A/N: Thank Celebi for 45 minute free periods! I don't think I'd ever get as much done on these as I do. This chapter should be longer then the others (the last two at least). Oh, and thanks for the reviews/favorites/etc.!
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon, but if you've seen the previous chapters, you should know that already.
Legends on Earth: Chapter Three: Moonlit Talk
Night had fallen in the region. The sky was clear, revealing the uncountable number of stars. There brilliance only matched by the Moon, which reflected the light of the day that had just past. Even the light of the landmark lighthouse seemed unnecessary in the moonlit waters.
Kirby was sitting in one of the pre-made campsites that were set up across the beach. In front of him were the ashy remains of fires past. He hadn't bothered making one himself because he didn't need it. The Moon provided enough light to see by, and the warm weather had continued into the night.
Espeon was lying next to him, already asleep, and Chinchou had been returned to its pokéball. He had given them a special dinner for their hard work that day; Espeon's consisting mostly of one of the cookies he had bought in town. With all that sugar inside of her, Kirby was surprised that she had gone to sleep before him.
Across from him, on the other side of the absent fire, the girl who called herself Lugia was still unconscious on the ground. He had put her on his sleeping bag and had laid a blanket on her. He couldn't carry her anywhere to get help, and he wouldn't leave her just to get it. Instead, he had decided to stay with her until she woke up, and then they could figure things out. He was watching her intently, still going over all that had happened.
'Lugia?' Kirby thought to himself, 'She can't honestly think that she's Lugia, can she? Although that would explain why she was out in the middle of the ocean without any clothes. She doesn't look crazy, though; not that craziness can be judged on appearance. Still… There's something inside me that wants to believe her. How could she be Lugia, though? It makes no sense. I wish she-'
Before he could finish his thought, Kirby noticed that the girl was stirring. He watched as she opened her eyes, revealing that beautiful shade of sea-blue. As he walked over to her, she propped herself up against one of the logs that were on their sides around the campsite to be used as benches.
"How are you feeling?" Kirby asked, kneeling down next to her.
"Better. Thank you." Her voice sounded stronger but was still quiet.
"It was no trouble," he told her, glancing over at Chinchou's pokéball. He looked back and smiled, continuing, "It's good to hear you're okay. Do you mind telling me what happened?"
She looked down and started examining her hands as if she had never seen them before. She began, in what seemed to be an even quieter voice, "I was swimming in to rest at the whirl islands when I heard something in my head. It was a call for help I think, but I'm not entirely sure." She seemed to be having trouble sorting out these memories, as if she couldn't quite understand them. "But, then… then I felt my body changing… like I was evolving; but, I don't evolve… Afterwards, I couldn't handle the pressure so I fainted. Umm… And then I woke up and saw you." She smiled up at him.
"Yea… Look, I'm sure that you probably believe that you are Lugia, but you need to try to remember the truth."
Her smile faded. "Y-you don't believe me? But- But I am Lugia; at least, I think I am… No, I am Lugia! You have to believe me!" She looked at him eye to eye, a mix of fear and anger in her expression.
Something happened as Kirby looked into her sea-blue eyes, something he couldn't quite explain. It was as if he saw something behind them, not just a little girl who had almost drowned. There was something more powerful, more majestic, and not wholly human. Looking into those eyes, he realized what made them that sea-like color.
"I do believe you," he finally whispered.
"Thank you," Lugia said, looking back down at her hands. "You have no idea what I'm going through."
"I am human, you know," he said, slightly offended.
"That's not what I mean." She sighed. "Being changed – into anything – is just so hard to cope with. This body is so different, but my mind says it's mine, and I know how to use it. Then there are the strange feelings; like this one telling me I should have more layers covering me when I'm in front of you."
"Ah, that would probably be the modesty. We can get you some clothes in the morning, but all the shops are closed right now."
Lugia just nodded her head. She didn't feel like responding, not to that, at least.
Kirby sat with her in silence for a half-hour or so. They just watched the moon as it slowly rose above them.
"You'll need a name," Kirby stated, breaking the silence.
"A name? But I have a name already."
"What? 'Lugia'? I can hardly go around town calling you that. People will think that I'm crazy, or that you're crazy, or that we both are."
"But I can't just give up my name," Lugia protested, "It would be like giving in."
"'Giving in'? To what?"
"To humanity," she replied quietly, regretting that she had to say it.
"What?" Kirby was feeling a little offended again.
"Please, don't take it personally. It's just that… By changing my name, I feel like I would be admitting that I'm not going to turn back. It would be like giving up hope."
"You don't have to completely give up your name," he said, forgetting about being offended and trying to comfort her. "I just need something else to call you by, that's all. Isn't there anything else you were called when you were still a Lugia? Maybe that wouldn't seem like giving in."
"I guess that would be okay, but it's harder to remember things in this form. There may be something, though. It was a long time ago, I think, when I was still watched over by my mother. She called me something; she called me 'Aile.'"
"Aile it is, then. Okay?"
She nodded silently again, still lost in her memories.
"Well, we should get some sleep. We have a lot to do tomorrow." Kirby got up and walked to the other side of the camp, where he had set up another sleeping bag. It was an extra one that he kept just in case so it wasn't as comfortable as his main one; but, under the circumstances, he could live with it.
He watched to make sure that the girl-who-was-Lugia was settled okay. When he was sure that she was, he got as comfortable as he could and prepared to go to sleep. Looking over again at the girl, who was now sleeping fairly peacefully, he smiled.
"Goodnight… Aile," he whispered, before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.
A/N: Anyone want to guess where I got that name from? Also, Review!
