Chapter Three

Visitors in the Night

As Xander lay there, grimacing grotesquely, he never even noticed Kirihime come into the room. As she stepped closer to his bed, she noticed his eyes tearing continuously. Even now he was still crying. Kirihime placed her hand on his brow. He was heavy with fever, and was sweating profusely, and no matter how hard they tried they could not seem to break it. Kirihime put her hand upon his brow, hoping to calm his whirling emotions. However, his mind was surrounded by a chaotic cloak of emotional turmoil, blocking her from his mind as his memories repeated themselves over and over again. Kirihime's eyes welled with sudden tears. She then began to cry softly.

Do you wish to save him?

Kirihime jerked upward. She knew not what voice had filled her head. Powerful psychic pokemon that she was, she could also project her thoughts, though to a lesser degree than most, as it was limited to emotional empathy. However, this voice was something much stronger then the average psychic type. It was... Wiser somehow, and yet sounded so playful, like a child had grown up only to shrink back down again. What could it possibly be?

A sliding sound brought her attention to the window beside the bed. The window had slid open and was now closing again. There seemed to be nothing there. Kirihime glanced harder at the air, spreading her powerful emotional boundaries over the area by the window in an attempt to identify whoever had come in.

There won't be any need for that. The voice declared. A shimmering veil filled the air, and then dropped to reveal a small, cat-like form of pinkish color. Kirihime stared for a moment at the Cat-like Mew who had suddenly decided to visit them. Mew giggled for a second before fixing Kirihime with a playful stare.

I asked if you wanted to save him. If you do I can help! Kirihime raised a questionable eyebrow and Mew giggled again.

We want him to grow big and strong! We like him a lot too! He can't do that laying on his butt! Whats more, the others really want to play with him! I do too but its not my turn yet, so I have to wait. But I can help him get back up. I just have to back you up while you calm him down a bit. His mind is to swirly and it won't let me in right now. But you can get in. You just need someone to help you!

Kirihime stared at Mew for a moment, thinking the offer through as her eyes then slid back to Xander. She did not know why Mew was suddenly so interested in her trainer, nor why she wanted to help, but she new that with Mews strength she would be able to break through the chaos surrounding Xanders mind.

She glanced back at Mew and nodded gently. Mew smiled and giggled happily. Kirihime slid her hand delicately upon Xanders brow, now sweatier then ever. Xander mumbled incoherently as Mew then positioned herself behind Kirihime.

Lets go! Mew shouted gleefully.

With an almighty push of her will Kirihime dove into the confines of Xanders troubled mind. It was still surrounded in that twisting dark shroud of emotion that blocked entry into his inner mind. Kirihime put her hands together and concentrated, preparing to launch herself into Xanders mind by covering herself within her own bubble of identity. If it failed her mind would be swept away by Xander and she would be destroyed.

She slowly dipped herself into that whirling darkness and it immediately began to drag her further in, threatening to overwhelm her even though she was barely stepping into it. Strength then suffused her mind, reenforcing her strength. She gazed behind her and there floated Mew. She glowed with a deeply pinkish color. Kirihime nodded silently and then turned back to the task at hand. She pushed deeper into the dark whirlwind, her white dress and blue hair flapping, as if in a gale. The darkness became ever darker as she pushed through.

After much resistance and effort, Kirihime finally reached the center of the storm. It looked just like a deep dark hole from which the darkness came. With a deep breath Kirihime jumped into it. It was like diving into ice water and the shock was incredible. Kirihime floundered for a moment before, finally, adjusting to the cooler aspects of the mind, where all was quiet.

As Kirihime sank deeper she began to see images appearing out of the gloom. Images of times long past and depressing in nature. An image of falling down a rocky gorge, then another of several children laughing cruelly. They went on and on, each one as awful as the next. Kirihime could only assume that most of these images were of memories before she had met Xander. Apparently he had had very few good times before his meeting with her. She resolved to dive deeper.

Suddenly, a larger, more vivid, image appeared before her. Xander lay at the bottom of a rocky valley, trapped on all sides by rocky cliffs. Mist and fog surrounded him completely, blocking off his vision. A shape appeared and the mist parted accordingly. A little Ralts with blue hair wandered into the boys field of vision, tilting its head in curiosity.

Kirihime recalled the image to the day she had met Xander and remembered with a brief happiness how her emotional senses had picked up a whirl of emotional chaos that day. Those feelings had led her to him. Her happiness faded as she watched the image change from hope to despair.

A Scyther appeared, its arm blades gleaming in the dim light from the fog. Letting forth a scream of fury it flew at Xander, its blade extended. A flicker in the air and the Ralts was there, shielding Xander with its arms outstretched. Brightly colored leaves burst from the Ralts and flew at the Scyther, who slashed them apart.

No, please no! A sudden voice called out through the gloom. Kirihime snapped her head one direction and then the next, searching for the source of the voice, but it seemed to come from all around her. Please stop! Don't do it! Run away, run away! It called out fruitlessly to the image of Ralts trying to fight off the enraged Scyther. With a mighty lunge the Scyther's blade stabbed through the tiny Ralts, and the mental shout that seared through the darkness was so strong that the emotions that accompanied it buffeted Kirihime as if she were nothing but a rag doll. Like a mighty wind, it pulled her back and forth and up and down. All the while that mental voice cried out sadly in the darkness.

Why? Why didn't you run? Why didn't you save yourself? WHY!

The shout rang clearly in her mind, and threatened to overwhelm her and drag her down into the depths. She clang to her own identity even as she felt it being ripped from her. She tried desperately to keep herself whole, and yet remain attached to the voice that she most wanted to find. Finally the mental shouts weakened to mere sobs of despair. Pulling herself together she let herself be guided by the choking sobs. She followed them for some time before finally spotting something in the distance.

Raindrops began to fall, or at least they felt like raindrops. It sprinkled coldly and pored down her face and dress. She gazed sadly into the distance, watching the shape of a small human child crying in the dark. She slowly strode over the boy, the rain falling down her back. She then stood before him, gazing down at the sad little boy, whose eyes shone with tears. He looked up at her, sniffled and then stood up.

"Why didn't you run from him? He was so scary and everything and you still tried to save me... Me, the biggest crybaby of them all. Me, the crybaby who can't even battle right. Me, the weakest trainer ever... Why did you defend me instead of running away?" He cried in anguish. Kirihime gazed down at him before smiling sadly.

She knelt down to him and wrapped her arms around him. Her feelings of love for him gushed forth, spilling over the confines of her consciousness and into his mind, like a river invading a lake. The boy began to cry freely again before embracing her as well, feeling her immense love for him overflow.

The rain continued to fall for a time but, like all rain, it eventually stopped to give way to glorious light. The sadness began to finally slip away as Xander let Kirihime's love flow in, making him feel happiness again. He finally pulled back from her and gazed up into her eyes and smiled. Kirihime nodded to him then gave him one of her trademark winks before vanishing from his mind. And this time she knew that he would be fine.

Kirihime came back to herself in a rush. As her mind withdrew from Xanders she suddenly felt all the aches and pains of the body she resided within. She heard herself groan before setting herself down in the chair beside the bed. Her mind felt as if it had suddenly been trampled by Donphans. Mew was still there, hovering closely. She watched as Xanders tears stopped dripping down his face and then eased into a more relaxed position. He then simply turned on his side and slept. Mew giggled again before addressing Kirihime.

Now he's all better! Good job, now we can start to play soon!

Kirihime looked at Mew questioningly, her emotion still trying to probe Mews outer thoughts. The probes merely glanced off powerful mental defenses. Mew giggled one more time before another veil of light appeared in the air around her, making her disappear into nothing Kirihime could see. As the window was sliding open again Kirihime heard the voice one last time.

Ah ah ah, no peeking! Its supposed to be a surprise silly! Just wait a little longer and you will find out. I'll be waiting! And the voice vanished with the audible click of closing window hatch.

Kirihime groaned again before turning her eyes back to Xander, breathing heavily with sleep. She smiled, happy that she had good news for her friends in the morning. Maybe things were finally looking up!