Chapter 12: A Pack of Lies

Dusk gripped my arm tightly as we trudged through a thick carpet of tree roots. We were close to the Meadow Of Time, I could feel the aura radiating through the trees, it was as if they were whispering this way, over here. Dusk's grip loosened, and I pushed my viewpoint forward, the sheer power of all of those time flowers in one place. . .

"Mark!" Dusk's snapping fingers brought my attention back to reality.

"Sorry, it's just. . ." I paused, "the amount of energy that they give off is overpowering." I sighed.

"I know, I can feel my skin tingling, I can't imagine what that must be like for you. . ." I stepped forward, and immediately I felt myself being dragged into the air, Dusk cried out in shock as I stopped rising and hung there suspended by my foot.

"WHO DARES TRESSPASS ON OUR HOMELAND!" a gruff male voice boomed in my head.

"We are merely travelers seeking guidance, please; we mean no malice towards your land or your people!" I managed; I could feel the blood slowly making its way to my head.

"Humans, you're all the same, claiming peace as you hold the flag of war above your head! Aaron abandoned our ancestor, and sealed him away in the staff of Origin, now all you humans want is to steal our only momento away from its rightful owners!" the speaker seethed, I sensed the aura around me, and I would have fallen on my face had I not been suspended by a snare.

"Luke?" I asked, confused. The aura of a Lucario appeared before me, glowing pleasantly among the other auras of the forest.

"How do you know the lost one's name?" the voice asked.

"Lost One? What are you talking about?" my head was starting to pound, suddenly the rope gave way and I fell to the ground, luckily Dusk Caught me just before I made contact with the hard packed forest floor.

"Come with me, the alpha will want to speak with you." Dusk started to follow, but the Lupyne sopped her. "you will stay here and await our return, only the aura guardian may enter our domain." I focused on the ground around Dusk's feet, and raised a barrier of aura around her.

"Don't worry, that should protect you until we get back." I said as I followed the aura of the Lucario through the trees.

"Why do you not open your eyes?" the Pokémon asked.

"I am blind, aura is the only form of sight I am able to use." I replied lightly. We came to an archway made by two massive trees, and entered slowly. I sunk to my knee as we approached a throne, another Lucario sat regally on it, looking down on us, pondering.

"How do you know of my child?" was the first question he asked.

"Luke took me In when I was young, I was blinded, and he nurtured me, taught me, he was like a second father to me." I heard several gasps, "traitor." Was one of these. "Excuse me, what was that?" I asked the one who had spoken; I felt dozens of angry gazes fall on me. I was pinned down, I felt a spike being pressed against my throat. Then a sphere of aura blasted the attacker off of me.

"LEAVE MY BROTHER ALONE!" Luke's voice was thunderous as he charged in front of me, his aura glowed brigher than it ever had before. And as I 'looked' Luke's aura changed: he grew a bit taller, his paws and aura receptors grew in size, and he had an extra spike on each of his paws. Luke had Mega Evolved. All of the other Pokemon in the clearing backed away quickly, Luke turned to the throne.

"I would have expected more from my own kind, but I suppose my expectations are just too high." Luke grabbed my arm roughly and dragged me to the entrance. I yanked my arm free and looked at Luke with shock on my face.

"How . . . how did you-"

"I've been tracking you ever since you woke up screaming that morning." His voice was gruff. I halfway expected him to show himself earlier.

"Why? Luke, I'm not five years old anymore! You don't have to babysit me!"

"So you would just rather I let you go out and get yourself killed like you almost did today?" I felt my anger dissipate as his emotions flowed into me. He was just being protective because he didn't want me to be hurt again.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you, and thanks for the save, but I came here to gain permission to enter the Meadow of Time. Dusk said that we could find answers about Hypno by going there, but then I got dragged here and I kind of lost my temper when the others started calling you a traitor. . ." I explained. Luke nodded and grabbed my hand,

"I will take you and Dusk to the Meadow." With that we raced off to where I left my friend earlier. Soon I sensed Dusk's unique aura just outside the entrance.

"So, I take it your meeting went well?" I could hear the smirk in her voice.

"Oh shut up!" I replied sarcastically as we started to walk under the natural archway which lead into the meadow, The power of the staff flowing through my arua with every step. I broke into a run, the power drawing me forward like a penny to a magnemite. Just as I was about to reach out and touch it, I felt a searing pain tear through my chest, like someone had cut me with a knife. I heard my friends' cry out to me, but I couldn't make out their words, a warm, wet liquid greeted my fingers when I reached down to touch my chest: blood.

"And so the great hero falls before his master. How ironic, after all, you were so intent on stopping me from taking you away, yet here you are, lying at my feet." Hypno had struck right before I had gotten the staff, now he was going to ensure that I would never get my hands on it. I heard a light boom that I guess was an aura sphere slamming into hypno as Dusk knelt beside me, her emotions were spewing out like a Hydro Pump, fear, anger, pain, regret, and shame. I felt them seep into me, and I knew that I must be in really rough shape, my breath was becoming more shallow, and my aura sight was starting to dim, and as I neared the edge, I could only hope that my friends would keep fighting the battle. . .