The Village Guardians Ch. 4-13

+The Village Guardians Anthology+

-Chapter #4- Twilight Below-

Part #13

Written by Dr. Mack Foxx and Aaraboga Jones

Ages 13+ Suggested for Violence and Romance

Original Story, Characters and all other Original Content are Copyright 1987-2010 Philip "Dr. Mack Foxx" Byard and Aaron "Aaraboga Jones" Byard

Pokémon and all related content and characters are Copyright 1995-2010 to Nintendo, Game Freak, Creatures and The Pokémon Company

[The Village Guardians Anthology]
[Chapter #4- Twilight Below]
-150-
Suddenly, Mack was jolted awake. The male Guardian quickly sat up in bed, greeted by the darkness of his bedroom. He took several deep breaths as a cold sweat trickled down his face. Mack reached over with his right hand and turned on a lamp on a nearby nightstand. The darkness was replaced in an instant with dim illumination. Mack was rarely ever frightened; then again, he could not remember experiencing such a vivid nightmare in many years. The shaken male Gardevoir glanced at a digital alarm clock on his nightstand: the time was 3:13 AM. Mack was even more startled when he looked to his left and down at Aura's side of the bed, only to discover the lovely female Gardevoir was nowhere to be found.

"Where could she have gone…?" thought Mack. He threw the sheets aside, turned to his right, hanging his legs over the side of the bed and then gently set his feet down on the floor. Mack looked down at his shimmering white ballet slippers and ornate white dress, letting out a heavy sigh.

"To think I have to wear this outfit practically all day and night for at least another two weeks…" grumbled Mack to himself. The Guardian stood up and gently shook out his fluffy tutu. The somewhat scared and slightly annoyed male Gardevoir turned his gaze upon the nightstand to see his sparkling silver and diamond tiara resting on the oak furniture next to the lamp.

"The things I do to keep Aura happy," thought Mack, feeling much of his anxiety fade away as he slid the piece of jewelry into his soft green hair. Mack unfurled his wings, flapping them a few times before folding them up again behind his back.

"At least I'm not molting yet," thought Mack as a blissful smile then spread across his blushing face, "Then again, Aura does enjoy getting to preen my wings… Not to mention how much she likes it when I tend to her molting wings as well." The Guardian sighed blissfully, making his way towards the bedroom door.

"I have a hunch where Aura might be…" thought the male Gardevoir in traditional ballet attire. The Guardian of Gardev was soon walking down the quiet, dimly-it corridors of the large mansion. He stopped at the door to Warren's bedroom, only to make sure Warren was sleeping soundly. Sure enough, the mayor of Gardev was in a deep, peaceful rest as was William. The Pikachu was lying on his back on a bed of soft blankets resting in a large, wicker basket. Mack silently stepped forward and knelt down next to the sleeping rodent. The male Gardevoir smiled and gently pulled a warm blanket over William. The Pikachu squeaked happily, smiling in his sleep when he then turned onto his right side and now was facing away from Mack.

"Sleep well, little buddy…" whispered Mack softly, petting William's head tenderly a few times before standing back up and stealthily making his way out of the mayor's bedroom. Mack closed the door with utmost care as to not awaken Warren or William. The male Guardian returned his attention to finding his missing mate. Needless to say, Mack didn't have to look any further than the mansion's elaborate and spacious ballroom. The voluminous chamber was brightly lit as Mack walked down an adjoining hallway, leading straight towards the ballroom. The Guardian trained his eyes on the expansive wooden dance floor. As Mack had expected, Aura was twirling on her tip-toes in her sparkling ballet dress and slippers. Mack stood still in the doorway, not making a sound as his loving mate danced about in the ballroom for what seemed like over an hour. Aura had her eyes closed, humming a nameless tune to herself while performing a series of various ballet steps, poses and techniques. The young, female Gardevoir was a joy to watch: she was incredibly graceful with her flawless and fluid motions. Of course, Aura's white feathery wings and beautiful ballet dress only added to her beauty. The ballerina's tiara shone brightly in the well-lit ballroom as did her dress and white ballet slippers. Suddenly, Aura set her feet back down on the floor and quickly turned her head, gazing at Mack over her left shoulder. Mack was smiling, clapping his hands together with applause, once again amazed with his wife's wonderful dancing. Aura smiled back, blushing slightly as she turned her entire body to face her mate.

"How long have you been here?" asked Mack inquisitively, "Seems like it's much too early to begin the day, don't you think?" Aura giggled happily and made a few graceful leaps towards her mate, coming to a stop right in front of Mack. The male Guardian softy placed his hands on opposite sides of Aura's waist. In turn, Aura tenderly placed her hands on her mate's shoulders.

"Well?" asked Mack with a friendly smile. Aura merely closed her eyes, leaning forward to quickly kiss her beautiful male Gardevoir on his lips. After a few moments of passion, Aura leaned back slightly, breaking the kiss.

"What can I say?" giggled the delighted, yet slightly-embarrassed ballerina, "I just couldn't sleep, love. I'm just so happy and excited that I finally have my ballet tiara!" Mack chuckled warmly, taking a quick glance at the sparkling bejeweled tiara, resting on Aura's soft hair.

"Well, you certainly are a very beautiful and talented young dancer," remarked Mack tenderly, "A ballerina with a male Gardevoir who is much more than a little happy to be her mate."

"And I have you to thank with all my heart," said Aura with a sweet tone of voice, "Not only did you arrange for me to try and earn my tiara, but you joined me in the pursuit. Not only that, but you really want to dance with me. Before a few days ago, I never imagined you would do all of this: wear traditional Gardevoir ballet attire and earn your tiara as well, just so I could try and become a ballet teacher someday."

"Only for you, my princess," whispered Mack lovingly, moving his hands from Aura's back and then tenderly placing them on the sides of his wife's belly, "Don't forget, my love, I want to teach ballet at your side, not only to young Kirlias, but to our own children someday as well…" The smiling, blushing Guardians wrapped their arms around each other in a tight and very loving embrace. They kissed with immense passion, not wanting to let each other go: at least not for another few minutes or so. The light radiating from their pendants was bright enough to light up the entire ballroom with intense blue and red illumination. However, despite the intensely romantic moment, Aura could tell that something was bothering her loving husband. The ballerina slowly ended the kiss, the light from her and Mack's pendants vanishing in an instant. Aura looked into her mate's eyes. She was still smiling and blushing at him. In a way, she was trying to make Mack feel more at ease and comfortable for something was greatly troubling her mate indeed.

"I wanted to ask…" said Aura tenderly, "I don't quite understand why you are up so early. Is something wrong?" Mack's blissful smile was gone in an instant, as was the red complexion in his cheeks. The winged, male Guardian drew a deep breath.

"Well…" said Mack hesitantly, still holding Aura close with a tight embrace, "I think I better tell you what happened." With that, the Guardians of Gardev took a seat next to each other on the hard, well-polished dance floor. They held hands and leaned next to each other to be close to one another.

"Take your time, love," said Aura tenderly, looking up at her husband's face, "Whatever it is, you can talk to me about it."

"Thank you, my princess," said Mack with a loving tone of voice, pausing for a few moments to take a few deep breaths before speaking again, "I had a horrible nightmare, Aura." The young ballerina nodded her head with understanding.

"In my dream, I was standing on top one of the foothills towards the eastern edge of the Gardev Mountain Range," explained Mack, comforted greatly by his wife's presence, "I was staring towards the city of Alakaz on the horizon. The city was quite beautiful: in fact, it looked a lot different from the way the city looks now. There were taller buildings and everything seemed like it had been built by a civilization more technologically advanced than the humans who inhabit this world currently are. I felt like I was looking at the future of Alakaz."

"That's interesting," remarked Aura with a friendly smile.

"It was quite a sight, but in an instant…" said Mack with building dread in his voice, "…everything changed. There suddenly was a bright flash of light that blinded me. The light was only there for maybe a second or two. When the intense glare disappeared, the landscape all around me, as far as the eye could see, had changed all of a sudden. The Gardev Mountains were bare with blackened ground: all the trees had been stripped away and the glaciers on the snow-capped peaks had completely vanished. The sky was dark with threatening-looking clouds. Only an occasional flash of lightning with a distant boom of thunder shattered the relative silence of the area. From time to time, a gust of wind would blow about me. I could see no one or nothing that was alive. Now even so much as grass."

"Dear, that sounds terrible…" said Aura with a slight shudder.

"Things only got worse the more I looked around at my surroundings," explained Mack fearfully, "I turned my gaze towards Mt. Ivory. All I saw was a gigantic crater at the summit of the much shorter mountain with not a trace of Olympus. I was very shocked: absolutely overwhelmed by the destruction all around me. Even from where I stood, I could make out the very location of Gardev in the mountain valleys. All I could see from my vantage point were charred ruins in the distance." Aura leaned against Mack, slightly tightening her hold on her mate's hands as the male Gardevoir began to cry.

"Everything was destroyed, Aura! Nothing had survived the horrible devastation which had been unleashed upon the land!" said Mack, sobbing with bitter grief, "There was only one place as far as I could see that had been spared…"

"Alakaz?" asked Aura softly. Mack nodded his head once in reply.

"Yes," answered Mack, "But something was odd about the city… the tall, gleaming buildings were no more. Instead, what looked like a gigantic metal fortress, surrounded by huge walls, loomed over the horizon. I was mystified at this sight, wondering how anyone or anything could have survived, let alone thrived in such a wasteland. At that time, I felt myself being pulled towards the metal fortress with incredible speed, all while more blinding light overwhelmed my vision. The glaring illumination soon abated and I found myself standing at the foot of one of the massive skyscrapers in the middle of Alakaz. From what I could tell, I had been transported back to when Alakaz was at its peek. I looked up towards the large sign attached to the front of the skyscraper, right above the main entryway."

"What did the sign say?" asked a curious Aura. Mack let go of Aura's hands for a moment, only to wipe the tears off his face.

"It read 'Allens Corporation'," replied Mack, "There was also a marquee, made up of thousands of small lights. Obviously, this retro-styled flicker board was used to display messages at the front of the building. The date was soon crawling its way across the flicker board: that date was Thursday, December 31st, 2099."

"Now, that's just creepy…" said a now very uneasy Aura.

"Sadly, my nightmare was far from over," said Mack, taking yet another deep breath, "In a matter of moments, the bright daylight from the afternoon sunshine was replaced with the darkness of a cloudless nighttime sky. The marquee of the Allens Corporation building was counting down to the New Year. The date was still December 31st of the year 2099 and the time was 11:59 PM. A large crowd had gathered in the streets of Alakaz: hundreds of thousands of people and their Pokémon were ready to party in celebration of the coming new century." Aura let go of her mate's hands and wrapped her arms around Mack's torso, holding him tightly, letting him know she was there for him as her husband again began to weep.

"The clock struck midnight…" said Mack dreadfully, "It was now January 1st, 2100 at 12:00 AM. Everyone in the streets was now celebrating the arrival of the New Year. Then, I looked up towards the sky when the entire crowd fell silent. They all had their eyes fixated on the dark sky as several trails of smoke appeared on the horizons in every direction. Moments later, the unmistakable sounds of air raid sirens and all kinds of alarms were sounding as bedlam broke out on the streets of Alakaz. Everyone was running left and right in a panic as the smoke trails came ever closer to the city…" Aura was terrified, hearing the description of her mate's surreal nightmare.

"There were hundreds of bright flashes on the horizon," continued Mack, comforted only by his wife's presence and gentle touch, "From what I could gather, many powerful explosions were going off all around. I turned around fast with my gaze now falling upon the summit of Mt. Ivory. The streets of Alakaz had been cleared in an instant and I heard nothing but a terrifying silence as one of the smoke trails made its descent towards the snow-capped peak. I shielded my eyes reflexively with my hands from a light, brighter than the sun…"

"Wait!" said Aura, now more terrified than before, "Are you talking about a nuclear weapon wiping out Olympus?!"

"I'm afraid so…" said Mack with a whimper, "The intense light eventually faded, revealing a huge mushroom cloud overtaking the mountainous horizon. I looked around towards the other horizons through the gaps in the buildings: all I saw were more mushroom clouds in the distance as several distant, thundering "Booms!" echoed out from all around. I looked up to see what appeared to be another missile, heading straight towards the southern edge of Alakaz from high up above. As the powerful weapon descended towards the city, my vision became black for several horrible seconds. There was no sound and I could not see even my hand in front of my face in the thick darkness." Aura was incredibly scared at the description of her mate's dream. She couldn't believe what she was hearing at all.

"Suddenly, the city of Alakaz reappeared and I could suddenly hear strong winds and the roar of fire as I again stood where I was during the New Year's celebration. All the buildings had been leveled to the ground and fires were burning all about the city. I could now see the horizon in all directions: all my eyes beheld were billowing clouds of smoke in the distance," said Mack hesitantly, "Then; unexpectedly, the ruins of Alakaz were suddenly replaced with streets made of metal and many, many shorter buildings, maybe no taller than four stories, clustered around the gigantic fortress I had seen before standing in the place of the once gleaming city of Alakaz. An eerie silence fell over the entire area. I then felt myself floating through the air with great speed once again towards the fortress. My vision went black once again, but for only a few moments before I could then clearly see what looked like some kind of massive control room. There were huge computers, view-screens and control panels everywhere." Aura kept her eyes open, focusing all her attention on her husband's words, not wanting to even try to imagine what Mack had seen in his dreams not long ago.

"There was a large view screen and control console in front of me, roughly twenty yards away," said Mack, continuing his story, "It looked just like the main control console and view screen I have for interfacing directly with the super-computer in my lab underground and its artificial sentience program, Central. A black chair with a high back was in front of the main control panel and I could see that someone was definitely sitting in the chair. The computer screen suddenly flickered to life and it spoke with Central's voice saying, 'Sir… our special guest has arrived.' The chair slowly spun around, taking several minutes until the being sitting in the chair was facing me."

"Who was it?" asked Aura fearfully.

"It was…" started Mack, his eyes tightly closed, "…Me…"

"How… how can that be…?" asked Aura with utter disbelief, "How could you have been responsible for the destruction of Olympus, Alakaz… No! The whole world?"

"The creature looked just like me when I was in my anthropomorphic fox form," explained a grieving Mack, "He smiled at me: not in an unnerving or evil manner, but in a very friendly way. 'I could never have come this far without you,' is what… I was saying. 'Your final failure has sealed this world's fate and soon, I will be able to journey to worlds beyond the stars and this dimension. Believe me; I shall enjoy conquering your home world, raining destruction down upon your friends and family.' The happy, peaceful expression on the fox's face was soon replaced with an evil grin. 'At last, my spirit finally has a new home, thanks to your body.' The moment he finished his statement, a dark cloud of smoke enveloped the area around me. I couldn't see anything until the vile fog had cleared."

"No… No! That must have been Shadow Mack!" said Aura, no longer doubting her husband's words, "Dare I ask what you saw next…?"

"I saw… you…" replied Mack, "You were now an anthropomorphic vixen and you were wearing your wedding attire, only it was now a sparkling and shimmering black instead of white. You had a blank expression on your face as Shadow Mack glanced towards you and then said, 'Not to worry, I shall take good care of your love. If I'm going to conquer this world and the ones beyond, I won't be able to do so by myself. Believe me; our children will be all too happy to crush anyone who gets in our way.' Shadow Mack then turned his horrid expression towards me. 'And I never would have gotten this far without you… friend…' Shadow Mack slowly stepped towards me, holding his right hand out as if he wanted to shake my hand. 'Thank you… thank you… thank you…' is what he kept saying over and over as he drew ever closer to me." Aura shook her head back and forth vigorously, now wishing she had not asked Mack to tell her about his nightmare. However, Mack was too enthralled with telling about his dream to notice his mate's increasing fear and disgust.

"It was as if the world was moving in slow motion as Shadow Mack came towards me," said Mack, his gaze fixed on something off in the distance, "I watched as the fur on his face began to slowly fall to the ground. Next, the very flesh on his face began to rot and drop to the floor in purple globs, revealing a horrid, grimacing skull… it opened its mouth, filled with sharp, pointed teeth. Maniacal laughter erupted from Shadow Mack's skeletonized mouth as he held out both of his arms, now nothing but bones with outstretched fingers towards me. He kept laughing, thanking me over and over again… Shadow Mack then leapt towards me as if he was going to pounce on me; his face was soon just inches away from my own when darkness suddenly overtook me… It was only then when I awoke…" Aura looked up at Mack's face. His eyes were opened wide, his jaw hung slack as he sat completely motionless on the wooden dance floor.

"…He kept thanking me… thanking me…" said Mack repeatedly, "Yes… you're welcome… Shadow Mack… you're welcome…" Aura was now utterly terrified as she grabbed onto her mate's shoulders and shook him as hard as she could.

"Mack! Love! Can you hear me?! Snap out of it!!" screamed Aura frantically. But for some reason, no matter hard she shook her mate and how loudly she yelled, she could not snap her mate out of the strange trance he was now locked in to. She looked down at Mack's neck and gasped with shock: her mate's sapphire and gold pendant was missing!

"I guess it was inevitable…" said Mack softly, staring out into space, "I won't fight you anymore… it's inevitable… you will win… No… you have won… take your prize… me…" Aura quickly collected herself and focused her power. The female Guardian's pendant began to glow with an intense red light. It was then when Aura saw a black field of energy surrounding her mate's body. Mack suddenly stood up and began to walk towards the massive window at the wall on the opposite side of the ballroom. Aura turned her gaze towards the huge window. She let out a bloodcurdling scream when she saw a pair of horrible, glowing red eyes glaring at her from the other side of the window. The shadowed creature turned its awful gaze upon Aura for a but a moment before again fixing its eyes upon Mack.

"Behind… you…" said Mack weakly. Aura turned around fast to see her mate's pendant now lying on the opposite side of the ballroom on the floor. Without hesitation, Aura grasped onto the pendant with telekinesis, lifting it into the air and sent it flying towards her. Aura turned around towards her mate: he was now only a few feet away from the window and the malevolent, shadowed figure with its red eyes focused on Mack.

"Yes… I will soon be yours…" said Mack with a raspy voice. Suddenly, the horrible gaze from the red-eyed monster was replaced with a wide-eyed expression of fear as Mack's pendant floated over his head and then slid down around his neck. In an instant, the male Guardian was snapped out of the trance and the dark aura about his body vanished into thin air. Mack narrowed his eyes at the shadowed figure.

"I know you're here, Shadow Mack!" snarled Mack with utmost hatred, "Are you ready to face me now?!" Aura ran up to her mate's side as the shadowed figure suddenly sprinted away towards the darkened forests beyond the mansion's backyard. At that moment, Mack and Aura gathered as much of their power as they could muster. The sapphire and ruby pendants around the Guardians' neck were blazing brightly with intense red and blue light. Suddenly, Mack and Aura thrust their arms forward with the fingers on their hands spread out as a gigantic beam of blinding white light shot forth from their hands, passed harmlessly through the massive window of the ballroom and towards the forest. An immense explosion rocked the entire village, instantly waking up every soul, human and Pokémon alike. Mack glanced at Aura with a serious look on his face. Aura, with an expression of great determination on her face, nodded her head in reply to an unspoken question. Without a word, the two Guardians of Gardev ran out of the mansion side-by-side. Once they were outdoors, they spread their majestic wings and took to the sky. Bright light was radiating from their hands as they flew towards the edge of the forest. They set foot on the ground at the edge of a large crater that had been blasted into the ground from their potent energies. Lying in the middle of the crater was a lone Houndoom.

"Aura! Look!" shouted Mack, pointing at a shiny object that was wrapped around the Houndoom's neck, "The Black Pendant!"

"Then let's end this now!" yelled Aura with hot anger. However, the moment the Guardians set foot in the crater, the entire area around them was suddenly obscured by a thick cloud of black smoke. Aura screamed from sheer terror while Mack covered his mouth, not wanting to breathe in the horrid smoke. The black cloud soon dissipated, vanishing without a trace and revealing nothing but an empty crater.

"Oh, no! This! This can't be!" said a disbelieving Mack, dropping to his knees from stark frustration, "How… how could he have gotten away so easily…? We had him… we had Shadow Mack in the palms of our hands…" Aura stood motionless out of shock with her eyes opened wide.

"Mack… didn't you recognize that Houndoom…?" asked Aura weakly.

"Should… should I have?" stammered Mack, glancing over his right shoulder towards his wife.

"That was Jake's Houndoom," replied a completely unnerved Aura, "Remember, Mack…? He went missing not long after we defeated Dr. Namwen. The Black Pendant managed to escape us in that final battle against Cipher… and then… it ensnared Cedric…"

"Say what?!" yelled an astonished Mack, "How could Shadow Mack have ensnared Cedric with the Black Pendant? He was our friend!"

"That is exactly why Shadow Mack forced him to bear the Black Pendant," said a wise and elderly voice from behind the Guardians. Mack and Aura turned around fast, their gaze falling upon Glacian and Gloria, the rulers of Olympus. They stood before the Guardians in their full royal splendor.

"What… what are you doing here?" asked Aura fearfully, "Why are you up so late…?" Glacian walked towards the female Guardian: he could easily tell that Aura's mind had been completely overwhelmed with shock, grief and sheer terror. Glacian tenderly held Aura's hands in his own.

"You can rest easy, Aura," said Glacian softly, "You and Mack are safe now." It took well over an hour for Warren, the mayor of Gardev, to reassure the few village residents that everything was now okay. The few dozen people who still called Gardev home were all too happy to get back to sleep, especially since all seemed to be well. However, they were blissfully unaware that things had just taken a most dire turn. Glacian, Gloria, Simon, William, Warren, Jake and Agatha were now having a meeting in the mansion's main dining room. They sat at the table as Mack and Aura told the story of the horrible events which had just taken place. Everyone at the table was shocked upon hearing about the Guardians' horrifying ordeal. Glacian was especially troubled at this turn of events.

"So… my dream of Mack falling to Shadow Mack was not a dream after all…" said Glacian with a scowl on his face.

"What are you talking about?" demanded Mack impatiently, "Since when did you know something like this was going to happen?" Glacian glared at the male Guardian.

"I woke up Gloria and then teleported her and myself to Gardev just minutes after waking up from my nightmare," said Glacian firmly, "We Pokémon may not believe in luck, but I think you are very fortunate at how this night has turned out."

"At least it's all over now," said Aura with a sigh of relief.

"On the contrary," said Glacian with dread, "I'm afraid this matter may be far from over. I never imagined that Shadow Mack would try something so brazen!"

"Nothing is beneath that monster, trust me," said Mack with an angry huff, "You may recall how Shadow Mack tried to kill the unborn child of King Cyrus and Queen Alexi when they were trying to purge Shadow Mack's spirit from the Black Pendant. The king and queen's advisors were all killed in their brave, yet foolhardy attempt to purify that evil relic."

"So it seems…" said Glacian, nodding his head a few times, "Nonetheless, I don't think any of you have any idea just how close we came to a disaster tonight. I can't imagine what would have happened if Mack had been possessed by the Black Pendant."

"I only wish I had been there to help Mack and Aura fight off that thing," said a disappointed Simon gruffly, "Maybe then we could have ended this living nightmare once and for all."

"Maybe so, but I would not be so hasty. After all, King Cyrus's advisors were all immensely powerful Gardevoirs and Shadow Mack slew them all with one swift stroke," said Glacian fearfully, "At any rate, we're going to have to be extra vigilant from now on. Shadow Mack could try and possess any of us next. It appears that wretched creature merely has to get close enough to someone in order to take over their mind and body."

"Well, that is quite true, but only to an extent," said Mack, instantly drawing the attention of everyone in the dining room. The sage Gardevoir king glanced at the Guardian with a hopeful expression on his face.

"Is that so?" asked a curious Glacian, "Please, elaborate."

"Indeed I shall," said Mack with a nod of his head, pausing for a few moments to collect himself and draw a couple deep breaths, "In general, Shadow Mack can take control of anyone by having contact between his spirit and his supposed target. However, Shadow Mack can only bond with someone easily who will help him carry out his plans, but also will willingly allow that dark spirit to posses him. With an alliance between Shadow Mack and his host body, the host gains incredible power. This has been the norm every time I end up traveling into another dimension: Shadow Mack follows me, finds a willing puppet and then he and said puppet attempt to destroy me."

"I see," said an understanding Glacian, "Shadow Mack can only take control of those who choose to do his bidding."

"But that would not explain how that vile creature was almost able to posses Mack," said Gloria, fear evident in her voice.

"Well…" continued Mack with a thoughtful look in his eyes, "There was one time where Shadow Mack managed to take control of someone who outright refused an alliance with my nemesis. On top of that, Shadow Mack's victim was someone I had befriended. From what I can tell, my old enemy overwhelmed my friend's mind, probably with horrifying images and sounds that only he could detect. Once Shadow Mack saw an opportunity to enter my friend's weakened mind, he did. From there, my nemesis proceeded to embark on yet another quest to annihilate me."

"What happened next?" asked a worried Aura. Mack glanced over at his concerned mate with a smile on his face.

"To make a long story short, I was eventually locked in combat with my friend. I wish I could remember his name: this happened thousands of years ago…" said Mack, the male Gardevoir stroking his chin with his left hand, "Anyway, I managed to defeat my possessed friend and I banished Shadow Mack's spirit from his body and mind. My friend survived the fight, which was actually the easiest battle I ever had against my persistent foe. Since then, Shadow Mack has never again tried to use anyone as an unwilling pawn in his schemes."

"Hmmm… I see…" said Glacian with some relief.

"That still doesn't explain why Shadow Mack tried to posses you through the Black Pendant, Guardian," said Simon, his sharp gaze fixed upon the winged male Gardevoir in ballet attire. Mack took another deep breath before he spoke again.

"Believe it or not, this is not the first time Shadow Mack has tried to posses my body and mind directly," admitted the Guardian, much to the surprise of everyone sitting at the table.

"Really?!" exclaimed a wide-eyed Glacian, "Then how on Earth did you manage to defend yourself against his power? If Aura had not been with you in the ballroom, I doubt you would have been able to fend off his evil influence on your own."

"You are correct, your highness," said Mack bluntly, "Aura really did save my life earlier tonight. With memories of a horrific nightmare still fresh on my very distraught and despairing mind, this was the perfect time for my nemesis to strike. This is the third time Shadow Mack has tried to take control of me, which is why I make sure I am never alone. I always have had Central and K-1 at my side, as well as the few trusted friends I made in other worlds."

"Do you think Shadow Mack purposely filled your sleep with those horrid dreams so he could try and overpower your mind?" asked Aura. The male Gardevoir slowly swiveled his head back and forth in reply to his mate's question.

"Perhaps it is an omen of things to come?" suggested Glacian, "All Gardevoirs have the gift of foresight, Mack. Perhaps what you saw was an image of how things may turn out in the future?"

"That possibility crossed my mind," said Mack, shrugging his shoulders, "Though I find it much easier to believe all I was seeing was a vivid nightmare: nothing more."

"Well, I certainly have learned over time to be wary of dreams," said Glacian with a firm tone of voice, "I remember having a dream when I was a Kirlia which I would one day marry a ballet teacher." Gloria glanced over at her husband with a look of shock and bewilderment on her face.

"You never told me about that," said Gloria with a raised eyebrow, "Does this mean I somehow am destined to become a ballerina? I never was very good at ballet. I can't remember how many times I fell down in class before the teachers agreed ballet simply was not my forte and they let me take another class instead." Glacian merely chuckled warmly as he reached to his left side, gently taking up his queen's hands in his own.

"You are still a wonder on the dance floor whenever we waltz," said Glacian, "I believe what I saw was just a vain dream, imagined by a very young and immature male Kirlia."

"Aura did mention how being a good dancer is one way to get the attention of the opposite gender," said Mack with a smirk.

"That's very true," said Glacian with warm laughter. Everyone in the room laughed or at least cracked a smile: save for one rather irritated and also very tired Kabutops.

"Could we please get back on track here?" asked Simon impatiently, his eyes falling on Mack and Aura, "So, Mack: your adversary has tried multiple times to posses you."

"His only goal right now is to claim my body as his own in revenge for destroying his body in his home world," interrupted Mack, "That is the only reason why he continues to pursue me."

"That being said, I believe he will try again sooner or later to claim your body," cautioned Simon. The Kabutops turned his head to his left suddenly, taking a glance out one of the dinning room's bay windows. Simon could easily make out several dark shapes at the edge of the darkened forest.

"What do you see out there?" asked an alarmed Glacian.

"A group of several dozen Houndooms," replied Simon, narrowing his eyes at the Dark-Type Pokémon in the distance, "One of them is wearing a pendant around his neck."

"Most troubling…" said Glacian, "Not only is Cedric being controlled by the Black Pendant, but he appears to be a member of that Houndoom gang which has had control over the Gardev Vineyards for decades. To make things worse, they are out there right now, watching us…" Mack and Aura stood up from the table.

"Then we're going out there to finish this fight!" declared a very determined Mack. Aura nodded her head once in agreement.

"Are those Houndooms in the forest or are they standing on my property?" asked Warren with despair.

"They are right at the edge of the forest, inches away from your property boundary, why?" demanded Simon.

"Then Mack and Aura cannot fight them," said Warren with a sigh.

"What do you mean we can't go after those monsters?" asked Mack, his eyes opened wide with disbelief.

"Mack, Aura…" said Warren despairingly, "You are aware you both are the legal property of the current mayor of Gardev, which would be me, right?" The Guardians nodded their heads in reply.

"This means you must obey the laws of the land," explained Warren with a frown, "The land all around this village, including the famous vineyards, is included in the game preserve, which is spread out all over the mountains of this region. Any troublesome Pokémon who live outside the boundaries of the village may not be dealt with without an official permit, issued by the government."

"You must be joking…" said a disbelieving Simon, "You mean the Guardians of Gardev can't defend themselves against wild Pokémon unless they actually set foot in the borders of this village?"

"Sadly, that is the case," answered Warren with an angry scowl on his face, "The penalties are severe for 'Interfering' with the local wildlife. Unless dangerous Pokémon actually enter the village and pose a threat to life, limb and property, no one, with the exception of a Pokémon Ranger, may deal with troublesome wildlife without a permit. Mack, Aura: I don't like the way things are going or the laws that have been laid down, but I could go to jail for the rest of my life if you attack any Pokémon in the game preserve that are not posing a direct threat to the village and have actually crossed the border into town. In order for the Houndooms to be driven from the vineyards and way from the village, it would require an 'Act of Nature'."

"An act of nature…" said Glacian with a heavy sigh, "I have thought about retaking the vineyards for decades so my people and yours as well Warren, could partake of the finest wine grapes in the world. However, there are literally hundreds of Houndooms who now call the vineyards home. We Gardevoirs are weak against Dark-Type attacks. Even all the members of the Elite Guard in Olympus wouldn't stand a chance against them, despite the fact that Gallades have a type advantage over the Houndooms. Even if I sent highly-trained Gardevoirs into battle, including the entire royal family, hundreds of my people would be lost to those vicious brutes. Of course, the local Pokémon are too afraid to fight that Houndoom gang and I certainly do not blame them for their well-founded fear."

"Then why I don't I go out there and teach them a lesson?" asked Simon gruffly, "I don't belong to any human; thus, any actions I take could be considered, quote: 'An Act of Nature'."

"There are too many of them, Simon. You would be outnumbered over 300 to one," warned Glacian sternly.

"Bah! I've taken on entire armies of Pokémon in the past without much trouble," scoffed Simon.

"That will be enough!!" thundered Glacian, standing up from the table, his voice fraught with hot anger, "Simon: you know as well as I you would not stand a chance against the Black Pendant. Even if you were to defeat any Houndoom which would defend Cedric, you would be killed very quickly by the power of that corrupted artifact. No doubt Cedric, since he now bears the Black Pendant, is the leader of those Houndooms. You would fight very bravely and die very quickly."

"If only you were mistaken," said Simon with an angry huff, "I admit: I would not be able to face them all head on, but I don't think Mack, Aura or any of us should have to live in fear, waiting for those vile cretins to step over an invisible line before you can defend yourselves."

"I hate to say this, Simon, but I don't like this any more than you do," said Mack calmly to the forlorn Kabutops, "As the Guardians of Gardev, Aura and I have to obey the laws of the land. If there was nothing holding us back, I would go into battle with you against the Houndooms."

"So would I," said Aura with affirmation. Glacian, the great Gardevoir king, sat back down in his seat at the dining room table without another word. His eyes were closed and the sage ruler had a smile on his face.

"Something on your mind, old friend?" asked a curious Warren.

"Yes…" replied Glacian calmly, "You may not be able to sense it, but those Houndooms are actually afraid of the Guardians. Mack and Aura's powers of light would cut them down with relative ease. Though the Guardians may not be able to engage those dark canines in battle, the power Mack and Aura posses is more than enough to keep them at bay should they foolishly attack the village. Should those adversaries cross the line, they will be fair game for the Guardians of Gardev."

"The more I think about it, I believe Shadow Mack is getting desperate," said Mack with confidence, "He made a failed attempt to ensnare my body and mind through the Black Pendant, but also with my wife at my side, ready to defend me if needed."

"You also were not wearing your pendant when Shadow Mack tried to posses you," said Aura, now feeling more cheerful, "The moment I got it back around your neck, you snapped out of that trance. Maybe the pendants offer some protection against the dark power of your enemy?" Glacian, agreeing wholeheartedly with Aura's observation, nodded his head.

"I would have to say so," said Glacian, feeling more relieved as time had passed: as was everyone else in the dining room.

"I don't think he'll try a move like that again," said Mack with a very firm and assured tone of voice.

"Agreed," said Glacian, his tone of voice shifting from one of cheerfulness to one of seriousness, "Nonetheless, we must be wary. I never imagined the Black Pendant would be so close to Gardev. Even if Shadow Mack is unable to face the Guardians in a fight, that artifact could still kill any of us quite easily."

"Maybe…" said Mack, "…but maybe not. To be honest, I don't think my adversary actually possesses the Black Pendant. Its power would be much greater if his spirit was locked in the gemstone at the pendant's core."

"You could be right," remarked Aura, "Even while Shadow Mack was trying to take control of your body and mind, you were still able to communicate with me, letting me know where your pendant was in the ballroom. It's like the Black Pendant is some kind of… extension of Shadow Mack's spirit."

"This wouldn't be the first time he has split his essence to try and get an edge over me," said Mack matter-of-factly.

"Well, it's getting late and I am still very tired, especially after this night's ordeal," said Glacian with a yawn, "We should all try and get some more sleep. However, I think Gloria and I can stay here for the rest of the night and most of tomorrow, just to be on the safe side."

"You know I'm not going to let anything happen to Mack and Aura or anyone else in this village so long as I reside here," said Simon, "I'll be paying a lot more attention to happenings in and around Gardev for at least the next month."

"I'll let the inhabitants of the village know of the threat those Houndoom posses and tell all the residents to be very cautious," said Warren.

"You know Angel and I are going to be on watch as well. After all, we are the relief Guardians of Gardev," said Ramirez.

"Then let us be careful in the days ahead and keep a close eye on one another," said a cautious Gloria. With that, Glacian and Gloria made their way towards an unoccupied room in the mansion not far from Mack and Aura's bedroom suite. Warren and Agatha returned to their rooms for the rest of the night, as did Simon. Ramirez happily carried Angel back to their room: the newlywed relief Guardians still adorned in their wedding splendor as a sign of celebration of their recent marriage. Soon, Mack and Aura were on their own in the dimly-lit dining room. Only after taking a glance into the dark forests beyond the edge of the village did Mack finally feel safe. The group of Houndooms had vanished into the night. Aura giggled happily as she stepped behind her mate and tightly wrapped her arms around him in yet another loving embrace.

"Let's go, love," said Aura sweetly, "We should get to bed so you can spend the rest of the night with a lovely ballerina in your arms." Mack chuckled warmly, blushing slightly as he spun about to face his wife, still locked in her tight embrace.

"As you wish, my princess," said Mack tenderly.

"Well?" asked Aura with a playful wink, "What are you waiting for, dear: a royal invitation, my pretty prince?"

"Actually," said Mack, smiling as he put his arms around his loving wife, "Yes." Aura closed her eyes, giggling with delight as Mack swept her off her feet and lovingly cradled her in his arms. Without another word, the Guardians of Gardev, adorned in shimmering ballet dresses, slippers and jeweled tiaras, made their way towards their bedroom for the night.

"I'm going to close the blinds in our room," said Mack softly to his blushing mate, "I think we deserve to sleep in for once after what we had to deal with." Aura, a blissful smile on her face, nodded her head in agreement. Outside the mansion, peering out from the edge of the dark woods was a single pair of glowing eyes: their gaze fixated upon the lavish Gardev mansion.

"I was so close…" thought Shadow Mack, in full control of Cedric the Houndoom's body, "I may never have such an opportunity ever again, especially as everyone in that mansion is now on to me."

"I said you would never succeed," said Cedric's voice happily from the mind of the possessed Houndoom, "Sooner or later, the Guardians are going to come for me. You know as well as I you don't have complete control over me!"

"I'll be sure to remedy that once I fully break your will!" snapped Shadow Mack angrily.

"Give it your best shot," taunted Cedric confidently, "Mack and Aura are my friends and I don't believe they would abandon me to a heartless monster like you!"

"Are you so sure?" asked Shadow Mack with a cruel chuckle, "They won't go out of the way to save you. So long as those laws I put through the Gardev Region Senate hold up, the Guardians will never willingly break the law to attack my small Houndoom army. Not if they have to put their precious mayor in danger."

"We'll see…" said Cedric with a harsh tone of voice, "I've been patiently waiting to be free of you for over 3 years and I can go another 100 if I have to."

"Be careful what you say, Cedric…" warned Shadow Mack with soft, evil laughter, "You may just get exactly what you speak of." As for Jake, the grandson of the current mayor of Gardev, he couldn't help but at least be happy that his faithful Houndoom companion was still alive, but also grieved.

"I hope Mack and Aura will be able to return Cedric to me and my family one of these days: as soon as they possibly can…" thought Jake despairingly, staring out into the dark forests which surrounded the small, almost abandoned village of Gardev.

>To Be Continued...