The Story Without an Ending
Warning: Backwards, yaoi, some angst, hints of PreciousMetal shipping
I do not own pokemon.
Another prince came, but the maiden refused to go with him. The old prince had vanished long ago.
She was such a fool.
The prince that was the true hero pleaded with the maiden, begging for her to come back to his castle and get married, so the story could end like it was supposed to. With a happily ever after.
But no, she said.
Trouble was, she found no reason why. Except for her own selfishness. So she got married with the hero, as written. Happily ever after.
But was it truly?
000
Red couldn't believe it.
No, wait. Red could believe it. Green had been giving him these weird looks ever since Pika and Eevee had started. But he had imagined it would be something that Red would have to force out of Green. Where had the stubborn, full-of-pride Green Oak gone?
But still, it came as quite a shock when Green had just kissed him out of nowhere. Not that it wasn't enjoyable (it certainly was), but on the Peak of Mount Silver, of all places. Not that it mattered.
It was clever of the gym leader, how he had confessed right after Red had sent Pikachu and Eevee out for more firewood.
And the kiss, oh, the kiss. It was amazing. Sparks dancing around in his eyes long after it had ended. Green had looked away, somehow managing to keep his cool demeanor. But Red suspected that Green had the same fuzziness inside him as well.
"So..." Green had said, after a long silence.
Red gave a tiny smile and a nod.
They kissed again, much less awkwardly.
000
A prince saved the fair maiden from the high tower, long ago.
But over and over, the maiden kept going back, claiming the prince wasn't the one destined to save her.
After the continuous cycle grew old, the prince stopped coming.
The maiden grew worried- why wasn't the prince coming, as usual? She found out later the prince had moved on- vanished to forbidden territory. Never to return.
But the worst part was when the maiden looked back into the old text books, and found out that he wasn't the hero for the story.
But she still loved him anyways.
000
Red moved in with Green shortly after, though it was never made public. Red seemed to smile a lot more in those days. Perhaps with the overwhelming feeling over being back with people again, and the fact that he had gotten a boyfriend.
Pikachu and Eevee were happy as well. They pranced around the small flat, making sure every piece of furniture was reminded that they weren't forgotten. On rainy days, everyone would cuddle together while watching a horror movie. If a person happened to look into the window to the living room after the movie had ended, they would've seen bodies wrapped around in a jumble, almost as if to keep the other company.
Red and Green shared a bed, though in a more brotherly way than a romantic one. Green had a habit of curling up into Red during the night, which the champion found...cute, in a way. So on the days where Red would wake up earlier than Green, Red would stroke the gym leader's hair until falling back to sleep again. Green's house was the first home that he could proudly call 'home'.
It was all very nice. Very peaceful.
Perfect.
000
After besting the mighty fire-breathing dragon that guarded the tower, he got off his steed and climbed the long way to the high of the tower.
There the maiden lay, staring out the window to the vast sky below. The prince called out to her, and she flew into his arms without a second thought. They kissed, as they were supposed to.
As it was written.
000
Then the worst came.
A reporter had recognized Red while shopping at the local pokemart. After many quick phone calls, storms of reporters from all over the region had come to the quiet town of Viridian, throwing questions at Red like a storm of bullets. Overwhelmed, Red had sheltered back into Green's where the reporters trailed him.
Green, coming home from the gym for lunch, had furiously shouted at the reporters to 'get the hell out of his house'. This language was bypassed, however, and was replaced with a question.
"Leader Green, have you known that formerly missing Champion Red was taking cover in your home?"
Green's angered face morphed into a look of horror. Without answering, he bolted into the house.
Rumors flew around the world for the next few days, even extending their reach to the region of Sinnoh. Family members knocked on the door hopelessly, searching for an explanation. A reason.
'Lovers'. 'Partners in crime'. 'Workers for top secret mission'.
Inside the home, things got even more tense. Red and Green started to avoid each other, only acting as distant roommates instead of partners. But in the sleepless nights where they would pretend to sleep, they wrapped their fingers around the other's, clinging desperately to the love that was never there.
000
The maiden's mistake was only following the written-down rules of her soul, and not listening to her heart.
000
It just came crashing down, like a pile of boulders that are on the edge of a cliff. The slightest push and...boom.
Red never expected it to last, though that itself might've been a lie. So when he started to pack all his stuff after all the shouting and arguing (both of which he had never liked), a pang of regret shook him to the bone. Pikachu had sat on the doormat (the one that Green had bought in honor of him, them) to prevent the champion from leaving. The mouse had looked at him in a manner that clearly stated, 'we still have things to do here', Red had only pushed his partner aside and out. Red didn't look back, because he knew that Pikachu would follow him anyways, just like he always had.
His assumptions proved correct when he heard the pitter-patter of tiny paws. It slowed when it reached his side, but there was no soft 'pika' he was so accustomed to. No friendly rubbing of his leg, no signs that his partner was pleased or displeased.
"Once a champion, always a champion," he whispered softly. Pikachu just growled.
000
The prince journeyed far on his noble steed, following the glimmer-marked path marked in the treasure map.
His father had told him that this was his destiny, and that he should follow it proudly. Of course, the prince thought that the maiden would be kind and fair-hearted. And, above anything else, craving for independence.
Because of this, he had created a perfect woman in his mind, the one he was about to rescue. He created the illusion that his only job would be to save the maiden.
000
A young boy with a mischievous smile broke through the icy terrain one day, and challenged Red to a battle. It was the first time in months (seasons, years, he didn't really keep track) that the champion had felt so alive and confident. The first time he had smiled. He felt no regrets when the boy took the title of the champion from him.
"Gold," the boy said, extending a hand. Red took it and shook, then gestured him into his personal cave which he called home.
"You're...strong." Red stroked the fire, keeping one eye on Gold at all times. He shrugged.
"It's really thanks to my pal Silver," Gold said, fingering something in his pocket. Even in the red glow of the flames, Red could see a little blush coming on the other boy's face. "He's the one who pushed me, I guess. We talk."
He reminded Red of himself, really.
"Won't Silver miss you? Since you became champion."
Gold sniffed. "Him? Nah, tiny bit jealous, maybe. But I wouldn't leave him behind, even if they tried to pry my hands off of him. I would miss him." A hint of something passed momentarily within his gold orbs, but disappeared as quick as it had come. "He's something special to me. Not," he quickly said, holding up both hands. "That I'm trying to be mushy. He's just..."
"I know what you mean."
"What?"
"I'm glad you didn't make the same mistake I did."
Gold gives Red a seriously-weirded-out look before shrugging and turning back to the fire, rambling on about the weather on Mount Silver. Pikachu, who had been sitting beside him the whole time, buries his face into his lap and lets out a mournful 'chuu'.
Red sighs, running his fingers through soft fur. "I'm sorry too."
That night, he dreamt in all green.
000
The maiden dreamed frequently about how, someday, a prince would come. And since it was written that only the destined one could slay the dragon, she had no doubts that fate would choose a lovely, heroic prince for her.
One that would listen to her every need, one that would carry out her every need without managing to hurt her.
000
Gold left the following morning with the new title of champion on his shoulders.
Red left as well, with determination and all the strength he could possibly need. Pikachu trailed along, breezing through the treacherous snow with a skip in his step.
000
The prince set off with the newly claimed sword in his belt on his newly bought horse. Feeling quite proud of himself.
Perfect.
000
" , is it true that you have been defeated?"
"Red, what will you do now?"
The reporters had started bombarding him with questions the moment he had stepped off the last patch of snow. Apparently, Gold had announced to every single person that he had defeated the former champion the moment he reached the elite four building. Red now silently cursed himself, for not getting down from the mountain sooner. Pikachu's cheeks flashed dangerously while his yellow fur stood on end. Red patted Pikachu on the head, a gesture that meant 'calm down'.
No point hiding anymore.
Red took a deep breath. "I am going home."
000
When the prince pulled out the sword from the stone, everyone gasped.
"That is surely the chosen one, who has come to rescue the maiden!"
And the gullible prince believed this as well.
000
He flew to Viridian City.
000
Ever since birth, everyone had been telling him that he would rescue the maiden from the dragon guarding the tower. They told him that, in order for the tale to continue on, he must get the maiden and marry her.
000
Ding-dong.
The door opened, revealing a tall-sturdy man with crazy brown hair and eyes of glowing emeralds.
"Red?"
Red reached out and pulled the other closer, almost desperately. Tears sprung out of his eyes without permission.
"I'm sorry..."
000
This is how the story begins.
000
I believe the problem was that, after they found out they were never meant to be, they just gave up loving.
The story stopped at a standstill...
A/N I have a horrible case of writers' block as of present, and this was just something to get my ideas flowing again. The hint of PreciousMetalshipping was for a friend.
And two curious things. One, this is not the true ending of this story. There is no ending (hence the title). Two, the whole other story that was told in italics may or may not have had anything to do with the main story.
I hope you enjoyed!