Prologue

I had thought that this story would reside quiet and unknown from those of the present. I thought that I would be able to forget about it, why I am still here, what I had gone through to this point. AZ's return, he and his Floette, to the world's attention meant much for many, and it gave hope to those who had watched that day. Everyone benefited from it…except me.

Maybe there was the same hope in me that was found in the masses gathered round the spectacle, the sort that had come from the transcendence of time, the reunion of two friends, something to remember forever more. If there was, such was clouded over by the memories of 3,000 years of darkness, the eternity that I saw through, moving slower than anything possible I had known. At least, it seemed to.

Time gives and takes, it heals and kills, helps to mature one, and then rot away over the days long lost to the ages. It speeds up when it's enjoyable, and comes to a halt through the events that are preferred to be long done. The latter was my case, as well as AZ, as we wandered for those years, as if we were miserable, lost souls in the afterlife. I had wished that such would come eventually, but fate has a way of making you cling to your worries, your problems, and making you endure it.

Those 3,000 years…the memories are all mixed together, and confusing, from whatever I can remember, taking up my mind and time when I have it to myself, by a fire in the night time. Sometimes I had company, sometimes I didn't. I always enjoyed whoever decided to bear my presence all for the sake of warmth in the night. I sometimes talked to them, perhaps they cuddled up to me as I did, how I didn't know what I was supposed to do, go, think, anything. The same thing, repeated over and over up until now.

Company or not, most would have gone mad to the isolation that I endured. Like being locked in a coffin for nearly thirty centuries, having nothing to do but gaze past solid mass and into one's conscience. How come I didn't go mad? What spared me the feeling of losing sanity, doubt it could be the same fate that put me there in the first place.

How many times did I reflect in that burning light, the one source of peace, warmth, and light-it varied for me each time- how many times did I, thinking about what had happened that one fateful day-the day, that AZ ended the war.

….

I was taken up at a young age, maybe twelve or thirteen, and put as one of the right-hand men of the ruler of the guild. I didn't know what I was doing in such a high position; hopefully my parents did. I apparently had a way with the creatures that inhabited the world-Pokémon, if you would- that nobody else did. I just knew how to talk with them, how to get onto their good side, and befriend even the toughest of their kind. My talent was useful in AZ's eyes. He recruited me on the spot. He had me work to ease the Pokémon that had come back from fighting, to care for them and make them better, and even encourage them to get back out there.

What were they fighting? The war…

Territories were more valuable than gold back then. Some of the greatest rulers had gone so far over portions of land as to take up arms against the other countries, most of them their allies. Ultimately, even the most peaceful of nations were dragged in over what I saw as completely trivial reasons, and nothing could be seen in the near future close to an end. Perhaps time could be so kind as to go forth and tell me what lies ahead for us all. Even so, I felt that it would not be good. When is it ever with war?

One day- the day that it all started-, amongst the conflict, AZ's most prized Pokémon, Floette, had decided to join the cause, and go to fight for our land alongside its fellow friends. AZ was against the idea, but he knew that he would get nothing in resisting its intentions. Reluctantly, he watched as that friend of his left for the battle. I watched too, right next to AZ, as it followed the Pokémon in front of it. Floette turned, and it looked up to where we were, from the balcony of the castle, and smiled, as if there wasn't a thing to worry about, and that she would be back by next day's embrace.

"Don't' worry. I'm sure that Floette will be just fine," I told AZ. Floette had turned back forward to catch up with the rest.

"I pray so…" His worry was noticeable enough amongst his voice.

It was the last time AZ saw Floette and its smile…

….

Next day came by as expected, with fewer numbers returning from the direction of the sun's peak over the horizon. Among one of the soldiers was a blanketed object, and he took great care in passing by others, holding it close, and…and…taking it up to the king. I watched as he ascended the stairs, trembling with sadness and fear, each step. He stopped, a foot from AZ, who was dared to question what he may be possessing within his dirtied hands.

Pulling the cloth away, he revealed a tiny box, one with a flower engraved on the wooden cover, similar to a certain Pokémon. His eyes…they just became empty at the sight. I covered my mouth, feeling a stake being driven through my chest; he felt it worse, no doubt. He fell to his knees, falling to the same height as the box…and took it slowly into his hands, cradling it, only offering himself comfort instead.

We realized…that the same type of engraved pattern of a plant lay behind the box, with its owner there with it, but not moving. Not anymore.

"AZ…" I didn't know what to say…I was left speechless. Powerless, as I watched him. He couldn't even utter a sound. The tears streaked down his face, and from that alone, all was told.

….

After that, AZ had decided to create a weapon- the weapon- to bring back that he had lost. He had decided to ask for Xerneas, the legendary Pokémon of life's energy, to help him with what he wanted. I told him not to do this, for it would disrupt the nature of these things.

"Why should I!? You saw what had happened! Xerneas even agreed to help me with it!" he argued. Even though I was young, he knew that I was mature enough to talk with.

"Xerneas only helped because it knew you would force it to should it have declined! Even I saw it in you- you would have made Xerneas bend to your will because you can't accept what's happened!" I rebutted.

"Enough! I have come this far. I can't stop now…" AZ gazed down the machine. It pierced the view of the sky for those from miles around. It brimmed with energy; the essence of life itself. Xerneas resided within it, waiting for his signal to start what had been deemed forbidden beforehand.

"Yes, you can. You can let this go. You can let Floette rest in peace. She did what she saw as the right thing, and she died for your cause that she took up as her own. She wouldn't have wanted you to pursue what you are because of her death." I insisted. He couldn't do such a thing. I could tell nothing good would come of this if he did.

"No! I will have her back! I will have my friend back!"

The switch was flipped, and the machine responded. It lighted up, starting from the base, where Xerneas was, moving to the top. The energy condensed itself, and in a moments time, it exploded. Light refracted off into every direction, blinding all who looked in our way. It had taken much from Xerneas, leaving it in a weakened state in its little space at the machine's bottom. I felt its pain as it was drained of its own power. But, its effort had paid off.

The very tip, where we were, opened up, and as the blinding light dispersed and weakened, the form of one once lost had taken place. AZ, slowly moving over to where it was, took the Pokémon in his arms, praising that he was able to see her once again. I had thought that he would be contempt with this. I prayed that he would leave it there.

Much to our dismay, his emotions only took another form within him: anger. Cradling Floette in his arms, he gazed from the skyscraper that he had made, gazing to the field of war that was still present in the land. He then began to hate those who had taken Floette from him in the first place, and that…well…was when it all went downhill.

"…and now…" He started for the switch once more. "…they will suffer as we have."

"No, stop! You have Floette back, she is safe now. There is no reason for you to pursue this!" I begged to him.

"There is every reason to! Those who would take such an innocent creature must perish!" I couldn't even see AZ anymore. Only his rage surfaced visibly as he looked to the distance.

"War is the only reason that this even happened…they didn't kill her for any other reason," was all I could contradict him with.

"Then let this reason be put to rest, and all conflict cease with one, final, strike…" he reached for the lever once again.

I rushed into his path, giving him an extra second to think over his actions. I was determined to have him actually think over what he was doing. At that point, he only saw what he thought was right. He only cared about getting revenge for that which he had already fixed.

"Look at me!" I demanded, holding my arms out to get his attention. He stopped to glare daggers in my eyes, but I didn't care for his visual threats. "Did you even care to consider what would happen after this? You destroy the land, you take more lives than one could fathom…a crime against humanity, a crime against nature itself! Just, just stop it! You know this isn't the answer…"

He didn't move from where he was, but merely motioned at me with his hand, to his guards. The only response I got was him having his men hold me back, as I tried to break free, screaming for him to stop. They took me away, down the tower, so I wouldn't interfere anymore.

The switch was pushed again. The lights rose to the tip again. But, this time, it didn't stop. The lights reeked of dread, and I shivered from where I stood, waiting for the inevitable to finally come.

I saw it from the ground, where I was 'escorted', as the horrid spectacle took place. The energy went faster to the top of the machine, and was launched far into the sky, becoming almost a spec to us, all who watched. There was no arguing for those few seconds, no resisting on my part, or even a hint of emotion from the AZ before me. Nothing, only silence, as we watched the light way up rise, rise…then begin to fall. Right to the battlefield.

A sudden tremble took everyone by surprise, save me. I merely watched with unexplainable thoughts as an explosion took place far greater than that which I had witnessed up to this point. It took up the better portion of my view, spreading past the battlefield's reach. It sent bird Pokémon, some of which I even knew at the time, flying towards us, over, and far away, as well as those in the nearby forest.

Nothing after that. Not even the sounds of battle in the far, far distance.

I looked to the machine, and saw Xerneas, tired as before, gazing in my direction. I could tell it was feeling what I was, whatever it was. We both couldn't register what had happened. The same machine that had been used to give one life back had taken many more in its place.

AZ then went to pull the lever again, which I could see at the very top. All the soldiers were still idle from what had just occurred. I ran to the center of the base, to where Xerneas was, desperate to get it out before it happened again.

Xerneas couldn't move, having used too much of its power. I still tried to make it rise, putting what I could into making it get out of the machine. AZ took notice of this, and ran from where he was to try and stop me. He reached for me, and I took hold of Xerneas. I wouldn't let go for anything, even if it had meant death.

The machine then started again, taking Xerneas' power once more. It had taken it to its limit, and finally, Xerneas dissipated.

It is said from legend that Xerneas, and it's counterpart, Yveltal, should they be drained of their life force, or should they reach the end of their cycle, would then scatter what was left of their energy to the earth around them. Over the years, they would gather their energy to be born once again from the life of the land. I found out that day, that this is, for a fact, what happens.

The explosion didn't hurt at all, but it was forceful. Both AZ and I took the majority of the blast, being sent back several feet. Regaining my senses, I glanced over to where Xerneas was residing: gone. What was left of it was seen as particles scattered around us, rising to the four winds as they slowly faded away. Xerneas was gone. What he had left both AZ and I that day would curse us to an eternity of anguish.

….

Floette, realizing that the person that she had cared for once, was gone. Only a husk of a man was left from AZ and I for the most part. She couldn't be part of that. Because of this, Floette left the castle shortly after the end of the war, never heard from again. AZ grew recluse because of this abandonment, feeling betrayed. He shut out everyone around him, closing his heart and sealing it in a mental fortress. I finally forgot the AZ I once knew, replaced by this…this…shell of a man.

"How could you do this to me…Floette…" whimpered the man, stripped of all that he had cared for at that point. He was open like a book for anyone to look at.

"She saw that you had lost your pure heart. Floette couldn't have stayed with you even if she wanted to. Just look at what you've become. You can't even call yourself a king anymore." I was honest and cold with what I had said. I really saw nothing left of him, save his face, after the war had ceased.

"…get out of my sight…"

I was taken aback by this. I didn't think that he would turn away his last friend, even with what I had said. "I don't want to see your face ever again! Not for the rest of my days!" Little did he know how long his days were.

I took after Floette and left after that. I just…went wherever the trails led me. I was alone after that. No friends, my family had been lost to the war…I was left to fend for myself for the longest of times. Nothing ever changed for that time. The same, empty days that I forced myself to move along through, and the dark, reflective nights that I looked back to what happened. Like I said before, I may have had company every now and then to share my sorrows with, but it was only Pokémon, never other people. I never had talked to another human during that time that I had alone.

How did I not go mad…I guess…it was because of what was to follow ultimately…