Two Lives, One Soul

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~Past~

MURDER! Young girl killed.

Desperate shooting at Echo's Hill.

Dreadful ending, killer died...evidently suicide.

A witness heard a gunshot and ran forward to find a woman dead on the ground. A man stood over her, shaking with a gun in his hand. The witness tried to help him, but he turned the weapon on himself. His body fell across the poor young girl as the witness shouted out to attempt stopping him. The witness later ran for assistance.

A truly sad close to a broken love affair. The victim is positively identified as Blue Page and her killer is Silver Baynes. Reports say that Blue had left Silver a week ago, due to his wayward and evil habits. Friends of the deceased indicate Blue would have taken him back...could she have found a reason to forgive if he had tried to change?

More to the point, was their fatal meeting prearranged?

Police can't tell if a violent struggle had taken place, but the witness had found a switchblade on the ground. Could the victim have anticipated a need to protect herself? The investigation further revealed a note in the coward's pocket that looked like a suicide letter. Perhaps the killer thought he had lost her forever.

"I feel there's only one thing left to do. I'd sooner take my life away than live with losing you."

Deep into his dream, Red found himself reading a newspaper account of the tragedy that struck Blue. He learned further about her murder, but he recalled Diamond and Platinum's words that they refused to believe the events. They said Silver was a good young man and loved Blue immensely. He would never have killed her.

Just like Yellow loved him immensely, Red realized. Long before Yellow, however, Red used to have another lover by the name of Misty. Unfortunately, she had died in an unfortunate car accident and Red thought he would never be able to move on. But he was lucky to have so much more in life.

~Present~

He later awoke from his therapy sleep. But the feelings he felt from inside his dream never left him. On an impulse, he decided to visit the Echo's Hill graveyard and visit Blue's grave. Even before he got out of the car and went into the cemetery, he already felt a deep sadness for her.

"She never really had a chance that night...sacrificed without a fight..." Red said to himself as he searched the gravestones. "It all seems so unfair...but..." he told himself. "I'm learning all about my life by looking through her eyes..."

Here he was. Blue Page. 1901 - 1928. In loving memory of our child, so innocent with eyes open wide. Red felt the breath draw out of him and he couldn't breathe. He wiped his face and, to his surprise, he felt a wetness on his cheeks. His heart felt a huge sadness, as if a part of him had died.

"You weren't given any choice, were you, Blue?" he muttered. "It was desperation that had killed you. It feels unfair because I've got so much more in life...my son...my wife...and you couldn't have any of it...you lost someone you loved, just like I did. We have the same soul so I feel like I've known you personally...even though I never did."

Feeling empty and saddened, he turned around to leave. Darkness was settling in and he knew he would have barely enough time to eat some dinner and get some sleep.

This time, he was prepared for the nightmares that would come.

Or so he thought...

~Past~

A man with flaming red hair and sharp silver eyes took a second swig of his flask. He reached into his pocket and grinned as he pulled out a small packet of white dust: cocaine. The feeling he got, the levity of it all...it was an addiction.

He loved it.

Even though his lover always tried to stop his habits, he would always go back to them. The lake of fire that was the whiskey...the lines that were the cocaine...they always took him up...up...up...home.

"Silver, why won't you listen to me? You're destroying your life with these addictions!" Blue cried.

"They're only habits," Silver casually replied. "And they make me feel good."

"What about ME?!" Blue was trying not to shout. "I love you so much and you haven't even looked at me the same in a long time. All day, you're out at casinos, gambling any money we can earn away...and at night, you're at bars, drinking like crazy! And whenever you are home, you're snorting cocaine!"

"It's just how I am, Blue. And if you loved me, you would accept it!" Silver was getting tired of these arguments. Blue was an important part of his life and he didn't want to lose her, but he also didn't want to lose his addictions.

But it was one or the other and Blue was making that clear.

"I can't take this anymore..." Blue grabbed her purse and stormed out. "I can't love a wayward man!" she yelled and slammed the door.

Broken. That was the only way to describe how she felt. She needed to pour out her sorrows to someone who would listen. Platinum was out of the question, since her father had just died...troubling her with Blue's own problems would only make things worse for her. And Diamond had to be there for Platinum, so she couldn't go to him either.

For a moment, she stopped walking and stood there on thought. "Perhaps I could go to him...he would understand my sadness...they are brothers, after all...I'm sure he feels as hurt as I am."

Impulsively, she hurried towards the large mansion at the end of the street. It was the home of Senator Green Baynes, Silver's older brother. A man who had it all together. A man whose dashing looks and soft speech made him a charming ladies' man. He was quite the opposite of his wayward brother and Blue figured he was just the kind of person she needed to see.

She marched up to the door and knocked. Desperately, she hoped he was home and that he would see her. He sometimes came off as quite cold and uncaring, but Blue supposed the world of politics did that to a person. But she was upset about his brother...surely he'd understand?

The door opened and there he was. Green studied her with his usual cold look and said, "Yes?" One look at him was all it took for the poor girl. Blue's eyes suddenly filled with tears and she sobbed. "It's about Silver!"

"My brother's lover...could it be his habits finally chased her away?" Green thought. "Blue, come in...let me see if I can find something to calm you down."

"Please, Green...I just need someone to hear me out. I-I'm so sorry to bother you, but Platinum is grieving and Diamond has to be there for her..."

"Right, sir Berlitz has passed away..." Green sighed. "I'm sorry, Blue. It must be hard for you right now..." He led her to his living room and had some drinks brought to them. Once Blue had control over her sobbing, she finally let loose her soulful story about her and Silver. Green listened with open ears to her sad story, shaking his head and patting her shoulder sympathetically.

But something was bothering him. The more Blue spoke, the less he was listening to her and the more enthralled he became with Blue's unique beauty. His brother had thrown away a truly incredible treasure, a sweet and precious creature. The more she cried and poured out her soul, the more he grew to care about her. He was enraged at his ungrateful brother and he finally took Blue's hand into his.

"Blue...I once heard that a new love is born for each one that has died. Your love for Silver may have died, but a new one is sure to be born because of it..." What he was about to do next would be one that would betray his brother and deceive him but he could not resist. Damnit, she was beautiful and just touching her hand was sending shivers down his spine. He pulled her into an embrace and kissed her forehead.

"Arceus help me...Silver is my brother, but I'm in love with his woman..."

Blue still couldn't speak. Green suspected she was still shook up and a part of him grinned. She was in pain. It would be so easy to make her fall in love with him so he could chase away her pain. Without a word, he began to caress her and kiss her neck. Blue didn't respond at first but she soon began to moan, finally feeling his lust.

Meanwhile, at the local casino, Silver was at a craps table with a small man. The emerald eyed, vertically challenged man was hosting the game and calling out different bets. He brushed his hair back up from where it was falling out of its croissant shape and the small green jewel on his forehead glittered in the light.

"...four, four...who wants the hard four?"

"Oh..."

"...shooter had one, who wants four...?"

"Oh..."

"...one, four..."

"Ah!"

"...one and make it the hard way..."

"O-oh..."

"...got the shooter...coming out for a new player..."

"Uhn..."

"...take your best shot, gambler..."

"Oh, I..."

"...better hop in, place your bets..."

~Present~

Red awoke in a cold sweat. Blue had now revealed to him something he had never known before: she had gone to someone else and had an affair with him. And not just anyone...it was her lover's own brother! But she had a reason for going to him and not just for an affair, Red realized. She needed comfort and Green did the wrong thing. Knowing why she chose him and what happened to her was the key to solving this mystery he was caught up in. Only when he knew the whole story would he know who he really was at last and Blue's spirit would be laid to rest.

This own obsession of knowing what he's been shown so far...Red remembered what The Trader had said. The habits called him home. And this obsession was calling Red home as well.

He fell back asleep and his dreams were filled with more of Blue and Green's secret affairs. The pictures swirled in his brain, like a very fast paced dance. By the end of the night, the only real vivid thing he could recall was something Blue said...

"Love is the dance of eternity..."

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Scenes covered: Beyond This Life, Through Her Eyes, Home, The Dance of Eternity.

Emerald as a gambler. :3 Who'd have thought? I would have had Gold as the gambler, but then I'd have to put Emerald with Crystal and I'm not supportive of that pairing.