Chapter 6 : This Thing They All See in Me...

"... Freak, huh." King N backed away and rested his back against the wall, retracting his hands as he did so.

"..." I relaxed a little, confused. 'What just happened?'

"You wouldn't be the only one to say such a thing," he admitted, closing his eyes, "but whether either of us wants to be or not, I need to leave here as your friend." He sighed, implying that he was against the notion. "Or at the very least... An acquaintance," he said with a slight less annoyance.

There were so many things I could question with what he said, the logical being why he needed to be my friend, especially if he seemed so against it. However, not being exactly the wisest person according to Cheren, I instead asked, "Who calls ya' a freak?" out of sheer curiosity. At least I had enough willpower to stop myself from a smart remark like, "Is that why they keep you locked up in the castle?" I smirked a little, amused by my unspoken joke. 'But in all seriousness, I've gotta ask him what he just did... Because that was weird.'

King N opened his eyes, seemingly forgetting of his actions he performed prior. He seemed reluctant to answer but did so anyway, the one worded-answer seeping out of his mouth like the plague. "People."

I resisted the urge to come up with a sarcastic remark. Thankfully, I was able to think it through for once. 'He said something about living with pokemon... Then perhaps... Is he acting like this because..?' I furrowed my brows. "King N, tell me again... Why do you like pokemon?"

There was a glint in his eye, passionate and strong; however, his facial expression reflected no such traits, remaining in its cold, demeaned state. "At a very young age, I've only been surrounded by pokemon. As far back as I can remember, I lived in the wilderness... How I got there is still an enigma, but... I don't think I want to know why I ended up abandoned," he admitted. "I'm just grateful for it."

"Why?" I asked, immensely confused. 'Who's grateful for being abandoned?!' Then it hit me. 'Wait... He was abandoned in the wilderness as a baby?' I wanted to laugh, but that would be inappropriate.

"Because I grew up with the pokemon," he put it simply, a small smile tugging at the side of his lips.

"So you weren't lying about saying you were able to understand them?" I asked warily.

"Of course not," he said quasi-harshly, offended at the accusation. "But even after I relocated myself, pokemon were my only solace. As Sage Ghetsis raised me to be the heir that I was meant to be, he allowed me no other human contact, save for a few personnel," he admitted. There was a hesitancy in his voice that suggested that he wasn't sure if I was supposed to know this stuff or not. "But every pokemon... Their voices would soothe me. Comfort me."

I pursed my lips. 'So what he's saying is that he doesn't willingly subject himself to solely the Castle..? Alright. I think I know enough to assume something about my captor here.'

And that verdict was that I was in no danger whatsoever. He had no intention of punishing me for whatever caused me to be imprisoned. Before me, or more precisely, next to me, was just a King who lacked human interaction. Which explained all of the odd speech patterns and stuff.

I furrowed my brows. "So, the weird touching..?"

"Quite frankly, doing such actions is how I'd usually befriend a pokemon," he explained, "or even quell one in a bad mood."

'So the petting, the caressing, the patronizing speech...' I listed once more. My eyes widened slightly, my face dark but my skin pale. I was aghast. "B-But I'm not a pokemon..!" I squeaked out of disbelief.

"I suppose not..." he murmured to himself with a mute sigh. "I was just hoping that as someone supposedly like me... You'd be different."

I snapped back to reality and finally inquired questions relevant to my predicament. "Wait, I'm like you? Is that why I'm here?" I asked eagerly. "What would make you think that we're similar?" My mind overflowed with questions that I spewed out like a volcano. "Why do you need to be my friend? Why do you care? You don't seem like you care! What's today's date?"

"I can't tell you."

I scowled and inhaled sharply through my nose. 'Okay, okay, you stubborn little...' I exhaled through my mouth so sharply that I was almost whistling. "What can you tell me?!" I finally demanded.

"..." By no surprise, my question was dodged. "I hope that you realize that had I been spoken to in such a way in the presence of others, you may not have seen the light of day."

"Hey buddy, there is no light," I corrected, getting somewhat agitated. He wasn't lying though. "Even so... What do I have to lose? Most of my body has no feeling, I've been in here for what feels like days, and... And you have no idea how hungry I am!" I complained, though most of it came as an inside joke.

King N wasn't proving to be bellicose in the slightest, and for some reason, gave me the urge to act more casual, despite him being kingly and all that. In fact... He seemed rather amused, to be honest. "You are an interesting one."

"So I've been told," I almost growled. 'Ah. So that's why he hasn't said anything about my tone. He's just amused at my disobedience. Alright. That's a bit degrading.' I sighed. "So then if you aren't here to punish me, and you're supposedly here to befriend me, why aren't you doing anything?!"

King N looked unsure himself. He finally looked back at me, staring into my eyes. The glare was alluring, but in an, "it's so weird that you can't look away" kind of thing. He seemed to be thinking to himself. "Would it be fair to say that I've been lenient with you?" he asked, leaning in a little.

I continued to stare back, unfazed. 'No, not really!' However, I assumed that he meant with holding back his hand when it came to me and my outbursts, so I gave a nod. 'Which is true... I've been practically trying for a death penalty for the past moments,' I admitted to myself. My eyes darted back to my lap, but my head didn't turn.

"Then in return, can you return the favor?" he asked; although it was disguised as a request, we both really knew that I'd have to accept his terms, whether I wanted to or not.

"Just one more question," I pried. "Will I ever be out of here?" I asked before he could deny me.

King N didn't hesitate to give me a stern nod. "Yes, but only when certain conditions have been met."

'Certain conditions... Certain...' I thought the words over in my head. 'Does he mean that becoming my friend thing? He has to leave as my friend even though it's clearly mutually unwanted?' I mentally sighed. 'In that case... It looks like if I want to get out of here, I'm at the mercy of his hand. Yay.' I prepared myself for the worst. "Alright. Yes," I answered his prior question. "What is this so-called 'favor'?"

His eyes made their way back to my own again, trying to read what kind of person I was. "All I need is your compliance without another interruption," he put it simply. "Can you handle that?" His demeanor turned mundane.

I nodded, a wave of solemnity washing over me. 'No more joking around.'

"I'm just going to ask questions," he said, breaking our eye contact and standing up so that now I was in view of the bottom of his robes.

I didn't bother to look back up at him as my neck still felt a little stiff. 'Now what kind of questions, I wonder?'

"You mentioned a Pidove, did you not?" he asked.

"Yeah..." I muttered, scowling to myself. 'That wasn't exactly a smart move on my part...'

"How did you meet it?" he asked. "When? Don't hold back on any details."

'King N has made it pretty clear that he wants an exact answer, and he hasn't punished me for my behavior yet,' I thought hesitantly. "Well, I met him when I was really young," I recalled, a slight frown on my face. "It wasn't a good day." I paused. "Anyway, I was running away to somewhere, and then I just saw him in an alleyway."

"So despite the law, you interacted with him?" he questioned with an unidentifiable emotion in his voice.

"Well, I wouldn't have," I admitted, "but he was beat up and starved. It was obvious just by looking at him. Plus, I was feeling pretty crummy myself."

"... So what did you do?" His tone of voice softened, but only a little.

"I just kinda joined and petted him. It looked like we both needed comfort," I explained. "And after that day..." I sighed. 'Everything changed.'

"He started visiting you?"

"Yeah." I felt a faint smile on my face, but whether it was because of fondness or the distress of the memory, I couldn't tell. "Even when I told him not to, but... I just couldn't refuse him."

"And no one ever saw you with him?"

"Actually... Two people have," I admitted. 'Cheren and Bianca, but I'm not ratting them out.'

Thankfully, he didn't ask who. "How old were you?"

"Six." I didn't even have to think about that one. 'What kind of questions are these?'

"Hm... I see." King N paced around a little bit until he was centered in the room again. He was facing away from me. "And your Tepig... Where is he?"

"It depends what today's date is," I replied. "If you're willing to tell me, I'd give you a more accurate answer-" I paused to give him some time to answer, which he didn't, "-but of course I'm not getting an answer."

"Why would you need to know?" he questioned.

"I brought him with me on the train," I answered. "I thought he'd enjoy the ride. I certainly did," I said with a dangerously tall smirk. "So depending on what day it is... He's either still around here or someplace else."

"Where did you leave Tepig?"

'With a terrorist,' I joked in my head. "With a friend."

"And where is this friend of yours?" he asked.

"Can't say," I replied. "I only met him on the train here."

"So you left your Tepig in the hands of a stranger?" he asked, annoyance in his smart voice.

"In technical terms he is a stranger, but I had a reason to trust him."

"..." King N thought over the words. "Is it possible to trust someone that quickly?"

"It shouldn't be, but it is." I smiled at the irony. "Wasn't that what you were trying to do just now? Build trust with a stranger?" I asked. "And I'm going to infer it happens with you all the time, except with pokemon, am I right?"

King N turned around, the moonlight illuminating his face. "I suppose so." He looked back down where the crown was, but luckily, still didn't question it. He looked back at me. He ran a hand through his hair, letting it lay on top of his head as he looked back down at me. He crouched down. "I think I see it now..."

"See what?" I asked curiously.

"Why it chose you..." he mumbled, but it was mostly to himself.

I was left in the dark of what that meant; by now, I knew that any question I asked would be cleverly, or ignorantly, circumvented. So instead, I just stared back at King N and asked, "So is at all?"

He nodded. "I suppose so... For now."

"So what? Are we friends now?" I asked. "Can I leave?"

King N narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "I realize that a prison cell may be uncomfortable... I'll consult the Sages about your arrangements."

I mentally rolled my eyes. 'So I'll take that as a no?' But I had to admit, I wasn't expecting my leave to come so easily. 'So what, am I going to be updated to a prison cell with a nice, cozy, bathroom this time?' I thought with a muted chuckle. Then my face went blank. 'Oh shoot... How long has it been since I've used the bathroom?!'

King N stood back up. "That's all I have for now..." he claimed. Then he turned around and left the cell without looking back or even greeting a goodbye.

The door closed shut, a light echo throughout the cell.

'Yeah, you go and leave,' I thought dully, forgetting about my little "bathroom predicament." I closed my eyes and held my chin up, folding my still somewhat numb and motionless hands behind my back and leaned against the wall. 'Meanwhile... I still haven't caught up on my sleep.'

...

I felt like I was being lifted up. There were muffled voices, dark and grim. I felt the presence of others... I swatted the air in retaliation when I thought I felt something brush up against my arm. Then I felt a weight on my shoulders. ... Feelings?

I'm still kinda tired.

...

My eyes twitched a little before they fluttered open, but only so that they were half-lidded. My eyelashes created some sort of cobweb pattern of my vision, and from what I could tell, I was looking back down at my now dirtied robes and my boots.

Despite my sleep, I still felt somewhat drained. My neck felt stiff. My head was hanging down, but I could have sworn that I slept looking upwards. I attempted to scratch my head, but my wrist was restrained. 'I still don't have movement in my hands..?' I thought irritably, closing my eyes and salvaging the ephemeral quelling of my lethargy before grudgingly opening them again and lifting my chin up.

From the light reflected onto the floor, it was still night despite it being just a tad darker, indicating that I had not slept for long at all. That, or I slept in another whole day. I was at a somewhat angled sleeping position, almost as if I was back up on the wall.

"..." My eyes shot completely open as the nerves in my hands jolted. My head whipped to both of my arms, ignoring the aching in my neck. I cursed under my breath. 'I'm back up..! Why?!' I scowled. 'Was King N just trying to mess around with my mind earlier?' I thought irritably. I huffed in annoyance.

"So I see, you've awakened."

I paled, my teeth clenched in both shock and anger. 'I'm not here alone, and that voice...' My eyes arched in ire as I looked about, trying to spot the source of the voice.

"Even as the grunts shackled you back to your deserved place, you still managed to injure one of them in your sleep," the deep and formidable voice claimed as his footsteps echoed about in the small room. He walked out from one of the corners that was engulfed in black and exposed himself into the small light in the middle of the cell. "I suppose that is impressive... in a sense."

'The green hair... The menacing red eye piece,' I observed. 'The man with robes fancier than the King's for some reason.' I felt the color come back to my face, almost red enough to match his eye. "Lord Ghetsis..." I growled, pulling it off as a greeting.

"I wonder how one could stay asleep in such rough care," he mused sadistically. "They dropped you on more than one occasion." His voice rang slightly in the room, almost similar to how menacing it was back during my viewing.

'He's bluffing,' I thought with a scoff. I looked down at my robes once more and observed that they were now dirty and scowled. 'He wasn't bluffing.'

"I suppose you're wondering why you're restrained once more, hm?"

I only gave his form a hard stare, not bothering to answer.

"King N decided to try and align himself with you in a more amicable matter," he explained, "but I don't see that as necessary. I'm too impatient for that." The look on his face was unwavering; he was proud of himself for something, but for what?

"..." I wasn't sure exactly what to ask without ticking this guy off; he seemed to be speaking on his own anyway. I didn't miss his one comment though. 'He said that King N was being more genial, but he's too impatient himself... So not only King N needs me for something, but Lord Ghetsis too?' I wondered. 'Or am I just looking at this in the wrong way? If I didn't anger the Light Stone, does this still have something to do with it?'

Lord Ghetsis stayed silent before taking a step closer.

Being hung on a wall, I didn't have to look up to make eye contact with him; we were about the same height now. While I was scowling at him, he was looking at me patronizingly.

'He's enjoying this, isn't he?' I wondered. 'How long can you hold a grudge for?! All I did was recite a poem!' I pursed my lips. 'A ludicrous poem, but...'

"I suppose you can say I'm bitter," he began. "I've been told that you have a grudge against me... I simply returned the favor," he said with an unmistakable fleer.

My face darkened with anger. 'Wait... He's been told? Is he implying that he...'

"Though I wonder, what have I done in the past to create such a lasting abhorrence?"

'He doesn't remember?!' My anger escalated to that of rage. I felt myself want to lash at him, only to be restricted by rusty metal and clanking chains. My eyes were wide with fury. 'No, no... He's baiting me...' I told myself, trying to calm myself down.

Lord Ghetsis seemed more or less amused.

'There's no way he could forget that easily,' I thought, steadying my breathing. 'He better not have..!' Once I got better control of myself, I couldn't help but ask, "Why are you here?" Then I couldn't help but frown a little. 'I may be getting a bit too comfortable here than my situation should allow...'

"As I have said, I'm too impatient," he repeated. "And you can say that I am quite piqued." Despite his claim, he didn't seem the least bothered.

"Why are you here?" I repeated, pushing for an answer.

"Tell me, is this place comfortable and to your liking?" he asked.

"..." I almost blew up. 'What does this have to do with anything?!' I thought angrily. 'Do those in the government just like dodging questions?!'

"Answer the question." The command was cold but unenforced.

"Yes, Lord Ghetsis, being hung like this really brings the circulation to my wrists," I claimed courtly with the most obvious sarcasm possible.

Lord Ghetsis didn't look at all too pleased. "You are lucky," he spat, "lucky that you cannot be disposed of... Yet."

I blinked. 'So they really do need me for something! That's why I haven't been punished for talking back to the King! But I wonder... Was is this even about? Was angering the Light Stone just an excuse to impound me? King N said I hadn't done so anyway...' I narrowed my eyes a little. Until how far back had I been needed? Was the angering of the Light Stone orchestrated?' The internal conflict made my mood fluctuate. "So what exactly am I need for?"

"I believe that you've already learned that you are to be left in the dark," he said pompously.

I scowled. "So why are you here?" I demanded. 'Get to the point already!'

Lord Ghetsis frowned; he did not like how adamant I was being. "Just a forewarning," he seethed. "You're far from obedient, but unless you'd like to face the consequences, you better shape up."

"Well, you see, it's hard to shape up when you're starving," I remarked. "Be a doll, will ya'?"

He wasn't amused. "You truly have a death wish."

I gave a hard, serious stare back. 'That may actually not be a lie... I've been ready.' "After all, I've been here for a while, expecting to not make it out. How much worse can my situation get?" I challenged.

"Maybe it's not your fate you should be concerned about."

I flinched. 'Dang it...'

Lord Ghetsis finally seemed pleased with my actions. He took a step closer. "I think I see it."

"What is this 'thing' everyone sees?!" I screeched, unable to suppress it my tone despite my change in demeanor.

Lord Ghetsis chortled sadistically before backing away and leaving the room, the door shutting behind him.

I glared angrily at the door that blended in so well with the walls. 'Was there ever really a point of him visiting? Or was he just trying to intimidate me?' I sighed. 'Why am I here? I shouldn't have woken up at all... What possible importance could I hold?'

I wasn't anything special, and if anything, just the opposite; it was a wonder with my carefree attitude that I lasted as long as I did without repercussions. Even so, I was prepared for punishments, and have been for the longest time. Anything that happened to me, I wouldn't care for. But Lord Ghetsis... He said that it might not be my fate that I should be concerned about.

That worried me.

'Living through that kinda thing again, I'm not too sure how well I'd take it,' I thought to myself uncomfortably.

But now I had nothing to do. I couldn't explore my tiny little prison because I was on the wall, I couldn't sleep because I was anxious and no longer tired, and I had no one to talk to.

After what seemed like hours I think I was getting a bit insane, too, because the floor started to feel like it was shaking. The vibrations messed around with my hair a little and the metal chains chimed a bit, the rattling being too faint to be considered rattling.

I sighed. 'And now I'm hallucinating?' I pursed my lips and blinked, staying as still as I could. I concentrated on the floor.

It looked everything was shaking. The vibrations became more and more violent in the span of a minute, to the point where I could hear it.

My eyes widened just a bit, my eyebrows furrowed in confusion. 'Wait, no... The ground really is shaking!'

... What the Heck is it?! : End

There's the relatively short chapter... Last chapter was longer, so it makes up, right? (I guess I also forgot to imply Hilda/N, so... Yeah, my bad.)

Now, I have another poll (or two...) : Last time, I asked if I should boost up the rating, and everyone said not to. Now I'm asking again, but for a different reason. Would any of you mind if I jacked it up to "T"? If I get even one person who says they'd prefer for it to stay as "K+", that's fine, I can go without the rating increase. Also, vote #2 is whether next chapter you'd prefer for it just to continue regularly or for there to be a flashback chapter. If the flashback doesn't appear next chapter, it'll appear eventually. You can answer in any way possible (poll, review, PM), or just not at all.

Guest Review Responses

TGIF : Vote acknowledged, but haha, being the moron I am, I'm asking whether it should be raised again (the reason is unrelated though). Thanks for reading/reviewing/voting.

Guest (Chapter 1, Dec 4) : I have no idea if you're still reading this, but I am most certainly continuing this, even though it isn't my main priority. Thanks for the compliments! And Bianca's song actually does come up later again, so nice pointing that out. Thanks for reviewing.

Anonymous : So she isn't N's handmaid ._.' I feel like I led people on... Sorry. Thanks for reading any reviewing anyway though.