Chapter 9: Death Wish
Alfa sat bolt upright in his bed, his spine rigid, his eyes focused on a nonexistent point in in the distance as sleep over came him. But not ordinary sleep.
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Alfa felt every fiber of his being shredded apart, examined carefully, re-examined and put back together in the blink of an eye. He tried to move his arms to no avail. Pressure exerted itself onto his mind, examining every single thought going through his mind.
"Come to Sinnoh, to the spear pillar on mount Coronet." A deep, rich voice sounded through the open plane of his mind. "And bring the flute." The sound entranced Alfa, in the plane of reality, his body swaying, in the dream, his body held as tight as ever. Then the dream faded into the distance, the sound of the melodious, sonorous voice echoing in his mind.
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Alfa's spine slacked, releasing the tension in his back. He look down to see his shirt drenched in sweat. Whatever it was that had reached out to him, it had been powerful. He looked around the room. It looked the same as it had been before, but it felt as though each and every particle had been ripped apart and placed back in the search for him. He felt a heavy weight in his pocket where he kept the ring, and fearing for what might have happened, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a flute, the reflective azure material unknown to him. His heart started to race as he stood up, heading for his closet.
After a shower and a change from his drenched clothes, Alfa stepped out of his room, making straight for the door, a bag slung over his shoulder. He made it as far as the lounge without being noticed, until everyone he knew who mattered suddenly appeared from out of nowhere.
"WHAA!" Alfa cried out as he tripped over a step in shock and landed face first on the floor.
"And happy birthday to you." Keith remarked cheerfully, dragging Alfa back up to his feet.
"What th-!" Alfa was cut short as Sicilia appeared out of nowhere and tackled him, knocking him of his feet again. She was barely up to his chest, but then again, he was tall.
"When did you cut your hair short!?" she exclaimed, running her hand through the close trimmed hair on Alfa's head. He had recently decided that he didn't like it when his hair was capable of blocking his eyes.
"Two weeks ago." Alfa replied, smiling as he remembered that Sicilia hated it when he changed his look without telling her.
"Where's mom and dad?" he asked her, getting back up onto his feet (quite a problem with Sicilia still clinging to him).
"They can't come yet. They said they'd come visit. But they had me come here. And I'm here for a whole three weeks.
Alfa found himself silently wishing he didn't have to go, but he had a suspicion of who it was. He made his way towards the door quietly, to find his way blocked by Kellyn. Since when had he learnt advanced stealth?
"You can deal with whatever business you have tomorrow. Today, you stay home with all your friends." Kellyn replied turning him around and steering him back to the couch.
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Early the next morning…
Alfa crept out the door, making his way to the park silently, his bag over his shoulder again. He whistled once he was away from the building, just to pass the time. He continued his walk until he was at the stage for the park, the most open area in Altru City, as Rayquaza bore down on him from above, picking him up, and carrying him all the way to Sinnoh.
"Set me down at the base of the mountain, will you? I want to make the trek up myself." Alfa stated, as he felt the mental recognition from the lord of the skies. The serpentine dragon let him down at the base of a long mountain which he could only guess was Mount Coronet. He made his way into the cave, not knowing what to expect.
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Two days later…..
Alfa found himself staring another exit in the face. The question was whether this one was to the spear pillar, or just another exit to the mountain side below. He took a deep breath, his white V-neck shaking slightly, and stepped out. Immediately he knew he was in the right place. Standing in front of him were four marble, carved pillars, which once held up a grand roof (which was now in pieces on the floor before him), now ending in jagged spear points.
He walked across the cracked marble floor, the silence implying the strength of a greater force, one that could snap shut the howling jaws of the wind. Finding nothing, he sighed disappointed. Until his hand started to burn. It had been in his pocket, resting on the azure flute. He whipped it out of his pocket, along with the flute, the frigid air cooling the burning instrument. Unconsciously, he put it to his lips and blew, before watching it crumble to dust. A staircase of white light started forming in front of him from the floor upwards, towards a rip in the sky which kept expanding.
Alfa walked up the stairs, reaching the rip in the eerie silence. He walked through it as the staircase disappeared, and the rip closed behind him. Turning around immediately, his intention to hammer on the wall where the rip had been, he realized there was nothing there. He was in the middle of a hall. The hall.
"Welcome. To the Hall of Origin." The same sonorous voice sounded out, ringing throughout the never ending hall. Alfa turned to see a massive white, deer like beast standing in front of him, a glowing golden ring around its waist, a grey face on the white head which extended so far, green eyes meeting his gaze. There was only one being who could take the shape of something so regal, so powerful, and so god-like. Something which was the creator.
"Arceus." Alfa whispered under his breath, not daring to breathe, as he found himself staring in the face the deity which had created everything.
"Yes child, I am Arceus!" It bellowed the last three words, causing the hall to shake with the magnitude of its mere voice.
Alfa didn't move, not knowing what to do.
"I have no time for long conversations at present, so I will move directly to the reason for which I have called you here." Arceus continued, turning towards a floating image which Alfa recognized all too well.
"Your brother. I do not take kindly to those who meddle with the affairs of the living even after their death. I will not tolerate it. And I do not need to. He will no longer contact you, nor interfere with anything again."
"What did you do to him!?" Alfa cried out, finding his voice.
"Nothing. I just cut him off from meddling in the affairs of the living." Arceus replied, a white hand in the air making a motion as though he were casually dismissing the thought.
"The rings I have destroyed, including your own." Arceus went on, turning towards the image, which had shifted to a pile of golden dust.
"And I also know that you intended it to be your final true adventure." The deity finished softly, turning towards Alfa.
Alfa nearly fell backwards, wondering how Arceus knew that momentarily, before remembering that he was talking to the creator.
"Which is why I have the quest for you, which should never have gone untold." Arceus spoke the words with a grave note in its voice.
"The avalanche that killed your parents… It wasn't an accident. Someone wished on Jirachi's third and final tag for it to happen." Arceus went on.
"In other words, your parents were murdered."
