Lost Ninja [BOOK 2 Of The Bond Series]

Chapter 16 - Was It All A Fraud?

"I'll be hanging by the neck,"
"Before an audience of..."
"DEATH."
- Defied!Core

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"Like the boy always does..."
"He'd do anything..."
"To get to Greninja,"
"His beloved friend..."
"But I warned him didn't I?"
"That if he went into Lost Sword Arts..."
"An a great evil will emerge,"
"That will stop at nothing..."
"To destroy them."
"We shall see..."
- Demon!Frames

"Xyz..." Core was laying on the ground, his eyes fluttered as he began to lose conciseness...and only hearing a sword shatter.

"AAAAHHH!?" He jumped out of his bed, he looked at Xyz's opened room, "Xyz...it's been lonelier than ever...without you." Core sighed, "I always had someone to talk to...you..." the corrupted ninja frowned as he picked up his only sword. "Greninja..I'm coming for you..." He clenched his sword tightly before fading into a phantom.

-Somewhere In the Academy-

"Oi! Rein! Stop fucking reading your goddamn books!" Cevx shouted up at Rein, who was reading on the ledge of a roof, "You always have a problem with me reading...I'm on break anyway..." Rein nibbled on a piece of his favorite cookie. "And plus, I have to calculate things for Sensei remember?" He said while nibbling away his cookie, "Ugh, whatever." Cevx rolled his eyes at the hopeless case.
Although something was getting suspicious over the past few days that the group noticed; Streaker was acting differently from his original personality, he was fed up with something and didn't talk much. Cevx never spoke something that Streaker had told him, it was...
Too Personal.

"Ash Strives to get stronger..."
"But he does not see..."
"He knows he harms himself all the time..."
"Everytime he faints..."
"Their bond is shaken,"
"That is why it was easy to break the connection..."
"Was this story all about their bond?..."
"Or was this just the beginning of their new adventure?"
"Or...Was this all just a fraud?"

Greninja once again, in his own mind, he could see the barrier was a distorted wall. Red did not speak one word, he kept quiet over the past days.
"You do know..."
"Greninja..."
"That the only way to break this barrier..."
"Lies a hidden thorn in plain sight,"
"You did not realize it..."
"Can you not realize that everytime you bond..."
"He faints..."
"And you didn't notice..."

Greninja had realized what it can take to break the barrier now, "Our bond..." He muttered under his own breath, "You were foolish to not care, since he strived to get stronger." The phantom Core clenched a fist. "Right now I am coming for you, but I knew of this, Xyz made it look like you killed him." He explained the entire plan.
"But I know I wouldn't fall for such childish tricks," Phantom Core chuckled, "I am only coming to you for a reason..."
"A Reason you will see with you, me, and Ash." The Phantom faded leaving Greninja stunned by the truth, "Ash...why didn't I realize it...Our Bond was weak cause of this..." The frog looked down at the water seeing the reflection of himself.
"You made your mistake..." Red spoke finally, Greninja looked back at his Ninja Spirit, "Now you must never do that again," Red turned away with his scarf flowing as if there was wind breezing by in Greninja's mind.
"And you must end this." The spirit gazed at his master before turning his head away, "You know what you must do..." Red looked down at the water, "Go, Now."

Greninja was back to the Lost Sword Arts, in his meditating position, "Ash...I know you now." Greninja had somehow broken the barrier. "I must end this..." Greninja sped towards the academy.

[PAUSE]

Ok, Ok, You might not know what just happened, but Greninja broke the barrier by REALIZING their bond was weakened by everytime Ash fainted when they were bonded as one mind. By realizing this he broke the barrier and remembers everything. And now we will see what the Plot Twister will take us to.

[RESUMING]

"I come for Greninja," Core announced, "We have something to discuss..." The corrupted creator eyed Greninja before glitching somewhere.
"Greninja follow Core, please." Sensei sighed nervously, "Yes, Sensei." Greninja gave a slight nod before hesitantly following the corrupted ninja.
"So Greninja, you've finally broke the barrier? Huh?" Core turned his head eyeing him, "Y-Yes..." Greninja stuttered for a moment, "I guess this is gonna be the grand finale after all." Core turned his head away chuckling slightly. "Cause I had something planned before you can go have your happy ending." He slightly grinned, his shark-like teeth gave the chills to Greninja. "Don't be alarmed of my shark-teeth, it's just for intimidation." Core said sarcastically, "You'll see the 'plan' I had planned for you, blue frog."

Before Greninja could say anymore, Core was already long gone, only a wisp of a phantom could only mean Core had transformed into a phantom. The phantom wisp still was present, something was drawing Greninja towards it as if it was saying, "Touch Me." Although being hesitant to do so. Right when he made contact with it, he endured a ton of memories of someone...

"This was all just a story..."
"Greninja..."
"You and Ash were the main characters,"
"But I couldn't just stand there letting my younger brother..."
"Do what he wanted."
"So I had to make the plot twister..."
"You might be asking yourself..."
"Was this all a fraud?..."
"No it wasn't..."
"The power you got from Red, still is with you,"
"But your Red Greninja form does not beat Ash-Greninja."
"Red Greninja will be an alternative to Ash-Greninja,"
"Though Red Greninja could exceed the powers of Ash-Greninja,"
"Ash-Greninja will not be beaten."
"Combine those two into one, your power will become great..."
"At a cost..."
"At a cost in the future..."
"We will see..."
"This is just a shadow wisp of memories,"
"All the words you hear, are from me in the past."
"I wished I had more time to talk with you, Greninja."
"But it is too late..."
"Farewell, I am the Phantom Of Your Nightmares,"
"Core."

Greninja opened his eyes instantly, gasping, he was panting fast as what he just experienced. He felt a webbed paw on his shoulder, looking to the side of him; it was Red. "You know now." Red made a slight nod. "Your power will be tested at the impossible." The spirit stood up, fading slowly, "Your fate, and Ash's fate lies within your own hands."

"But a difficult choice will be present in the future..."
"And what will that be?..."