Author's Note: Today we'll be taking a little break from the regular formula. This whole chapter, even bits with Touko, is written in third person.
I. (the train song. Prologue)
All that could be heard in the deepest and emptiest place of the rebel base was the clacking of a keyboard. N sat in near darkness, face lit eerily by the glaring monitor of a computer. How long had it last been since he'd taken a break, or had a bite to eat? Three hours? Five? He wasn't exactly sure, but he was so immersed in his work that thoughts like that, and the faint aching of his stomach, seemed hardly trivial.
Work? More accurately it was research. Within this cave, the abandoned king spent his days learning about the world he'd helped create. There were few times when residents of the base would come and ask him to play, and when they'd ask he would oblige. They were short and pleasant breaks from this monotonous, and often unfulfilling routine, so why not indulge for a little while. But despite that N knew that fun and games could not last for long. He couldn't allow himself to let his edge dull, especially when the dogs of war were breathing down their necks.
That's why he sought the answers. Lay it all out and it was just like a game of chess. N wanted to know how his opponent was going to move, and the quickest way to do that was to understand how we'd come to this place, and how his opponent thought of moving the pieces next.
The biggest clue and the biggest enigma were the iron factories. N approached this as he did almost all other things: with a mind sharp as a blade. Always questioning, always digging deeper, always seeking answers. It didn't matter if the truth wasn't pretty. What mattered was knowledge, and he used all that he could find, even if there were only puzzle pieces at this point.
He'd been unable to shake the feeling since first setting eyes upon the Dream Factories. How do they work? How do they breathe? What makes them tick? What does it take to make it die? Asking questions like these had been second nature to N. Even when he was much younger he sought to ask them in regards to all things. It was how he found knowledge. Knowledge was ground, stability, was how one made sense of the world.
What was the world without knowledge?
Fennel, a professor who had worked within the factories, had given him the information she had. That laid down the basics, but the information was nothing more than text book run down of the factory's basic workings. It was a light nibble, not the real meat he was looking for.
It was a little bit painful looking deeper. The Dream Factories did live off the lives of his friends, after all. It used their breaths to breathe, circulated their blood into its cold body, kept their hearts pumping past expiry, and resonated with chugging pistons. It exhaled toxic breath to blissfully unaware world.
To think how his friends suffered caused him pause. It was a horror hard to comprehend, but this was something N didn't want to think about. This was knowledge he'd rather not have. Too much knowledge… hurt sometimes. He had experienced it before. The more you thought about these things, the darker everything seemed to become. He had to tread cautiously into these questions, this search for answers. But N couldn't let himself be dragged into the darkness he was investigating. Not a second time. Stay afloat in your quest for knowledge. That was easier said than done, but as he dug, he unearthed.
There was an interesting file he had found in the Dream Factory in Striaton City. He had not forgotten, but, then again… how could he? PROJECT: G. The infamous name was a black spot in his memory. The G in the title stood for the name "Genesect", N knew it all too well, for it was Team Plasma who had revived the creature from dirt and stone. With their technology and their machines they had changed stone to iron, bones to metal, and blood to wire. Their intention was to create a Pokémon stronger than any nature had ever birthed. They enhanced that life to the level of god.
But that wasn't what the project was supposed to be. The scientists weren't supposed to go that far, and once N heard word of their disobeyance, he cancelled the Genesect program as fast as he could. Pokémon are already perfect beings as they are. If modified by human technology, then they will suffer the loss of their beauty and perfection, and become as corrupt and tainted as man. Such was N's philosophy. Ever since he'd given word to close the project, he had assumed that it had ended and Genesect had been set free or regretfully terminated.
After seeing the file in Striaton City, N had now come to think otherwise. Apparently in his absence, or maybe it was far before that, Ghetsis had restarted the Genesect Project. But why? The questions had wormed its way into his head, and even if it was suppressed at times, the thought would always rise back to the surface. Genesect was the queen; how was his opponent planning to move it? Right now, it was clearly being kept safely at the back, far behind the pawns, for N found no more information on it, not even the slightest speck.
It was dark, but he had to keep digging. And that is what he did in this quiet and lonely place.
The former king had not the slightest clue that he was being watched. With eyes fixed on her victim, Piper peeked through the door, unseen. "Are you ready?" she asked quietly to Alphonse, who was floating by her side. The little fireball grinned with a resolute nod. Piper echoed his mischievous smile, "Go!"
Without another word, Alphonse quietly fluttered into N's room, using the small wings on his lower back to keep afloat. Alphonse came closer and closer to the oblivious victim, while Piper watched from the doorway with bated breath.
N stopped typing, and Alphonse immediately froze as if time itself had stopped. N brought his arms over his head to stretch, and then resumed his work. Alphonse heaved an inaudible sigh and glanced back to where Piper watched, and she urged him on with a wave of her hand. With a nod of determination, the Victini floated forward and stopped right above N's head.
N paused. Something had changed, and he wasn't sure what it was at first. Being as deep as he was in his search for answers, the outside world could often seem miles away. But as the feeling grew, he slowly came back, and then wondered "Why does the top of my head feel so exposed?" and when he reached up to find that his hat was not where he'd left it, he clued in.
"Whuh!?" he had turned around just in time to see Alphonse disappearing with the item in question.
"Ah—hey! Wait a minute!" he scrambled after the thief.
When he heard N's calls, Alphonse jolted in shock, sped the rest of the distance toward Piper, and threw the hat overtop her head. The girl gasped, "We've been spotted! Abort mission! Abort!"
Before the abductors of the hat could make their daring escape, N halted them with a hand on each shoulder.
Piper squealed through laughter as she fought weakly in N's grip, "Al! I've been caught! Go on without me! Save yourself!"
"Piper…" N began, kneeling down in front of her. "Why did you steal my hat?"
"What hat?" she asked innocently as the bill drooped over her eyes.
N lifted his hat off her head with a disbelieving frown, "The one on your… oh, never mind. What are you and Alphonse doing here?" N asked, glancing at the Victini who, despite Piper's earlier pleas, still fluttered over her head. "Why aren't you playing with Terrance?"
"I dun wanna play with Terrance!" she said. "He's a poop-head!"
"Poop-head?" N mused curiously.
"Yeah! The smelliest!" Piper glanced at Alphonse for reinforcement, but the Victini just stared at her blankly. "That's why you should come play with Al and me! Will ya? Please? Pretty please?" she looked innocently around, "Aren't you kinda lonely? It's so big and dark around here! That doesn't seem like no fun!"
"Don't seem like no fun!" Alphonse agreed.
"Uh…" N blinked, "You mean 'that doesn't seem like any fun'." Their unenthused looks to that told him that wasn't the point, "Well… I would, you see, but I have a lot of work that needs to be…" N froze. After taking a simple glance into both Piper and Alphonse's pleading eyes, he was made helpless. No man or monster alive could resist their combined, dewy-eyed gaze. "Well, uh." He smiled softly, "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to take a little break…"
Piper gasped, "So does that mean you will!?"
N showed a smile, "Sure. Why not?" He'd dug deep enough for today. Piper was right about this place; he could use a break. Besides, what could go wrong?
"Hooray!" Piper rejoiced, throwing her hands up, and Alphonse echoed the gesture with a joyous squeak.
"Then…" N began. "What is it that we should play?"
Piper and Alphonse shared a devious smirk.
"Wait! One more before you go!" Cheryl plopped another bundle of undergarments on top of the basket Touko struggled to hold in her arms. Whoever's underpants they were, she had no idea. "So. Can you go hang that outside for me, and then come back for the next load when you're done? Sound good?"
"Yeah," Touko grunted as she slowly trudged towards the door. "Sure thing, Mom."
The unfortunate thing for Touko was that it took about a ten minute walk to get outside to where the clothesline was. She was seriously wondering if her arms would be able to hold out for that long, and to make matters worse, she had to go back and get another load when the current one was done. Touko suppressed a sigh as she shuffled down the hall, leaning the large basket against her body so that her arms wouldn't have to take so much weight. But in the process, she ended up looking like some sort of waddling Ducklett. Pull your weight, Touko. Pull your weight.
The girl suddenly stopped when a curious sound met her ears. She figured she was just imaging it, or her ears were playing tricks on her, but when she stopped to listen she found this was not the case. The sound came quietly at first, softly in the distance. But it soon grew louder and closer. Her brow furrowed in confusion. Touko could have sworn she heard, what sounded like, someone making a very bad train impression far off down the hall. Touko stared in the direction where she heard the noise, debating on whether or not she'd gone insane.
Only a moment later, N appeared jogging down the hall. Piper was riding on his shoulders, and Alphonse was clinging to Piper's shoulders on the next level up. "Chuga-chuga-chuga-chuga!"
Touko watched, dumbstruck, as they approached. After seeing the sight, Touko came to the new conclusion that N was the one who had lost his mind.
"Station ahead!" Piper cried, pointing in Touko's direction.
N came to a stop with a "Screeeeeech!"
Touko could only blink at the three of them before she found it in her to ask. "What in the name of this good earth are you doing?"
"Oh, well. I'm…" His cheeks coloured softly.
"We're playing train!" Piper declared on N's shoulders as his hat drooped over her eyes. Alphonse agreed with a giddy chirp, thrusting a fist in the air.
Touko forced a strained smile as her arms began to tremble from the basket's weight, "Ah. I see. Looks like fun."
N dropped the smile and looked at the basket curiously, "Are you going to hang that out?"
"Ah, yeah, that's the plan anyway. Heh. It's pretty heavy…" She said, struggling to hold both her smile and the laundry.
Piper wrapped her arms around N's head, unintentionally covering his eyes, "You should just put it down and come and play with us! You could be the caboose!" Alphonse landed on Piper's head and nodded.
Touko's eyebrow twitched. Caboose? "Ah… I'd love to… really, but I've gotta hang this stuff out. If I don't do it then who will?"
"I see." N said blankly, removing one of Piper's hands from his eye, "That's a shame. Oh well, I guess we'll see you around then."
"Off we go!" Piper shouted declaratively as N started forward, slowly at first, but then speeding up into a full jog.
Touko watched them go as N continued to, "Chuga-chuga-chuga-chuga-Choo-Choo!" off into the distance.
The girl heaved a sigh and kept on walking. Those three… are really having too much fun.
II. (child in the garden. Part One)
The king of the world was a small man inside of his palace. Ghetsis walked on through arced hallways of marble, and chambers of red and gold. All that could be heard were echoing footsteps. To him, he heard the rustling of his robes. He met no one else, and that made him feel smaller. Or perhaps it made the walls feel bigger; it was hard to know.
From time to time, he would pause to admire the paintings which were strung up through the halls, placed artfully to draw one's eye. Some were complex, of ancient battles between man and beast; of titans the size of the sky, weaving elements with brutish hands. Of warriors which galloped the land, earth rising beneath their hooves; of goliath dragon of lightning and fire, casting ruination beneath their feet. Ghetsis spared them all quick glances, and went on.
For a time he stopped to watch the water lap in the canals bordering the corridors, watching the stones glisten beneath the clear surface. Both the sight and sound was ethereal calm. When he found himself zoning out, vision blurring with absence, he realized he'd stayed too long, and continued walking.
The hallways were smaller here; the ceilings not as high or grand. White walls accentuated gold trim, and seemed pleasing to the eye. Here, too, there were paintings. A lone tree among a hill silhouetted by gray sky; a simple river running through a shaded forest—Ghetsis could almost smell the moisture and the trees. Near the end he found a painting of a bouquet of flowers, and stopped here for a long time.
It wasn't bad, this 'taking it easy' thing; the elder sage did not have much opportunity for it now a days. This was made even more true with the recent events which had put pressure on him, and had worn him down even more. Add it to the list: the recent escape of Touko and N from the palace, their abolishment of the Dream Factory in Striaton City, not to mention the recent ordeal in Castelia—that one was perhaps the most revolting of them all. An extended vacation was sounding more wonderful by the minute, but unfortunately for him, the sage hadn't the luxury. The course of the future that he had in mind required constant supervision and guidance if it were to be realized. And he was also well aware that Team Plasma's castle would end up a pile of rubble if it was left in the hands of Christophe and the Sages.
"Ho there!"
Rood of the Seven Sages appeared down the hall.
"Ah," Ghetsis greeted him with a short bow. "Good day to you."
Rood returned the greeting and came to a stop beside Ghetsis, also falling victim to the charm of the simple artwork around them. The two sages stood in silence for a moment, but then something caught Ghetsis's eye. The sage couldn't help but notice that Rood was wearing a red anemone on the breast of his robe.
"Er…" Ghetsis began after a few long moments of thoughtful silence. "Rood, may I ask where you got that flower from?"
"Oh? This little one?" Rood showed a smile under his bushy mustache. "Lord N grew it for me. He approached me a few days ago and asked if I was fond of any particular flowers." His smile grew, "Red anemones happen to be a favorite of mine." Rood noticed Ghetsis's look and asked, "Why? Is something the matter?"
"Ah. No. Simple curiosity is all," Ghetsis smiled tightly before turning to go. "I must be off now. Good day."
Ghetsis continued to walk the halls for a bit, but the flower on Rood's cloak never left his mind. Christophe had grown that for him? Was that the truth? Why would that boy be fooling around growing flowers of all things? Did he not have important work and supervision to take care of? He was a king, surely that was his job.
"Ah, good day, Ghetsis."
Ghetsis withdrew from his train of thought to see Gorm walking down the hall, and right away Ghetsis noticed the wreath of blue bell flowers swirling around his pointed cap.
Gorm noticed Ghetsis's look and asked, "Is something the matter?"
"Er…" Ghetsis suppressed a frown. "The flowers on your cap… our Lord N wouldn't have happened to have grown those for you, had he?"
Gorm coloured slightly, "Indeed he has. You see, between you and me, I rather enjoy bell flowers. They're… rather adorable, don't you think?"
"Sorry," Ghetsis said with a strained smile. "Regretfully, I can't stay and chat."
Ghetsis went on his way, but he was no longer out for a leisurely stroll. After seeing both Rood and Gorm, there was a certain place he found a strong need to visit. Only, before he got there, he ran into Giallo who had several large sunflowers sticking out of his robe. He looked ridiculous. And that happened to be the final straw.
With an unpleasant crash, the door of the green house burst open, and both Anthea and Concordia, not standing far away, jumped at the noise. They saw Ghetsis standing there, murder in his eyes, and they both froze up like a Deerling in the head lights. Both tried not to look guilty as they hid watering pots behind their backs.
The sage's eyes darted about, from flowers to fruit, to vegetable and tree, all of which filled the garden with vitality. He hardly had the time to admire them.
"Where is he?" the Sage demanded.
"Uh… N, sir?" Anthea asked sheepishly.
"Yes, N! Who else would I be here for!?"
"You guys don't have to keep calling me N! I told you all before, it's Christophe!" Ghetsis's brow scrunched as he heard the voice drifting out from behind a row of tomato plants. He followed it to find Christophe squatting before a soil bed, tucking a seedling into the moist dirt.
Christophe was wearing a faded pair of overalls which were already smudged with dirt and pocked with holes. After the seedling had been buried, Christophe showed a small smile. He wiped the dirt off N's face, which only smudged it further, and turned to Ghetsis.
"So. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" he asked, standing and placing hands on his hips. "You hardly ever come to visit me unless it's about work…" Christophe's eyes brightened. "Wait. Could it be that you've come here to ask me to grow a flower for you?!" The king smiled excitedly, "I was thinking of growing you a bouquet of black roses… hm, or maybe dark blue. Both colours kind of suit you… perhaps I can create some mixture of the two. I wonder if I can create a pattern on the petals similar to your robe? Wouldn't that be exotic!" and he laughed good naturedly.
Ghetsis sighed in aggravation and pinched the bridge of his nose. A migraine was coming on. "Ugh. Just be silent, you fool. I did not come here to pick out a bouquet…"
The king tilted his head. "Hm?"
"Flowers are the last thing that I need at the moment, and the sages do not need them either," Ghetsis finished, shooting the boy an accusing look.
Christophe blinked, "What do you mean?"
Ghetsis frowned, "Don't play dumb with me. I've seen firsthand the flowers you've been pollinating about to the sages."
The king's face was extremely blank for a few moments. "Oh! Those flowers you mean!" he paid no mind to how Ghetsis's look darkened. "What happens to be the problem with it, then? They were the ones who came to me, perchance I suppose, and I just happened to ask them if they were fond of any particular kinds," he paused to wipe his hands on his overalls, "besides, don't you just think that the flowers just… breathe life into them!?" he spread out his arms and declared.
Ghetsis threw his face into his hand. "For god's sake…"
"Really, now. I was only kidding," Christophe smirked. "Can't you take a joke?"
Ghetsis looked over his fingertips murderously, and Christophe shrunk back. The sage stomped over and grabbed rough hold of Christophe's collar, pulling him in close.
"Listen to me, and listen to me well. If you want to grow flowers, go ahead and do it, grow whatever it is you want. But I do not want a single seed to leave this room. Is that clear, boy?"
Christophe tried not to show his fear. His expression tightened, and he nodded.
Ghetsis shoved him lose and stormed from the room, slamming the door on his way out. Christophe remained stood there, weakly touching where Ghetsis had gripped him, eyes lowered.
Concordia drew near to him. "…Are you alright, my lord?"
There was no response.
Concordia frowned, "Er… Christophe?" When she'd touched his shoulder, he jolted and she quickly withdrew. "Oh… are… are you alright? You've become rather pale."
"Ah… it's nothing, really… just," his fingers weakly touched where the sage had grasped him. "His skin… for some reason… just felt so incredibly cold…"
III. (to let her go)
"For Arceus sake," Touko cursed as she tried and failed desperately to hang a comforter on the line. The blanket was too big and bulky for her to hold without dragging it all over the ground, and it made it difficult to spread it evenly on the line. "If you don't get on that line… I swear you're gonna be quilt material…" Touko growled as she fumbled around with the comforter.
"Um. Threatening a blanket now?"
Touko spun around to see Bianca standing at the doorway, smiling sheepishly.
Touko blinked, frozen in an awkward position with the sheet, "Well. Um. Yeah. You… heard all that?" her cheeks coloured.
"Would you like me to help you?" Bianca offered.
Touko sighed in relief, "Please do."
Bianca trotted over, taking one end.
"Got it?" Touko asked, securing her end.
Bianca responded with a resolute nod. "On the count of three, then!" and with a great whoosh, they threw it over the line.
"Mission accomplished!" hooted Touko, pumping her fist into the air. The blanket had been defeated; she had won this day.
"It is always easier when others are there to help you out, no?" Bianca said with a sweet smile, "but why didn't you ask Hyle or another one of your Pokémon for help?"
"Aah, haha, I don't know if they'd be too thrilled by helping me hang out laundry," she replied, rubbing the back of her head. "Besides, hanging out laundry is dangerous business with Pokémon involved! Hyle's beard could set the underpants on fire!" she exclaimed, raising her arms up in illustration of a great blaze, "and I think Luca would accidentally shred the blankets to bits! And Terra doesn't even have opposable thumbs!"
"Ah!" Bianca's cheeks reddened, "Well! Wh-when you put it like that, it does seem troublesome!"
"That's why…" Bianca looked up to see her friend smiling, "I could use your help instead. How about it?"
"Alright!"
Two pairs of hands certainly were better than one, and in half the time, Touko and Bianca had everything hung out secure.
It was a good day for laundry drying. The sun was high in the sky and there wasn't a cloud in sight, and it didn't look like there'd be a sandstorm any time soon either. It was also perfect break weather to bask in the warm sun, which wasn't made too hot thanks to the cool breeze of winter.
"So. Bianca…" Touko began. "There's… uh, something I kind of want to ask you. But, you know, you don't have to answer it if you don't want to."
The blond kept her eyes on the sky as if in a trance. "You can go ahead and ask me whatever you want to, Touko," her innocent smile made Touko's heart ache even more.
"It's… about your parents," Touko finally got it out. Bianca didn't take her eyes off the sky. "It's just that… how do they feel about you being a part of the resistance? I mean, both of them, especially your dad, were pretty opposed to you going out on your journey in the first place because they were afraid something bad would happen to you." She showed a weak smile, "They must not be holding together too well now that they know you're part of the rebel faction. Come to think of it… I don't think I've ever seen them around the base before…" Touko looked to and fro, as if expecting to spot them.
"That's because they aren't here." Bianca said emotionlessly.
The blonde's tone of voice caused Touko to try and find her eyes and Bianca met them with uncharacteristic composure. "My parents… are a lot like everyone else in the region right now. When Nuvema Town was taken over and destroyed, my parents started thinking like everyone else. They thought Pokémon are evil… and that being part of a rebel group made me evil too." Bianca's eyes fell to her fidgeting fingers.
"Where are they now?" Touko asked.
"They've bought a house in Nimbasa City. They said they wouldn't stop me from being a part of Juniper's group… but they said if I did… then they'd never want to see me again." Tears started shining in her eyes, and Touko couldn't pretend she couldn't see them.
But Touko was unsure of what words she could use to offer at least some comfort for her. There didn't really seem to be anything she could say to make all of their problems go away. So instead, she wrapped a secure arm around her friend's shoulder, and embraced her tears.
It came to a point where they eventually ran dry, and Bianca wiped her nose on her sleeve. "B-but, you know what? I don't regret it." Bianca looked up again, "I don't regret what I've done here, Touko. I don't regret working for the professor, or trying to stop Team Plasma, no matter how many people hate me for it. You understand," the smile she showed was so sweet. Touko felt her heart knot in her chest, but she couldn't help but nod. "I know that my being a part of this group is a good thing, because we're trying to help people, and Pokémon, and we're trying to bring them back together again. We don't want to hurt anyone, and because of that… I know things will change if we keep trying. When people see what we can do with Pokémon by our sides, I think people won't see them as enemies anymore, no matter what Team Plasma says."
Her heart was unknotting, and Touko found herself grinning. "You're right about that. It's not easy, and it does take a bit of… a guiding push. But I saw it all happen in Striaton City. There are still a lot of people out there who want things to change, even if some of them aren't quite aware of it yet," and eyes fell downward. "It can be hard to see through the fog, I know. It's… a lot easier to lay back and drift along with the current." The girl thought back to all she'd seen in Castelia City, and it made her uneasy.
"I know, but I'm not gonna give up. I'm gonna keep on trying." Bianca said determinedly, staring up at the sun.
"You and I both," Touko agreed, wrapping her arm around her friends shoulder. "It's not gonna be easy… but I know we can do it."
IV. (child in the garden. Part Two)
Christophe entered Ghetsis's office with a large stack of papers in his arms. He'd been requested to deliver them personally, which was fine to the king by all means, considering that it was the only real laborious task he was forcefully requested to adhere to. But as the king entered, he noticed that the room was empty, and no one was sitting at the desk at the back of the room.
Christophe cocked an eyebrow as he drifted in. Ghetsis was supposed to be here, and Christophe knew him as a man who took meetings seriously. As he reached the desk, Christophe called out, "Hello? Anyone home?"
A voice answered him from the conjoining bathroom, whose door remained shut and locked. "Yes, yes. Hold on one moment. I'll be out in but a second." Ghetsis responded. The soft patter of a shower lulled behind his words. Christophe hadn't even noticed it until he'd come close enough to hear it.
Christophe shrugged as he placed the stack of papers neatly on Ghetsis's already organized desk. The elder sage didn't have too much decoration on his table; it was mostly filled with papers, reports and statistics, each filed into their own organized clumps. There was a holder for writing utensils and a box of wipes for his reading glasses, but besides that there wasn't much personalization. It was strict and as uniform as one would expect from the elder man. But then, Christophe noticed something that did not belong. Something clashed with the conformity.
Near the corner of the desk stood a small picture frame. Christophe had not remembered it being there before, and stared at it silently, as if it might disappear.
What was it a picture of? The king wondered as its back taunted him. A sudden thought occurred. Could it be a picture of N? Christophe gathered, from his time spent in the castle, and listening to Anthea and Concordia's stories, that Ghetsis held no love for his supposed 'son'. By their accounts, Ghetsis did nothing less than despise the boy, using him as a mere piece on his board, a king to be manipulated by the player.
I suppose that makes me the lesser replacement…
But if there was a picture of N on Ghetsis's desk, could that mean that the Sage did harbor a certain affection for the boy?
Christophe, intrigued, reached over and turned the frame his way. He was shocked to discover that it wasn't a picture of N, but the reality was even more startling. It was a photo of a woman. Light blond locks of hair flowed down her body in beautiful and natural curls. Sunlight brightened every feature she had, from her small eyes, to her peach skin, all the way to her heartwarming smile. White gardenia flowers surrounded her. As the bathroom door opened, and Ghetsis stepped out of it, Christophe noticed the woman's swollen belly, which she cradled gently.
Ghetsis caught him with the picture frame and gave Christophe a hard half-stare. Apparently before showing his face to anyone, he'd replaced the metal patch over his right eye. Christophe always had to wonder what he was trying to hide under that. But that, along with the picture he held, just added to the man's mystery.
"Put that down," the tone was clearly an order, but it had an odd lack of anger or fury in it, which greatly surprised the second king. Ghetsis had nearly ripped his head off when he'd pollinated a few flowers to the sages, but this…
Ghetsis didn't wait for him to respond, and seated himself in the posh leather chair behind his wide desk. He then, with a surprisingly casual air, began to flip through the papers Christophe had brought with a single hand. His right one remained hidden in the sleeve of his robe.
The king placed the frame back down in its exact spot, slowly, innocently.
"Is it all accounted for here?" The sage asked without even looking up.
"Who was she?" Christophe asked.
Ghetsis closed his eye, like he didn't want to be bothered with answering, like it was a memory he'd rather choose to keep buried. "That is none of your concern. If that is all, you are dismissed." Surprisingly, the Sage remained calm, which confused the Christophe even further, but it also made him curious.
"She seemed to like gardenias." Christophe noted, staring at the back of the picture stand, "They're a lovely of flower. I could grow you some if you want."
Ghetsis's brow wrinkled. "Have you so soon forgotten the conversation we've had this very day?"
"I just thought…"
"I'd rather you keep whatever ideas you have to yourself. You're role in this world is not to think," Ghetsis said, finally looking up at the king from under his brow, "I do hope I make myself clear." The undertone of anger in that voice, made Christophe shudder. He hoped it had not been apparent, but he didn't let it get the better of him, and stared back at the sage unfalteringly, unblinkingly.
He was probing too deep, getting closer to places he was not supposed to have knowledge of. This was the zone of danger, he knew that.
He was curious…
"If you insist, Sir." But he wasn't stupid. He turned and left.
V. (hearts beat as one)
After stopping at the Touko Station, N, Piper, and Alphonse continued their unmapped journey through the subterranean base. There weren't a lot of people walking about through the hallways, which spared them from questioning glances, but the odd person they did see seemed amused and charmed by them, and greeted them with pleasant smiles. Soon, they began to disappear as well.
"Where are we now?" Piper asked as N slowed down to cruise control speed.
N looked around at the surrounding hallways and doors as he walked, "I'm not too sure." Alphonse, who rested on Piper's head, gave a sigh.
"Waidaminute!" Piper gasped, holding on tight to N's head, causing him to stop. "I think I hear something!"
They paused to listen. At first they heard nothing, but in the silence, a sound appeared. It grew louder in echoes, and travelled from down the corridor.
The sound was fragmented, and harsh. It distorted as it drifted down the chamber, rebounding eerily off the walls.
"What… what is that?" Piper asked, squeezing onto N's head in distress.
Alphonse hid behind her hair. "It sounds like breathing!"
"Breathing!?" the little one squeaked, hands closing over her mouth.
"Is it a monster!?" small embers flickered off Alphonse's lower wings in distress.
"N!" from his shoulders, Piper unintentionally covered his eyes in an attempt to hold on. "What if it's a scary Pokémon down there!? What should we do?"
He lifted her small hand off, expression as calm as the water's surface. "The only way for us to find out, is to go forward."
"Do you have Marie and Laika with you? If it's a Pokémon, you can't fight it on your own! It could eat us!" N could almost hear her teeth chattering, and he could feel Alphonse trembling at his shoulder. This surprised him; the two of them really were scared.
"It's alright," he put a smile in his voice. "I believe that it is highly unlikely that it is a Pokémon down there, but if it is, it may be scared and lost, and it would be wrong for us to run away. There isn't need for the both of you to become worried. If you are afraid, you can leave if you'd like, but I will never turn my back on a friend that would be in distress."
N felt Piper slide down his back and onto the ground, and following that, surprisingly, felt her slide a hand into his own. With a tight squeeze, and determined eyes, she looked up at him. "Then I'll go with you!"
"M-me t-too!" squeaked Alphonse from behind N's shoulder.
Somehow, the former king felt warm inside. Facing the unknown together was certainly a fun feeling. "Then, let us advance" and they did so.
The sound grew louder the further they went, a sure sign they were coming closer. At times it would stop, and then pick up rhythm suddenly. It was sporadic, every changing, and with it, echoing the breaths, came a repeated dry smack.
The hall became darker.
"N! I see a light at the end, coming from that door!" Piper informed in a hush.
"I notice it as well," he replied, voice level but eyes never leaving the door. "Now that we've become closer, I do not feel as though this type of breathing belongs to a Pokémon."
Piper's eyes shone with intrigue, "What d'you think it is then?"
"We don't really need to know that!" the little Victini squeaked behind them, paws held over its mouth.
"The only way to find out…" N began.
"No please!"
"…would be to look inside the room," Piper finished.
"Let's not, please!"
But N and Piper were already heading toward the light.
Forced to follow, Alphonse sped up behind them just as they were peeking into the room. The inside was made of a dulled white concrete, almost shining bright within the florescent light. Machines were spotted about the room, but to the party's quick relief, they were no devices of torture or maliciousness. But instead there was a bench press, tread mill, spinning bike, and shelves lined with weights.
Then, at the back of the room they saw it! Someone was there, throwing their fists into a brown punching bag. They were in stance. Gloved fists thudded into the leather. Beads of sweat sprayed with each fluid and trained movement. The small shifting of her feet, the lock of her shoulders, the eyes on her leather opponent, all of it was expertly executed, and her hair stuck to a glistening face.
"Ohh! I know who that is! Grandma Cheryl!" Piper cried happily, making a beeline toward Touko's mother.
Cheryl caught sight of them, "Oh! Piper!" Piper leapt up into her arms, and Cheryl caught her effortlessly, spinning her once around before setting her back down. She looked up to see N approach, "What are the three of you doing down here?"
N walked in slowly with Alphonse still clinging to the back of his shoulder, peeking out occasionally. He knew there was no longer a monster in here, but N reckoned him shy.
"N and I were playing train! And then we heard you fighting! Why are you fighting in here!?" Piper asked, words and eyes filled with awe.
A heartwarming smile smoothed out the lines on the older woman's face. "I'm not fighting," she told them, "call it… practicing instead. Unfortunately, I don't have much in the way of competition. My only opponent here is," she nudged the bag with a gloved hand, "this old thing."
"That's not good enough?" Piper wondered aloud.
"Nah," some kind of half smile pulled on Cheryl's face, "it's not flesh and blood. It doesn't move around, block your blows, or deal some back to you, you know? Haha!"
Piper tried her own hand at punching the bag, but her tiny fist hardly caused it to tremble. "Uua! It's heavy!" she exclaimed, pushing her weight onto it but it hardly shifted, "isn't there someone down here you can fight instead of this fat thing?"
Cheryl cracked a smile at her wording, "Nah, haven't the luck, I guess." With a sigh, she untied her gloves and began a steady trek to an iron bench against the wall. "Shame too. We've got a ground gym leader, an electric gym leader, and a bug gym leader here, but no fighting expert. Shame we couldn't have found Marshal, haha" the bench creaked as she flopped down on it, and Piper pattered after her.
"Marshy? Who's that? Is he another Gym guy like Elesa?"
"Haha, partly. Marshal was a member of the Elite Four. They're a trial you have to face before you can challenge the champion," Touko's mother informed, popping off the cap of her water bottle. "He was the fighting expert, haaa," she blew an aged sigh, "would be nice to trade blows with him again."
N perked up, "Again? Do you imply that…"
"Ah," she grunted in affirmation. "Back in the days of my youth," her teeth sparkled in the smile, "fought him once before and… took him down in one round," as her eyes grew distant, and voice faded, she seemed to be drawn back into the past. She'd frozen, for a moment, and broke the stupor by taking a rather large swig of her water.
"You've fought… Marshal before… and won?" N felt his throat going a bit dry. What kind of woman was she!?
"Ahh, yeah. But that was back in the prime of my youth." She smiled weakly, "I'm certainly not what I used to be. Haaa. I'm getting older."
Piper took a seat on the bench beside Cheryl and swung her feet back and forth, "I don't think you're old, Grandma."
Cheryl smiled, tousling Piper's hair, "Thanks kiddo."
"You haven't…" N started, "…you haven't taught Touko any boxing… have you?" He felt his pulse quicken at the thought.
"Pffft! Oh heavens no!" Cheryl said with a laugh, throwing her hands up, "My daughter is fearsome enough without it," and her eyes softened, "I tried to get Touko into it when she was younger, but she said that she didn't like the concept of getting all sweaty and then punching other sweaty people around in the ring, even though, that's not really what boxing is all about."
"I see." N felt his pulse settle, and took a seat on the bench with them. Alphonse peeked out slightly, growing more interested in Cheryl and her words.
"But I'm happy, you know?" with eyes down, she absently swirled around the water inside the bottle, "I'm happy that Touko is as strong as she is. Even if she doesn't know a lot of self defense, she's as stubborn as a Bouffalant and doesn't give up too easily either." Her eyes drifted back upward, and N noticed warmth and pride in them. What a nice look that was, "That's why I wasn't worried when I heard she'd lost against Team Plasma and had been captured. I knew that she was still alive, and that she'd find her way back to me some day."
Piper and Alphonse gawped in interest, "How did you know that if she was so far away from you!?"
Cheryl tapped her forehead, "Mother's intuition!"
"Can I do that too?!" Piper asked, leaning in closer.
"Of course!" Cheryl said, "All three of you should be able to do it! Despite the name it's not limited to just mothers! You see, if you have a person that you really care for, then deep in your heart, you'll know if they're okay no matter how far apart you are!"
"How?" N asked skeptically.
"It's simple, really," Cheryl grinned. "Just do as I do." Step one was a deep breath in. Next she straightened her posture and placed her feet flat on the ground and her hands on her knees. With somewhat slight reluctance, varying from each member, N, Piper and Alphonse—who was hovering in place—followed.
"Now, deep breaths. In… and out…" Cheryl put her fingers to her temple and closed her eyes, "Now, visualize Touko. Her blue eyes, dark brown hair, little round nose. Vis-u-a-lize. Are you visualizing?"
"Yes!" Piper said determinately.
They had all followed Cheryl's instructions and while Piper and Alphonse seemed to be taking the exercise seriously, N's brow was wrinkled and he was trying to hold back a frown. He felt rather ridiculous doing this.
"Now… what would Touko be doing now?… Ommmm," Cheryl said, deep in trance state.
"Oh!" Piper suddenly piped. "I can see her now!"
All eyes turned to Piper in shock. The girl in question had her eyes shut tight, with fingers on her temple just as Cheryl had shown. "She's in a hallway, I think!" Piper went on, "Oooh! I think she's coming he—"
"What the heck are you guys doing?"
All heads suddenly whipped to the door to find Touko there, staring at them all as if they'd gone mental. Touko noticed her mother sitting there, smiling goofily, and she frowned. "Mom. Just what are you doing to them?"
"I am teaching them to locate those close to them! Through spiritual communication!" Cheryl showed a thumbs up, "You were the victim today!"
"You really need to stop doing these things…" her daughter responded, with an even darker frown.
VI. (child in the garden. Final Part)
The second king was inside of the greenhouse. Light arced in through the glass paneled roof, and dappled on him through the trees. How warm it felt… how calming. Christophe always liked it here because it felt as if he'd entered another world where everything seemed bright and everything is blooming. Delusions could be fun.
"What do you think they'll look like when they bloom?" he tucked the last seedling into the dirt and patted the burial. He turned to his Scraggy which leant against the nearby wall. It hadn't answered him, but cracked open a questioning eyelid.
"Because of the changes I've made to the base, they'll probably take a lot longer to grow than usual… maybe a few months… hm," and looked upward absently. This daze was only broken when Christophe felt a tug on his sleeve, and he turned to see his Scraggy beside him.
The lizard looked to his trainer's hands which remained coated in dirt, and then to the soil bed set in an iron frame shelf before them. In curiosity, the Scraggy waddled over.
His trainer watched in interest. "Oh! You mustn't touch them!" The Scraggy started, and immediately withdrew an inquiring finger. The suddenness and volume of his trainer's voice had taken him aback, for he was used to it sounding so calm and smooth. Seeing the surprise in his beady eyes, Christophe broke the intensity with a smile, "They're sleeping under the ground, you know." He nodded to the soil, "The seeds."
The Scraggy looked from his trainer to the soil bed several times, and tilted its head.
"Even though they can't see the sun yet, they know it's out there. Even if they don't have eyes yet to see it with, or skin to feel it with. Something deep within them has a desire stronger than we can imagine to rise out of the soil and bloom under the light." The smile didn't go away. How nice, "They're not strong enough to do it yet, which is why we need to help them by giving them water, and making sure the soil they're buried in is the way it needs to be to give them the right strength. Some plants like damper soil, for example…"
For long moments of silence, the Scraggy stared at its trainer with wide and unblinking eyes, letting everything he told him sink into his skull. When it had, he looked back to where the seeds lay buried and wondered what they'd look like when they started to grow.
Christophe showed a smile, amused by how engrossed his Pokémon appeared to be. "Let me show you what they'll look like," he got up and searched the nearby shelves for a book, and he found it quickly. "M… M… ah, here. See?" The Scraggy scuttled over in interest. "Marigolds. Nice, don't you think?" and he laughed at how vigorously his Pokémon nodded. "Marigolds are often known for their warmth and orange color, but I've decided to change them in a way. With the chemicals I applied to the base, the Marigolds that we grow should end up looking blue, like they were frozen by ice!" his Pokémon's mouth dropped open. "Haha, amazing, no?" He closed the book and placed it back on its shelf, "We'll just have to make sure our Sun God doesn't see them as appetizing and try to eat them."
There was a long pause, where Scraggy hardly even blinked. He then brought up his fists and placed them on either side of his head with an index digit sticking out. Following, his eye lids drooped and the lizard pursed his lips in the best attempt at a kissy-face he could make. It took Christophe a moment.
He burst into laughter, "Not Gothorita! I mean Volcarona!" and he wiped a tear from his eye. "She is an insect of fire, understand. A greenhouse isn't exactly the kind of place I'd like her to have free reign of." The king's eyes became suddenly distant, and downward. "Her fire… kind of surprised me. I suppose I should have been expecting it… with all the legends I've been told… but… still… I've hardly ever seen a flame like it…" and his eyes faded further.
There was something in his expression that sent a shudder down Scraggy's spine, and at once the little lizard knew that parts of the darker world were crawling into this bright place from the king's head. It couldn't come here. Not in one of the only places where he'd seen his trainer truly smile.
A swift kick to his shin did the trick.
"Ouch! Wh-what on earth was that for!?"
Scraggy looked at him hard. For your own good. But if only his words could reach him. Scraggy turned and walked back off on his own, and the king watched without a clue.
"Is your shin injured?"
Christophe jumped, but he hoped Anthea hadn't seen it. "Ah. No. It wasn't a particularly hard blow… er… anyway, how long were you standing there for?"
Her expression was eerily calm, "A time."
He shook his head slightly, disregarding her purposefully vague answer, and said, "Regardless, I'm glad you've approached me, for I have something to inquire."
Her expression changed with a faint curiosity. "Yes?"
"I was wondering how long both you and Concordia have known Ghetsis for."
Her eyes widened slightly, "Well. I am unsure on the exact specifics. Lord Ghetsis welcomed us into his care when we were much younger. We had been orphans similar to Lord N, though we came to this place a few years before he had, if my memory serves me well."
The king cupped his chin, "I see… I suppose the king of the world was quite younger back in those days."
"Yes… he… did not carry so many lines of weariness and composure on his face, but the oppressiveness of his look has never changed for all the years I have known him," she looked down, hands folded over her lap. If anything, it had only intensified.
"Do you know the story of why he always conceals his right arm and eye?" the king kept his expression passively inquisitive. He didn't want to come off as being too desperate for answers.
Anthea seemed more surprised by this. "Oh… you've come to notice that as well."
He tilted his head, "It's slightly noticeable."
"That is true," she nodded. "Though, I am also unaware of how his injuries, if that is what they are, were inflicted, or by whom. It was never our place to question, understand…"
"I see," and he sighed through his nose, "well, there is only one thing more. In all the time that you've known him for has Ghetsis ever had a significant other?"
In a silence, Anthea looked up and blinked at him.
"A lover?"
Her eyes seemed to grow wider.
"A wife?"
"Wh-why is it you wish to inquire!?" she flustered.
"Simple curiosity is all," he said with a smile. "I believe I need to know what is required for my role."
With these words, Anthea immediately sobered. Yes, his role. "For as long as Concordia and I have been here, I have never seen Lord Ghetsis with the kind of person you are asking of."
"I see." Christophe closed his eyes for a moment, "Well, thank you for the information." With a curt bow, he strolled off.
"Oh, w-wait a moment! Where are you going?"
"On the hunt for Gardenia seeds," he said, turning on his heel, "for some reason," he shrugged, "I'm overcome with the urge to grow them." And she watched him leave.
The day had been long and hard for the elder sage. So many meetings, so many orders and reports to give, so much data and statistics to study. Ruling the world wasn't easy. Of course, Ghetsis had been prepared for that from day one. Quitters and slackers were never the ones to make their dreams come true. The most crucial thing one needed to face the lofty goal as king of the world was ambition and a heart of steel. Both aforementioned were still in check, but mortality was a curse to all, even the king of the world. Day by day he felt it more and more: his mind slowing, his body aching and cracking in ways it hadn't since before. It's all breaking down little by little, but it won't be long now. Keep singing the mantra of reassurance, god of the world. No, it won't be long now. If he looked close enough, he could see it over the horizon, the image of his mind finding form in this blackened world. Light.
Yes, it wouldn't be long now.
Ghetsis walked the moonlight spilt hallways of the castle. He was heading towards his study because he now had a small window of relaxation time before he would have to turn in for the night. He decided to spend that time having a glass of wine, red, his favorite, and curling up with a good book.
The Sage opened the door with a creek, flicking on the light switch and digging his knuckle into the corner of his visible eye with a yawn. He was certainly debating on whether he should just turn in right away; it was going to be an early one tomorrow.
But as he entered the room, what he found waiting there made him freeze in place. They commanded his eyes to them, the beings of light, and took with them his breath. They were all grouped up together, white, tender even to the eye, resting in an onyx-colored vase. Right in the middle of his desk, he was sure not to miss them, but no matter where they had been placed their radiance could not have been overlooked. He found no words. His only thought… Gardenia flowers. For a time, he stood at the door as if time had stopped. He watched, as they shimmered.
When his legs began to hurt, he realized he'd been standing for too long. He set the past, that he'd almost been swept back into, aside. No, he'd spent too many years dragging his feet through those memories. Not again.
With thoughts aside, and feelings saved for later, the old man walked slow to his desk. From a wine cupboard nearly hidden at the back of the room, he drew an aged bottle, popped the cork, and poured a glass. Why not indulge, for a time? Even the god of the world needed a break.
A small smile grew on the Sage's aging face as he leant back in his chair to admire the flowers. He took a sip of his drink, and sighed.
"It's funny, really… how things have turned out. Don't you think so?" But silence was all that answered him. He looked downward, and slowly withdrew his hidden arm from under his cloak. This hand was darker than any shadow in the room, withered black. His eye narrowed at it as it shook from the mere strain of holding it up. The sage was forced to lower the arm back into his cloak, and he curled inward.
"It hurts…"
Christophe was alone in his room. A full glass of water lay at his bed side, and beside that was a packet. He stared at it for quite some time, his mind in inner debate, but in the end turned away from it. As he remained seated on his bed, he watched the moon shine its pale light into this empty place. This, too, made his room seem like another world, and it amazed him to see how the celestial bodies of the sky were capable of such a thing with such little effort on their part.
You have all of my respect, Mr. Moon.
In some time, as sleep failed to reach him, and thoughts wandered, Christophe found himself smirking. For some reason, he felt oddly sly, and yet content, with the present he'd left in the Sage's study. How did he like them, I wonder. Quite a shame I was unable to see his reaction. It must have been golden…
Christophe could only imagine how shocked he must have looked, and for some reason, he didn't think the Sage would be angry with him. Christophe didn't know who the woman in the picture was, but Ghetsis obviously knew her from somewhere, and had enough of a connection with her to keep her photograph around. But who was she really…? Throw those thoughts away. It isn't your place in this world to think, or to wonder.
True.
The king wore no jewels or no robe in this place. His hair was unbound and flowed freely about him. He didn't look like a king here, not in this place that only the moon could see. Even though he no longer had his face, even though he wasn't really Christophe anymore, when the jewels were gone, and the screams of the populace were silent… in the eyes of only the moon… he felt he was himself.
He was himself from before the operation, from before the conditioning, from before he had assumed this role. He felt free.
The feelings were false, and just like the moonlight, they would be blinded out by the sun. Just like a flower they too would wither away. The past was something that couldn't be brought back, or changed, but no matter how bad or good all of it was. He reflected upon it in the night. How had he gotten this far? What had he become at this height? What mad games fate surely liked to play.
That was one of the reasons why Christophe had done it, why he'd grown those flowers for Ghetsis. Regardless of who the woman was, she was part of Ghetsis's past. Christophe wanted to bring part of the Sage's past back to the present, so that he could remember how he'd climbed so high, and what he'd done to secure his place as the emperor.
He wondered if all of it would be worth it in the end… for the both of them.
A sudden, sharp pain struck the king hard in his chest. He gasped, reached up and clenched the shirt he wore, contorting, shuddering. The pain built quickly, suddenly, and Christophe began to hack sickeningly and covered his mouth with his hands. The silent world was filled with q painful sound, and it lasted a long time. When it had finally ended, Christophe held trembling palms out to see that they were covered in blood.
A frown tainted the king's face. Well now. Isn't this just rotten?
VII. (STARGAZER)
After a long and eventful day, it was finally time for N to turn in for the night. He was utterly delighted in the thought of flopping down on his bed and having a nice long sleep. Being a train was exhausting work.
Touko and Piper were already tucked in by the time he had entered their room. N noticed Alphonse was sleeping together with Piper, cuddled beside her like he was a stuffed animal. It made him feel strangely warm inside. Surprising.
What a genuine connection they had. Piper didn't use Alphonse for battles, or fights to test her own worth… the two of them simply played together in this fortress. It was what N liked seeing, what his ideal connection between a human and a Pokémon truly looked like.
Yet… he'd felt the same thing from Terrance's heart during their battle. Their hearts had linked, and it was not just his own. Terrance and Alphonse had connected as well, and in such a short time. The most stunning thing to N was that it was because of that fight that the boy and the Victini had been able to synchronize. It was the battle which made them closer.
N should not have found it surprising, because, as he thought about it more, he had been seeing things like that more and more often since escaping from the castle. And it simply astonished him. Wasn't this supposed to be his ideal world? Humans and Pokémon had been separated, just like he always wanted. Everything should have looked so perfect. But all the people he saw looked so empty, and their eyes were so bitter. And the few Pokémon he had seen had looked the same, so dull, and so lifeless. All their voices so quiet, and filled with hate.
Yet… when the Striaton Brothers and their Pokémon came to their rescue, or when he'd seen Fennel save the Musharna's life. Bianca's battle and Elesa's battle, or when Terrance and Piper spent time with anyone's Pokémon. N had seen… all of their eyes had been shining.
In this ideal world, where humans and Pokémon were apart… their eyes only shone when they were together. They shone just like hers from all those years ago…
With a sigh, he looked away from where she slept, and turned to his own bunk. Before he could climb under the covers he noticed something odd. The lower bunk, where Terrance was supposed to be sleeping… was empty. N stared at it for a lingering moment, trying to figure out if the darkness and fatigue were messing with him. It was not the case. The bed sheets were empty and Terrance was gone.
"Touko?" N asked, heading to her bunk and trying to rouse the slumbering girl.
She made a face and grumbled, trying to ignore his frantic nudging, "…Ughh, yeah? What is it?"
"Do you know where Terrance is?"
Touko forced one eye open, "…Is he not in bed?"
N shook his head.
Touko threw her arm over her eyes and sighed, "Great."
"You don't have to get up," N started, heading for the door, "I'll go look for him myself."
"Nah," she said, stifling a yawn and throwing her legs over the side of the bed, "I'll help you out too. Two eyes are better than one."
"Er… you mean, four eyes are better than…" N was cut short when he saw the look Touko was giving him. "…I mean, yes. Thank you, I could use the help." He'd dodged a bullet.
"Terrance is gone?" Piper immerged from the top bunk groggily, rubbing her eyes.
"Yes, Sweetie," Touko said, taking on a gentle tone. "I'm sure he hasn't gone too far. You just go back to sleep while N and I look around for him."
Alphonse hopped on to her head as she shook it, "No, I'll come too, so I can beat up that dummy-head when we find him." She hopped down from the bunk.
Touko smiled, "Alright. Let's get going then."
All four of them left the room, but decided to split up to cover more ground. Touko and Piper went one way, and N and Alphonse went another. The former king felt unsettled as he walked through the halls. Where had Terrance gone, and why? The feeling was odd to him, but N couldn't deny that he was worried for Terrance's safety. Was he alright? Was he hurt? The simple fact of not knowing perturbed the former king. Lack of knowledge was a terrifying thing.
N suddenly stopped. Alphonse had flown out in front of him.
"What's the matter?"
Alphonse began to squeak, explaining. The Victini hovered in the air as he folded his legs, put his hands on his temple and closed his eyes in trance.
N frowned. "Oh no. Not this…"
Alphonse looked seriously at him. Yes!
"I'm not doing it…"
Alphonse looked at him angrily. "You got'ta! It's the only way to find Terrance!"
N sighed. "Surely there are other methods…"
"Do the Trance State!"
"Alright already!" N stood completely still and corrected his posture. He closed his eyes, took deep breaths and put his fingers to his forehead. He still felt a little ridiculous doing this, but it was his best bet. He visualized Terrance in his mind. Dark brown skin, short, jet black hair, vibrant emerald eyes, his rowdy attitude, a bit of a snubbed nose.
Terrance…
N let out a sigh and dropped his hands.
"Let's go, Alphonse." He continued walking.
"Eh? Did you find him?" and Alphonse sped after him.
N made his way through the base and towards the metal deck outside where Touko and Bianca had hung the laundry earlier that day. It still stood there, fluttering in the breeze, bathing in starlight. Outside, on that deck, N found Terrance.
The boy was standing near the edge, neck craned, eyes skyward, watching the countless stars above, mesmerized.
N and Alphonse watched him in silence for a few long moments. Terrance seemed not to have known that they were there. "Terrance?"
The boy's head whipped around in shock.
"What are you doing out here by yourself?" N asked, walking over.
Terrance quickly shed his initial surprise and turned back around and stared at his feet, pouting.
N came to a stop beside him and looked at the boy in concern. Alphonse flew off N's shoulders and landed on Terrance's head, but the boy did nothing to remove him. "We were worried when we'd seen you weren't asleep in your bed. Why did you come out here all by yourself, and why did you not tell anyone where you had gone?"
Terrance continued to stare stubbornly at the ground and said nothing.
N frowned when he hadn't got an answer. He looked to the stars for guidance or distraction, shifting his weight from one foot to the other uncomfortably. Touko was always much better dealing with children. Talking to people, young and old, was difficult for N. He could understand Pokémon as if they were part of his own soul, but the emotions of people were foreign to him. How was he supposed to act? What was he supposed to say?
I think you could do it too…
As if in answer, a bright streak of light shot across the sky. "Whoa!" N gasped, causing Terrance to jump. "Did you see that?"
Terrance and Alphonse looked up in surprise, "N-no… what was it!?"
"What'd you see!?"
"I just saw a shooting star go by!"
Terrance's jaw hit the ground. "No way! Really!? Aw man! I can't believe I missed it!" and he desperately scoured the sky in unlikely search for another.
A sudden thought occurred. "Hey," N began, taking a Pokéball from his belt. He hadn't had the time to remove them, but he was thankful for that. "Would you like to sit with me and see if we could spot anymore?"
Terrance stared blankly at N for a moment. "Okay."
N decided to bring the rest of his Pokémon out to stargaze with them. Both he and Terrance rested against Laika's body as she wreathed around them like a pillow. Darumaka was seated comfortably in N's lap, staring up at the sky in a drowsy trance. Marie was nestled beside Terrance, right near the end of Laika's tail. Anya was perched on N's shoulder, where she felt most comfortable, eyes drooping, and wing rising over her beak.
They all looked up and gazed at the cosmos for a long time. N eventually asked, "How much do you know about the stars, Terrance?"
The boy shrugged. "Uh. Not too much, I guess."
"Do you know about the constellations?"
Terrance shook his head.
"What month were you born in?" N asked, and Terrance looked at him in confusion.
"Er… November… why?"
N pointed up, "Do you see those really two bright stars up there, the ones side by side?"
"…Yeah… I think so? Why? What's the deal?" Terrance asked, getting a little annoyed.
"Since you were born in November, your star sign is Scoliopede. Those two bright stars up there are part of the constellation. They symbolize the horns on the Scoliopede's head." N informed. "Oh, though, erm… I don't suppose you know what a Scoliopede looks like…"
"Do you have one? Like, you caught one?"
N shook his head.
Terrance shrugged and put his hands on his knees, "Like… I seen a bit about em. Like, that professor lady had lots of books on some Unova Pokedex, or something, and I was looking around at them a bit. Scoliopede are those guys that are all spiky and round, right?"
"…er…" N blinked.
Terrance's brow furrowed, "And they have, like, eyes!"
"…um…"
"And they have things sticking out of their head!" he shouted, flustered, and put his hands on his forehead and stuck out his index fingers. "Like, horns, you know!"
"Antennae!"! Alphonse declared happily.
"Hahaha, I believe you're thinking of Whirlipede," N offered with a smile.
"Uh. Oh," he looked away, cheeks coloring. "Well… yeah."
"You are close though, for Whirlipede is the pre-evolution of Scoliopede," he informed.
"Ohh!" Terrance smacked his head, "So Sco-lee-oh-mo-pede is the bug caterpillar guy with the rings on his body! Duh! Eh, why are you laughing!?"
It was quite hard to stifle it, "It's Scoliopede… and… caterpillarppfff."
His cheeks became redder, "Well, whatever! Like, that's what I said! Anyway, how can a Scolio…guy be in the stars anyway!? I mean, it's just like a bunch of dots… not like they make some kind of picture or something."
N grinned, "It's when you connect those dots that you see a shape, though granted, the constellations look more like skeletal outlines than anything. You know, I also heard that the Relic Castle in the Desert Resort lines up directly with the North Star. It matches the rotation of the earth and keeps a fixed position on the star."
Terrance gasped, "Is that for real?"
"I believe so. We could trek over to the castle and do the measurements and calculations if you'd like."
Terrance blinked at him and N had to smile.
"I'm only joking." N said.
The two remained in silence for a while after that, eyes skyward, watching the twinkling fireballs above.
"I really like the stars." Terrance said after a while. "They look so awesome. Whenever I look at em, I feel really small… like a speck of dust or something. Like I'm nothing, like I'm so insignificant compared to everything that's out there." N turned to look at him but Terrance wouldn't take his eyes off the sky. "I never used to see this many stars in the city before, because all the lights on the buildings and stuff dimmed them out. One time there was a black out in the whole city, and everything went dark. There were so many stars in the sky that night. My dad brought a telescope out… and we stood on the roof and all watched them together…" Terrance bit on his lip.
N felt something in his chest tighten. What was that? Terrance looked so sad, almost on the verge of tears, but to his credit the young boy was too proud for that. It was strange, in this moment, N felt like he could understand Terrance's sadness. Since that boy would never be able to look at the stars with his mother or father again.
Both of them, here, were so small right now… weren't they…
"Ever since then," Terrance began, "I've always… uh… I've always…"
N cocked an eyebrow, "What's the matter?"
"Promise you won't laugh…okay?" Terrance said, flushing, avoiding N's eyes. "If-If you do I'll knock you out."
N blinked curiously, yet said, "I promise."
Terrance looked up again, "Well I've always wanted to be an astronaut, or a star-studier person."
"You mean Astrologist!" Alphonse corrected, raising his arms with a fanged smile.
N chuckled.
"Well, yeah. Duh. I knew that… I just… kind of forgot for a sec…"
"I think you could do it."
Terrance turned to N with a blank stare. "You what?"
He shrugged, "Why not? I think that's a wonderful dream to have. If it's something that you really want to become, I have no doubt that you could do it and make it a reality."
His eyes seemed to twinkle like the cosmos above; the shock was palpable. Had no one ever praised this dream before? True to Terrance's nature, he didn't let himself stay shocked for long, but even he couldn't stop his cheeks from becoming a litter redder, "Well, yeah. I totally could do it, couldn't I?"
"Ah. So this is where you two went."
N and Terrance both turned to see Touko and Piper standing a few feet away.
"Terrance, you stupid! Why'd ya go off without tellin' us where you were going?! You dumb-head!" Piper grumbled, clinging to Touko's leg and rubbing her tired eyes. Lack of sleep had made the girl a bit snippy.
"Wha!? Y-you're the dumb head!" Terrance said, turning away in an embarrassed huff.. "I'm already, like, ten! I can go off and do what I want, when I want, without telling anyone!"
Piper walked over to her brother and took a seat in between N and himself. "You are so stupid, Terrance! If you disappear then who's gonna be my brother?" she wrapped her arms around his body. "So I'm just gonna hold onto you forever and ever and ever, then you'll have no choice but to take me wherever you go!"
"Forever and ever!" Alphonse echoed happily, and jumped up onto the boy's head to hug it securely.
Touko laughed, also coming over and taking a seat beside N, giving Laika a soft scratch behind the ear as she went. "Good luck with that one, you two," she said, resting her head against N's chest. She noticed him stiffen, "Is it alright if I use you as a pillow?"
He nodded, although she couldn't help but notice that his cheeks had coloured.
"So, what were the two of you doing out here?" Touko asked.
"Oh, we were looking up at the stars," N explained.
"Really?" Piper asked, "But they're boring!"
"Are not!" Terrance retorted.
"He's right," N began. "To gaze at them like this is truly an amazing feeling. What perspective it brings, do you not agree? There's actually a lot of mythos and history surrounding the stars. Viewing the constellations and patterns, the feeling that so much out there is unknown. It really is wonderful."
Piper was already snoring.
N shot up, "Hey! It's impossible for someone to fall asleep that quickly! I'm not that boring, am I?"
"Pfff," Touko clamped a hand over her mouth; she couldn't hold back her laughter any longer.
Despite the joke, Piper did eventually warm to the subject, especially so when N described her star sign to her, and pointed out a few planets.
"The bright one on the horizon now is Mars."
"Ehh? Which one?"
"That one, dumby"
Touko squinted, "Is it that one doing the flicker-flicker-blink?"
"No-no! I think it's the twinkle-blink-sparkle one!"
"Wha!? Where's that!?" she gasped, leaning further over Laika for a peek, to which the Zoroark only grumbled, maybe in too good of a mood, or too sleepy, to care.
"It doesn't matter if it's the twinkle-blink-sparkle one because that one's not Mars!" Terrance shot over. "Besides, the one that's supposed to be Mars is doing a flash-flash-blink!"
"Can you see it, Marie?" Piper asked. With her usual smile, Marie pointed to right over the horizon.
N voiced her words, "It's the one right above that mountain peak."
"Whoa!"
"Ohh!"
"I see it now!"
"That one is Mars!?" Piper wondered. "But it doesn't look like Mars! it's just a regular star, only brighter!"
"It only looks like all the other stars because of how far away we, and the earth, is from it right now. Which is, approximately, thirty to fifty million kilometers away, however, it is ever changing, considering that each planet rotates around the sun on its own axis, and that each axis is not a perfect circle."
"Hey…"
N turned to Touko to see her put a finger over her lips, "Shh."
He looked at her in question, and Touko pointed over to Terrance and Piper to show that they had already fallen asleep.
N smiled softly, "Should we go back inside?"
Touko sighed, "Nah. No point now. It's not even cold, so, might as well just sleep out here." She nuzzled up against him, eyes drooping. "It's been a long time since I've fallen asleep under the sky like this…" her voice faded slightly. "Hehe, not since I was a dumb kid. I used to think camping out in a tent in my backpack was serious adventuring. Those were… the days," and her voice faded into drowsy mumbles.
"Touko…" N began, eyes fixed upward.
"Nnyeah?" she murmured.
"…I feel… really happy. I can't remember… the last time I've felt this way. That goes to say… I may not have even experienced this type of feeling before…" He looked down at her and she was smiling.
"Yeah. I feel the exact same way." And they drifted to sleep under the stars.
Author's Note:
Reiteration of the last Author's Note: Please enjoy 'these two chapters specifically' while they last. It's not often I completely grind the plot to a hold to focus on... character building.
And, whoa! Ghetsis in this chapter! Let's not forget he's part of the story as well, but I can't give him as much screen time as I like, sometimes. Maybe he and N should switch places...
Anyway, story will be going on Hiatus for a while. Can't say when we'll be back, but if there's not another update this year, than expect one in January at the earliest. In the meanwhile, I gotta get this story back on the plot rail road. Until then, I hope you all have a fun time playing Pokemon X and Y! Until we meet again.