FLOWER AND FIRE

	"I have a question, Brock. If you don't mind my asking." Gato asked Brock while sitting on 
Misty's head.
	"I don't mind. Go ahead." Brock said.
	Luna's ears perked up to here the conversation.
	"Is something wrong with you? You haven't gone after a pretty girl in age's! May is pretty and 
you don't seem to do anything." Gato told the rock trainer.
	May blushed.
	"Stop that, Gato." she said.
	Brock stopped and cried those anime waterfall tears.
	"It's true! I'm not myself!" he cried.
	He began to bang his head on a tree. Everyone stopped and Saraya couldn't help but giggle.
	"I've been wanting him to do that for years." Gato chuckled outloud.
	"Brock! Stop that!" Ash yelled at him over the sounds of his head hitting the tree.
	Ash grabbed Brock by the shoulder and pulled him away. He was still crying those anime 
waterfall tears.
	"Don't listen to Gato, man. She's just being, uh, Gato." Ash told him.
	Brock stopped his crying.
	"I guess (sniff) your right." he said.
	"Oh, for heaven shakes." Tiger growled and rolled his red eye's.
	"That must have been the most interesting thing that's happened this whole day." Sea Breeze said 
as they began to walk again.
	"I have a feeling Catze will be on to us soon. That might become more interesting." Ash said.
	"Not to mention dangerous." Gato added.
	"Pika chaa."
	Pikachu nodded in agreement.
	"What I still haven't come across is to why Catze want's your Heart Crystal, Ash." Luna puzzled 
at the front of the group.
	"Maybe, I hope this isn't true, but maybe Ash has the Pure Heart Crystal Tigra's looking for." 
May suggested.
	The effects were big on the group. Everyone stopped and stared at May.
	"Hey! It was just a thought!" May cried and backed away.
	"No, its not that. It's just, well, that might be true" Rachel said sadly.
	"May? I think we need to tell them now." Saraya said, pulling on May's hand.
	May nodded and turned to everyone.
	"Ray has ordered us to find the Pure Heart Crystal first and keep it." May told them all and 
closed her eyes, ready for the reaction.
	"WHAT!?" everyone cried.
	"Why?" gasped Misty.
	"Because with the Pure Heart Crystal, Ray could take destroy the Black Crystal, which is what 
makes Tigra bad." Saraya explained.
	"What about the holder?" asked Violet.
	"That's the hard part. The holder must die." May said with her eye's still closed.
	"What if that holder is Ash?" asked Gato, jumping from Misty's shoulder and landing in front of 
May on her two legs.
	May looked at Ash, who was looking at the ground.
	"I....don't know." May answered.
	"Forget that idea! We'll destroy that Black Crystal thing the old fashion way." Gato snorted.
	"I'm with the kitty. We can't risk that chance if the holder is Ash or to anyone else. Worse comes 
to worse, it could be Ray herself. Ever thought of that?" Tiger asked with a slight nod.
	"We know it isn't any of us because we had Amy scan us with her computer. None of us have it." 
May told them and opened her eyes.
	Ash saw tears form.
	"We can't destroy the Black Crystal without the Pure Heart Crystal! Don't you see! Without that 
crystal, the Black Crystal will continue to take host's until its exposed to the light of the Pure Heart 
Crystal!" May cried, tears flying.
	"Can't you just take the Pure Heart Crystal, let it's light shine on the Black Crystal and then put it 
back in the holder?" asked Luna.
	May whipped her tears away. Saraya answered instead.
	"No. Once the Pure Heart Crystal's light shines on another object, even if its returned, it's power 
to give life to the holder isn't strong enough to do so." 
	"That's a real bummer." Gato said and scratched her head, wondering what to do.
	May looked up.
	"But that's why we need to find Echo. It is said that the star's on his forehead have the power of 
the Pure Heart Crystal. We find him, he can give us that power and we can destroy Tigra without the 
crystal. Sadly, we found out today that we need both because the Black Crystal is so strong." May 
explained.
	"Then we don't need to be having this conversation. We knoe our mission." said Ash, speaking 
for the first time.
	"Let's get the, heh heh, never mind. Let's just leave." Gato said looking at Misty.
	They all walked on in silences. Hopefully it's just that deal Catze wants me to keep. That's why 
she's after me. I hope. But then, who holds the Pure Heart Crystal if it isn't me? Ash thought.
	"Look at all those beautiful flowers!" cried Rachel and pointed striate ahead.
	Everyone looked and saw them. Flowers of all kinds. Yellow, blue, purple, red, pink, white, and 
every other color you could image.
	"Cool!" Gato commented.

				*		*		*
	
	"You know it's the truth, Amara." she told her friend.
	Amara slammed her fist agasined the trunk of a tree.
	"Shut up! I don't care! I'm not going after that stupid Pure Heart Crystal!" she yelled.
	"You have to. It's the only hope for me. I could become normal again." she said, her claws 
clicked as she fidgeted with them.
	"NEVER!!" cried Amara and spun around. "You can all ready change into your human from, 
what more do you want!?"
	She stopped fidgeting and looked at her friend.
	"I'll never age. I'll age inside, but never out. I want to age outside so people don't think I'm a kid 
anymore. Please Amara. All you have to do is continue to follow them. When they find the Pure Heart 
Crystal, take it." she begged her friend.
	Amara stared at her and suddenly pointed her staff at her. She stepped back and backed into a 
tree.
	"No, never. I'm not your slave and I'm not going to spend my time following them." she growled.
	"Why? You don't care for them, do you? You told me you would never go back and become there 
friend again." she growled and pushed the staff away roughly with her paws.
	Amara looked at her with such hatred.
	"You are right, my friend. That still doesn't mean I steal from them. If I take it when they find it, 
what about killing Tigra or the holder?" Amara asked.
	She just smiled.
	"Tigra will never bother us and the holder will die if you take it or if May keeps it." she pointed 
out and jumped onto the tree branch above her.
	Amara tighend her grip on the staff, trying to keep her anger under control.
	"Fine. Then, your on your own. You can survive when your a human." Amara agreed.
	She turned and jumped onto a tree branch.
	"And remember, I don't care who it is and don't stop from taking it even it's May." she warned.
	Amara closed her eyes tight then leaped away from branch to branch.

				*		*		*

	"This is called The Flower Patch of Dreams. They say your dreams will come true if you sleep in 
them, but it hasn't happened yet." Violet explained.
	"I say we rest here." Sea Breeze suggested.
	"I'm in!" Gato cried.
	She jumped in the flowers and began to pick some. Pikachu wasn't far behind and soon, everyone 
else was in the flowers. Gato picked some more and began to tie them together to make a flower halo. She 
finished quickly and ran over to Misty, who sat in them picking petals from a blue flower. Gato ran to her 
and held the flower halo to her.
	"Here. I made it for you. Put it on." Gato said and Misty looked down at her little kitten.
	"Thank you Gato." Misty said and took it from her paws.
	She put it on her head on her orange hair. Gato smiled and ran off to find Pikachu. Tiger sniffed 
along the flowers and came to a pretty white one that he liked. Strange thing was, it hadn't bloomed yet 
and it was a lot bigger than the others. He sniffed it and shook it with his nose. The flower suddenly shook 
on it's own and opened. Sparkles flew and a tiny girl flew from it. She suddenly grew into the size of Ash 
or maybe Misty. Tiger couldn't tell. She wore a purple outfit that was sleeveless and had a purple skirt in 
one piece. Her hair was long and purple and came down to the middle of her back. She had purple boots 
that stopped above her knee with yellow sun's on them. She had big, blue eye's and clear, fast-beating 
wings.
	"Who might you be?" she asked him with a confused look.
	Tiger blinked at her and stared.
	"Uh, your a fairy, right?" he asked.
	She nodded and then looked at the white flower she had been in.
	"Oh-no! I fell asleep in the wrong flower color. I never get it right!" she sighed.
	"Lily! Is that you?" came Luna's happy voice.
	The black cat came and placed herself beside Tiger.
	"Luna? But I thought-"
	Luna shot her a look and Lily was silent. Gato and Pikachu saw the fairy as well as Brock, Misty, 
Rachel and Ash. Sea Breeze and Violet also saw her. Saraya and May made there way over as well. Soon 
everyone was around the fairy. She landed on the ground to show herself when not flying.
	"I'm Lily. You must all be the ones trying to stop Tigra." Lily said with a smile.
	"That's us." Saraya answered. 
	"Let me introduce you to my friend! Sleeth, over here!" cried Lily.
	"I'm really afraid to know who Sleeth is." Gato whispered as the wind picked up.
	Amara watched, hidden in the flowers. Her staff held tightly. Her mind made up.
	"Meet Sleeth. He's my friend for life." Lily said as a red dragon flapped it's way and landed on 
the ground beside her.
	He had black eyes and brown wings that sparkled on the inside because of his purple scales. His 
legs were sort of crooked and he stood on all fours. His teeth gleamed white as he blew a stream of fire 
into the air. He was about the size of a Charizard but three feet taller. He looked down at them all.
	"These are the ones?" he asked in a voice that wasn't as big as he was.
	"Yes. Sleeth, met Luna and her friends." Lily said.
	"Pleased to met you all. Your very brave you know." he told them with a dragon smile.
	"Thanks. We have our ups and downs." Ash answered.
	"Pika?"
	"I take it this will be your down!" came a voice.
	They all turned to see another fairy. She had short, black hair and wore a sleeveless shirt. She 
had black shorts and blue eye's. Her boots were also black and she had a mean snarl.
	"In the order of Catze, I'll shall take Ash's Heart Crystal!" she yelled.
	"Bingo." whispered Amara and made her way towards them.
	"Here we go again." sighed Gato and got her claws ready.
	Before any one even thought about making a move, she attacked.
	"Nightmare Throw!!" she cried and though a ball of black light.
	It hit Tiger and he cried in pain. His whole body turned black, white and gray and he fell, lifeless 
to the ground. His tail hit Pikachu and he suffered the same.
	"Tiger! Pikachu! Who are you?" Ash cried.
	"I'm the follower of Catze and holder of death. I'm the holder of the Death Flower. I am Black 
Flower!" she cried and shot another ball of black light.
	Suddenly, white light exploded from Gato. The light made the black ball disappeared. Gato 
changed. She grew bigger and stronger. The white glow disappeared and Magic, her evolved from, stood 
in Gato's place.
	"You shouldn't play with the grown-ups little kitten! Black Night Death!!" Dark Flower cried and 
made a whip of dark light.
	She lashed it out and no one even saw it until it hit Magic. She roared and backed away. A black 
mark was on her back were she had been hit.
	"She's fast!" Brock gasped.
	"No kidding!" Saraya said and tore of her heart locket.
	She raised it into the air.
	"Poke'mon Princess Power!! she shouted.
	Pink light engulfed her and she changed to her battle mode. May's staff appeared in her hands. 
She raised it.
	"Grass Poke'mon Power!!" she shouted.
	Green light engulfed her then green leaves. Her battle mode was then ready. Dark Flower 
laughed.
	"So much for your little party. I'm afraid I'll crash it." Dark Flower growled and then an evil 
laugh broke all.
	Catze appeared next to Dark Flower. She was surrounded by black fire and her black crescent 
moon on her forehead glowed black. Luna stepped back in fright but growled.
	"Take them all down, Dark Flower." Catze snarled.
	"Black Night Death!!" she cried and unleashed her whip.
	It wrapped around May's neck. She struggled to pull it off, no use. Dark Flower pulled and May 
was pulled to the ground violently. Saraya pointed her middle and index finger.
	"Poke'mon Pink-"
	The whip hit her and she fell before she could attack. The whip hit Magic, she fell as well. Catze 
laughed. Lily and Sleeth nodded to each other and suddenly, disappeared.
	"Hey! Come back!" Luna cried.
	The black whip slashed Sea Breeze, Violet and Luna. They were down. Catze smiled as the 
others backed away. She pointed her finger at Rachel and flung her aside into Brock. She did the same to 
Misty and threw her into a near by tree. Catze stuck her hand out at Ash, the black cat glowed.
	"Find Lily and Sleeth." Catze ordered.
	Dark Flower disappeared.
	"Tell me why you want my Heart Crystal!" Ash cried.
	Catze smiled an evil smile.
	"You want to know why, I'll tell you why. Because you, Ash, have the Pure Heart Crystal! I saw it 
with my visor when you took back Misty's, that's why I offered a trade! You are the holder and Tigra will 
have your crystal!!" Catze screamed as the cat grew brighter.
	Ash's eye's went wide. Suddenly, everything May and Saraya had said now ment him. He was the 
one and he would have to die to give his crystal up. Amara was frozen with shock. Ash had the crystal, 
the one she had order to get. Amara began to walk forward, she knew what she had to do.
	"No, Amara. Wait and let Catze get it out before grabbing it." came her voice.
	"I'm sorry. That crystal won't changed what happened to you. You and I will get back at Tigra, 
but not this way." Amara told her without looking back.
	She smiled at her friend and ran off. Amara knew she was gone. She ran forward. The black 
beam was shot. Ash didn't bother to move. It was needed, why refuse? Suddenly,
	"Flower Petal Dance!!"
	"Fire Breath!!"
	A stream of fire with pink petals swirling around it came shooting out of no where. They hit the 
black beam and quickly made it disappeared. Ash ducked on the ground. Lily and Sleeth flew in the air 
above them. Suddenly, Dark Flower came flying past them and down to Ash, ready to attack him for 
Catze.
	"Power Beam!!"
	A yellow beam struck her. She screamed and was knocked into a tree. She screamed again and 
suddenly disappeared in black light and smoke, the same way Shifter Dragon did. Catze hunched over in 
pain. Dark Flower became part of her. Her moon glowed brighter with power. Catze smiled at Ash.
	"Too bad your friends are after you too. You've had your last warning." she growled and 
disappeared in black smoke.
	Tiger and Pikachu suddenly got there color back. They both stood up and looked around. The 
black mark on Magic's back disappeared. She stood up and glowed white. She shrank and was Gato again, 
laying on the ground. Misty was up and ran to her kitten. She picked her up. Sea Breeze helped Violet up 
and Luna was already up and staring at where Catze had been. How could you? she whispered in her 
mind. Rachel and Brock were at Ash's side and Misty was as well with Gato in her arms. May got up on 
her knees and rubbed her neck. She stood up all the way along with Saraya. May saw Amara and faced 
her. Everyone faced Amara. Sleeth and Lily landed behind everyone.
	"Amara...." May whispered.
	Amara put her staff in one hand and turned her back to them.
	"You were lucky." she said and ran off though the flowers.
	May reached her hand out then put it back at her side. She was in tears. Amara disappeared, once 
again, in the shadow's of the tree's. May and Saraya changed from there battle modes to there regular 
ones. Ash watched her disappeared. He turned to his friends.
	"Thanks for helping me." Ash told Lily and Sleeth.
	Lily smiled and Sleeth nodded.
	"Want to join?" asked Gato.
	"Yeah! We could use friends like you." Rachel said with a smile.
	Lily looked at Sleeth then at them.
	"We would love to help to destroy Tigra and Catze. It would be an honor." Lily said.
	"Don't treat us like roalty, plase!" laughed Misty.
	"Why not?" asked Gato.
	Soon, they were on there why. Luna in the front, Sea Breeze and Violet behind her, Tiger, Ash, 
Misty, Brock, Rachel, May, Saraya, Gato and Pikachu behind them, and Lily riding on Sleeth at the end.
	"I do hope we find the Pure Heart Crystal and Echo soon." Rachel said.
	Sea Breeze nodded. Ash looked away and at the ground.
	"If we find the Pure Heart Crystal, then all our dreams will come true!" Luna shouted happily.
	"So, let's find it!" Gato shouted.
	"We'll find them both. Echo and the Pure Heart Crystal, no matter what." Misty agreed.
	Ash looked at the ground, he refused to face his friends. Catze's evil laughter echoed in his mind. 
If only you all knew. If only. Ash thought. Amara and her friend watched.
	"Why didn't you to as I asked?" she asked.
	"I want to destroy Tigra too and taking the Pure Heart Crystal from As-I mean them and the 
holder would be the same as them finding it and doing it." Amara answered.
	She smiled at her friend and put a paw on her shoulder.
	"You passed that test." she said with another smile.
	"I really wish you would stop putting me to those test's. You would think I would see it by now." 
Amara sighed.
	"You still haven't passed the biggest test yet. Will you rejoin Ray as the Fighting Queen?" she 
asked.
	Amara didn't answer. She stared at Ash and his friends as they walked away.
	"Time will tell, my friend. Time will tell." she answered and then jumped away into the forest.

	To be continued....