Kyogre's Requiem
by
DemonicKazoo and Pixy Parker
Chapter One
White sands. Warm sun descending into the clouds. The sky now a canvas cast into an array of reds, yellows, and some splashes of pink against the scattered clouds. Nox Alcheri, with eyes of red, gazed upon the sea of fire and rubies with heavy lids, his cigar burning as the scent of tobacco wafted-blue tendrils of smoke entwining his fingers. He sat in the sand, his one piece bathing suit, a vintage article made of wool and dyed in navy ink, kept him modest while flattering his frame to a degree-his straw colored braid contrasting against the dark fabric as it hung in front of his right shoulder. This place, paradise, he could stay here with her forever.
While he held the cigar to his lips with his right hand, the fingers upon his left entwined with hers-Kokori Sorcral's. Her fair skin collided against his sun kissed olive hues, her strands of sapphire, a short curled bob, almost clung to the wool of his swimsuit as she rested her cheek upon his shoulder. A monochromatic floral maxi dress covered her bathing suit. Her toes dug into the sand and she gave a relaxing sigh.
"I have something for you," he said. Calm.
A subtle noise in her throat revealed her budding curiosity. Nox continued.
"I feel it's perfect for you," he explained, breaking the embrace of their hands, as he leaned, reaching toward the bag that rested near them. Nox took a luxury ball from it-the orb black and gold with a red stripe-and placed it into the palm of Kokori's hand. "Like you, what's inside can take many paths, and shine in many colors. I hope you like her."
Kokori's scarlet eyes lit up with excitement, a smile pulling at her cheeks as she took it. Her cheeks flushed at his words. A bright light escaped the luxury ball taking form it released an Eevee. She gasped, pulling the small pokemon into her arms.
"She's so cute, how were you able to find a female? They're so rare!" Her voice raced, "Oh Nox she's so perfect! Thank you!" She pressed her face into his chest holding her new pokemon closer. "Does she have a name?" She asked breaking away to look at him.
"Amaryllis." Nox replied, before taking a drag from his cigar and gently exhaling the blue smoke. His gaze remained on the faraway sunset. "It's a flower. Vibrant."
"It's beautiful," she said softly, the sun had escaped from view and the first few stars sparkled in the sky. Kokori gazed upon them as her cheek reunited with Nox's shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered as she returned Amaryllis to her pokeball.
Her mind became restless; the events of the previous night flooded her conscience. Her father, Don of the Plasmas, released her from her duties as underboss.
"I want you to be happy. If this is keeping you from what will make you happy, then you don't have to do this anymore."
Her father's words echoed in her thoughts. Everything she had ever done, she did for the best of the family; and now, new found love only a few months old had captivated her.
"It feels weird still, not checking in with Capos, or balancing the books, or anything really. This is the first time I've ever really been free to do whatever I wanted. No responsibilities, I'm not sure how I feel about it."
Kokori paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts.
"I don't know how to feel, who really gets a free pass out of a family?"
A nod of understanding revealed his attention to her words. Tendrils of smoke poured over his lips, little wisps dispersing into the ether.
"What will you do, Kori?"
She smiled and let out a small laugh.
"I don't even know, I've always been so consumed with the business that I don't know if I know how to do anything else. I don't regret leaving, but freedom is so much more overwhelming than I ever anticipated. When you can do anything. . . how do you decide what to do?" she asked him as her embrace coiled around his left arm.
"You should do everything you ever wanted to do. Whatever it is, I'll be there." He took the cigar from his lips, with his right hand, and smothered it beneath the white sands.
They sat in silence as Kokori leaned against him, both savoring the presence of the other. Waves beat against the surf, so akin to the rhythm of a heartbeat, as a flock of wingulls cried overhead.
"As difficult as it is for me," she told him tenderly "every bit of it is worth it for every minute I'm with you." Her lips met his cheek briefly.
The rings of his nearby cell phone dashed the silent tranquility, even going as far to give Nox a jolting start. His crimson gaze sharpened as he turned around and reached for his phone. As he flipped it open, he stood up and walked slowly to the water's edge-his demeanor becoming more solemn as the conversation wore on.
Kokori stood as her heart began to sink, this was unusual for him. She started walking to meet him as he made his way back to her.
"What's wrong?" She asked, concerned.
The corners of his mouth tugged into a frown as he shook his head.
"We have a detective on our bankroll," Nox began, trailing off as his grip tightened around the closed phone in hand. "She…."
Whatever news he held, it troubled him as anguish washed over his features.
"Shahrivar is dead. He was found at sea. I don't know the details. She said that you're his next of kin and that we have to go Vermillion City for you to identify him. Kokori, I'm so sorry."
Tears welled in her eyes, blurring her vision while her brows furrowed with the sudden ache in her chest. The emotions flooded into her while her face contorted with a mix of rage and anguish. She turned from him, suddenly, trying to make sense of this new reality and the emotions that poured into her like a glass that overflowed. Her breaths became shallow and she knew she would break if she looked up at him. Her fingers curled through her sapphire locks, the silent tears spilling forth.
Fury cut through her soft voice, killing the silence.
"They were all on the fucking retreat!"
"Kokori."
"My father fucking dies out there and no one has the fucking nerve to let me know until someone finds him floating out there!" Kokori choked out, her voice breaking into a stifled sob.
The hot tears streamed down her cheeks, and she clenched her fists until her nails dug into her palms-skin threatening to break the pain licked at her like an open flame.
"I knew I shouldn't have left, I can't have fucking anything!"
Nox stood against the sun, a silent sentinel, soaking in her words, allowing her to react, to show her emotions without recourse.
"He told me, He promised everything would be ok. He promised that they could make it without me! And I bet you, they called my fucking mother but she didn't give a damn and told them I was closer so I should go and look at whatever fucking magnled mess my father has become!"
She trailed off and fell to her knees in the sand, uttering her last defeated whisper before falling silent.
"This is all my fault."
Nox extended his reach to her, his outstretched hand beckoning with the promise to give her strength, comfort, and protection.
"Let's go, Kokori. I'll be with you every step of the way."
She took his hand allowed him to help pull her from the sands. Her gaze was sharp when it met his, her tone just as sharp when she spoke.
"After we do this, we go to Unova."
"So this is our guy," Yvette said with a disgusted sneer, as she looked at the body on the metal slab. The corpse was still damp from the cold sea he was fished out of; the abdomen was all but gone.
"They said they found the fish feeding off of him when they pulled the net up. Won't make it easy to find the cause of death." She let out a sigh and took him by the cheeks turning his head, examining him closer.
The morgue the pair stood in remained as lifeless as the occupants dwelling within their tombs of stainless steel. The lifeless hues of their surroundings, faded yellow paint and dreary chrome doors, seemed to wash all color and joy from this room, the crossroads of lost souls. The man standing beside her towered above her petite frame as he looked down on the desecrated remains of a once powerful crime boss. Beneath the disheveled mop of auburn hair, a smirk formed as a telltale glint of mischief formed behind the darkened lenses of his aviators-evidenced by the lines that etched into his features when he was up to no good.
"Don't even think about-"
"It looks like," he began, slowly removing the shades.
"I will touch you with this carcass glove," She threatened, holding up the hand she had used to touch the body.
"Shahrivar is all washed up," Tyr continued, deadpan and unfazed by her threat, as he folded the aviators and tucked them into the front pocket of his black blazer.
Her glare fixed on him as she wiped her hand on his face.
"I hope it was worth it."
"Stop that," he replied, with a smirk. "You don't know where I've been."
"You're right and I don't want to." She scoffed and turned around to Shahrivar. "I know we know who he is but, there was no ID, we have to find someone to identify him."
"Yeah?" Tyr asked with mock cluelessness as he fished the pack of smokes out his front pocket, where the aviators hung. "He's from Unova, too. We're gonna have to keep this lowlife on ice. What a waste of the taxpayer's money."
"Look at the bright side, who would want him dead enough to actually kill him besides another criminal? Two birds one stone." She shrugged.
"Find the perp and the motive, and we can put a mobster behind bars," Tyr added, holding the pack of cigarettes out to her in a gesture of offering. "Works for me."
"Now with that said, this next part is gonna really upset you. Mobster boss death, means I gotta call around and find a mobster to identify him," she began to take her gloves off, "and that means we need their cooperation, which means you have to play nice." She continued, crossing her arms and locking eyes with him.
Tyr rolled his eyes at her warning and took a cigarette from the pack she had ignored, placing the smoke between her lips. The lighter in his hand clicked and he held the open flame close to her as she leaned in and lit up.
"I really hate you," he grumbled, finally, taking the cigarette from her lips after her first drag. "Playing nice."
With that, he took a drag of his own and handed the smoke back to her.
"Tell me you're up to something. Tell me there's an ulterior motive for making nice with mobsters."
"I'm up to solving this case as fast as possible. How long would you like to take on this?" Yvette asked before she took a drag and held it in for a moment, exhaled, and returned it to him.
There was a brief silence between them, something that usually happened when she was right and he was wrong.
"Besides, you seemed pretty upset about using the tax payer's money on this case," she reminded him with a smile, and started to walk away. "Now let me go call around and find out who can come look at this mess."
She returned before long and her hand extended for what was left of the cigarette.
"I've got good news, bad news, good news, in that order."
Tyr cocked an eyebrow, inviting her to let him have it.
Yvette let out a smoke ring before continuing.
"Good news, I've got someone coming within a few hours to come check out this body. Bad news, she's coming with Nox." She hesitated, and withheld a smile, "Good news, you don't have to be here, we have suspects at large. Apparently he was on some party barge with every crime boss that's worth mentioning, and you get to go out and check in with the coast guard to see if they've found it while Nox and Kokori are here."
He flashed her a lupine smile.
"All of them, huh? Is it Arceus Day?"
"You must be in his good graces." Yvette chuckled before taking her leave of him.
It had been tense during the helicopter ride from Cinnabar Island, not that he had blamed her. One moment they were savoring the finer things in life, and in another her world had shattered beyond recognition. Nox sent a faraway gaze beyond the tinted window of the black town car as he held Kokori's hand in his own. He kept silent, offering comfort to her. All the while, however, the whole scenario troubled him. What happened out there on the water? Did the Dons and Donnas of the major families take him out? Or worse, did something happen to all of them? His brother….
Nox's heavy lids concealed his ruby gaze as he pushed the thoughts aside. Salvatore was safe out there. This was all some horrible accident; it just had to be. Out of his discomfort, his free hand adjusted his scarlet tie that did not need adjusting. The shaking hand of his lover pulled him from the reverie, opening his eyes, and strangely anchored him against his own troubles that he dared not burden her with.
He raised her hand to his lips and pressed them there. No words could be spoken, only his presence could be offered now.
The car halted before a building he had seen before, but overlooked many times. The simple masonry was easy to cast such a venue to oblivion, to allow one to not even be aware of its purpose. Now, regrettably, he knew. A coroner's facility. Here, Kokori's father-after she identifies him-will soon be dissected and reconstructed until a cause of death is determined. Nox released her hand and stepped elegantly from the car. He then came around to her door, opening it to beckon her.
"Kokori, it's time."
Her hand found his with uncontrolled strength. Her eyes her closed as she nodded solemnly, and stepped out, making her way with him to the door. Yvette, with her pale blue hair cut shorter than he remembered, waited to greet them.
Nox's cousin fetched him a half hearted smile as his own gaze fell upon her.
"I'm sorry we had to meet again like this. It's been a long time."
"Truly," he said softly, his gaze sharpening as it swept over their surroundings. "You've sent the lovesick mutt away?"
She nodded.
"He's out with the coast guard looking for the others. I didn't think it'd be good to have him around, he can be. . . insensitive."
"Yes," Nox agreed, his head turning to regard Kokori, "a wise decision."
"Kokori," he began, returning his attention to Yvette, "this is Yvette. An associate as well as my kin."
Yvette extended her hand to Kokori, exchanging a brief shake.
"It's comforting to know my father's investigation is in good hands." Kokori said, her voice hardly above a whisper. It seemed all she could do to hold herself together.
"I'll do everything I can to bring this to justice." Yvette replied, nodding before she turned to lead them into the building. "It isn't pretty, so I'll keep it brief and only have you see his face. Enough to give a solid identification. I will spare you the details."
His cousin's solemn words carried through the halls quietly. She then closed the distance and opened a door where Shahrivar laid covered up to his neck. Yvette's gaze, laden with regret, met his as they stepped lightly towards the body.
Kokori led Nox in further and it was little more than a glance before she buried her face into his shoulder, painful cries escaping her as she clung to him. He wrapped his arms around her as her sobs rocked against him.
Yvette covered him and nodded, offering her empathy.
"I'll fill out the paperwork so his remains can be returned to you once we find the cause of death. I'm very sorry Kokori."
Kokori nodded, before returning her head to Nox's shoulder.
"And Nox, when it is convenient, I need to speak with you. I'll be in the lobby. Take all the time you need," she offered reassuringly, before taking her leave.
Kokori broke away, wiping away her tears with her wrists as her sniffles brought her sobs under control.
"You can-go. I-need a m-min-minute." Kokori choked out.
"You're sure?" Nox asked, caressing her jawline with his thumb and forefinger. "Yvette can wait if you need."
She shook her head.
"I just want to hurry up and," she trailed off, stopping to take a deep breath as tears streamed down her cheeks, "and leave."
He pulled his right hand away from her cheek and looked into her eyes, her sad eyes, before turning to walk away from her.
When Nox came to the glass doors and pushed through them, Yvette was already out front and waiting for him. He took a deep breath, savoring the coastal air of Vermillion City and sighed, shaking off his lover's sadness for but a moment.
"You wanted to see me," he said, finally, acknowledging the presence of his cousin.
"Yeah," she began uneasy. "I don't want you to worry about Salvatore, I have it under control."
He inhaled sharply and closed his eyes, pausing, and opening them once more. "Okay."
"I haven't heard back from Tyr yet."
Perhaps he found a ditto brothel along the way, Nox mused, cruelly, as he listened to her words with careful consideration.
"I don't know what happened but, the family needs you, Kokori needs you, everyone is going to look to you for strength, so just let me take one thing off of your mind."
"Thank you," he replied in earnest, the truth of her words ringing through his mind. A shit storm was coming, and he had been so preoccupied with Shahrivar's death that he had failed to see.
"He's my family too, you know I'd never let anything happen to him."
"Anything else?" Nox asked, abruptly, not wanting to have his thoughts linger on his brother who might very well be lost at sea.
"Have my father come see me tonight."
Yvette paced in her modest kitchen, the walls were champagne, that complemented the impressionism paintings of meadows and mountains. The white tile floor reflected the light from the faux crystal chandelier that lit the room beautifully, even in the dead of night.
She went through her text messages with Tyr; the coast guard had found nothing. Her stomach was in knots and she couldn't bear to look at the pidove marsala on the stove. She prepared this dish from scratch for when her father would arrive.
The ringing of the doorbell startled her, and pulled her from the depths of her thoughts.
A small purple blur silently dashed to the door, Yvette's sableye then looked over at her with his unblinking crystal gaze.
"It's fine Jasper, I'm expecting someone," she reassured him as she opened the door.
John Archer, her father, crossed the threshhold, his full head of silver hair slicked back, catching the light, as he shrugged off his black double breasted jacket and handed it to Yvette. Even as he stood before her, taller, and as a man of fifty years, his cold, firm expression betrayed his years. He scarcely held an age line as his silver, impassive stare reflected what seemed like a centuries old wisdom.
"My darling daughter," he purred, a smile etching into the corners of his mouth. "It has been far too long."
Yvette met her father with a soft gaze, nodding in agreement.
"I know, I'm sorry. I've been busy," she apologized as she hung his jacket in the closet. "I made your favorite dish, pidove marsala."
"Delightful," he lilted, following her into the kitchen that also served as a dining room.
"I know it isn't as extravagant as the manor, but you know I've always preferred simplicity."
"Of course, my dear," he agreed, taking his seat at the dining table as he folded his hands in his lap. "You needn't worry about the venue. I'm not overly selective about where I break bread with my loved ones."
Yvette rolled her eyes as she dished out their servings. She then reached into her freezer for two glasses and a bottle of viognier, a dry wine with hints of lemon and ginger. She set the table before seating herself across from her father.
"An interesting choice," he stated, smiling cordially, "though I anticipate that it will complement the dish very well."
Her father casted her a measuring look before his lips drew into a thin line that revealed a level of disapproval.
"You aren't sleeping well, Yvette?"
"It's just been a long day, dad. Nox did fill you in, didn't he? Or was he brief as usual?" She sighed, before taking a bite.
It was clear that her father knew, but he was being difficult. Yvette quickly remembered why it had been so long since she invited him to meet in person.
"Tragic, isn't it?" Did he even care at all?
Her father carefully cut into the pidove marsala with his fork and took a small bite. His gaze came alight as he made a noise in his throat, displaying his enjoyment of the dish.
"You have outdone yourself, child," he praised, readying himself to take another bite.
"I've been practicing." Yvette admitted, before her gaze drifted to a painting in the room. "The trail is already cold. They are missing, all of them. Shahrivar is the only body to be found, it's as if the ship ceased to exist."
"Well, of course your trail is cold," he said plainly, sipping his wine. "There are no suspects when there are natural causes at play."
They ate in silence for the next few moments. Yvette pushed her food around on the plate, licking the inside of her cheek.
"Is this your way of telling me to drop it?" Cold eyes of the same shade and hue locked with the gaze across the table.
"As a citizen whose taxes fund your occupation, I am merely advising that this is a waste of your time. It would be within your best interests to pursue another case."
"And what happens if we don't?" Yvette challenged, also asking with a tone of curiosity.
"What are you implying, child?"
"I'm implying that the D.A. and my partner aren't going to let this go, and I need to know whose good graces I should be in."
Her father dabbed the corners of his mouth with a napkin and nodded with understanding.
"You need only ask yourself the fate of all who meddle with the affairs of the families," he cautioned, setting the napkin on the table. "This was a horrible accident at sea and many are out of their minds with grief. Expect anything, dear."
He stood from the table and smiled warmly at her.
"This meal was divine and it was so wonderful to see you," he cooed, despite the flash of regret in his eyes. "However, I have family business to attend to, naturally. The family will be turning to Nox, and he needs my support. Please show me out."
Yvette nodded and smiled, guiding her father to the door. She returned his jacket to him and hugged him goodbye.
"Thank you for coming."
"Thank you for having me," he returned, kissing her on the forehead.
As he turned away and his hand fell upon the door handle, he stiffened.
"Yvette. You sought my counsel tonight. It was a wise decision. It would be even wiser to keep your partner on a short leash."
With those words, he stepped through the door that closed behind him. Her heart sank for a moment, she then peaked through the curtain to be sure her father left before scrambling for her cell. Trembling hands dialed Tyr, and with each ring, she silently pleaded for him to answer.
"Yvette, it's late, can it wait until tomorrow?"
"Tyr," her voice shook as she spoke. "You need to come over immediately."
Tears ran down her cheeks.
"Please."