Hi? *waves awkwardly and attempts to dodge flying projectiles*
I hadn't been expecting that unexpected hiatus...um yeah. Sorry that I'm not sorry? Life's been pretty hectic-not that any of you really care haha. I've been wanting to get back to writing this story, but I just haven't had the time until recently. I should be able to get back into the habit of things now, thank goodness. And even though it may seem like I've given up on Rewrite Our Fallacy, don't worry, I definitely haven't given up-I'm just really slow and busy. This story will have that completion status! Eventually.
And let's see who can guess what Pokemon White has! Though I would think it would be fairly obvious, considering my other stories. Hah.
Sorry for the short and crappy chapter though.
Fukiyose City=Mistralton City
Hachiku=Brycen
Kabigon=Snorlax
He felt the tremors before he heard the thundering crash.
The ground shook violently, causing the surroundings to wave about precariously. The trees seemed to lose their rigid structure, their solid trunks now spineless figures that were barely rooted to the ground. The inhabitants of the forest area let out cries of fear and scurried off in search of a safe haven.
In front of him, the ancient, grand tower moaned piteously from the violent shaking of its foundations; it dangerously swayed from side to side, loose pieces of stone and gravel crumbling to the ground.
Something frightening curled up in his stomach, a tight and uncomfortable thrumming that made his blood run cold. Beside him, Zorua flitted around his legs nervously, his tail twitching to a fro as if trying to pinpoint something in the air. With flattened ears, the Pokemon pointed his noise up into the air and peered at the ominous image in the distance. "N...," he began warily, "look past the radio tower. Do you see that huge cloud of dust? There's something in it."
Following Zorua's line of vision, N trained his eyes to the residues of the explosion in the air; if he had to guess where it had happened—his fingers curled in fear at the prospect of it—the explosion (and probably the large tremor as well) most likely originated near or even in the Electric Stone Cave. His thoughts passed over to White. Was she okay? What had happened to her? Was she hurt in the explosion? Was she the cause of it?
Suddenly, despite the distance between him and the cloud of smoke and dust in the distance, a shrill and vociferous cry echoed throughout the air and pierced his eardrums. His hands quickly reached up to cover his ears, but he kept his eyes wide open as the smoke began to clear and the hulking figure of a flying Pokemon shot out of it. N could barely make out the details of it, but he could at least affirm that it was some sort of dragon type.
But what was a dragon doing near a cave full of electric type Pokemon? This wasn't the kind of habitat for dragon Pokemon…unless it was one of the Pokemon handed over to White. Heart beating wildly in his chest, N lowered his hand and stared at the ominous figure of the dragon in the distance. He heard it let out a gleeful cackle, a shriek that would haunt him for days on end, and let out a harrowing roar.
But that was the last thing he heard from the Pokemon before it shot off into the distance.
Instinctively, his feet began moving in the direction of the cave.
"Lord N," said a member of the trinity. "Where are you going?"
N paused, his eyes flickering back to the three figures behind him, and replied, "I want to see White." It was a simple statement; it was something that was seemingly trite and selfish. But there was so much more meaning behind those words than he would let on.
He needed to make sure that White was safe—that she was fine and out of harm's way. He wasn't simply worried—he was absolutely petrified by the possibility of White being hurt. If something terrible happened to her, he wasn't sure how he would be able to move on.
Perhaps it was dependency, but after all those years of being together, the idea of a future without his best friend was outlandish and absurd. It was like trying to force a Magikarp to live on land without water—it just wasn't possible.
He began to move again, but this time he was stopped when a firm, solid hand grasped his shoulder—it wasn't a tight or harsh grip, but N still flinched anyways.
"You have a meeting with Geechisu, Lord N. Did you forget?"
N's shoulders slumped. But even knowing that he would be fighting a losing battle, he protested anyway. "But White—
"I will go to check on Lady Touko and bring her back with me. There's no need to worry."
Yes, there was a need to worry. Why couldn't they see that?
"But—
"Geechisu is expecting you," is all he said before letting go of N's shoulder and brushing past him with a look of indifference.
"N, lets go," prompted Zorua. "It's going to be all right."
No it won't, he couldn't' help but think and turned back to the Tower of Heaven's entrance with reluctance. The world had stopped shaking, but in his mind's eye, he could still see the tower swaying as though it was about to fall over.
A sigh escaped from him, the worry overwhelming his nerves; he didn't have much of a choice in the matter, but he might as well go along with it when there was nothing else to lose.
o
He couldn't remember exactly what he had been thinking or doing as he sat on the stone steps of the Tower of Heaven waiting for White to come back. What he did remember though was the nervous anticipation coiling and then unfurling in his gut. He remembered the sweaty palms and the hammering heart.
All he could see was darkness.
The remaining two of the trinity were standing a respectful distance away from him. But even if they had been breathing down his neck in an unnerving manner, N couldn't have found the sense to care.
Something shifted in the darkness, a change in the wind, the sudden stillness of the forest's inhabitants. N squinted his eyes to adjust to the lack of light and stared aimlessly, though expectant, into the blackness of the night. From his peripheral vision, N saw Zorua's ears twitch at the sudden yet imperceptible shift in noise.
A swift, chill gust of wind swept through the forest at that moment, whistling eerily as though announcing an abnormal presence. N held his breath and slowly began to stand as he watched the inky blackness of the forest shadows shift to reveal a lithe, tall figure in the distance.
"Lord N," came the familiar voice as the figure approached and kneeled in front of him.
His eyes desperately searched the surroundings for any sign of the only person he cared to see; he refused to acknowledge the somber look of the man's eyes in front of him.
"I'm sorry," the subordinate continued and rose to a stand, successfully blocking N's view from the rest of the forest.
No you're not.
"Where's White?" he nearly screamed. A million thoughts raced through his head, each one worse the last. And he desperately wished that the horrible, horrible thoughts would just go away. In a more subdued yet desperate voice: "Where is she?"
"I'm sorry," the man repeated to N.
No.
"Lord N—
Shut up shut up shut up shut up!
Something white caught N's eyes. He saw the ragged fabric catch the moonlight and felt his heart sputter and die.
—Lady Touko is dead."
o
They were supposed to be together forever.
"Dammit," he muttered and buried his head into his hands as if to bury the tears threatening to spill. It was a stupid notion to believe—he knew that way before…well, before it happened.
But the absence of her—and when had it started to hurt to even think her name?—made the foolishness of his childish beliefs all the more clear.
And somehow everything seemed so damned meaningless.He felt like wreck, twisted and mangled, unable to even gather the broken pieces of his rationality let alone try to piece it back together.
White would have been able to do it, a traitorous voice whispers into his ears, cruel and venomous like death itself.
Arceus, why was he so damned pathetic?
"Well, you know," Zorua said in that ever sardonic tone of his, "nothing lasts forever, N."
o
"Who was the trainer she was supposed to battle?"
"Lord N…I'm not sure if Geechisu wants you to know—
"Tell me!"
The trio paused in their tedious activities to glance at each other with uncertainty.
He wanted to know. He needed to know.
How else was he supposed to get any closure?
One of the members cleared his throat and turned to look at N with pitying eyes—but N didn't want pity. He just wanted to stop the pain.
"The trainer's name is—was Touya."
The pain didn't stop—instead it grew worse, encompassing all sorts of horrid emotions like anger and betrayal.
He heard Touya's jovial laughter echo in his head—but he couldn't bear to associate the noise with something good any longer. Now his laughter sounded like the heavy iron bells that were rung at a funeral.
But why Touya? Why did it always have to be the people he truly did care about?
And it may have been unfair, but now all he could feel was anger towards his dead friend.
It was because of Touya that White died.
N could practically see Touya roll in his debris-filled grave underneath the cave floors.
So much for closure, he bitterly thought.
o
"How are you, Lord N?" came Geechisu's eerily cheerful voice over the speaker of the Xtransceiver.
N knew that it was all just formalities though—Geechisu had never cared for his well-being before, so why start now?
N gave him an empty smile—not that Geechisu would know the difference—and replied, "I'm fine. I've gained the Jet Badge. I will be leaving Fukiyose City soon."
"Good, good. Don't forget that I will be meeting with you again at Dragonspiral Tower after you defeat Hachiku."
"Yes, of course. Have the researchers found any more clues about the Light or Dark Stone?"
Geechisu cleared his throat at this and said, "Perhaps; none of them are entirely sure what to make of the evidence though. When we meet again at Dragonspiral Tower, I will give you the full report."
"Alright." Honestly what else could he say or ask about? Somehow everything had become so insipid and tedious ever since…ever since he started traveling alone. He knew that he should've cared more…but dammit, he needed time to mourn.
N blinked sluggishly at the screen in front of him. Had Geechisu said something? The sage was giving him a strange, expectant look.
"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" he mumbled to the screen.
"I said, 'I heard about Lady Touko's…passing.'"
N averted his gaze to the ground as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world. "Right."
"You have my condolences, Lord N."
"…thanks."
He heard Geechisu sigh in exasperation—anger welled up inside him, because how dare he, how dare he act as if his painful loss was stupid and childish—and then:
"Try not to get too distracted, N."
Click.
Then there was silence.
N hurled the Xtransceiver with all of his anger and strength towards the undergrowth. The sound of the machinery breaking sounded like the sickening snap of bones—he couldn't help but smile cruelly at the sound.
The satisfaction only lasted for a handful of seconds, though.
He felt his mouth pull downwards in angry frustration as grief overcame him.
It wasn't fair.
None of it was.
Why did it have to be White? Why did it have to be Touya? Why did they have to die?
Why did everything have to hurt so much?
OoO
Fear struck her body like the flashing whip above her, and she couldn't control herself from sobbing even louder than before.
She shouldn't talk—she really shouldn't. She shoudln't say anything. Yes, yes. If she did that, then everything would be fine—neither she nor N would be hurt anymore. This was the only way to go about things—that much she was sure of.
She heard the weapon slice through the air like a warning whistle before the pain caused the world to explode in a brilliant flash of white.
The crack of the whip was sharp and full of vengeance.
And as her vision righted itself again, the world slowly piecing disjointed halves together for the umpteenth time, she felt that the pain had branded its mark onto her skin, the struck area smartly stinging even after the whip had gone away.
She briefly let her mind wander and hoped that N was alright.
The crack of the whip sang loudly in her ears not a moment longer after her brief respite.
Her screams brought her consciousness back to reality.
The first sensation she felt was…wetness?
It wasn't painful (though she could still feel the distant pain from the whip ghost over her skin, like a half-realized whisper—but that was a long, long time ago wasn't it?) but it was strange and uncomfortable nonetheless. Why did it feel like her body was soaked with (or what she hoped was) water?
And why was everything so dark?
Hesitantly, she waggled her fingers to see if they were still working properly. They were stiff from lack of use most likely, but it wasn't anything to worry about. Next she tried her toes; she curled them in on themselves and heard them pop slightly.
Slowly, White twitched, wiggled, and shifted each and every one of her limbs to make sure none of them were broken. And it was a relief to find that her all body parts were still intact, though some were somewhat sore and sluggish.
Okay, she thought. Everything feels fine. Probably.
But the one thing that continued to unnerve her was the perpetual darkness that plagued her vision. Where was she? What happened?
She had been at Electric Stone Cave, waiting…what had she been waiting for? It was a person, that much she was sure of.
"What the hell is going on here?"
She felt her body jerk at the sudden and incensed voice inside her head, replaying over and over like a broken record.
"…I should have known that you were a liar!"
"…did try! I tried to understand you back in Hodomoe! But then you go behind my back and do something like this."
"For a moment I trusted you, you know? But now I know that I can't."
Why was the voice so angry at her? Why couldn't he stop screaming? Did she do something wrong? If she did, then…then…
"Touya, stop and listen to me, will you? I don't want to fight."
And then the memories started to come back all at once, crashing into her like a tidal wave; it grappled at her, her arms and legs, pulling her down, down, down. The voices were so vociferous, the fear and the panic so loud in her ears—it felt as though she was reliving it all over again.
She remembered everything.
She remembered her world crashing down on her, the apocalypse waiting to happen.
She remembered the sheer desperation that overtook her body and hurled her body over the edge of the abyss.
She remembered hearing a Pokémon cry over the pounding adrenaline before blacking out completely.
But then what had happened after?
Her heart stopped completely at the next thought.
Where was Touya?
Was she dead?
Something cold and slick pressed against her neck.
Was this what death felt like?
The strange sensation lingered against her skin for a moment longer before something warm and very much alive darted out and slid against her neck.
White jerked her body upwards and let out a blood curdling scream.
And suddenly the world came into focus.
She blinked.
Wait…had her eyes been closed the whole time?
She mentally slapped herself upside the head. Great.
"Are you alright?"
The low, rumbling voice had come from behind her and White spun her torso around swiftly to look for the source. Eyes as bright as amber stared openly at her. She felt herself squeak and scrambled away from the heavy gaze with all the grace of a Kabigon.
"I'm sorry," the Pokémon said quietly, tilting his armored head to the side in pure befuddlement. "Did I frighten you?"
"I…um...," was all she could manage at that moment as she tried to convince her hand that no, her heart was not going to pop out, so could it please let go of her shirt because it was kind of choking her. White cleared her throat and nearly choked on air. She tried again. "No, I was…I was just a little startled."
The understatement of the year, apparently.
The Pokémon was lying down on his forearms and hind legs, its tail fanned out behind it; he lay his head down onto his paws and continued to stare at her as though she was an alien species. "I see," was all he said.
"D-did you save me?" she prodded tentatively, unsure of what else to say.
"I suppose that you could call it that," he replied with a blank look.
She replied intelligently, "Huh?"
The Pokémon shifted slightly and lifted his head to properly address her. "It was more like repaying a debt long overdue." Upon seeing the stupefied look on her face, he continued in elaboration, "If it hadn't been for you I would have lived the rest of my days stuck in that Poké Ball, forgotten and alone. You were the only one who found me."
"You mean back in the Cold Storage?" In her amazement, she let her hand drop from her chest. "That was your Poké Ball?"
"And you were the girl who sat like a vegetable on the floor in a thin shirt and a pair of shorts."
She felt her face light up in embarrassment and immediately averted her gaze preoccupied herself with examining her surroundings.
"Right," she mumbled and cleared her throat. Her gaze flickered back to the Pokémon staring at her as if she had grown an extra head. "Well t-thanks. For um, saving me."
"I managed to save your friend as well."
White's head jerked, her thoughts immediately racing back to N. "My friend? Y-you mean N—no, wait! Touya? Do you mean Touya?"
"Is that what you call him?" The creature gestured his head to something behind her.
And there he was, disheveled, bloody, and practically dead to the world. In her shock and desperation, her hand slipped out from underneath her when she tried to scramble towards his prone figure. "Shit!" came her muffled cry, her face buried into the sandy ground beneath her. Shakily, White lifted herself up and slowly crawled towards Touya with the utmost caution as if expecting him to spring up from his position and lash out at her. "Touya?" she called out softly and stretched out a wary hand to grasp his shoulder. She repeated his name again but was met with silence. When she peered closer at him she saw the steady but slow rise of his chest, heard the faint sounds of his miraculous breathing.
"Thank Arceus," she breathed out in relief.
"I was lucky that there was an underground river in the cave, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to do anything to help," a quiet voice said behind her.
"A river?" she asked, her head swiveling around to face the Pokémon.
"You didn't know?" he questioned, nose and white whiskers twitching in confusion. "Then why did you call me out? Did you think I could fly?"
"I—well, I thought that you were Archeos," was her weak explanation as her hand fumbled along her belt for the right Poké Ball to prove her point. "I didn't mean to call you out—I mean I'm grateful but…huh?"
Her eyes widened when she brought the surprisingly light capsule to her eyes for a closer inspection. It was…empty? And even when she racked her brain to remember what she had done with Archeos' capsule, she came up empty. She was absolutely sure that she had never released the Pokémon before; but if that were the case, then why was the ball empty?
Had it been that way all along?
White frowned when the strange thought occurred to her—she remembered during one of her musings while waiting in the cave that one of the Poké Balls had been lighter—almost weightless. She had passed it off for a mere difference in weight between the two Pokémon, but as she began to piece things together, the realization that maybe, just maybe there was something more to all of this struck her—and maybe it was something so much darker and sinister than she would have ever expected.
"A setup?" she murmured to herself, heart racing inside her chest. It couldn't be…could it?
A pained moan cut across her thoughts and White jerked her head towards Touya, her eyes wide with anticipation.
His eyelids twitched and fluttered as his consciousness slowly came back to him; his breathing quickened; his mouth moved to shape fathomless words. Worriedly, White leaned forward on her hands, head leaning over his so that it cast a shadow over his face, and asked hopefully, "Touya?"
Touya's eyes cracked open slightly, amber irises staring dazedly at her; for a moment they stared at each other, he with drunken stupor and she with tired relief.
Then he rasped out, "Pretty sure I died; I can't really tell if I'm in heaven or hell though."
Something stirred in her chest—relief, exasperation, hope, and warmth all rolled into one huge mess of choking, gasping, and tearful sobs. Through her tears, she saw his eyes widen in shock and panic and she nearly laughed out loud when he began to fumble with his words in an attempt to stop her crying. "Aw, c-come on! Don't cry, White! I didn't mean anything by it—I was only joking—please don't cry…I'm not good with crying girls, you know. Ugh—don't tell me I really died and went to hell!"
And suddenly her body was moving forward of its own volition; she ignored his shock and yelp of protest, ignored how strange it must have seemed to Touya, pushed away the embarrassment, and threw herself onto him, wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into the crook of his neck. "Stupid," she hiccupped through her sobs, "You're so stupid!"
He was silent for a moment. And then she felt hands tentatively rest themselves on her back, one hand awkwardly patting her shoulder.
She sobbed harder in response.
