Title: Prologue
Rating: This fanfiction is rated K+
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon, as much as I want to.
Author's notes: Well, here it is, my first multi-chaptered fanfiction! I have been working on this for ages, and finally it's up. I'm so excited! I can't wait to see what other people think of it! It's been in my head for about a year and now it's ready.
I don't really have anything else important to say now, apart from enjoy!
Doom Desire
Prologue
Will was an outsider.
In his life, he basically had no one. When his parents were suddenly torn apart, along with their house, during a Mightyena attack on his home, he had barely escaped himself. He had been only seven, and after the attack, he had stumbled around his village of Littleroot and endured the Metapod and Caterpie, which had ran over his dirty feet and made him shudder. He begged people to let him stay with them, for a little while at least.
However, his efforts were to no avail. Everyone either slammed the door in his face, or gently told him they couldn't handle another mouth to feed. Unfortunately for Will, the latter situation was much less frequent. A little tiredly, Will found himself knocking at yet another door to an expensive house, his bare feet filthy and numb from walking up and down so many paths. He watched the door open, revealing that the house inside was glowing with a cosy light, which looked extremely inviting. He braced himself for the slam.
It didn't come.
Instead, a pretty little girl around his age with a blonde ponytail answered the door. She had startling black eyes that were slightly intimidating, and she was wearing clothes that looked like they should have been worth a lot but seemed as if she had tried to make them look as normal as possible. She seemed surprised that it was just a child her age, because it registered on her expression.
"Why are you here?" she asked. Her voice was quite posh, and she obviously hated the sound of it, because she pulled a face.
"Um..." Will began. "I was wondering -" He didn't continue, because a female voice from further inside the house was asking who it was. The girl called back that there was a little person at the door. A woman who was obviously the kid's mother, as she had the same blonde hair, came to the doorway.
"Look, we don't buy anything at the door."
"What? No! I just don't have anywhere to go! My parents only just di -" Will's voice caught in his throat. "Sorry, I'll stop bothering you, I'll go now." He trudged dejectedly down the path, his head low. He'd try the next house, he decided, if he didn't collapse right there on the pavement.
"Wait!"
Light footsteps echoed down the short lane. Turning around, Will saw the girl running towards him, her ponytail unravelling. "Mother says you can come in. Well, more me than her. I kind of persuaded – sorry, I'm going off on a tangent." She grinned. "The point is, you can stay, so come on!"
Will didn't hesitate. Maybe it was the pleasant sensation of someone finally talking to him like a regular human being, or maybe he was just so exhausted that he didn't argue. Forcing himself to walk, he followed the girl up towards the mansion – the mayor's mansion, he realised with a start. The revelation jolted him into falling over and scraping his hands.
He didn't allow himself to flinch. He had a mutual dislike for his father, Elton, and was ashamed when he found he didn't miss the man at all when he died, but his mother was a different story. Marianne was really the only one who he loved. She sang lullabies in a strained voice to Will, whose father only stopped his raging to head to the Zorua and Houndoom, the local bar, where he would surely drink himself senseless and use up the little money the family had. She had desperately scraped together enough money to get her only child a present on his birthday, even if it meant she couldn't eat for a week.
Will couldn't afford to be a weakling, not after everything she had done for him.
"Are you alright?" Will was shaken from his grief, and his thoughts, at the voice. He looked up, and the girl was standing in front of him. She offered him her arm. "Need a hand?"
Will gratefully took her hand and rose to his feet. "Thanks."
She smiled.. "No problem." She paused and frowned. "I don't even know your name, do I?"
"I'm Will,"
"Lydia White, at your service," she announced, laughing.
Will barely heard her, his mind on other things.
"You're a man of few words, aren't you, Mister Will?"
By way of an answer, Will said nothing.
When Will stepped inside the house, he gasped. He had never seen a house quite like this.
Now, the house seemed bigger than it had before on the outside. Will was standing in an enormous lounge that could fit all of the rooms in his house and still have space for more. The carpet had an intricate pattern of red, yellow, gold and orange, and it covered the entire floor. A friendly fire crackled in the hearth, casting the room in a cosy glow. In front of the fire, there were three enormous sofas sitting in a 'U' shape. A cupboard that contained what Will's mother would call 'useless trinkets' stood along one wall. The immense curtains were draped casually in front of the window, allowing just enough room to see the stars outside. As the door was opened, a colossal chandelier hung from the ceiling, the transparent diamonds tinkling softly against each other.
However, Lydia glared disdainfully at all the riches and beautiful items and stalked past, sighing.
"What's wrong?" asked Will.
"What? Oh, nothing..."
Will raised his eyebrows, but he didn't persist. Lydia led him through the living room towards what appeared to be the kitchen, which was unoccupied. Will quickly scanned the room, and took in the details at a high speed. The latticed walls were lined with an array of china plates and teacups patterned with a blue floral design. The oven had a delicious smell emanating from it, like baking bread. Will felt his stomach growl in despair.
Lydia turned around."Are you hungry?"
When Will sheepishly nodded, she whirled around and, looking through one of the many cupboards, she found a slice of bread. Then she took a knife from the drawer. Will backed away.
"What? You think I'm about to run you through?" Lydia laughed. "I was going to spread butter on this bread, you idiot."
For some reason, Will didn't care that this girl had just blatantly insulted him. There was something about her that put him totally at ease. Although her house was the richest building he'd ever been in, and although she was clearly quite posh, he knew from just a few minutes of being with her that she wasn't a bit snobby. He also found it distinctly odd that her trusted her wholeheartedly, even though the thought had crossed his mind that he'd never seen her before in his life, despite the fact that she lived in Littleroot Town.
Strange. The word was in his brain before he knew he'd even thought it.
"Are you eating this?"
Will slipped out of his train of thought. Lydia stood in front of him, offering the now-buttered piece of bread. "Oh, thanks," he said, gratefully taking the slice and eating an ample bite.
"Careful! Do you want to choke to death?!" exclaimed Lydia. Will immediately apologised and took a smaller bite. In a matter of moments, the bread was gone and he looked a lot better. Lydia added, with a smile, "Good."
Will smiled back at her; the first smile he'd done in a while.
"Okay, now you can meet my parents." the girl told Will.
Will acknowledged her uncertainly; there was an underlying bitterness to Lydia's tone when she said the word parents, and it made him uneasy. Nevertheless, he followed her through the kitchen to a dining room that had a large oak table resting on a dark blue carpet. He found himself wondering how many rooms were in this house when he noticed that at the head of the table, dressed in a terrible blue brocade jacket that threatened to burst at the seams, sat the familiar form of Mayor White. His features were arranged into a jolly visage, but there was something about him that Will didn't like.
Opposite him sat his petite, blonde wife. She wore the same expression that she had had on her face at the door, i.e. a permanent scowl. Will swallowed, and tried to hide his obvious discomfort. He was baffled as to why they had let him in so easily. He suspected that Lydia had considerable persuasive skills. Then, before he could think further, Mayor White spoke, penetrating the heavy silence that blanketed the room like snow, and like snow it was frigid, nasty and numbing up close.
"So, little boy, you've nowhere to go, is that right? My daughter here was rather adamant in helping you," he crooned, with a smile at his daughter.
It wasn't a pleasant smile.
Will managed a 'yes' and a nod, though he couldn't help but feel that the original cosiness he thought the house had was gone in an instant.
"We thought you might like to stay the night."
Will nodded; he was beginning to feel like a Hoothoot. Lydia muttered to him, "Go upstairs. First door on the left."
Will turned and walked out of the room, but didn't get upstairs fast enough. Just as he put his foot on the first step, the sharp sound of a slap was broadcasted across the room.
When Lydia joined Will in her room (which had books strewn all over the floor) one side of her face was scarlet, while the other was white, and there were tears in her eyes. Will politely averted his gaze. All at once, she began to talk very fast.
"Listen," she whispered, looking over her shoulder anxiously. "You don't want to stay here with them. They're horrible. I think they've had all their emotions surgically removed, and, erm... You can probably guess what happened just then. How my father ended up as mayor I'll never know. They feed me every day, but that's it. No love. No compassion. If I'm ill, they tell me to get over it. I feel like a prisoner. They, um... they don't let me go out.. Ever. I've wanted to run away for years, but I was so scared because I was alone, and because I've never been outside. I have no idea why my mother let me open the door to you. But that was one of the best things ever, because you say you're an orphan, right?"
Will nodded, though he was too shocked to speak.
Lydia continued, "Well, this may come across a little sudden, I mean, I've just met you, but... will you escape with me?"
It took Will a few seconds for the question to sink in. "You want to run away – and you want me to help you?"
"I'll pack supplies."
"I'm in!" he said, a smile slowly spreading across his features.
They packed at lightning speed without having to leave the room (Lydia kept supplies in her cupboard like she had expected this day to happen). For some reason, she had an extra set of boys' clothes in her room.
"They wanted a son, but they had to make do with me," she explained bitterly as she put them in one of the bags. "They kept buying boys clothes after I was born, which is extremely odd."
Will apologised profusely and continued putting food into the pack.
They crept silently along the corridors, trying not to let their shoes squeak (Lydia had found Will a pair of boys' shoes). Then, the door was silently opened and closed, and the two children were outside in the mercy of the night.
As they felt the town's glow fade behind them after walking for some time, Will asked, "Where are we going, exactly?"
"I'm not sure. Anywhere away from Littleroot, I suppose." She bit her lip. "Will – if we meet anyone else, will they be kind like you? Or will they all be like Mother and Father? I – I always felt alone at home."
Will patted her shoulder awkwardly, for despite the bond he felt they had already, he had only known her for a few hours. "Well, you're not with them any more. Everything will be fine."
Will taught Lydia everything he knew over the next few months as they travelled aimlessly away from Littleroot. But he was surprised, to say the least, that Lydia was wise beyond her years and knew considerably more than he did.
They travelled for weeks - sleeping in trees, rationing their food - until they came across a cave in Petalburg Woods. The floor was smooth, it was a good size, and it was almost invisible to anyone outside it. In fact, it was only because of Lydia's sharp eyesight that they discovered it. They decided it would be a good place to stay for a while. Lydia had set up the supplies in an orderly fashion while Will had begun to cook their dinner.
As the boy rolled up his sleeves, he winced in pain. He sensed Lydia rushing to his side. "Will, what's wrong?"
He sighed. "I think I should be straight with you here. You I told how my parents di – passed?"
Lydia nodded.
"Well, this is my reminder." And with that sentence, he unbuttoned his shirt and showed her the jagged scar running from his collar bone to his left wrist.
"Oh, Will." she said, her face softening. Will shook his head.
"I'm okay."
The two youths grew from children to adolescents in that cave, after deciding to stay there permanently. Over the years, their friendship grew in intensity to an unbreakable bond. While it was not romantic, it ran a whole lot deeper, rather than just a simple alliance through desperateness to survive away from cruel civilisation.
Will grew into a strong, capable fourteen-year-old, not strong in the literal sense but strong in the way that his mind could not be shattered. He had eventually gotten over his grief and had never looked back. He was tall for his age and was skinny from eating little every day. His hair was black and matted, and his eyes were like a glade in a the woods they lived in – deep, full of hidden messages and about a million different shades of green.
Lydia was the same age as Will. She was tall, but considerably shorter than her best friend. Her frame was slender but strong, and she had cut her hair to shoulder-length to keep it out of the way. Her eyes were as ebony black as ever, and Will often thought they looked like black diamonds sparkling.
It was that day that started the same as so many. Will had just woken up, and peered over to find Lydia still asleep. He watched her inhale and exhale softly, breathing in through her nose and out with a little puff through her mouth.
She's grown so beautiful over the years, he mentally commented. He took in her features – her delicate cheekbones, her blonde hair falling in her face, the way her eyes tilted upwards ever so slightly at the edges. All of a sudden, those eyes were open. He felt a slight blush scatter across his cheeks.
Lydia said quietly, "I was just thinking – remember when you fell out of that tree?"
Will's blush deepened. "You promised not to tease me about that any more!"
Lydia laughed. "You landed in a Beedrill's nest. Of course I'm going to tease. But anyway, do you want to go to the field today?"
Will and Lydia made their way out of their cave, later in the day than usual, to the field that provided a view of Hoenn unlike any other. This was the place where they spent so many endless days talking and laughing – not thinking about the future, but just living in the moment.
It was this day however, that would change both their lives forever.
By the time Will had caught up to Lydia, who had always been faster than him, it was already night. Lydia was bathed in the stars' ethereal hue, her wide eyes staring up at the sky.
Which was now filled with an array of white and purple lights.
When Will peered closer, he saw the silhouette of some kind of Pokémon. It was small, humanoid, and appeared to be wearing some sort of star headdress. Despite the lights shining all around him, his vision was limited and he could not make out anything more. But the pieces of the puzzle only came together when it raised its stubby arms and the lights began to fall like a million little stars. Will reached out and caught one, which immediately dissolved in his palm, leaving a tiny crystalline object.
Looking to the sky, Lydia breathed, "It's so beautiful out here, Will..."
Will felt the crystals fall through his hair. "Yeah."
The 'star storm' continued for over ten minutes and was showing no signs of stopping, but that was when he heard it.
When the light erupted to his right and he heard her scream, his natural instinct rushed towards the sound. He reached out his arms and caught her as she fell. Lydia's name escaped his lips.
Will's best friend of seven years looked the same as ever, but the usual sparkle in her eyes was gone. Only to be replaced with an emotion Will knew all too well.
Fear.
"Will...?" she pleaded, clutching his hand desperately. "What's happening to me?"
"What''s happening?! What do you mean, Lydia? Lydia! Lydia, what do you see?"
"Voices..." she said, "They say something about... destiny? And that... that I..."
Will motioned for her to speak, his brow knitted together.
"That I must die," she choked out, a single tear tracing a line down her face. "and that I'm dying now." Will breathed in sharply, his expression rendering one of shock.
"Lydia... Don't go – don''t leave me alone."
Lydia uttered his name once, reaching up a pale hand to his face.
"Please, Lydia, tell me this is some kind of joke."
Will watched the last glimmer of hope fizzle out of her eyes.
"Will, thank you."
Will tried to to stop the tears that were blanching his eyeballs from falling. "For what?"
"Thank you for opening my eyes."
And with that, Will felt his friend, his meaning for living, go limp in his arms. At that moment, all his hopes, all his dreams, all his wishes seemed to dissipate as he felt his tears fall onto his friend's perfect face, until it looked like she was crying too.
That night as Will watched his friend pass on, he felt numb. He hadn't even felt like this when his mother died. He ran, away from Lydia's body bathed in bright lights, away from the stars, away from the strange Pokémon. He was trying to run away from himself. Eventually he came to a tree, which he leaned against and fell asleep,
Soon, he slipped into a dream.
He was walking through a strange cavern that was unusually pretty. The pebbles crunching under his feet were inlaid with jewels. The walls were a clean, ivory colour. He navigated the cave as though something was pulling him towards it. After a while, he ended up in a large room that was empty except for the creature that lay asleep in the middle of it. Its body was primarily white in colour, though the yellow streams trailing behind it and the three-pointed star headdress on its head were yellow. On the headdress's three points were three pale green tags. Beneath its closed eyelids there were two green triangular markings.
All at once, the Pokémon's feminine voice permeated Will's distressed state of mind, seemingly telepathically. Welcome, William.
Will's dream-self spoke. "Don't call me that." His father had called him William, and he didn't like to be reminded of his troubled past.
The creature smiled sadly. You are still grieving over your family. And, of course, your friend Lydia.
The sound of her name made Will clench his fists in anger. "Who are you?" He knew this Pokémon could somehow read his mind, so he tried to release all his conflicting thoughts out of his head.
Soon, the answers will be revealed.
Realisation dawning, Will suddenly recognised the shape of this Pokémon as the one he saw in the purple and white light. "You killed her! You killed Lydia!" he screamed, rushing towards the creature. He inevitably ran into an invisible barrier that prevented him from coming any closer.
Will, listen to me. she urged. There's just over one week left. You must visit my home at Ivory Chink. Do not be afraid, as you will find it. And... she paused. You could see Lydia again.
"But she – she died! I watched my own best friend die! And it was you who killed her." he yelled angrily.
Her fate was planned, but unfortunately carrying out the deed was my responsibility. Doom Desire was chosen as her destiny, Will. It was her fate.
"Well, what about my fate? Is that planned too?"
Your destiny? Well,, that is still unclear. she said with a smile. It seems you will have to make your own way in the world, my friend.
Other author's notes: Please review is all I can say!
