Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.

Author's Note: My first story. If it sucks, sorry for wasting your time. If you like it, you're welcome.

You know, she really did live in a beautiful garden. The ivy-covered trellises, the perfectly manicured flowerbeds, the verdant trees that obscured this sanctuary from the prying eyes of the rest of Altomare, all caught my attention. But the first thing I noticed was the soothing trickle of running water, so similar to her bubbly laugh.

Actually, this place sort of reminds me of Sendoff Spring. Mind you, I don't spend much time at the spring proper, no matter how cheery it is. My job is to guard Turnback Cave, far below the last glimpse of earthly beauty lost souls get before they enter my domain. My home is dark and depressing and almost claustrophobic. I don't mind it, but I suppose it's an acquired taste.

Of course, this brings up the awkward question of why I'm in Altomare and not at Turnback Cave, filling my duty as a guide for the dead. Sure, it's not like there's any urgency (the nice thing about being dead is that you have time to spare), but it's unprofessional to let souls queue up like the line to Six Flags.

So why am I here? Call it a vacation.

You know, Latias actually is a bit pretty. I've seen her before at Meetings, of course, but she was always a shy red blur hovering around her proud, overprotective brother. I never noticed, for example, her eyes, big and trusting and innocent, yet tinged with a wisdom only found by loss.

You don't see that look in other Legendaries. They never die. Even if they do screw up enough to get themselves killed, I am ordered by Arceus to resurrect them. They all hang out with each other, so they don't even know anyone who's died. They can be a bit shallow at some things. But not Latias. She's different.

Right now, she's floating around her garden, picking flowers seemingly at random. The only pattern I can see is that she only picks the blue ones, ignoring shape or size or any other quality. It's rather adorable actually.

Man, I sound like a stalker. That isn't helped by the fact that, in many ways, I am kind of stalking her. As a ghost, I can fade into the background at will, becoming invisible and intangible. Sort of like Ebenezer Scrooge looking at his own past with regret, only not so Dickensian.

Right now, I'm in her garden, watching her without her realizing it. Why? Hell if I know. Maybe I just wanted to check up on her, after the "incident" in Turnback Cave. She seemed pretty shaken. Arceus, that was unpleasant…

…There she was, Latias, actually in Turnback Cave. Very few people actually even know where the place is, and those who do tend to avoid it, lest they bring attention from the Lord of Death. She had journeyed all the way from Hoenn, driven by hope and desperation, which was reflected on her face as she stood in the presence of Giratina, who towered over her, his expression impassive, almost bored.

The Ghost Pokemon that frequented the place crowded around her, eager as attack dogs to remove the intruder. A gesture from the Renegade told them to stay their hunger. They relented, backing into the shadows.

"Lord Giratina," she said, "my brother Latios was recently killed. I have come all this way to ask you to bring him back." Her face shined after giving her request, as if she was blind and would soon be given sight again.

The Death Dragon looked upon her, considering options, cogs turning in his mind. Finally, in a tone heavy as a slab of lead, he delivered his decision; "No."

She didn't break down into tears, or curse the heavens, but simply remained firm. "You must bring him back. I know you are ordered to bring back Legendaries, and Latios was a Legendary."

"Let me ask you a question," he said, apparently ignoring her, "How was Latios created?" "He was born, of course," Latias said matter-of-factly. "Then he had a mother and father, correct?" "Yes." "If Latios had lived, could he have theoretically had children of his own?" "I suppose," She said, not seeing where Giratina was going with these questions, but knowing it would be bad.

"That is why I can't resurrect him. Your species has a breeding population, where the dead are replaced with the newly born. I can't just replace the dead with the dead." "Bu-But you bring back other Legendaries," Latias said, sensing the dark chasm opening up beneath her but trying to pretend it didn't exist.

"That is because there's only one of them. There are more Latios." "There was only one Latios!" she shouted, a slight crack in her voice. "It is simply against the rules of life and death. I cannot break them," Giratina went on, reasonable as ever in the face of Latias' growing hysteria.

"To Hell with the rules! You're the Renegade, break the rules!" Latias said as tears began to trickle down her cheeks. A look of genuine remorse appeared on Giratina's face, forever obscured by his golden mask "I cannot. Long ago, in the Beginning of the worlds, I was young and reckless, and destroyed much in utter disregard for the laws of the Original one. This job is the penance for my crimes. I shall not break the rules again; for fear that I become the monster I was."

"You already are a monster," Latias almost whispered. Giratina's eyes widened at the insult, and his stance became more passive, almost ashamed. "If it's any consolation, I'm sorry." "No you're not," Latias said in between quiet, whimpering sobs. Giratina straightened up, regaining his composure. "Am I sorry Latios is dead? No," he said, his voice showing no remorse, "I'm not."

That was it. Any pretense of hope left Latias' face, as despair rose up like a wave and overwhelmed her. She looked upon Giratina once more, without malice or hatred, just a deep sadness. Blindly, she flew out of Turnback Cave, her crying echoing along the tunnels long after she had left…

…I really wasn't sorry for Latios, you know. Why should I be? Death isn't so bad, and I make sure all the lost souls are taken care of. However, I was a bit sorry for Latias. She was separated from Latios forever. Normal lifeforms at least get to die too and meet their loved ones in the afterlife, but as a Legendary, Latias is immortal. She could always commit suicide or something, but that would be really depressing, even for me.

Still, maybe I'm blowing this whole thing out of proportion. I mean, she seems fine, she's smiling, she's picking flowers. Maybe she didn't take the news of Latios' permanent mortality as bad as I thought she had, she's fine…

Wait a minute. Mother of Mew, she just started crying.

Not body-wracking sobs or banshee-like moans or kicked-puppy-whimpering, just a few, silent tears that glimmered like precious stones before falling onto the flowers she was holding, coating them in a mournful dew. The blue flowers. The flowers colored like Latios. Oh. She isn't over it after all.

Maybe I should…No! I have been seeing creatures cry since life on this planet evolved tear ducts. I'm the specter of death for crying out loud! I will not be moved by tears. Nope, she can cry all she wants, I won't break the rules of life and death.

Nope.

Not gonna happen.

Oh, screw it. She's worth it.

Latias flew through Altomare, invisible to the eyes of humans. Her brother would never have let her go about the city alone, but she needed to get out of that garden. It held far too many memories.

She greatly enjoyed people-watching, seeing the joy on the faces of those who walked through the city she protected. An old man was sitting on a bench, throwing bread into the canals to be picked off by passing Psyducks. A young couple drifted by in a gondola, making googly-eyes at each other. And walking along the path…

…Two small children, a little girl and a slightly older boy. As they walked along, the girl tripped on a stray cobblestone, scraping her knee. Just as her eyes began to water, the boy bent down and treated her minor wound, placing a band-aid over the abrasion. "Thanks, big brother," the little girl squeaked.

Latias couldn't take it anymore. She quickly flew back to the garden, before her crying alerted the humans to her presence. Once within the confines of her sanctuary, she regained her visibility and released her pent-up emotions, taking deep, shuddering breaths as memories of her own brother washed over her. Oh Arceus, she missed him. What she wouldn't do to just…

"Latias?"

Her eyes widened. It couldn't be, could it? She slowly turned around, expecting no one to be there. Her jaw dropped at what she saw. There was Latios, with the same determined eyes and warm expression. At first she thought she had finally gone mad with loneliness, as it wasn't quite Latios. She could see the trees through his body, his blue and white markings faded to transparency.

"Latias, I've missed you so much," he said, his voice sounding more like an echo than a real voice. He flew over to her and hugged her, and when she felt his warm embrace again, she was immediately convinced that he was real.

I see them hug, the first time they've been able to in some time. It's rather heartwarming. As they catch up with each other, Latios looks over his sister's shoulder, and straight at my spectral, invisible form. He winks.

I nod, acknowledging the favor I have done for both of them. While it is strictly against the rules to resurrect the dead, ghosts are quite another matter. Them I can give a little leeway. I am called the Renegade for a reason. My god, it's good to hear Latias laugh again. It's worth the third degree I'll get for allowing this.

I could reveal myself, tell her of the gift I have given her, but I decide against it. She fears me, hates me, and that's only natural. All mortals are supposed to fear Death, no matter how bad it actually is. If they didn't, they would never bother living their lives. She can never love me. But that doesn't mean that I can't love her, in my own special way.

And once in a while, even if nobody knows it but me, even the Dragon of Death can be a nice guy.

Author's note: Ha! I finally wrote something! In your face, procrastination!

Good? Bad? Should I never write again and spare you my crappy prose? Review and tell me.