Hi-hi! Keptcha waiting long enough, right? ;) Here it is, the last part of
Tears of the Deep, just as I promised those of you who were nice enough to 
ask (y'all know who you are, so give yourself a nice, big pat on the back!)
Disclaimer: Pokemon does not belong to me, it belongs to Nintendo, 4 kids,
Wizards...basicly, anyone but me ^_^
Now, enjoy the story...

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"Where do we go next?" Jenny asked.
"Welll..." Ash said, pulling the scroll out of his pocket."We only have one
left, so here goes..."

'A firey death
you can suffer here,
for you will be ash,
that is clear.
You must get hot,
to keep your head cool,
The Tear you seek,
is near a boiling pool.
Look for me,
a firey sentry,
For you, and six tears you may shed,
I will permit entry.
Good luck and goodbye,
Mastersson, a choice you must make.
For what's between life and death,
a risk you must take.'

"Well, well, well." Ash breathed."Cinnabar Island..."
"What?"
"Cinnabar...That's where we need to go. Where else would we suffer a firey 
death?"
"He's right." Brock said with a shrug.
"Okay, let's go."

It took a while to get there, but when they did...

"This place is deserted!" Misty gasped.
It was true: Cinnabar Island was a ghost town, er, island. Absolutely no 
people or Pokemon were around.
"It's official, folks, I'm scared out of my pants." Brock stated. Jenny 
pictured Brock without his pants and gagged.
"Jenny? Are you okay?" Misty asked.
"Yeah, I was just..."
Misty smiled wryly.
"I know."
"C'mon, you guys, we've gotta figure out where all the people are." Ash'
said, looking around.Something streaked past them in a blur of colour."Hey! 
What the H E double hockey sticks was that?!"
"I dunno, but we'd better follow it!" Jenny replied.

What ever it was led them on a wild goose chase throught the mazes of houses
and buildings lining the streets, dodging into alleys and disapearing, only
to reapear behind them.
"OH GOD!!!" Misty groaned."What is that THING?!?!"
"Grrrrrr!" it responded.
"Hey! I know what it is!" Jenny said, tackling it."It's a Growlithe!"
"Grow-ow!" it screamed, trying to get loose.
"This is my sisters Growlithe!" Jenny cried, spying the blue i.d tattoo on 
the inside of the struggling Pokemon's ear."Growlithe, please calm down!
It's Jenny, Jenny's sister!"
Growlithe stopped struggling, and turned his head to face Jenny. Whimpering,
he licked her cheek.
"Ahh, so you remember me, huh?" Jenny asked."Tell me, where is everybody?"
In assorted whimpers, yips, and barks, Jenny had the whole story from the
puppy Pokemon.
"Okay, he says that something bad happened here, that something drove all
the people away, and he was separated from my sister awhile ago, and can't
find her."
"What kind of bad thing?" Brock asked.
"He doesn't know." Jenny shrugged."I'm sure we'll find out soon."
"That's real assuring, Jenny." Ash said, rolling his eyes.
"I bet it's something dangerous!" Brock shouted, siddling up to Jenny."Don't
you worry, I'll protect you!"
Disgusted, Jenny elbowed Brock in the eye as she pushed by, casually
stomping on his foot. Brock hopped around holding his eye and foot.
"Thanks but no thanks, I can take care of myself!"

"Okay, I think we have to go...to the volcano..." Ash said, reading the
scroll again.
"Okay, it's that way, right?" Misty asked, pointing to the left.
"No, it's that way." Ash said, pointing in front of them. Growlithe nodded,
and lead them off in the right direction.

"Okay, we're here, so now what?" Jenny asked.
"Umm, we have to find a 'boiling pool'." Brock said. They all looked at each
other.
"The hot springs!"

"Ash, you, Pikachu, and Growlithe go that way," Misty said, gesturing to the
right."and we'll go this way."
"Okay, fair enough."

Ash surveyed the area, his eyes resting on a red sandstone Magmar.
*That's funny, that wasn't there the last time I was here.*
"Hey, Pikachu." Ash called to his friend, who was splashing around in the
water with Growlithe. Pikachu jumped out of the water, and shook himself
off.
"Pika pi?"
"Look over there." Ash said, pointing to the statue. Pikachu looked and
scratched his fuzzy head.
"Pika pika pi pikachu pika..." (that wasn't there before...) Pikachu mused.
"E-zackly." Ash nodded."Let's check it out."

It seemed solid enough, but Ash knew there was something about that statue
that had to do with the pearl he was hunting for. After half an hour of
pushing, pulling, pounding, and litterally trying to smash it to bits, Ash
and Pikachu leaned against the statue, completely worn out. Something behind
them moved. Ash sat up straight.
"Pikachu?"
"Pika?" (what?) Pikachu asked irritably.
"Did you just...feel something move?"
"Pika pika pika chu chu pikachu?" (what are you talking about Ash?)
"Behind us."
"Pik." (no)
"Oh, okay, I thought I did..."
It happened again.
"Pika...!" (yipe...!)
"Oh, so you felt it this time, did you?"
"Pika pi pikachu chu!" (you bet I did!)
Growlithe wandered over, saw what was behind them, and cowered.
"What's the matter, Growlithe?"
"Gro-ooowlll..." Growlithe whined. Ash and Pikachu loooked behind
themselves, saw a dark shadow creep around the corner, and freaked out. They
also saw what was moving. The statue. They dove out of the way as it toppled
over and smashed into hundreds of tiny pieces right where they had been
sitting. Something round, shiney, and blue rolled out of the rubble.
"The pearl!" Ash shouted, grabbing for it. As soon as his fingers made
contact with it, Ash gripped his head, screaming. The voices again! They
were screaming, nay, shrieking at him to get rid of the pearl. In a minute,
they were gone, and that left Ash curled up in a ball, crying. Pikachu
patted him on the head, while Growlithe dug out the last box and a torn
piece of parchment.

"Did you hear that?" Brock asked, looking around.
"What?" Misty asked."I didn't hear anything."
"Neither did I."
"It sounded like someone screamed." Briock insisted.
"It's just your over-active imagination." Misty snapped.
"It sounded like Ash."
"What?!?!!" Misty shrieked, turning and running back the way they had come.
Brock and Jenny ran after her.

Only, they didn't get far. Something black, shadowy, and..._evil_,
surrounded them, trapping them like Rattata's, preventing their escape.
Misty screamed before whatever it was swallowed them completely.

Ash sat up, breathing hard, and accepted the parchment. He was surprised
when it wasn't a poem.

'You must act quickly, mastertsson, your friends are in danger.'

Ash stopped. Were his friends in danger, for real? The parchment looked
pretty old, it had to be more than 50 years, so how did the kook who wrote
this know? Ash felt compelled to keep reading.

'Years and years ago, I, too, found the pearls. But with them came a price.
I accidentally released..._something_, something dangerous...something
_evil_. It happened so quickly, when I placed the pearls together, they
became one, but also released the evil unto the world. I split the pearl
back into six, once more, but I was not quick enough, and the evil infected
the earth. Since then, I have lived to do nothing but destroy that evil and
the pearls which have plagued me ever since I found them. But, I cannot
destroy them, I am powerless against them. Now, I have waited and waited,
finally hiding them where perhaps they will be safe until the right person
shall find them. Now, I can no longer fight the power of the evil I released,
and it is up to _you_ now to fight in my place, or your friends will pay
with their lives.'

Ash swallowed, and kwept reading.

'There is a chance you might save them. You must reform the pearl into one,
Poisidens Tear, and release the Angelis Crystal hidden within. You are the
only one who can defeat the evil. Now, I must go, my time is near. Good
luck,

Matthew C. Ketchum'

Ash gasped, staring at the name. That name...
"Pikachu!" his fuzzy yellow friend yelled, tugging on Ash's pants and
pointing behind him. Ash turned, and stared. It was a Magmar. Blaine's
Magmar. It beckoned for them to follow it.

Misty slowly opened her eyes. Brock and Jenny were laying a few feet away,
out cold. Looking up, she screamed. The shadowy thing was pacing back and
forth across the floor in front of what appeared to be the only exit of...
wherever they were. It was a large cavern beside a lava pit. The cinnabar
gym! It let out an unpleasant laugh, as if it was enjoying her terror. Brock
and Jenny bolted awake and screamed, too.

Ash followed Magmar inside the volcano, down the stairs, past the gym doors,
which were blocked by rubble from...heaven knows what, and down another set
of stairs, these hidden carefully. Suddenly, they stopped. There was a door.
Ash walked up to it, and put his hand out. Magmar fled back they way they
had come.
"HEY!" Ash shouted in protest. Magmar wasn't listening, he kept going, as if
frightened of what lay behind the door. Ash looked at Pikachu and Growlithe.
They were cowering aginst his legs, Pikachu whimpering, and Growlithe 
snarling. They sensed something that he didn't.

The shadow stood in front of the door, menacing his captives with obvious 
glee. Aparently, he like fear and terror.

Ash reached out and jerked the door open. Inside was a set of narrow stairs,
leading up.
"What kind of joke is this?!" Ash shouted, his voice loudly echoing off the
walls.

What Ash didn't know was that when the sound traveled he was giving away his
position.

The shadow stopped tormenting Misty, Brock, and Jenny, looking around as if
it heard something it didn't like.

Ash, Pikachu, and Growlithe climed the stairs until they came to a small
ledge. There was something carved into it. A pokeball. Something came over
Ash, his eyes took on the look of those pocessed. Reaching out, he touched
the pokeball. A blue glow filled the small stairway. The pearls shifted in
their cases, rattling to get out. Ash's arm jerked like someone was
manipulating it, and pulled the cases from his backpack. They burst open,
and the pearls, which seemed to have a life of their own, floated up in
front of Ash, circled him, and, one by one, changed into light, which formed
a ball of blue light. They became a new pearl, which settled into Ash's
hand. He yawned, and rubbed his eyes.
"What's going on?"
"Pika chu chu pika pi pika!"
"Grow-ow-ow-lithe growl!"
"Don't be silly!" Ash scoffed."Me? Pocessed? Yeah right!"

The shadow seemed to be very upset, and it threw a temper tantrum to show
it. Misty cowered against the wall with Brock and Jenny. They were afraid of
what the...thing, yes, that was appropriate, the thing was going to do to
them. It started to go after Misty, its eyes glowing blood red.

Ash, Pikachu, and Growlithe reached the end of the stairs. Once again,
Pikachu whimpered, and Growlithe snarled. Ash mustered his courage and
looked above the ridge that hid the stairs from view. What he saw made his
blood boil: the shadow was screaming at his friends, threatening them, and
what was worse, it was trying to hurt Misty. As rage overtook Ash's body, he
let out a shriek of pure rage and showed the shadow what an upper-cut looked
like from the recieving end.

Misty gaped as Ash's fist contacted with the shadow's face so hard that it
caved in, and he'd split his knuckles through the glove. She had never known
that he'd had it in him.
*At least it's solid.* Ash thought grimly, inspecting his knuckles with
obvious distaste for the blood.
"Ash!" Brock shouted in relief, finally finding his voice. Ash turned
slowly, eyes glittering, fist bleeding. He smiled at Brock and Jenny, then
kneeled beside Misty.
"Ash..." Misty said in a choked voice. Ash put a finger to her lips, and
wrapped Misty in a tight hug.
"Don't talk, just go."
"Wha-at?"
"Go, that way." Ash said, pointing to where Pikachu and Growlithe were
waiting patiently."Now."
"But Ash-"
"I don't want to hear it."
"Ash, please-"
"No buts, no excuses. Get going!" Ash snapped, gripping the pearl tightly.
The shadowy thing was recovering, and it was not a happy little Tauros
[Note: think 'happy little buffalo' from digimon season 2]. Brock jumped up
and was about to speak when Ash glared at him. He backed away nervously,
grabbing Misty and Jenny by the wrists. Misty wriggled free, and backed
into a corner as if to say 'touch and die, bud, I'm staying'. Ash wasn't
paying attention anymore; he was staring down the shadow, which was staring
back. Brock dragged Jenny away, knowing if he insisted that Misty came too,
he'd face the wrath of her mallet.
::So, puny mortal, you think you can stop me?::
*Damn right, you overgrown sorry excuse for a Ghastly!*
::Ahh, so you have a sense of humor?:: the shadow threw back his head and
laughed a nerve grating laugh.::Matthew had a sense of humor, too, but where
did it end him up? DEAD! Just like _you_ will!::
*Bring it on!*
The shadow screamed angrily at Ash's impudence.
::I, Jarlen, will destroy you! You will know true pain and suffering when I
am through with you!::
Ash just gave Jarlen the finger, which enraged him/it so much, he/it lashed
out at Ash, nearly catching him off gaurd. Ash leapt out of the way,
delivering another swift punch to Jarlen's face.

For the next half hour in the sweltering heat, Ash eluded Jarlen, fighting
guerilla style, using the shadows for cover, then lashing out with assorted
punches and kicks. Misty watched from her corner, open mouthed, pressed
tightly against the rocky wall.

*Getting slow, Jarlen!*
::I will kill you!::
*Yeah, if you can catch me!*
::How's this?!::
Ash cried out as Jarlen swept him off his feet, depositing the bewildered
boy near the edge of the lava pit.

Misty shrieked as she saw Jarlen trip Ash. He was _so_close to the lava pit.
She ran to his side.

"Do you think we were wrong to leave them like that?" Jenny asked, huddling
close to Brock for the first time.
"Yes. But I know better than to mess with Ash, or Misty, when they get those
looks in their eyes." Brock answered, enjoying the closeness with Jenny.

"MISTY!" Ash shouted angrily."I told you to leave!"
"I couldn't just leave you here!" Misty wailed. Ash stared at her in
anguish. He saw Jarlen behind her, and pushed her away just as he/it shot a
bolt of black energy to where she had been sitting. He landed on top of
Misty, their lips making contact. Ash shoved her away gently, and turned to
Jarlen, protecting Misty with his back.
*Touch her and die!*
::Try and stop me, mortal!::
"What?!" Ash shouted, as Jarlen's arm, or at least what looked like an arm,
shot out and and grabbed Misty by the ankle, pulling her away from Ash.
Jarlen dangled Misty, who was shrieking, over Ash's head, laughing evily.
Ash let out a shriek that was reminiscent of an angry male cougar who's had
his territory stolen.
"Put her down!"
::Aww, now why would I do that?::
"NOW!"
::Alright, I'll put her down.:: Jarlen shrugged. He/it held Misty out over
the lava pit.::But I didn't say where!::
He/it began to laugh evily. Ash gritted his teeth.

Misty kept shrieking. She was slipping. Jarlen let go! She was falling! Ash
went wild, knowing what he had to do. He launched himself towards Jarlen,
and lunged for Misty. He grabbed her hand just in time, pulled her up, and
slipped over the edge himself.

Misty lay on the ground, hyperventilating. She was safe...! She sat up to
hug Ash, but he wasn't there. Misty looked around. He wasn't there. She
heard a splash below. Eyes wide, Misty realized what had happened.
"ASH! NOOOO!"

Just before Ash hit what was certain to be his demise, he closed his eyes,
a tear slipping from one. It hit the pearl. It began to glow, and formed a
large, clear crystal. The Angelis Crystal!

Misty sat sobbing into her hands. Even Jarlen was stunned that Ash had
sacrificed himself for Misty.

Somehow, Ash opened his eyes. All he saw was a sea of burning liquid red,
which, strangely, didn't burn him. All he heard was a steady pounding, what
could only be described as a heartbeat. His heartbeat! He was alive!

In his hand, the Angelis Crystal began to glow. Its power flowed through
Ash's body. He thrashed around in pain. Ash began to change...

He had wings...his smile was serene...there was an aura of bright light
around him...he was an angel!

Misty screamed. Ash having died (or so they thought), Jarlen was taking
his/it's anger out on her.

Ash heard the scream, and kicked towards the surface. His newly grown wings
helped a lot.

Misty lay beaten on the ground, Jarlen laughing triumphantly. A sudden burst
of pure white light behind him/it made him stop and cower with fear.
::Angelis!::

Angelis's long, black hair swayed, and his brown eyes snapped with an inner
fire. He wore only white pants, white boots, and the Angelis Crystal on a
gold chain around his neck.
"Jarlen, your reign of evil and terror ends here!" he said in a low voice.
He heald out his palms, cupped together. White power began to form there,
growing brighter and brighter with each passing second. Jarlen howled and
tried to attack, but was met with a fist of pure light. He disintigrated
immediatly.

Misty pressed herself to the ground, hardly daring to breathe. Whoever,
whatever Angelis was, he was coming closer. He pulled the crystal necklace
off, and became...

"ASH!" Misty shrieked.

Ash smiled, and picked Misty up in his arms.
"Did you really think I'd die," he whispered in her ear."and leave you here
all alone?"
Misty started sobbing into Ash's chest. Ash was content to hold her, feel
the silkyness of her skin against his own, and listen to the voices one last
time. Insteadof screams, now he heard whispers of 'thank you'.

Brock and Jenny were sitting, curled up together, waiting for their friends
to return. Jenny had fallen asleep in Brocks lap. Brock sat up straighter.
He saw Ash and Misty, walking towards them, holding hands...!
"Hey!" he shouted."Ash! Misty!"
Ash looked up and smiled.
"Ah, Brock! It looks like you got the girl, too!"

**************************************************************************

Eight years later, Misty proudly wore the Angelis Crystal for Ash, on their
wedding day. Brock and Jenny were married, too. When Ash had given the
crystal to Misty, she had asked him why.
"Because," he had whispered in her ear, just like the day he had destroyed
Jarlen."_you_ are _my_ angel."
__________________________________________________________________________

Kissy kissy kissy! ;)
Sooooo...what didja think? This is the outcome of an over active
imagination, and crazy dreams like mine (mwhahahahahaha!)
Now, I really would like to know what you think of this, and all comments
are accepted (I reaaaallllly would prefer the nicer ones, though)
Hope to hear from you soon, and have a merry christmas! ^_^

Chiao!
Princess Mystic