before he made impact, A bubble of psychic energy cushioned the impact.

Mew was the one who protected him. Mew was helping them, while simultaneously fighting to stay alive. Mew then collapsed. He was using energy he didn't even have.

While Xecal was distracted, Mewtwo took the chance to attack, "DIE, DARK KEYBLADER!" Mewtwo shouted as he was about to strike him down. But he was stopped by Lucario, who had used his aura energy to create a glowing blue staff that he used to block Mewtwo's attack.

Xecal looked into Mews eyes. He didn't know why, but somehow, he felt like Mew was telling him something. Unfortunately, he didn't know what Mew was trying to tell him. Mew then closed his eyes and went limp in Xecal's arms.

"Mew?" Xecal said. Xecal set down Mew and glared at Mewtwo, "You'll pay for this!"

"Oh, boo hoo. Did I make the Dark Keyblader upset?" Mewtwo said mockingly, "As you can see, you're too late. So give up and accept your fate, Dark Keyblader."

"Lucario, help out Mew!" Xecal demanded, "Mewtwo is mine!"

"Who do you think you are telling me what to do?" Lucario asked.

Xecal looked at Lucario with a look that said, "Trust me. I know what I'm doing." Lucario nodded and began using his aura along with Ash to help Mew.

"I think you all are a little delusional, Dark Keyblader," Mewtwo said as he watched them try to heal Mew, "You're already too late. You saw him die, Dark Keyblader."

"I saw him fall unconscious," Xecal said before he had a smug grin, "But I watched noone die."

Mewtwo noticed Mew's eyes begin to open back up, "What is this?" Mewtwo exclaimed, "What is going on, Dark Keyblader?"

"Ash and Lucario are saving Mew's life," Xecal said, "And my name is Xecal! Shadaga Maxima!" Xecal's body was surrounded by dark energy. That energy was focused into his keyblade. The energy gathered at the tip of his Pokeblade, condensing into a tiny ball of glowing dark energy, "DARK KINGDOM BLAST!" Xecal shouted. Then a beam of dark energy shot from the tiny ball of darkness at the tip of the blade and into Mewtwo.

Lucario saw Xecal's aura and became distracted from helping Mew, "Such darkness!" he said with a look of fear, "Such emptiness!"

At the point of where the beam hit, dark energy began to spread across Mewtwo's body, "What are you waiting for? Help Mew!" Xecal shouted, his voice distorting from the darkness that enveloped him, "I can't hold Mewtwo off forever! And time is limited! So HELP MEW!"

Lucario did the best to shake off the fear and continued to give Mew his aura along side Ash.

"PIKACHU, GO HELP XECAL!" Ash shouted.

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed as he stepped up next to Xecal. He then shot a Thunder Bolt at Mewtwo. The attack joined with Xecal's Dark Kingdom Blast, multiplying the attack ten fold. The attack blasted Mewtwo back into the wall, leaving a rather large crater.

Both Pikachu and Xecal were gasping from how much energy they used up with that attack. But they were victorious...or so they thought, "I must say that I'm quite impressed with your display," Mewtwo said as he struggled to get back up, "But this battle isn't over yet!"

"Then we'll just have to fix that, won't we?" Xecal pointed out. Xecal then looked at Pikachu and nodded. Then his dark energy extended from his body and wrapped around Pikachu.

"Pikachu?" Ash said, worried about his best friend, "What are you doing to him?"

"You must have trust in him, Ash!" Lucario said.

When the shadows revealed Pikachu, he was now a Shadow Pikachu. He had a feral appearance, his coloration was darker, and the color of his eyes were inverted. But the most noticeable detail about Pikachu was a mark on his chest. It was similar to that of the mark of a nobody. But it was upside down.

"PIKACHU!" Pikachu growled in a distorted voice. A black electrical field surrounded Dark Pikachu before charging at Mewtwo. It was a Dark Bolt Tackle.

"What?" Mewtwo said as he realized what the Dark Keyblader did to Pikachu. But it was too late. He was struck by Dark Pikachu's attack. Pikachu then continued with a barrage of Quick Attacks.

As Dark Pikachu was pummeling Mewtwo, Xecal was charging his dark energy. Just a little more... Xecal thought. After a few more moments, Xecal was ready. Then he focused the energy throughout the entire blade, "DARK KINGDOM BLITZ!" Xecal then charged at Mewtwo.

As Xecal charged, Dark Pikachu began using his Dark Bolt Tackle. Xecal and Pikachu became synchronized in their attacks. Every time Xecal struck Mewtwo, he turned around and struck again...and again...and again. And Dark Pikachu did the same with his Dark Bolt Tackle.

Before they were about to make the finishing blow, Mewtwo summoned Celebi back. "You haven't seen the last of me!" Mewtwo said before Celebi teleported him through time...back to the future.

Suddenly, the darkness enveloping Xecal and Pikachu dispersed, "Pika?" Pikachu as he came back to his senses. The mark on his chest vanished and his coloration returned to normal. Pikachu was back to his old self.

"What a headache!" Xecal said as he too returned to normal. That's when Lucario shoved Ash out of the way.

"Leave the rest of this to me, Ash!" Lucario said once Ash was out of the way.

"LUCARIO!" Ash shouted.

"The aura...is WITH ME!" Lucario said as he put the rest of his energy into his aura. Lucario grunted as he finished his work. Mew then flew up to the heart of the tree and gave it the aura. Everything was returning back to normal. The tree was better, and so was Mew.

Mew flew back down to the group, "Heheheh! Thank you, Mew," Kidd laughed as Mew flew by.

"You're feelin allot better, huh?" Ash asked as Mew flew by playfully.

"You solved the mystery of the tree of beginnings, and helped to save it!" Banks said, "The media's gonna eat this up! Kidd"

"Look, Banks. I don't want this place to be ruined by tourists," Kidd told Banks as Mew flew all around her.

"But the publicity, Kidd!"

"Let's keep this place a secret."

"Alright, have it your way."

Mew then flew by Xecal, who couldn't help but smile at how happy and playful Mew was. But his expression grew serious when he saw Lucario as he collapsed.

"Lucario!" Ash said as the others ran to Lucario, who was glowing with energy.

"There's nothing you can do for me, Ash," Lucario grunted.

"Are you sure?" Ash asked.

"Pika?"

Another wave of pain ran through Lucario's body. He put his paw down to keep from falling over, and touched a Time Flower. Suddenly, an image of Sir Aaron appeared next to Lucario, struggling in the same state that he was in.

"Lucario, forgive me," Sir Aaron said.

"I do, master," Lucario replied, even though he knew it was just an image of the past he was talking to.

"Please understand. I had to seal you inside the staff," Sir Aaron continued, "I knew if I didn't, you'd follow me here and suffer the same fate. I only wish if you could've known the real story."

"I understand!" Lucario replied again.

"One day you will be released," Sir Aaron continued with a smile, "In a distant and more peaceful time. What will it be like? I wonder if..." Sir Aaron was interrupted by a wave of pain, "I have...no regrets. My journey...has been good. I served a beautiful queen. And you and I shared many adventures. Those memories will always be with me."

"Master..." Lucario said, "If you could only hear me! I want to tell you how much you mean to me!"

"Lucario...farewell..." Sir Aaron concluded, "You were more to me than my student. You were...my closest friend."

"I feel the same."

"Who knows. It could be...we will see each other again. I hope so, my friend." The image of Sir Aaron vanished. At this point, tears were streaming down Lucario's face.

"Aaron, my friend, I am sorry I failed you," Lucario said, crying.

"That's not true!" Ash said as he grabbed Lucario's paw, "You proved that you are a true guardian of aura, just like Sir Aaron was!"

"Pika," Pikachu agreed.

"And you've proven yourself to be a hero," Xecal added as he knelt down next to Lucario.

"Thanks, Ash...and Xecal," Lucario said before another wave of pain spread through Lucario.

"Lucario, hold on!" Ash said, "You can't leave us yet!"

"I have to go, Ash," Lucario said, "Aaron...is waiting for me." With that said, Lucario vanished. His aura joined with another aura and joined with the tree of beginnings.

"It was an honor meeting you," Xecal said as he put his Pokeblade away, "Especially you, Pikachu. You're destined for great things. But I have to get going now." Xecal then got up and walked away.

"Xecal, wait!" Ash said, stopping Xecal, "Why don't you come with us on my adventure?"

"I have my own adventure to get to," Xecal said, "And I don't even belong here. But like Sir Aaron said...It could be that we will see each other again."

"Well then, until next time then!" Ash said.

"That sounds good," Xecal said, "Until next time." Xecal then nodded in respect and headed off into one of the caves, following Mew.

"Xecal, I will have to alter their memories so that they have no knowledge of you and the organization," Mew said when they were out of range of everyone else, "Since you do not belong in this time, I will have to remove you, Mewtwo, and the knowledge that you informed them with from their memories. I will alter the events that they remember."

"I understand," Xecal replied. Then in a flash, Mew sent Xecal back to his own time...


~The Dark Keyblader, Alec~