He tilted his hat to hide his face from his enraged, yelling father. What was I supposed to do? I stared as his father cursed him…his own son! How could he? N was the nicest, most caring person I knew, he was the best man in my life! What right did Ghetsis think he had to call N heartless? Everything in me wanted to walk over and defend N…then again, should I? This was a family matter…but N was my friend…or was he? I mean, he was the king of team Plasma…were we enemies? No, there's no way I could even think of N as an enemy, he was just too close to me…too special, too important…I loved him. That settled it, I was going over there to stand up for N no matter what.
I took a few steps but stopped at a truly heartbreaking sight; Ghetsis had full blown punched N in the stomach and N was toppled over in pain. Ghetsis brought his leg back and kicked N over onto his side and I heard a soft whimper escape N's mouth. 'Come on, White! Run over there!' but no matter how many times I told my legs to move, they stood still, I was frozen as I watched the undeserved beating take place. Screaming, my heart was giving me orders that my body didn't want to follow, my body wanted to run but my heart wanted to stay, to stop Ghetsis, to protect N. I wished my body would listen, it felt like every hit in N's stomach, slap across his face, was cracking my heart, it was a matter of time before it shattered…no, I wouldn't let it get that far. N's gasping and coughing broke my thoughts, I turned my head up quickly but wished I hadn't when I saw him…there was blood spreading through his shirt and some dripping from his face onto the ground. My eyes were stinging. 'No, don't cry! You shouldn't be crying! N has the right to cry, not you!' My mind was absolutely right, N had every right to break down, but as I watched, not a tear fell from his eyes. Why? Anyone else would be balling! 'Please don't say it's because he's so used to it…it can't be…does this…happen..often?' The sting in my eyes was growing…of course that's why, N was used to this, he knew crying wasn't going to do anything so he just didn't. Ghetsis stopped for a second and panted…he was using all his energy to wrongfully beat his son; I chanced a glance to N's eyes again to find he was staring at me. My breath stopped in my throat when he spoke with a weak raspy voice, "White, run." And with that, his eyes closed and my heart felt like it stopped, my legs trembled but one foot moved and then the other in the direction that I was sure N didn't want me to go.
Finally, I ran over to them. I hugged the barely conscious or unconscious, I couldn't really tell, N protectively with my back towards Ghetsis. A warm liquid was soaking through my shirt; by the smell I knew it was blood from N's torso, I didn't have to look, nor did I want to. "Get out of the way." His father's words were filled with hatred, and, even though I had many things I wanted to say to him, I could only shake my head, which spread blood from N's face onto my cheek. "I'll say it one more time, get out of the way." I could hear his anger rising, if that was even possible, but I shook my head again; I was going to protect N, he hadn't done anything to deserve the beating he had already gotten, he certainly didn't deserve anymore. Two arms forcefully snaked their way around me, one around my neck and the other around my waist pinning my arms to my side; I cringed when I heard Ghetsis' voice to close to my ear…the last thing I wanted was to be this close to a monster. "If you leave when I let you go, I won't hurt you." His venom filled voice didn't sound very convincing. I shook my head, "I-I wont leave." Ghetsis' grip around my neck got tighter, "Oh? Why is that?" now his venom voice was mixed with fake curiosity. It took a lot for me to answer, I had to gasp in air a few times before I could speak, "Y-you have no right to beat him." Ghetsis laughed, "Am I not his father? That gives me whatever right I want over the boy!" Painfully, I shook my head in defiance; no one had a right to beat someone else like this, family or not. "So I say again, why won't you leave? I'm being merciful by giving you the ability to leave without a scratch." No matter what answer I gave, Ghetsis countered, this was going no where.
When Ghetsis stopped talking and stiffened behind me, I knew he was thinking of something, but what? Did I even want to know? "Would you take his place?" I could feel every muscle in me tense. Take his place? As ruler or in the beating? Stupid question, I knew he meant beating. "Well, 'hero', will you take this 'innocent' boy's place in this so called 'wrongful' punishment?" How would this fulfill punishing N? Would it even fulfill it? Did him offering me to take N's place even have anything to do with N? Would it, in the end, save N? I had a million questions but as I looked down as the weak, beaten, and bloody N, I started forgetting everyone of them…they faded into the back of my mind while the front of my mind worked as hard as it could to get my lips to move to answer Ghetsis. Finally, barely moving my lips, a sound came out of my throat and slightly opened mouth, "Mhm." Ghetsis obviously wasn't satisfied with that answer, "What was that, 'hero'?" This time I worked up enough courage to answer him, "Yes." My mind clicked rapidly through worry and satisfaction. What had I done? I had just offered my self to be killed pretty much! What was I thinking? I knew what I was thinking, if this is all I can do to protect N, then so be it, my life wasn't as important as his. If I had to die, dying for someone I loved is the best way to go.
As I sorted through all my thoughts, I was thrown backwards, sliding against the hard, marble battlefield. I cringed as I felt the burns on my left side sting. When I tried to get up, I had hand struck the back of my head and caused me to fall back on the marble burns. I cringed again and Ghetsis knelt down to whisper, "And it's only just begun." I knew I was in for the worst pain of my life, but I was going to take it, I was going to be like N, not a single tear would be shed. Ghetsis' hand gripped my throat and he held me up in the air only for a split second before throwing me against more marble, giving me burns on the backs of my legs and arms. Weakly I pulled my arm up to touch the back of my head, sure enough blood was dripping through my hair. With that, I let my arm fall back but my hand dangled over the side of the marble floor. Painfully, I turned my head to find that I wasn't on the battlefield anymore, I was on the narrow bridge between the battlefield and the place where N's throne once stood. Ghetsis had thrown me pretty far, he must have had a strong arm, I'd give him that. A boot stomped hard on my arm and I closed my eyes to stop tears from coming down as the same boot kicked my side. I felt a hard pressure pressing down on my rib cage, but I didn't want to open my eyes, I just wanted to take it without knowing what was going on, that was, until I heard a light cracking noise. I gasped and my eyes flew open out of shock from the pain; Ghetsis had one foot on my ribs and was practically standing on his foot to put the entire pressure of his body weight down on me. What was that crack though? 'It …was it a rib? Oh Mew, why?' Chuckling broke my panic, Ghetsis was laughing at my worry. He bent down and grabbed my arm and began to drag me down the narrow bridge behind him. What was he doing? When he finally dropped me, I didn't feel the floor under my head or shoulders. What was going on, the floor was under the rest of me. I chanced a glance down to see why my head felt like it dangling in the air but wished I hadn't. My head and shoulders were hanging off the side of the platform that once housed N's throne above the water, right above where sharp pieces of the pillars that were once standing now lay. If a fall from here into the water didn't kill me, the dangerously sharp pieces of the fragmented marble pillars would finish whatever was left of me off. My body ached to get up away from the ledge but it just didn't have the strength to move. An icy cold hand gripped my throat again and his venom voice echoed in my ears again, "You brought this upon yourself…giving your life away for a worthless excuse of a human." Rage built inside me, Ghetsis had a lot of nerve to say that about N when the only worthless excuse for a human I knew was Ghetsis himself. "But why? You had potential…you could've been the champion of Unova." As he was talking I could feel the floor slipping out from underneath me…first I couldn't feel it under my upper back, then the middle of my back, finally my lower back was out in the open air above the water; I knew that if Ghetsis let go of my throat that I'd go tumbling backwards to my death. "Is it possible you loved my son? No, he's not even worthy to be called son…you loved that abomination?" If I could've, I would've slapped him across the face and called Reshiram out to show him who the real abomination was, but I wasn't in any position to do so nor had the strength to do so. "Tsk, tsk, Miss White, may this serve as your lesson to loving something that's not even human, it won't happen again." I felt his grip around my neck loosen; he was letting go rather slowly, probably for fear affect…
Instead of falling backwards when his hand let go on my neck, I was pulled forwards. By now my vision was pretty blurry from lack of oxygen, but I could make out figures. A man in a rather large robe was sitting on the ground a few feet away from where I was…How did Ghetsis get over there? I felt a gentle hand under my neck holding my head in an upright position. How was this possible? Ghetsis was somehow over there now…that means someone else is by me now. Painfully and weakly I turned my head the other way and was greeted by tea green hair. I turned my face into his hair some more to make sure it was real…for all I knew, Ghetsis had dropped me minutes ago and now I was with N getting ready to make my way up to eternity or maybe I blacked out…but the feeling of his hair was so real, and I was still in pain so I wasn't dead. "How dare you, boy!" Ghetsis broke the silence that hung; slowly I turned back to him. Since I had more oxygen in me, my sight was much more in focus when I turned to him, and I could very clearly see the blood dripping from his nose and lips. "What did you think I was going to do? Let you kill her?" His voice was much angrier than I was used to…usually it was gentle and soft…now it was a mixture of emotions like worry and anger. Ghetsis got up and stumbled a few steps for a minute, then he darted down the narrow bridge…no doubt he was making his escape. I couldn't let him get away, I tried to get up but a piercing pain came from my ribs, no doubt Ghetsis had broken one… What a pain…literally. I fell back down but a hand caught me head, "Please, White, just take it easy…help is coming, it'll be ok." Ok? Ghetsis was running away. "But…Ghetsis." Finally I turned my head back to N whose emerald eyes met mine, "Your Xtravinger was laying on the floor back there. I called Cheren and told him and Alder to wait outside the door for Ghetsis." So Ghetsis wasn't getting away, well that's a relief. "White, your arms…" His voice trailed off; my arms? I held one up slightly and saw a whole score of terrible bruises and burns…but, they didn't hurt, the only thing that really hurt was my obviously broken rib. Gently, he ran his fingers across some of them; his touch was literally the term "light as a feather." I looked at his face, there were a few scratches here and there and the blood on his shirt was still there but he didn't seem to be bleeding anymore. "N, what about you? Are yo-" His gentle finger pressed on my lips, "I'm fine. I figured out a long time ago that potions don't just work on pokemon." He gave a soft half smile and pulled a potion out of the pocket on his pants, "Now I'm not going to lie, it stings like Beedrills, but it helps." He sprayed some on one of my arms and I bit my lip so I wouldn't accidently let out any noise of pain. It honestly didn't hurt until he used the potion.
While he was working on my other arm, I noticed that his face was pulled down into a frown. "N, what your father said about you being heartless and all, don't believe him. You've got the biggest heart out of anybody I know." N only shook his head which I thought was in disagreement in him being heartless, "No, White…I may have a heart but it's certainly not the biggest. Have you ever heard the phrase, 'There is no greater love than for one to lay down one's life for a friend'?" I nodded, sure, I knew that phrase, "Then there is no greater love than the love you have for your friends, thus giving you the biggest heart." He stopped spraying and pressed his forehead to mine and I could feel my face get hot. Was he saying I had the greatest love? Well, that's sure not something I heard from teachers and other adults growing up. "Why me though, White? Why show the greatest love to me?" at first I couldn't tell if he was serious, but when he gave me the confused, sad eyes, I had no choice but to answer him, "N…isn't it obvious? I-I.." I knew how I felt…but could I tell him? How did he not know? I thought I had hinted to my feelings every time I saw him…maybe N didn't know what a "hint" was. I sighed, this was going to be hard. "You're important to me, N…you're funny and amazing, you care for every living thing that walks in front of you…you're different than anyone I know, the best man in my life…I-I, uh.." My voice trailed off..I was rambling…probably not making any sense, I was good at not making sense, not something I pride myself on though. "White?" His voice caught my attention again, it was anxious and curious, "What were going to say after you called me 'the best man in your life'?" He rolled his eyes when he repeated my words, he obviously disagreed but his curiosity as to what I was going to say was bigger than his urge to argue with me. "N, do you know what love is?" His eyes got wide, which I thought was out of innocence at not knowing what this 'new' word was…I sighed internally as I tried to figure out a way to explain what love is, but as I was thinking of the best definition, he stood up, pulling me with him. "White…D-do…" He stuttered…I couldn't remember a time that he stuttered. Maybe on the ferris wheel but that's because he was nervous about telling me his secret about him being the king of Plasma..Wait, was he nervous? He sighed and closed his eyes, "White, do you love me?" A lump came to my throat and I could feel my face burning, "I-I.." He opened his eyes and took in my expression, "Is that a yes?" He gave a soft smile…dang, that boy could read me like a book! I simply nodded and he pulled me into a hug and stroked my hair, "Thank you, White…for everything." Wait, why was he thanking me? He pulled away and grabbed a pokeball from his belt then walked to a giant hole in the wall, then threw the pokeball releasing Zekrom. What was he doing? "I love you as well, White." He said with his back towards me, "But, I can't stay. You and I, ideals and truth, must follow separate paths. If we stay together, we are destined to fight…like our new friends here, " He motioned towards Zekrom, "We are to be in eternal conflict because of our conflicting views." Was he serious? "N, no…it won't be like that!" I could keep tears back when getting beat up by Ghetsis but N leaving was enough to start a rainstorm of tears! "You can't leave like this! We can get along! Just please, don't go!" I was staring at the ground. I heard N sigh, "White, what I just said is a legend about the two heroes of these dragons…I don't believe it either.", "Then why are you leaving?" He turned quickly to me with wide eyes. It looked like his eyes were rimmed with water as well, then again I could've been seeing things because of my own tears. "That legend sounded better than the real reason I have to leave." I looked up at him and he turned away back to the hole in the wall, "I have no dreams anymore…I need to leave, to find dreams and goals of my own, to be strong like you. The way I am now is weak, I don't deserve you the way I am. You're strong and determined with dreams of your own…I'm easily swayed." I saw what he was getting at now…he thought he was weak and I was strong, that weak couldn't be with strong. "It's not like that, N." He shook his head and continued looking out at Zekrom. "I need to leave…to travel and leave this place."
I stood there, everything the boy did affected me…everything he said felt like it was Dismantling me. I thought he would Repair me like a potion, but instead he stood there and Dismantled me with his talk of leaving. Memories of him are forever scarred on my mind…my short time with him felt like years. My full attention was set on always finding him and every time I saw him, it was like a new piece of my heart was being built, like a new house being built for someone to move into, but now, he was completely Dismantling that house…Dismantling my heart. I had one choice, convince him to stay or forever be Dismantled…
"Hands like secrets are the hardest thing to keep from you.
Lies and phrases, like knives your words can cut me through.
Dismantle, Repair. You Dismantle me, you Dismantle me."
("." by Anberlin)