Thank you, Taylor, for the absolutely wonderful, kind review! It overjoys me that people like you are actually following along with this story, and even looking forward to when I update! I truly cannot say this enough, thank you for reading!
Oh, and prepare for the feels in this chapter. I'm not really a softie when it comes to stories, yet this made me want to cry. Good luck.
*I will own Pokemon eventually, I swear.*
Chapter Twenty one - Too far gone
-Darkrai's POV-
The normal, beautiful hair clip that was always placed on the girl who had stolen my heart, was now but a dull shade of yellow. It was now as if a single touch would cause it to crumble away, to fade away to dust.
Charles hurriedly rushed past me and ran next to Amber to take the item out of her hand, observing it carefully. As he gently held it, bits and pieces continued to slowly chip off.
Charles carefully brought the item over towards me and placed it in my hands with no words, and I felt myself want to burst into tears at the state of the item.
Louella had never gone more than one night without wearing this very hairpin, and I had become so accustomed to it's beauty. Now, it was but only two sad, shattered pieces of nothing.
However, the state of the item was the last thing on my mind. There was no doubt that this was a sign given to me that someone had taken her and planned on harming her due to my actions.
I was staring at the ground, still on my own hands and knees with nothing on my mind other than Louella and how much I was a horrible Pokemon. I had many enemies, there were countless humans and Pokemon that wanted me gone. There was no fact that someone had taken her for my revenge, and was planning to harm her.
"I-I, saw...it," Amber quietly whimpered through her tears and sobs. "Only for a fragment of a s-second...but, i-it threw this at me and..t-t-took E-Ella..." She sobbed extremely loudly. "E-E-Ella was screaming for my help...so loud...A-and her eyes were full of...of nothing but pure fear."
She brought her legs to her chest and gently buried her face into them, continuing to cry.
"I couldn't...d-do anything," she suddenly cried through a whimpering voice. "I-I-I'm so sorry...I should of fought for her safety with all my p=power."
I slammed my fist on the ground, ignoring the sudden pain this caused while silent tears flowed out of my eyes.
Charles walked back over to Amber's side and put his hand on her shoulder, giving her a caring stare while I was still on my hands and knees, losing control of my overpowering emotions.
"What do you mean by 'it,' Amber?" He quietly asked, hiding his worry with concern. "And, what did 'it' give to you?"
"I-I don't really know," she sniffed while shrugging. "E-Ella was brutally forced out of the room, b-but 'it' left this."
She slowly and shakily held out a rather torn, messy piece of paper that had been covered in extremely rushed handwriting. Noticing the familiar, horrid handwriting, I quickly hid my tears and stormed over to yank it out of Amber's hands while paying no attention to anything other than what was held in my hands.
As soon as I started reading, I couldn't help but growl and clench the paper with force due to the confidence in the wording.
Hello, my love.
I know you've missed me over the years to the point of turning towards a human for companionship...but, I'm here to fix that. Don't worry my love, for I have freed you from any limitations she has caused you. She will never interfere with us anymore, I can guarantee that.
Your only love,
Cressellia.
I suddenly felt my emotions crash down on me all at once yet again, and I quickly crumpled up the paper while my silent tears flowed down my face once again. I was filled to the brim with regret, fear, and most of all...pure hatred.
I was honestly more angry at myself, for this was all my doing. If I hadn't met Louella, I wouldn't of caused her to be brutally torn away from me. If I hadn't fallen in love with the girl, I wouldn't be a filthy human with no power to protect her...If I had been a good Pokemon, she would be safe in my arms.
I wish I had never met her, for losing her would pain me for all eternity. It would even perhaps cause her to be...gone for all eternity.
Not knowing what to do, I simply stood while staring at the floor beneath me with my tears flowing...how could I manage to live without her in my life?
"I can't," I whispered to myself while the tears seemed to be never ending. "I a-absolutely cannot manage to...to live without h-her."
Charles slowly walked over to me, grabbing my shoulders.
"You'll be okay," he quietly reassured while his eyes filled with water. "Even if we cannot do anything-"
Charles suddenly gave his attention to Amber who quickly rushed off the side of Louella's bed and headed for the locked door that would lead to the outside world.
Charles suddenly gave a slight sigh and released my shoulders, aiming his attention towards Amber while she opened the door, her face wet with tears.
"A-Amber," Charles whispered with a tone of pure sadness. "Face it, she's gone...We do not know of anyway to...to retrieve her."
Charles's words made my blood run cold, how could he even...say such a thing? Even with no chances of ever finding her, I would gladly dedicate my whole life looking for her if that is what it would take. I would go insane without her in my life.
I had never in my lifetime expected me to be in such a horrid situation as this, for I had never planned on loving anything with such sincerity. And, this was why...When you love something this much, it hurts twice as bad when it is torn away from you.
"I don't care," Amber suddenly whimpered while her hand shook on the door knob. "She's out there, alone and afraid. I can't not do anything, Charles!"
Never in my life had I experienced pain like this before, and it was taking over my very being. The single being I had ever given my heart to was now stolen away from me, and it was all my fault.
"But there is no hope," he whispered while his voice wavered. "As much as I hate to say it, you might as well move on."
I suddenly felt my anger take over me and I stormed over to Charles, a look of pure hatred in my eyes.
"I know what you truly are, Charles," I muttered with venom while I towered over the child. "Do not act as if you have no part in this, for I know what you are capable of. Find her, or I will make-"
"Make me?" He sadly chuckled. "Darkrai, I have told you that I do not interfere with fate-"
I clenched my hands, grabbing the brim of his shirt while lifting him slightly off the floor beneath him.
"I REFUSE TO BELIEVE HER LEAVING ME LIKE THIS IS FATE," I steadily yelled while glaring at the 'child.' "FIX THIS OR I WILL LOSE HER FOREVER, AND I'LL MAKE SURE THE LAST THING I DO IS MAKE YOU SUFFER."
"Everything that happens in this life is fate, Darkrai," he continued in his sad, calm tone while seemingly unflinching by the harsh force. "No matter how painful, and no matter how much it deeply changes you, this is all fate that has become intertwined with our very souls."
"So poetic of you," I sneered while I released him, causing him to fall to the floor. "You would let a pure, innocent human perish, just because you are stubborn and have no mercy?"
He simply sat on the ground while I towered over him, slowly losing control of my actions.
Charles suddenly gave me a look of pure regret.
"N-no! That's not what I had intended nor do I wish-"
"You caused me to lose her," I whispered while holding back my tears. "Right when I had actually realized my feelings for her."
There was a pause, and every second Charles seemed to lose more of the confidence he had.
"You h-have caused me to lose the only person I have ever l-loved, Charles," I whispered with sincerity, no longer hiding my tears. "T-the only person I will ever love...Do you truly feel no responsibility? No need to fix what you have caused me to suffer through?"
His eyes seemed to fill up with tears, and his body language showed a sign of defeat as he finally stood.
"I-I'm so sorry this has happened," he whispered while my anger started to slightly diminish. "I will...do everything in my power to attempt to fix what I have caused, D-Darkrai."
Amber still held her hand on the doorknob, her knuckles white from clenching it with far too much pressure.
"Please, help me find her," Amber muttered while fighting back her sobs. "I care too much about her to forget a-about her and simply move on with my life."
Charles and I glanced at each other, and he gave me a slight nod of reassurance.
"I will find her, no matter the cost," I whispered to myself while Charles and Amber headed to the door. "Prepare to burn in hell, Cressellia."
-Louella's POV-
After what felt like an eternity of uncomfortable slumber, I was awakened by a strange voice that seemed to fill my mind and the very room around me.
Hello, dear, greeted a voice that was filled to the brim with false kindness. I have been hoping to...meet you for many...many years.
Her voice was extremely calm and gentle, yet the way she pronounced her words made me want to run in fear.
I'm sorry about this rather...unprofessional introduction, she said with a laugh filled with insanity. But, good afternoon...Ella.
As I once again slowly opened my eyes, I was no longer in the deep void of space...But, alone in my very own room.
Everything was how I had left it, and the sun was slowly being replaced with a lonely full moon.
I felt my expression fill with worry about my surroundings, for who knows how long I had been out cold? She could of done anything...to anyone.
"My...my mother...my brother...W-where are they?" I asked while seemingly alone and fighting back my tears.
She quickly materialized at the other end of the room while she gave a smile of pure hatred and her eyes suddenly dilated.
Darkrai was right, I had heard of this Pokemon several years ago when I was but a little girl. However, her form was horrifically distorted and almost as if she were formed from nothing but mangled shadows. She was almost something that was neither Pokemon nor human.
Her eyes were still a dim shade of pink, and they seemed to lose color by the second. She was losing herself to the hatred in her heart, it was consuming her from the inside.
You have attempted to take away what is mine...what I love, she said through her horrid smile. I have simply returned the favor.
My anger and fear taking over me, I hopped out of bed and screamed at the top of my lungs.
"LEAVE THEM OUT OF THIS," I screamed while my voice filled with sadness. "THEY'RE INNOCENT-"
No one is innocent in this world, Ella, she claimed in a tense tone. There are just those who are too stubborn to admit such a thing to themselves. Everyone holds darkness, including you.
I collapsed on the floor before my bed, both my hands and knee in contact with the cold hardwood floor.
My mind was filled with quite literally millions of thoughts and regrets, for I knew what she had in store for me and my family.
I would never see my family again...I would never see Darkrai, Charles, or Amber again. I would...never get to tell Darkrai how I truly felt.
"I-I knew that I shouldn't of," I whimpered to myself. "Shouldn't of fallen...in love."
She seemed to flinch at the word "love" as soon as it left my lips, and suddenly started floating towards me while her form continued to falter and reshape.
I like to play with my victims before they are, she paused for another terrifying laugh. Disposed of.
She floated towards me, and I backed myself into the wall behind me with an expression full of helplessness.
I will give Darkrai your wishes of happiness for us both, she calmly stated while grabbing my chin. Sleep well, Louella. No one needs nor wants you anymore.
With my final, shagged breath...I collapsed onto the floor beneath me, empty of any life.
Writing this made me so sad...Hopefully you felt the emotion too. Thanks for reading, I'll be crying in a corner now.