"Oh wow…" N was thrown in awe as he gazed upon the beauty inside Cerulean Cave. The stone walls shined as hidden crystal were engraved in them. Pokémon like Goldeens, Gravelers, and Zubats invaded their habitat, happily minding their own businesses. He turned left, only to see some Geodudes rolling around in dirt, probably playing around. The grown man had changed into an excited child once he stepped inside the hidden cavern. Before he entered, N had slight doubt since Typhlosion told him of the dangers and threats. But once he did saw the beauty in front of him, the greenette actually thought that maybe the volcano Pokémon was just joshing him.
'Ahem.' A small growling took N's attention, snapping him from his stunned admiration. He stared forward, seeing Kotone's Gyarados happily and patiently waiting for him by the water. N gave a bashful chuckle, embarrassed that he would be absorbed in his wonder while there was an important mission at stake. Giving the place one last glance, he walked towards the atrocious Pokémon with a triumphant puff. "Lead the way, milady."
'Here we are: the deepest part of the cave.' Gyarados spoke as they arrived at the destination. After almost two hours of harsh waterfall climbing, intense waves, and constant disturbance from rather savage wild Pokémon, they finally reached the heart of the cavern. N and Zoroark hopped off the giant Pokémon's back. Their bodies were slightly soaked from the wash of the water. Zoroark stretched his body, feeling numb from all the quick movements he did in order to prevent the wild Pokémon from attacking N and Gyarados.
N looked around him. Compared to when he entered the cave, this particular section was absent from any Pokémon. It was barren and empty, deserted for some sort. There were only boulders and cracked rocky walls. The secluded fragment seemed darker than its usual lighting as well. He turned around and stared at Gyarados. Knowing what the human was thinking, she gave a small confirming nod. N looked forward. Suddenly, his eyes set on a single entrance that occupied the void place.
Judging by Zoroark's sudden threat of a growl, N knew he had finally found him.
He looked at the illusion fox Pokémon. Zoroark's body was crouched down. His claws were sharpened and shown. His lips were pulled back to a low snarl, white fangs gleaming in his gaze. "He's here," N muttered to himself, head once again facing the huge hole. With eyes shut and mouth exhaling a long breath, he began walking towards it.
After two steps, Zoroark quickly zoomed in front of him.
His footing almost stumbled to see his childhood friend blocking his way. Emerald eyes widened in shock, never expecting such a reaction from the Pokémon. "Eh?" N gaped, quite confused as to why his childhood friend was blocking his path. The illusion fox Pokémon posed a poker face, sharp eyes staring at N. Raising a finger, N asked, "Is everything okay, Zoroark?"
Without a peep, Zoroark calmly nodded.
Seeing his friend's answer, N returned the smile. "Very well then. Best be on my way." He moved to the left, heart and mind ready to face the infamous legendary. As one foot inched forward, all the words were slowly aligned inside N's brain. Calm down, N, he thought, You will succeed in this. You have met many kinds of Pokémon before. Some even bigger than what you will face now. You will bring Mewtwo back to Kotone. You will ease the legendary's heart and remove him from his guilt and-
His eager mind popped like a bubble once Zoroark blocked N.
This time, shock was seen in the man's eyes. "Zoroark, what is the matter?" Like before, the Pokémon didn't utter a word. Zoroark shrugged lazily, mouth forming a straight line.
Agitation bit the man's skin. Huffing lightly, N moved to the right.
And just as he hunched, Zoroark blocked his path for the third time.
He moved left. The illusion fox Pokémon moved right.
Left. Right.
Left. Right.
Right. Left.
"Zoroark…!" N scoffed in annoyance, half-clenched hands rose in front of his face and left eye twitching slightly. He glared at his friend, who – much to his surprise – let out a bored yawn. "As amusing as this is for you, I do not have time for your childish tomfoolery. Please let me through."
His mouth hanged low once Zoroark blatantly replied, 'Nahh.'
"'Nahh'?" Emerald eyes widened as if they were about to pop out. "What do you mean 'Nahh'?"
'It means no-'
"I am highly aware what 'Nahh' means!" Though unintentional, N's voice boomed inside the dim dark cave. Gyarados watched from a distance, half amused and half confused at the situation. "What I meant was why are you preventing me from meeting Mewtwo?"
Zoroark lightly tapped his chin while N gawked at his oddly lax behaviour. 'Well, for starters, it's because I don't want you to see him.' He swore N's eyeballs were about to sprung out any second.
"…What?" N shook his head in disbelief, hands unwarily doing 'jazz hands'. "Zoroark, how can you make such a resolution given our circumstances? We are here to reunite Mewtwo with Kotone. And in order to accomplish that, I need to actually meet him and convince him-"
'That's where my 'Nahh' comes in.' Zoroark growled bitterly, 'I know he is tame and all to Kotone. But after all the incident that had gone down, I know well that he is highly dangerous to be around with.'
N was at lost for words. Never had he thought about Mewtwo's deadly background. Ever since he reached the area, all N focused on was to bring the legendary back. To be honest, safety was neatly tucked at the back of his brain.
'So if you want to actually meet face-to-face with Mewtwo in this deep, dark, unstable-' The last word was hissed with emphasis, '-cave, chances for you are empty and stale just like the cakes you baked.'
"Hey!" N unwarily shouted once again, sounding hurt at the bitter truth. His frown only widened and his cheeks grew rosier when the sound of Gyarados' giggles echoed in his ears. "Leave my perfect baking skills out of this conversation. Now if you are done taunting me, let me proceed." He didn't want to push his friend, so N took a shot and moved to the left.
Just as he frustratingly expected, Zoroark blocked his path.
"Zoroark…" The greenette tried to keep his cool. Feeling a headache coming in, he shut his eyes and massaged his forehead. His left fingers gently squeezed the light skin in hopes that it would remove the stress out of him. "For the love of Arceus, it will only be a minute-"
'Not gonna happen.'
"Do you not trust me?!" His limits pushed, N scowled at his friend. Half-clenched fists were back up in the air. His shining emerald eyes were wide and twitching in vain. His teeth were seen gritted together as his lips were pulled back to a snarl.
But before he could throw a hissy fit, Zoroark answered, 'I trust you. You know I do.' The tone in his voice became mellow once he added, 'It's Mewtwo I don't trust.' A tiny frown of concern curved his mouth. He stared at the stunned N. His ears drooped backwards. The second Zoroark reached inside the hidden lair, an intensifying, intimidating aura slammed his senses like a stack of bricks. A low wolfy whimper was heard, strengthening his increasing worry. 'And I'm really, really, scared if anything were to happen to you…'
N stood in his place, shocked and unable to provide any response at the sudden confession. He saw fear in his eyes. He heard terror in his little tremor. The sight reminded N of what he and Zoroark had gone through since young. Everything they faced, they faced it together. From all the past experiences and struggles that went in their way, all of them taught the males on how to be more cautious and wary in their surroundings.
From the time N received a harmless cut from a tree branch.
To the time he received a gruesome slice from a maniacal man.
His mind stopped. His heart skipped. His world froze. At that moment, N soon realized: events like that silently scarred Zoroark to a point where he feared he would lose his brother. Forever.
He looked at Zoroark. The illusion fox Pokémon waited for a response. His furry muzzle was still in a form of a worried frown.
But N's mouth was in a shape of an assuring smile.
He gently patted Zoroark's head, earning quite a surprise from the Pokémon. Zoroark looked at N, a single eyebrow raised in confusion. "I trust Mewtwo." N calmly spoke, "And for us to bring all of this back to normal, I need you to trust him as well…"
His bright blue eyes widened as the human made such a statement. Looking down, he blinked and pondered for a while. His nose scrunched; his own way of telling he was still in hesitation.
"How about this to ease your mind?" N lightly clapped once. "Zekrom is staying near me when I meet Mewtwo. If anything unpleasant happens – and I assure you there won't be – Zekrom will merge right out of his ball and protect me." He tapped the ball on his belt. A smile was stretched on his face, hoping to convince his overprotective friend.
And thankfully, it did. 'Fine then.' Though eyes still shadowing slight hesitation, Zoroark finally gave way. 'But I am staying near that entrance. If I sense anything fishy, I am barging in with claws and fangs ready I kid you not.'
He sounded serious, but N couldn't help but laugh in amusement. Fingers lightly scratching the back of Zoroark's right ear, he happily replied, "I believe in your tenacity, Brother."
Silence could unfold many emotions that mankind tend to eternally conceal till their deaths.
Clear happiness. Pure love. Untold honesty. Sacred loyalty. Tainted betrayal. Blind fury. Broken sorrow. Deep grief.
Eternal regret.
Silence could help one redeem its peace. But at the same time, silence could also ruin oneself, becoming a clear bloody reminder of what one had savagely done.
His eyes remained shut. His breathing remained even. His heartbeat gave steady rhythms. His knuckles never twitched. His mouth never flinched. For how long he had been in that stoic state, one would never know.
Even so, no matter how statuesque he was, that same shattered feeling wouldn't go away. It stayed in his heart and mind, implanted in all parts of his nerves like a vital virus. That broken emotion bugged him ever since the explosion. That scar still lingered in his veins; even worse, brutally slicing his old wounds open. The wounds that he swore never to remember again.
Ba-dump!
His left eye – though shut – gave the faintest twitch.
There it was again. The heartbreak. The feeling of one's hopes shamefully rising in vain. The prayer of a fool. A dead man's dream. The feeling that you were hoping so much, knowing so well you would only be rewarded with pain and suffering.
That feeling was once again conquering his body and soul.
Ba-dump! Ba-dump! Ba-dump!
His breathing hitched slightly. He inhaled, then stopped.
"Mewtwo…"
His heart churned. A hiss given as visions clouded his disoriented mind. N-no… He tried to fight; tried to ignore the past that he swore never to go back.
"Mewtwo, please…It's me…"
His blood pulsed. Breathing still caught in between, Mewtwo shook away the voice that became proof of his demise.
"Mewtwo…It's okay. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere…"
I said no… Both eyes jerked slightly. His mouth trembled as he held back a scream. Faint violet coats of aura swirled around him like clouds, darkening as his mind forced to forget.
"Mewtwo, you're going to be fine."
But no matter how badly he pushed it away, the thoughts would always haunt him like the glorious sound of Death.
"GIOVANNI NO-"
I said STOP!
The dark vicious aura sparked wildly, jabbing and stabbing the rocky walls and ceilings. His mind screamed to a halt, shutting his own words down. Purple – seemingly harmless – sparks excluded from his body. Slowly Mewtwo opened his eyes, looking down at his bare feet. His heart reached an even beat – for now. But the voice of the fallen still haunted him, making him cringe in guilt and remorse.
A minute passed, and his body had dispelled all jolts.
Silence could unfold many hidden emotions. Emotions that, for some, were intended to stay hidden until the end of time.
'You have come to bring me back.'
N stopped in his heels. He knew Mewtwo would sense his arrival, yet an unfamiliar wave of awe still tapped into his mind. He stood a few feet away, feeling a thin amount of cautiousness since Mewtwo had shown him his little show of fireworks. "I assume that, even when you have let me found you, you will still need assurance."
Curiosity tweaked Mewtwo's mind, distracting him from his quiet concentration. Mouth exhaling light air, he coldly asked, 'Let you found me?'
He heard a small, somewhat amused chuckle. "I figured that you have detected me ever since I reached the premises. If you didn't want to be found, you could have easily teleported away in a blink of an eye."
A glint of what could be stated as amazement was shown in Mewtwo's purple eyes. He turned around, facing the patient human being. His posture was strong and proud, as so was N's. Mewtwo sensed a calming aura around him, preferably coming from the greenette himself. 'I must say, I am impressed. Not only do you, a human, speak the tongue of Pokémon, but you also have a knack for such precise conclusions, child of Harmonia.'
The sound of his last name gave N a silent shiver. Never did he tell the Pokémon his full name. But given that Mewtwo was a psychic-type, it wasn't much of a shocker. However stunned he may be, the man easily masked his true expression, only giving a modest shrug. A bashful smile flashed his face. "It was just a wild guess." One foot scooting forward, N took one sharp breath and looked at Mewtwo in the eyes. "Though I may unfortunately know the answer to my expectations, but you need to come back to us."
Silence was his answer. Denial could be seen in his deep blank purple irises.
N's smile receded, but a small dash of hope lingered on the edges of his lips. "I suspected as much."
Mewtwo looked back to the ground. His eyes fell to a sullen glow. 'Tell me, human. Why should I go back when all I had done was brought terror and malice?'
Emerald eyes widened in shock at such a question. He opened his mouth, only to left it open and wordless. Advices he had practiced in his mind were now nothing but useless scrambles of words. Though face was down, N knew sorrow was stabbing the Pokémon's body. "Mewtwo, please bear in mind that all you had done these past few days were by the likes of Team Rocket. You had no idea what you were doing back then."
'And what if I did know?' Mewtwo's question took N off guard. 'What if I tell you, I did know what I was doing back then? Being under a mind spell from an old nemesis? Being able to control a pure mind that was intended to safe me from my demise?' Kotone's face flashed in his eyes, making his teeth bore a tight clench. 'What will you do if I tell you, I know exactly what I was doing, and I became powerless as I sat there in defeat and watch my inner demon destroys everything in its path?'
As if N wasn't able to answer the previous dilemma, Mewtwo added more to his dizziness. He remained quiet, eyes carefully focusing as Mewtwo began to vent out.
'It seems that you are wrong, human. As I hid here in this cold land of death, memories of my faults kept haunting me in my awaken dreams.' Mewtwo glanced at his hands, fingers clenched together in his palms. 'I've committed a bloody sin, one that taints these hands to this very day. Even if you say I was drunk in hypnotism, I merely observe it as – as you humans depict – sleepwalking.' Hands clenched tighter, he spat a low, disgusted hiss meant for himself. 'I was useless; standing there like a fool and watching as the world shatters in my grasps. I have the power to wreck everything in my path. What's deem as wrong, I see right. What's proof of right, I conclude as wrong.'
A faint smog of purple swirled around his feet, lightly caressing up to his knees. 'I am nothing but a mere creation; a mindless puppet controlled by a ruthless puppeteer. I've done horrible things; unforgivable sins that can never be erased.' It touched his stomach, encircling Mewtwo like thick poisonous smoke.
Sir N, Zekrom's voice reached N's mind, warning him of the incoming situation. But before the deep black Pokémon could even think about barging out, N calmly patted his ball.
'I have hurt many. I have harmed most.' His voice filled with hatred. His teeth clenched so hard his jaw could bear a crack. Shaken fists lightly on his shut eyes, Mewtwo spat, 'But what I can never forgive myself is killing the one that had faith in me… The only person that sees me…as a friend…'
The aura had already encircled him. Though covered, N could still see Mewtwo, bending his head down and lamenting in guilt. Zekrom had begun to shake vigorously on his belt. Tremors, one too harmless yet still counted as dangerous, shook in the little cavern, sending pebbles and rocks jumping on the ground.
"Zorrr…"
The sound echoed out of the blue, breaking Mewtwo from his mourns. The violet aura disappeared in a blink. Quickly he opened his eyes, only to see a Zoroark standing near the entrance. He saw his white fangs, sharply wide and open as the illusion fox snarled. Slowly, Mewtwo glanced from him to N. He saw Zekrom slowly shaking in his ball. A sense of defence lingered in the air, emanating from the little ball.
His eyes switched from Zekrom to Zoroark, and Zoroark to Zekrom. As he gazed upon the two, a small mix of amusement and envy dipped into his mind. Amused on how much N's Pokémon were willing to do anything to protect their beloved human – even if it meant sacrificing themselves to fatal danger.
Envy that Mewtwo himself couldn't do the same. No matter how hard he tried, how badly he wanted it to avoid, in the end, only pain was given to his beloved human.
How could he ever protect her when he was the danger?
A sinister, ridiculing smirk flashed his face – one that was targeted for him. 'How I envy your life. Surrounded by bliss and love. Never to have suffered from past faults.' Mewtwo turned around, having his back face the man. Slow calm breaths inhaled and exhaled from his nose. Thankfully, he had calmed down before things got any uglier. Silence once again thickened the area. Movements were steady. Heartbeats were even.
Finally, a chuckle echoed inside the grim cave. Slightly surprised that an amusing sound could even be emitted from the man's mouth - considering what he had just said - Mewtwo turned to face the greenette. An eyebrow was raised, silently asking as to what and why N – who finally broke his silence – was finding his guilt so entertaining.
"Envious, you say?" Oh how N wanted to laugh out loud at such a confession.
"You said I do not understand what it's like to commit a sinful crime," N carefully said, eyes down on the rocky ground. His chuckle subsided. His smile was slowly forming a broken line. "But actually, believe it or not, I do know that feeling. The feeling of unwarily committing a sin. The feeling of being controlled like a puppet. The feeling of being blinded by evil, only to misjudge it as justice." He looked at his palms. Fingers trembled. Breathing ragged. "The feeling of you thinking that all you did was right, when all this time, it was downright wrong and misleading."
Eyes shut. Fists formed. Breathing uneven. "The feeling of making a true friend, but was tricked by a fool until you yourself accidentally thought that that friend was an enemy. The feeling of being so unsure, that you seem to have lost yourself. The feeling of pushing everyone away, thinking that you only cause burden and suffering. The feeling of..." N stopped halfway, his heartbeat rapidly speeding inside his chest. He released a low gasp, as if trying to release the pressure and pain that he had kept for so long. "The feeling of you thinking that you had actually murdered someone, or at the very least lead them to their unwanted deaths..."
A memory blinked. Breathing halted.
Mewtwo, now fully facing the human, eyed N in full suspicion, shock, and curiosity. The emotion N showed was one that Mewtwo had never seen before: empathy. He felt N's empathy flowing in his mind, proving him of his truth in his words. The genetic Pokémon only stared as N was caught in his own silent regret. This piqued Mewtwo's interest, itching and wanting to know the hidden meaning in N's words.
So with silence, Mewtwo shut his eyes and pried into N's memory.
It took him less than a minute to understand the situation completely.
The legendary immediately opened his eyes, pupils round in shock at what he had witnessed. He saw blood. He saw tears. A vision of a man, who had the face of a psychopath, was laughing hysterically as he gazed upon the fallen. A vision of a hero, controlled by rage and utmost grief, was seen being engulfed by blue flames. But what stunned Mewtwo the most was that one moment; that one single moment in which changed his perspective of all the knowledge he thought he knew. Mewtwo took one long breath, head shaking from the amazing yet frightful vision he had just beheld.
The genetic Pokémon looked forward, eyes on the only human present.
Realizing that Mewtwo was waiting and knowing very well that the Pokémon had seen the dark past he kept hidden for so long, N slowly opened his eyes and looked up.
With tearful eyes narrowed and mouth curving a woeful smile, N brokenly muttered, "I know the feeling of being a warped, defective monster..."
Patience wasn't one White was easily accustomed to.
Her left foot tapped rapidly, beating sounds of impatience and irritation. Her hand cupped her grumbling mouth, whispering wordless sounds of nothingness. All her Pokémon – minus Reshiram who waited outside – crowded in front of her, eyeing White in concern.
Ever since N left in search for Mewtwo, her heart had been constricted with negativity. She knew the man could handle the mission. She knew she shouldn't burden herself with such thoughts. But how could she? After all they had been through, White couldn't force herself to stop worrying even if she wanted to.
Taps got faster. Huffs got louder.
Hands moving to her face, White groaned slowly. Then suddenly,
"Sarr…"
"Zrrr…"
"Lill…"
"Vrrr…"
"Barrr…"
The sounds of her Pokémon growling broke her silent and worried state. Immediately White looked forward, heart missing a beat to see N and Zoroark.
And most of all, she saw the one they had been looking for.
Mewtwo slowly walked behind the males, head down and arms steadily positioned on his sides. He could feel the glares and stares from them. The amount of anger and the feeling of being highly threatened jabbed his skin like invisible knives. He couldn't blame them though. To him, he deserved it.
White stood up from her chair. Her Pokémon gave way, eyes still sharp on the targeted legendary. She saw as N continued to walk to her, while Mewtwo and Zoroark had already halted in their tracks. A smile curved her lips, almost wide as she was about to flash her teeth. "Thank Arceus you're back-"
Her words were cut in silence as N suddenly pulled her in a tight hug.
His arms wrapped her petite little body like a pair of warm shawls. It moved to the back of her head, tightly but gently locking White in the embrace. N bent his head down, letting his lips touch the brown strands of her hair. His eyes were hidden behind his green locks. His mouth pursed a straight, shaken line. One breath inhaled, letting her scent waft in his nostrils.
She felt his body tremble. She heard his heart rumble. Her head leaned against his beating chest. Aqua eyes were wide in confusion. Slowly White pushed N away; far enough to meet his gaze. It shocked her to see his crystal green eyes, simmering under the light. "N, are you okay?" Her mind clicked in worry, the brunette quickly brought her hands to the sides of his face and pulled him closer. "Are you hurt anywhere? Did any Pokémon bit you in the butt or something? How's your body?"
A light sound – a chuckle – wheezed through his lips. Oh how concerned she was for him. How she was acting like a mother Pokémon aiding to her baby. It both dumfounded and fluttered him to this very day. How a tough, hot-headed lady could change into a nurturing, loving person in seconds – even to a man who had red on his ledger.
He parted his mouth, wanting to calm his beating lady's heart. But before a word could even spurt out, another voice took over the halls. "Stand aside! Get out of my way! Silver needs me!" All heads turned to the sound. There she was, Kotone wildly running towards the room and away from her Pokémon. Her body was clothed in fresh clothes. Her brown hair was wet and dripping. The brunette seemed mad and frantic, hazel eyes shaded in anger.
How could she not be angry? Her cousin promised her 15 minutes of solitude. Instead, she received almost two hours of solitary confinement which consisted of her being forced to eat and bathe. It didn't help that all her Pokémon hatched in together with the plan.
It wasn't their fault, though. Half of her knew the others were worried about her wellbeing.
But the other half was still pissed and felt a bit betrayed by the simple truce.
"I said I'm fine, you guys! Sheesh Arceus dammit let me th-" Her words reached complete silence as her eyes set foot on a particular Pokémon standing a few feet away. Her team ceased chasing her, also stunned to see Mewtwo in the purple flesh.
Silence filled the area in seconds. None said a word. None muttered a peep. Most of the Pokémon's fur were standing upright, alarmed by the legendary's intimidating presence. Unwarily, White squeezed her grip on N's arm, worried if their decision to bring Mewtwo back wasn't a good idea.
Mewtwo stood in silence, never moving. His head was down. His eyes were shut. Fists were clenched madly, fingers lightly digging in his palms.
What would he do? What would he say? The words 'Kotone, I am back please forgive me' or 'Kotone I have come for an apology and never return' would be such a disgrace, considering on all he had done. His mind – for the first time – reached a blank slate. Mewtwo had no idea on how to react. He was an absolute lost on Kotone's reaction. Was she mad? Was she sad? Was happy ever in her domain for him? Was she glad he had returned? Would she ever forgive him for being a raging monster and almost killing the man she loved?
Her mute silence was a grim answer for him.
He choked in between breaths. Mewtwo had reached a terrifying – expected – conclusion: Kotone would never forgive him, and she would never, ever have him back.
Crack!
He finally knew and felt the existence of heartbreak. And he wished he never experienced that emotion in the first place.
Before he decided to teleport away for good, Mewtwo exhaled heavily and reached her mind. Kotone…I'm-
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Plop!
Mewtwo immediately snapped his eyes wide open. The sounds of tapping and the felt of something – someone – wrapping around him surprised the Pokémon speechless. His arms were raised to the sides. His mouth was agape and low. Mewtwo looked down, only to see Kotone tightly wrapping her arms around his waist and hiding her face on his chest.
"You're back!" Kotone screamed happily, tears quickly forming and trailing down her cheeks. "You're back you're back you're back!" The brunette hopped lightly, as if trying to lift the heavy Pokémon. Even though it was to no avail, Kotone didn't care. All she ever mattered now was that her beloved Pokémon had come back to her. She cried and cried, ignoring the audience around them. Arms linking tighter, Kotone locked Mewtwo in her hug as a way of saying 'Never leave me again.'
All were speechless. All were stunned. But none more than the genetic Pokémon himself. His purple eyes gawked at his trainer as she continued to show bliss and bless. She…She isn't mad at me…? That one question haunted his mind, questioning on whether or not this was a dream. But her touch proved to be far too real. Her joyful squeals pitched in his ears, making sure that what he was experiencing now was mere reality.
Kotone wasn't mad at him at all. Quite the opposite, she was excited to have him back.
And that, truly made him feel alive.
Forgetting all his stoic posterior and silent state, Mewtwo returned the hug. His knees grew weak, resulting with both kneeling on the ground and lost in their hugs. The genetic Pokémon hid his face on her soaked hair. His eyes burned with tears, but he couldn't care less. For the first time in life, he shed a tear – one that was filled with joy and thankfulness. Thank you, Kotone… Thank you…
All eyes were on the pair. All breathed a huge sigh of relief. Kotone's Pokémon merely watched their partners. Finally, their hearts could reach peace. Mewtwo was back. Both were happy. Kotone was actually flashing a smile and a laugh. Typhlosion sighed dully. At least that's taken care of…
White and N smiled to see the reunion. Her hand held her chest as she breathed a low groan. Slowly, she turned her head to face the tall man beside her. "N?"
Her soothing voice took his attention, making him turn. Emerald and aqua met, glued to each other's mesmerizing sight. He saw questionable concern in her eyes. He saw silent stutters of worry on her lips.
Every time a look like that appeared on her face, it made N realized how thankful he was to have met her.
With a small smile, he gently placed a finger on her lips and slowly murmured, "I love you…"
The two were the only present ones in the halls. All were away for a while, giving the Pokémon and trainer some time alone. Kotone sat on a chair, beside the door of Silver's room. Her arms were crossed. Her head looked down. Mewtwo stood before her, arms on his sides and eyes looking everywhere except on her.
"It's not our fault, you know." Her voice broke the silence. Mewtwo stared at the brunette, whose eyes were still down on the ground. "I know you're beating yourself up because of this. Please don't. It's never your fault. We both didn't know what hit us." A shiver ran down her spine as memories of before scratched her mind.
His frown widened. His eyes narrowed. Kotone, please do not defend me. It is pointless to straighten a damp thread.
"I'm not." She hissed through gritted teeth. Her nails dug in her elbows. "We were both blind. We both had no idea what was going on. It was Team Rocket's fault." Teeth gritted tightly as the evil organization danced in her mind. "Those damn…fricking…fuckers…"
The explosion of the building, Mewtwo continued to 'defend' himself. I exploded the building and almost cost us our lives.
"Only because you lost control for a while when you felt my devastation!" Her voice reached a louder tone than before, though not enough to shake the walls. "If I calmed down at that time, maybe that would have never happened. You reacted like that because I reacted like that because I thought Silver was dea-"
She froze in her words.
Her hands stayed at eye level. Her hazels eyes were wide and round. Her mouth hanged agape, astonished by the words she just slurred without thought. One by one a finger trembled. And tick by tock her shakes got faster.
Mewtwo only watched, unable to do anything to ease her mind and heart. Even he felt the pain; traumatizing and brutal the more he looked at her.
She wasn't blaming him for the falls.
She was blaming her.
His fists clenched tighter as a hiss blew out. Kotone, there is something…I need to tell you.
She looked at her Pokémon, eyes ever so broken and in grief.
Her crestfallen expression only strengthened his remorse. I…This…is not the first time I have met Silver…
A small glint of shock was seen in her pair of hazels. "What do you mean?" She sniffed back her tears. The brunette brought her fists to her chest, trying to calm the beating heart that harmed her soul.
I mean, He released another sigh, I…He is a mere fragment of my past. One that I wish to forget. The reason I disappear is not just because of what I had done to all of you. It is because…of the things I had done in the past. His tail twitched as he forced himself to remember. It if wasn't for me, none of this would have ever happened…
Her focus now slowly on the guilt-stricken legendary, Kotone sat up straight. Her hands rested on her shivering knees. "A mere fragment? Things you had done in the past? If it weren't for…you…?" Her voice was a mere mutter, perplexed by the words that entered her mind. "Mewtwo, what are you talking about?"
Few ticking minutes intruded their space. It made Kotone restless. It made Mewtwo – to her surprise – nervous. "Mewtwo."
Mewtwo kept his silence.
"Mewtwo…" Her voice sounded like chiming, broken bells.
"Mewtwo…" For a brief moment, that voice had become the voice of his old friend.
He quickly looked forward, eyes on the dumbfounded woman. Finally, he released a heavy, hearty groan. What I'm about to show you, might change your perspective about me. Opening his eyes, he woefully stared at Kotone. Before I am about to do this, just remember: You are – and always will be – my friend.
Without another word, he stretched his right arm towards her. A finger touched her forehead. One blink, and his eyes glowed a dim purple glow.
And before Kotone could have time to regain her semi-consciousness, a bright violet light coated around them.
The clock ticked its long arm, and her eyes glowed a dim purple as well.