Dark Arts and Dark Minds

Chapter 8: Some Wounds Just Take Time...

*Riku's POV*

"Riku? Riku, are you awake?"

I opened one eye to see Alpha gently prodding me with a stick. Groaning, I stood up to look at the Mawile. My body still hurt from yesterday, and, now, I had to fulfill the role of a great war hero.

Is it even doable? Can I be a leader? Risk believed in me, but can I really do it? I thought, as Alpha informed me of the situation,

"I'm beginning to worry about Beta, Riku. She hasn't shown her face in the Guild for three days now, and..."

"Hold on one moment," I stopped him mid-sentence.

"Three days? I've been out for three whole days!?"

"Well, I didn't really want to bother you... After all, you did basically reconstruct my face. Figured you needed your beauty sleep after that," the Mawile quipped.

"But what's happened in three days' time? Did I miss anything?" I asked, while thinking to myself,

How am I going to lead if I can't even stay awake to lead?

"I went back to Xatu yesterday to ask about Beta, and he has told me that there is something lodged within her that is keeping her from accepting Risk's death. I just now understood what he meant- there's a spirit inside her! I didn't want to wake you up, but I had a feeling that you would help..."

"In that case, we have no time to lose! Where are Photon and Cedric?" I asked, a twinge of curiosity in my voice.

"Already with Beta- she's been hiding out at Sharpedo Bluff, but no one can get close enough to adequately reason without getting their face ripped off. I can attest to that fact..." He traced the outline of the slowly-healing wound with his hand.

"I'll see if I can drive out whatever's playing with her mind. It's been a while since I worked with spirits, but I'll try!" I said, donning Risk's pendant and scarf, as the Mawile quickly began to lead me to her.

Outside, the sun was barely rising in the sky, and no other Pokemon were out this early. I'd have guessed that it was slightly past midnight if my body wasn't still trying to get used to the idea of movement. We walked past the empty stalls of Treasure Town, and Alpha showed me to a small panel in the ground.

"Be quiet when you enter- Cedric and Photon are already inside, and we don't want either of them to get hurt!" he whispered to me.

Nodding, I slowly descended the haphazard stairway to the floor below. Photon was unconscious, and Cedric was cowering the corner, obviously afraid of something Beta did. However, I noticed something odd- Photon's pendant, which held Darkrai sealed inside, was glowing.

Nevertheless, memories of our great escape from Gengar came flooding back to me, and I almost started crying, right then and there.

Focus, Riku! Like Risk said, now is not the time to mourn! Steeling my nerves, I nervously walked over to the emaciated, sleeping form of Beta and tapped her on the shoulder.

I jumped back in surprise when she whirled around instantaneously,

"Why have you come back?!" she said, in an incredibly low voice, giving me a to-the-point, forceful glare.

"Beta..." I tried to say, but her horn-jaw slammed into me with such force that I was pushed through the rock wall on the other side of the cliff.

Holding on to the edge of the precipice for dear life, I dared not look down at the endless ocean below me. Beta stood up and approached me.

"Please, I just want to be left alone. I don't need anyone else getting involved. He's dead, and it's all because of these rescue teams..."