This is my entry for The Fireplace's writing contest. Yes, I'm writing for Pokemon and yes, it's shounen-ai.
For those who don't know, Riley is the guy who gives you the Riolu egg on Iron Island. Cyrus is the head of Team Galactic. Riley is 18 and Cyrus is 22 here.
"Name?"
"Riley Mayflower" the policeman nodded and scribbled the name down. Riley toyed with his hat, surveying the room. Veilstone Jail wasn't a very comfortable place to be; the stone floor, the plain walls, even the air gave off that 'abandon hope, all ye who enter' feeling. Though that may have just been the rot in the walls.
"Who are you visiting?"
"Cyrus Maxwell" the man with the notebook winced and looked the teen up and down "You don't seem to be writing anything, I'm here to visit Cyrus Maxwell" face grave; the policeman scrawled it on the notebook, tore the page out and handed it to Riley.
"He doesn't have many visitors. Be careful, lad, he's a bit crazy. As you would be, stuck in here. Need any help finding him?"
"No, I'll be quite alright" clutching the paper tight in his hand, he set off down the hallway, he hadn't visited Cyrus before, he hadn't seen him in years, yet he felt he would find him. Somewhere in those gloomy halls sat the broken soul who was once his friend. The only sound he heard was the gentle tapping of his boots on the stones beneath him, mingled with muffled conversations, protests and mumbles from the cells he passed. "He can't be angry...he can't be anything at all...since Mespirit sucked his emotions out, he can't feel a thing. They say if Mespirit is captured, all of its victims return to normal but...who could ever catch that thing? Maybe one day I'll get him back..." at the end of the hall, another policeman turned to the cell he was guarding.
"Hey, you have a visitor. Need some privacy?"
"I've wanted you to leave for the past month" the inmate growled, wondering who his visitor could be. The Galactic Commanders were all in jail, too, who would visit him?
The raven haired teen sat in the chair beside the cell, afraid to meet Cyrus' icy blue eyes. Riley sighed. "Whoever knew, whoever would have guessed, you would end up here?"
"Do I know you?"
"Yes, you know that you know me. Cyrus, I..." he paused, an uncomfortable tension in the air. "...you're behind bars and incapable of emotion, what better time to tell you?" awkward silence ensued, the pair listened quietly to the conversations going on around them: a mother cheering up her son, two children showing their mother A+ report cards, siblings remembering tearaway school days. Even in the cold loneliness of Veilstone Jail, there was a little warmth of family and friendship. Cyrus didn't have any of that; he probably didn't even remember how to feel happy. "Cyrus...remember school?"
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I remember it better than you do; I remember just lying on my bed in the room I shared with my friends, Flint and Volkner. We were ten, and for the past five years we wondered if anyone would take the spare bed in our room. Volkner was talking about the paper he'd read at breakfast that morning.
"You know that academy in the Orange Islands? It's closing down!" He had said. Flint, you know him, the one with the red hair, he was shocked.
"What, the Pokemon theory academy? Where are all the smart kids gonna go to school? They can't go to the regional schools, they take anybody"
"I know" Volkner said, his eyes glinting as though he knew something we didn't "I heard the best students will be sent over here instead. And you know, our room has space for one more..."
"A new guy! He'd better not take our thunder-not a joke at you, Volk-and upstage our Pokemon. Sparky and Foxtrot wouldn't like it" Flint said. You remember Flint's Ponyta, don't you? You always said Foxtrot was a stupid name. I wasn't talking; I was just looking at the ceiling, half listening, half dreaming. They asked if I was alright, but I didn't bother to answer. The door opened suddenly, no knock or anything, then in you came.
Tall, cold and mysterious. Bag slung over one shoulder; you crossed the room and sat on the spare bed. You looked at Flint and Volkner briefly, who were gawping at you like Darkrai had just flounced in with a plate of cookies, then you looked at me. I can still remember the shiver I got when I looked into your eyes. I still feel it every time I look at you. You didn't say a word; you just removed a book from your bag, a huge wordy one with a title in fancy writing. You were so quiet; it pushed Flint to the limit. He always hated mysterious people.
"Hey, don't just waltz into our room like that! Anything could have been happening in here-" on the bed opposite, Volkner started chuckling for some reason "-and we don't even know you! Don't give me that look, mister, tell us what's going on here or-" the Principal came in to hear the rest of this little outburst. Flint sat back on his bed, embarrassed.
"Boys, this is Cyrus, he's one of the students from the Orange Academy" Flint just looked at the floor, Volkner continued to gawp at you, and you just kept watching me. Perhaps it was because I wasn't saying anything, perhaps you were wondering what was with my hat, perhaps there was something on my face, you just kept watching me. "He's older than you," the Principal continued, "so try not to disturb his studies, he may not bark, but you never know if he bites! Get yourself settled, Cyrus, I hope your stay at the Orre Battle Academy is a good one. And don't worry about all the talk of street gangs here, it's not true!" the Principal left and you closed your book. Flint put out a hand to you, and I don't know whether it crossed your mind or not, but he did wash it first.
"Heh...sorry I was rude, I'm Flint, I like fire Pokemon!" You nodded and shook his hand. Volkner stood up and did the same, then you turned to me. Everyone raised an eyebrow expectantly, so I offered my hand, feeling much more nervous than I probably looked.
"I'm Riley" then you smiled at me. Not a happy grin, not a patronising smirk, just a calm, collected smile.
"I'm Cyrus"
---
You told us you were fourteen, you told us about your life at school in the Orange Islands, you told us about the things you learned...you read to me from your book, too, 'Legends of Pokemon'. During a storm, one night in your second year, neither of us could sleep.
"I have big plans" you told me, the crashes of thunder and flashes of lightning outside illuminating your pale face "One day, I plan to make a new world. My father is the seal merchant of Sunyshore; he never had an extravagant life. In the future, I want to change all that, I need the power of Pokemon to do so. One day, I will find the Pokemon Mespirit, Uxie and Azelf; they will help me in my new world...Riley?"
"Yes?" I answered you. Once again that special smile, the one you saved just for me, played across your lips.
"One day...will you come to my world?"
"Of course..." I was sleepy then, but I truly meant what I said, I wanted to come to your world.
And remember, that day in the summer? I was twelve, you were sixteen. You called on my house in Jubilife, we spent the day together. We joked around in the TV Station, dressing up poor Lucario in tiaras, bows and all kinds of other horrendous tings. We went to Lake Verity together, sitting by the water and just talking. We talked about your new world, how Mespirit was somewhere in the lake, so near yet so far.
That was one of the best days of my life, Cyrus.
---
Remember that day, when I was fourteen? You had stayed at school until you were eighteen, only a truly intelligent person is allowed to do that, you know. I didn't. It was early morning; I woke up to find you missing. I hunted for you everywhere, calling your name, running down every hallway, checking every room. By the school gates I found you, sending someone a message on your phone and looking somewhat nervous.
"CYRUS!" I gasped and grabbed your arm. You winced, but relaxed when you saw me. We were always happiest together. "Where are you going?"
"I'm leaving" those words struck my heart like poison sting: painful at first, but the worst of the hurt comes as it sinks in. "I've graduated now, I can't stay"
"But...but..." I never cried, you know, but I cried then, for you. "Where will you go? What will you do?"
"It's time for me to start on my plan, my dream" you took my hand "my new world. I'm going to find Mespirit. I'm moving in with my friend Mars in Celestic Town to start my work. I won't forget you, Riley; you're my littlest, best friend. And one day..." you hugged me then "...I want you to come to my world with me"
"Oh Cyrus..." I hugged you back, we stayed that way for what was probably less than a minute, but it felt like forever to me. That was the summer you lost your feelings, that was the summer you lost your soul.
That was the summer I lost you.
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"...I may have lost you, but I never stopped thinking of you. Cyrus, I..."
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Somewhere else in Sinnoh, at tat moment, Dawn clutched her pokeball tightly. "Lucas, I did it! I got Mespirit, I finally did it!"
"That's awesome!" the boy in the beret grinned "Professor Rowan said something happens when Mespirit is captured, I can't think what..."
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"...I love you"
All of the anger and frustration from the past four years rushed into Cyrus at once, his plains being foiled, his minions failing him, being jailed, abandoned by those who called themselves is friends, Mars, Jupiter...Cyrus clenched his fists and bit his lip, infuriated. Tears welling in his eyes, Riley fled.
After a while, Cyrus calmed down, slowly taking in the conversation he and Riley had just had. "Oh gods..." he sighed, resting against the wall "Riley..."
On route 215, Riley sat beneath a tree, his tears masked by the rain. He couldn't believe it, Cyrus had been so...angry, everything had gone wrong. "If I had known it was going to end like this, I never would have told you."