The normal sounds of the small cavern are nowhere to be found in this late of an hour, complete silence filling every corner of the cave with its welcomed embrace. The noise of the water, the Zubats, even the noise of the few elite trainers that trained here are missing in the damp air. The only sound that penetrated the silence was the howling of the wind, begging to be let inside of the cavern of dragons.
A lone figure sat on the docks of the shrine. His metallic eyes stared at his wrist, watching the small hands on the clock face move ever closer to the top of that precious antique. He squinted as it neared his desired time.
A sharp beeping filled the caverns as the clock hit midnight.
"Well," The boy found himself smiling bitterly as the date switched from the twenty-third of December to the twenty-fourth of that frozen month. "Happy birthday, Silver."
He let out a deep sigh before reaching into his pocket. He slowly pulled out an old coin, the piece of silver engraved with an intricate design on both sides. He closed his eyes as he ran the coin between his fingers, relishing in that cold metal he was named for.
He opened his eyes as the coin now rested upon his thumb. With a sharp inhale, he whispered those little words to himself yet again.
"Make a wish, Silver."
He closed his eyes once again as he then flipped the coin into the air, allowing a metallic ring to echo through the caverns.
He waited with an open palm for the coin to feel the effects of gravity. He found himself waiting far longer than usual, the caverns empty of any plop, clank, or thunk that would prove the coin's descent. He opened one eye with a frown and looked up to find something he would have never expected.
A pale face smirked at him as she held her hand above his head, hazel eyes dancing despite the black bags under her eyes.
"Lyra Soul," The boy glared at his rival, wondering how in the world she had managed to enter the cavern without making a single sound. Furthermore, how long had she been here?! "What are you doing here?"
"What's the matter, Silver?" The brunette sat beside him with a raised eyebrow. "I thought you liked it when I hung out with you?"
Silver just shot her a look before he held his hand out for his beloved coin back. "Hand it over, pesky runt."
She lifted her hand higher above her head and grinned at the redhead beside her. "Only if you tell me what the heck you were doing and you let me take a good look at the coin."
"What does it matter to you, pest?"
The brunette frowned before shooting him a glare. The bags under her eyes were more prominent when set against her hazels, making Silver stop and wonder how his rival had managed to gain such a mark on her cheerful—and oh so annoying—face.
"Because I want to know, Jerky. Now, if you ever want to see the coin again, I suggest you spill."
The boy growled before letting out a hiss. He folded his arms against his chest and scowled at the water nearby. "It's an old tradition in my family to flip a coin and make a wish on this day, that's all."
Lyra laughed before shaking her head. "You mean, it's a tradition to make a wish on your birthday."
Crap.
Silver snapped his gaze to his rival to find her giving him an eyebrow wiggle that could rival even Green Oak's trademarked raise. "What are you—"
"I saw your Trainer's Card years ago, redhead." She used her free hand to ruffle those mentioned scarlet locks, earning a quiet curse from the boy. "It has your birthday on it, remember?"
Silver swatted her hand away with a roar of frustration. "But why the heck are you here, anyway?! Don't you have better things to do than annoy me to death and hold my stuff hostage?!"
Lyra's smirk of hidden joy fell quickly as she looked away. She let out a sigh and shifted her sitting position, preferring to fold her legs instead of sitting on her feet.
"...I'm not interested in Lance's little parties."
Silver just glared at her for a moment before focusing on her palm once again. With a growl, he thrusted his hand out to grab his coin back. Lyra just moved with him and dodged him without a missed beat. He fell back into his seat with a loud snarl as she just flashed him a grin of triumph.
"The coin is yours once you spill the details about it, Silver."
The redhead let out a long groan before running a hand through his hair. He then pointed to the hand withholding his treasure with a scowl. "It's an ancient coin used in Ecruteak over a thousand years ago. It's one of the only things I got and I want it back, Lyra!" He quickly shot out his hands yet again as he tried to snatch the object back.
The brunette ignored his grabbing and opened her palm to inspect the object. She was awed at the sight of the intricate engraving of Ho-Oh resting on the head of the coin. With a whistle of admiration, she turned it over to find a matching Lugia facing the left as to mirror the Ho-Oh's direction. She hummed as the cool surface of pure silver rested between her fingertips.
Lyra then smiled and moved the coin back towards her rival. Silver was startled by the gesture for a moment before snatching it away with a look of muddled anger.
"It's a very nice coin, Silv." Silver was taken aback by the rarer nickname, making him turn to find the girl resting her bag beside her. "I can see why you care so much about it."
"...Thanks." He slipped the coin back in his pocket for the moment as the girl opened her bag up with a loud zipper. The boy watched on for a while before he remembered that Lyra didn't exactly provide a reason why she had come here to the Dragon's Den.
"But why are you here?"
Lyra seemed to tense up at his question, making the girl just continue to search through her bag. Silver watched as her shoulders rose up to shield her neck before she finally spat out an answer.
"I told you, I don't care for Lance's annual Elite Four gatherings. They're stuffy, boring and just plain painful."
Silver raised an eyebrow as she continued her search. He knew probably better than anyone that the Champion of Johto and her senior Lance never got along as nicely as they let on. The caped idiot was always finding something to scold the brunette about, whether it be about model Champion behavior or her strong habit of leaving the Indigo Plateau without permission. They always seemed at odds with each other, fighting with both words and the occasional Pokémon scuffle.
Silver was seriously starting to wonder if Lance was a bit more volatile than the brunette let on.
Silver snapped out of his pondering as Lyra pulled out a large box from her bag—seriously, how does she fit all that crap in that thing?!—and set it beside her. He finally cleared his throat and tried again.
"That doesn't explain why you came to the Dragon's Den when you could have gone home to your mother or to visit that lame Ethan kid." Lyra drew a sharp breath through her teeth as his eyes narrowed at a lump under her sleeve. "And what's wrong with your arm?"
"Nothing!" Lyra sang the rejection out with a precise air, leading the redhead to believe that his earlier thought may be closer than he thought. "I just like how quiet it is here." She quickly picked up the box and turned back to her rival with a faked grin.
"Besides, you're here. That's always a bonus."
Both of their cheeks lit up at this little comment, making them turn away and cough into their sleeves.
Both of them might be a whole lot closer to their rival than they cared to let on to the general public, it was still just completely embarrassing to say aloud.
"Here," Lyra practically shoved the decorated box into her rival's arms. "This is yours, Jerky."
"Wh-what?" He glanced down to the Sneasel wrapping paper before snapping his attention back to the brunette before him. "Is this a joke—"
Lyra's eyes narrowed into slits as she let out a hiss. "Dude, it's your stinkin' birthday. Just open your gift and be happy, will ya'?" She pointed to the box and deadpanned. "I just lugged that thing all the way here in a blizzard, Jerky. The least you could do is open it."
"Fine, Marshmallow-Head." Silver gave her a glare before turning his eyes back to the red ribbon adorning the box. His eyes seemed to take in the object with a hungry energy, trying to remember as much as he could. He could hardly remember the last time he had received a gift on his birthday, and he wanted to make sure he would recall this one.
"Open it!"
Silver snapped back to his rival with a growl. "I'm looking at the wrapping paper, woman! Give me a minute, will ya'?! I'll open it when I'm good and ready!"
With a deep breath, he tore into the wrapping paper.
He blinked in surprise as he found a large box inside of the wrapping paper. It wasn't just any box, though. It was a box from Celadon Department Store. He glanced back up to find his rival grinning at him with a shimmer in her eyes. He chuckled at her enthusiasm before continuing to open the box.
His breath seemed to be trapped in his throat at the sight before him.
There in the box was a full winter coat, completely navy-blue with the exception of a scarlet trim accenting the thick fabrics. He pulled it out to find a matching set of thick gloves and a pair of boots, making him swallow hard at this sudden find.
He looked back to his rival with a shimmer of awe in his metallic eyes.
"Are...are you sure this is for me?" He breathed out the question as she continued to watch him with a smile. The brunette nodded and motioned to the coat.
"I tried to find one that would match your favorite jacket. I recalled the size from when I beat you to a pulp in Goldenrod." The boy gave her a sour face as she just had to bring that dreaded Radio Tower into things. "So, I'm pretty sure it will fit your style."
Silver turned the coat around and just continued to stare at this gift. His rival had spent her money on him, even when he hadn't really given her anything for her birthday just around seven months ago.
"Well," He looked up to see her motioning for him to try the coat on. "Try it on!"
With a thankful grin, the boy quickly slipped into the coat. His quick fingers were exceptionally quick in zipping it up. He soon found himself smiling as it stopped at just the right spot. He gave his arms a flap in a similar manner to a Delibird before he looked up at his rival with warm eyes.
"This is..." The redhead found himself at a loss for words. The coat fit perfectly, being both snug enough to preserve his body heat but loose enough to move about in the typical manner of any trainer. He looked back up to his rival to find her smiling wider than even him, enjoying that little light that the redhead had exposed in a rare moment. Realizing his current emotions, he cleared his throat and tried to calm down.
"Thank you." The words were barely a whisper in the caverns as he nodded with thanks. "I...I like it."
Lyra Soul gave her rival a smile before rising to her feet. The redhead raised an eyebrow in questioning before watching her pull something out of her bag once again. He soon found his rival walking over towards him with a scarf in her hands, a deep navy to match the coat and boots.
"Lyra, I—" He was cut off by the brunette wrapping the scarf around his neck with a look of concentration. He felt his face grow hot at the gesture, but he let her finish anyway. Once the scarf was firmly around his neck, she backed away with a smile.
"Wonderful." She nodded as she appraised the fit of Silver's new winter gear. "I was hoping that they would fit. I'm glad that they match your pants, too. It's a little difficult to work with lavender..."
"I-It's purple!" Silver felt a prick of anger at that smug grin on her face. "I'll have you know that purple is the color of royalty!"
Lyra just laughed and shook her head. "I'm not making fun, redhead. I'm just saying."
Silver just frowned and turned his attention back to his gifts. Every time he looked at them, he was filled with so many emotions. It was a small gesture, but even that didn't erase the fact that his rival had given him the first birthday gift he's had in years. Perhaps long ago, Silver would have stuck out his tongue and complained about receiving clothes as a gift. But after quite a few years fending for himself, he's come to realize just how cold those winter nights could be. Besides that critical change in environment, the fact that he still wasn't allowed in most stores on the south side of Johto certainly limited his options.
Besides, Silver's always hated shopping.
He lifted his eyes back to his rival and just stared at her, unable to think of a way to thank her. Sure, he had actually murdered some of his pride by saying those two little words, but it still didn't feel like it was fitting. Something like this, a gift that was sure to cost more than ten-thousand Poké, used on him was just a little too much for him to take at that moment. His eyes started to sting from this sudden change in mood, and he quickly wiped them with the back of his hands.
"So," Lyra Soul just lifted an eyebrow before pointing to the pocket the redhead had shoved that very intricate coin into. "What did you wish for?" Silver lifted his head quickly at her voice. Asking what someone wished for? Unthinkable! Everyone knew the superstition that if you told someone your wish, it was cursed to never come true. And, like it or not, Silver was sorta superstitious about such things.
He didn't want to sabotage his only chance.
"I can't tell you that," He walked back to his previous seat with the welcomed sound of a new coat rubbing against itself and plopped back down. "It's cheating to tell someone, Marshmallow-Head." His eyes flickered back to the girl just as she gave that weird lump on her arm a rub. Noticing his gaze, her hand dropped dead and her throat was cleared in a chance to regain some lost dignity.
"Well," Her voice dragged out the vowel as she flopped down beside him. A small grin came to her face before she turned to her rival. "I would tell you mine, if I made one, that is." An eyebrow raised at her words before she continued, "I don't believe in all of those crazy superstitions and stuff." Suddenly, the grin faded and her head dipped as to brush her coat with her chin. "Besides, I'm pretty sure none of my wishes work anyway..."
A sudden pang in his chest made him shift awkwardly, unintentionally moving closer to her. The brunette either ignored it or just didn't notice, for her eyes stared down at her reflection in the chilling waters of this sacred shrine. He decided against his better judgement to crane his neck forward and take a peek at her face, only to find her eyes shrouded with an uncharacteristic darkness. He flinched without thinking and snapped her attention back to the boy beside her. Her eyes seemed to burn through him, that strange shade of brown that some people considered hazel.
He paused for a moment, unable to think of anything to say. Suddenly, his mouth popped open. "What did you wish for?" Her gaze sharpened as her mouth opened slightly in either anger or disgust, and shame quickly washed over the redhead. Why would he go and ask that of all questions? Had he no sense in his head? For all of his years of surviving on his own, that didn't really seem like him. He was just about to turn away and try to put some distance between them when a low mumble slipped out.
"I wished for my father to come back."
At the mere mention of the word 'father', he flinched. He clenched his teeth and shifted his head as to scold himself for the action before turning back to the brunette rival beside him. He was certainly surprised when he found her eyes brimming with tears and her face scrunched up in what seemed like anger. He sat a bit taller and tilted his head in confusion. Come to think of it, he had never heard of her father. He had never questioned it, mainly due to the fact that the word held no meaning to him. In his world, that was just some made-up fantasy that people held, something that never existed. All he saw his own 'father' as was someone who donated his genes to his own, those horrible, cursed, disgusting genes of his.
He swallowed hard before sitting firmly on the ground and wringing his hands nervously in his lap. He thought hard for a moment, trying to think if he really wanted to risk this and ask her the meaning behind such a statement. His new coat seemed to make him a little too warm, causing a bit of discomfort to rise. After tossing around options, he decided to ask about it. She wouldn't have brought it up if she didn't want to talk, right? He just prayed that his own 'father' didn't come to the table.
"So," His hands honestly stung from the pulling of his own skin, but he tried to ignore it. "What...happened...to your father?" He tried to not show that terrible pit that was in his stomach as her eyes lifted to his face. "I mean, if you don't want to talk about it, I understand. I just thought that since you brought it up that you might want to—"
"He disappeared when I was really small." She tilted her eyes away from him before letting out a sigh. "I-I can kinda remember him, like how he would ruffle my hair and laugh at me." Her voice had a sudden bittersweet tone to it, filled with a broken, yet desperate longing. His hand slowly raised to his head as he recalled all of the times his own hair had been ruffled by her hands. He didn't have much time to search for a connection before she went on, "I can remember his smile, this really wide but sorta lopsided grin that just made you want to smile with him. He had a really strong voice that would kinda bounce off of things and make him seem really loud, but he never seemed to be angry."
Silver found himself biting his lip as a memory of angry yells slipped in to his mind. Desperately, he tried to shove the thought away before it could take the shape of his angular, sharp face and those dull and heartless eyes. The fog was hard to see through, but he tried to focus on the coat of his rival to push the terrible memory away. His rival didn't seem to notice, perhaps due to the tears that were welling up in her eyes.
"H-He had a Manetric." Her voice cracked under pressure, making him snap to his rival instead. "You know, one of those blue and yellow Electric Types from Hoenn? He had one named Volt. He would let me ride on his back around the house while my dad chased us around." Silver's mind fought to think of what exactly a Manetric looked like, but he had nothing. But if she rode on its back around the house, she must have been really small. She couldn't have been more than three-years-old, right?
"One day," Her voice cracked a little and she forced herself to swallow it and keep trying, making a strange feeling rise in Silver's own throat. "He left on the Magnet Train...H-He said that he'd be back soon, and that he would call the second he got there in Kanto..." Her eyes broke off before looking down at her crossed her legs. "But h-he never did...we never heard from him again."
It took quite a bit effort to swallow at that moment.
He never expected something like this on his birthday. The gift alone was something unimaginable to him, so to even have her here at this ungodly hour and talking to her was something he would have never expected. He had simply assumed that at this midnight hour, that he would have sat here alone, thinking over everything that had happened this past year. Instead, he was talking about wishes and missing fathers. He didn't even know what to say at this point.
So, he said the first thing that came to mind.
"That's a good wish." He could feel her eyes snapping to his face, but he pretended to take interest in the waterlogged floorboards instead. He ignored her sharp, strangled inhale and just slowly blinked at the floor. "You should keep trying. Maybe one of these days, it might just work."
Lyra Soul didn't speak. Instead, she kept her eyes on her rival. It may not have been exactly the best way to say it, but the intent was still there. He was actually trying to be nice, instead of throwing back some sarcastic remark. She knew that his mood and behavior had been improving, but this was beyond what she had even thought he had reached. To just sit there and listen to her ramble like that...
Man, did she feel guilty right now.
Instead of choking out some sort of apology, she ended up patting her rival on the shoulder and praying he wasn't looking at her face. Of course, her rival was. How could he ignore how bright her cheeks were right now? It was almost comical how flustered she looked. However, sparing himself the trouble, he simply laid his head down on the soggy wood and closed his eyes. His rival seemed almost startled by this, much to his amusement.
"H-Hey," Lyra mentally scolded herself for stuttering as she turned behind her. "What are you doing, redhead? You're going to get wet if you plan on sleeping there tonight!" Silver didn't open his eyes. Instead, he tried to drown her out and focus on what he was thinking. "You know, it wouldn't be too hard to get you a room in the Pokémon Center for tonight. I know it's usually full around this time of year, but I'm sure Nurse Joy would make an exception for you. She does have a heart in there, you know."
"Nah," His voice was barely above a whisper right now, forcing his rival to lean forward and strain her ears to hear him. "I'm fine right here." Before his rival could protest, he added, "I like being away from all of the crowds this time of year. People get really crazy in December, and the last thing I want to do is get in the way of some grumpy woman with a heavy purse."
A laugh slipped out of her mouth before she could stop it, but she quickly caught it and shoved it back down. She was starting to feel awkward, but not in the usual way. Usually, it was from standing a little too close to him or from talking too much to his 'I'm trying to ignore you' face. Instead, she felt like she should be doing something, but nothing could come to mind. It was the awkwardness that came with uncertainty, and that was the worst kind.
The rustle behind his head proved that the conversation hadn't gone unnoticed, and soon a bit of cold air was smashing against his forehead. A small smile found a place on his cheeks as the footsteps clicked over to his rival and stopped in their tracks. From there, the chirping gave it all away. Sneasel was up, and that meant that the others were soon behind. The redhead took a deep breath before focusing once again. In this slight lull, he had finally made his decision. He knew what to wish for this year, in this drenched corner of the sacred cavern of dragons.
It was different than last year's wish. Last year, he had simply hoped to regain what was lost, and that one had surprisingly come true. After all, he had managed to rescue his best friend from the clutches of that crazy collector in Cinawood. Therefore, a small flame of hope was burning at this moment. If this was a sign that his luck was finally turning around, he would gladly take it. With another deep inhale, taking in the scent of cold water, lavender and a lingering scent of a familiar perfume, he made his wish.
This year has been a long one, that much I will admit to. Sneasel was letting out a few chirps of pleasure, most likely from some well placed scratches under the chin. I've been trying. I know I'm nowhere near how kind my rival is, or how positive she manages to be, but I'm working on it. This year, I only want one thing. It may be a bit obscure compared to my previous wishes, but I hope you will hear me anyway.
This year, all I want is for things to stay the same. Please, don't take away anything. Things seem to be finally looking up for me, and I don't want this to change. Let me have just one year of this calm before some other catastrophe happens. I've just gotten used to this; a cocky, stubborn little brunette, an anxious Meganium, a equally cocky Glaceon, an indifferent Milotic, a bitter Skarmory, an energetic Togikiss and a mischievous Mismagius. Please, let them stick around just a little longer.
I know I don't really deserve it, but that is my wish.
Author's Note: A little advice to all you wonderful people out there; if you start a one-shot four months early, but want to stop it halfway because you want to get it posted on time, DON'T STOP IT. It kills your flow and then you spend a whole month trying to finish it on time. Just get it done then and save it for later. It's that simple.
So, Happy Birthday to my favorite rival and Dexholder, Silver!
So, as the opening paragraph of this note may tell you, this was a pain. I nearly gave this one up and opted for one revolving around just Sneasel and Silver, simply because I couldn't seem to get it off the ground after making a pit-stop. I got really frustrated over that, but I think that it's OK. I don't like it as much as say, my New Years one-shot, but I like it. I think the wait kinda shows though, and if it irritates you wonderful readers, I'll just have to go back and try to hide the time difference. After all, in August (when I first started this), I didn't have such a solid grasp on my Stubborn!Lyra. She was still a bit floppy. However, now I have a much stronger sense of her character.
Anyways, I hope you like this everyone! Happy holidays once again from IllusionsOfInsanity, and I hope you all have a wonderful New Years as well!
(On a related note, I'm not liking this new look to the document editor. I quite liked my grammer/spelling/usage checker. My WordPad doesn't have such nice features...)