It's been almost two weeks since the incident during Aether Day, two weeks since the day the squadron lost one of their members. Since then, they hadn't been able to move on, especially Layla. When they arrived back to the mansion that day, Soul told Amelia everything that happened. The representative was nice enough to arrange a funeral so Mark could rest in peace. It took a couple of days, but when the body was buried, everyone and everything emitted nothing but sorrow.
No one talked that day, no one smiled, no one did anything. All they thought about was how they lost a member of their team, how they lost a friend. Seeing his name on that headstone was tough on all of them, especially Layla and Mightyena. The knights couldn't bring themselves to move on after all that happened, so they stayed a few more days to recover from both mental and physical injuries. Even still, Soul believed it was almost impossible they could ever move on.
As for Layla and Mightyena, they both stayed back in Nebesa Town, courtesy of Amelia. Soul remembered the day they left, she told them she was grateful they took care of him when she wasn't there. She told them that she was thankful for everything they've done for him. Mightyena stayed with her. He was the only one left that could stay with her since Mark couldn't anymore. The squadron left Nebesa Town with only five of Soul's knights.
She failed to keep the whole group together until the end.
A tired sigh escaped her lips as they all continued walking toward their next destination, the one place Soul certainly did not feel comfortable going back after all that happened. Death seemed to follow her everywhere, teasing her by showing her the souls of people she once knew. Her mother, her father, and now Mark. She was not feeling up for going to Viridian Village, but she had no say in the matter. It was all part of the mission they must accomplish.
As the squadron entered a spacious clearing, Soul stopped and rose her hand, signalling the others to stop walking. She felt the wind pick up, flocks of Wingulls and Pelippers flying by. That must mean they were close to an ocean, which also meant that they were nearing the place Soul use to call home. The blonde woman turn around and faced her other teammates, who were all looking around.
"Let's take a break," Soul told them. "We could really use one."
Before they could do or say anything, she turned back around and walked away from them. Not even Gallade or Aaron followed her, which the blonde woman was grateful for. She needed some time to think for herself, to fix herself up from all that's happened.
The knights and Pokémon did what they were told and sat around doing their own thing. During their trip out here, no one said a word. No one brought up what had happened back in Nebesa Town, each one lost in their own thoughts. After Soul separated from the group, the strange atmosphere around them became thicker and uncomfortable. Each knight felt as if there was some sort of weight on their shoulders that followed them from that day.
Akira sat on top of a tree branch, looking up at the sky through the gaps of leaves. Her mind wandered back on that day, when Blake almost lost control of himself. She could still remember what he said, what made him come back to his senses.
"I got this feeling that if I followed the voice, it would lead me to an escape that would take me out of the dark prison. So I did what my gut told me and followed the voice. As I followed it, I started seeing the light, and the more I ran toward it the brighter and brighter it became. The fifth time I heard the voice, I finally recognized it. It was your voice, Akira."
"My... voice...?" she mumbled, to which Blake nodded to with a grateful grin.
"Yeah," he confirmed. "I followed your voice until the end. I jumped into the light and fought back for control of my body, all because I had you to guide me out of the darkness."
"So my voice guided you out of the darkness, huh?" she mumbled to herself as she leaned back and closed her eyes. "That's the most cliché thing I've ever heard. Things like that only happen in fairy tales. However..."
Akira opened her eyes, a warming look coated over her face. Her mouth pulled up into a small smile as she felt her heart flutter a bit.
"Saying that I'm the one who did it... it makes me feel... happy."
Meanwhile, Blake sat on a fallen log that was a few feet away from the rest of his teammates. His chin rested on his hands that were placed on his knees, staring directly in front of him as if deep in thought. He's been thinking over a lot of things, mostly about his feelings. It's because of his feelings the monster inside was able to control him and go berserk. He now realized he made it a habit of being overwhelmed with emotions.
The blond knight dropped his head into his hands, tugging a bit at his hair in frustration. Things like emotions were a foreign concept to him; he never understood the reason he felt what he felt. But whenever it was anger, rage, or fury that had him, it helped him fall into the grasp of the demon. Now that he thought about it, his demon always took over whenever he felt that way.
But then, why was he able to come back when he heard Akira's voice? It didn't make sense to him in the slightest. What he did know was how dangerous his emotions could be, especially during a time of weakness.
"Why is everything so damn complicated?" he mumbled to himself.
You just do not understand, pathetic human.
Blake's eyes narrowed instantly when that raspy demonic voice rang through his head. He hadn't heard from him since Aether Day, which to Blake was peace on Earth. Hearing him back in his psyche made his mood foul a bit.
Go away, I have nothing to say to you.
Why must you be so harsh toward me?
Because you used me for murder again.
Nay, human. You used me to kill the ones who hurt your loved one.
Loved one? No, they hurt Akira. How was I going to let them go after what they did to her?!
Why must you humans be so dense?
A look of confusion crossed Blake's face as he rose one eyebrow. Dense? Him? Well, he knew he wasn't the smartest person around, but he never considered himself dense.
Would you like to know why I was able to be tamed the moment you escaped the dark prison?
Like I have nothing better to do...
Let us begin from the beginning. Tell me, how did you feel when you saw your friend wounded by the people who ruined your life?
Angry, infuriated, more or less.
Those emotions were what made you mentally weak; it was a time of vulnerability that allowed me to easilycontrol you. When you got too caught up in what happened, you began to lose sense in what you were doing in the first place. You forgot to remind yourself of the situation in hand. That was how you ended up prisoner of the darkness. However, there was something that allowed you to escape.
Yeah, Akira's voice.
Wrong, human. What counteracts evil? Think about it.
Blake thought it over for a bit. To any hero out there, the answer was only obvious. But he wasn't a hero; he's a knight. A knight's duty was to protect their people with all his life, to protect them from the evil that plagued the earth. Protect the people from evil.
The good counteracts the evil, Blake answered. So what?
My evil was counteracted by your friend, Akira Minami. She was the good that made its way into your head and guided you toward the light. When I looked into her eyes, I knew she was afraid of me, but despite it all, she remained determined to get you back. Only those with the strongest bond would go to such lengths to save their significant other.
Blake's eyes softened as he took one glance up at the white haired woman who sat on a tree branch, looking up at the sky with a thoughtful look. It was because of her stubbornness and determination that he was saved by her. But there was still something that didn't sit right with him. Of all people, why Akira? What made her different from everyone else?
The answer is quite simple, but your lack of intelligence makes it difficult.
Hey!
Like I mentioned before, Akira Minami possessed the good that was able to go against my evil. Within that good, she possessed another emotion that was able to eradicate myself back into that damned seal.
Unconsciously, Blake's hand traveled to his chest where the cursed seal branded him. He use to hate it with all his might because it remained a label to remind him of what he became five years ago. He still hated it, but not as much. If Akira's good was able to shove his demon all the way down, what was able to enhance it?
What are you talking about?
Love.
What?
Because of the love she had for you, Akira Minami was able to overpower me and rescue you from your prison.
Blake's eyes widened, clearly not expecting that conclusion. Akira, the woman who was always harsh toward him, was in love with him? The thought never even occurred to him. He always thought Akira didn't like him any more than a friend. The blond knight took a glance at the woman one last time before his head fell into his hands again, adding a groan of frustration.
"This is still complicated..."
Suddenly, the white haired woman swung her legs to one side and jumped off the tree branch, alerting the other remaining three knights. Akira landed on her feet with a small grunt before looking at all her teammates.
"I'm going to go look for Major," she announced.
"I'll go with you!" Aaron replied as he hastily got to his feet. Akira seemed surprised, but shook her head.
"I'm going alone," she claimed, declining his request. "I need to speak with her about something... personal."
With that, the white haired woman went off to the direction she last saw her superior go.
Soul sat in front of a small lake staring at her reflection with a blank look. Ever since the whole incident, she blamed herself for Mark's death. She blamed herself for not being strong enough to stop him before running off and she blamed herself for being too slow to save him. That night, she didn't sleep because all she could see was Mark's corpse the moment she closed her eyes. Even now, his image would sometimes come to her, taunting her for her weakness.
The blonde woman let out a 'tch' and slapped the water's surface that reflected her face. Droplets splashed back onto the water, creating small rings of ripples here and there. Soul let her hand fall back onto her lap, her eyes glaring at her reflection.
"You let your own comrade die," she sneered. "And you still let the others call you a leader."
From a small distance away, Soul began to sense an aura coming toward her direction. Normally she'd reach for her sword upon detecting another being around, but once she recognized the familiar essence, she stayed the way she was. A few minutes later, Soul looked over her shoulder and spotted Akira walking toward her. The blonde woman looked back at the lake, waiting for her only female friend to join her. Once there, Akira sat down next to her, the two now staring emptily at the lake.
"You disappeared on us, Major," Akira spoke. "Sir Aaron is getting worried."
"Sometimes I need time to myself," Soul mumbled, taking a small side glance at the white haired woman. "How's your wound?"
"It's a little sore," Akira answered, her hand unconsciously going to her side. "But nothing I can't handle."
"Mind telling me why you're here?" Soul asked, not removing her gaze from the lake.
Akira stayed quiet for a bit, trying to gather any courage she had to tell her what's been bothering her since that day, before the whole death thing. Soul may be impatient, especially because of her current mood, but she decided to bite her tongue and let Akira take her time to gather up what she wanted to say. After a moment or so, the white haired woman finally spoke.
"I need to speak with you... it's about Blake," she admitted. The blonde woman tore her gaze from the lake and looked at Akira with a curious look.
"What about Blake?" she asked.
"Lately, ever since Aether Day, I've been feeling differently toward him. It's like, whenever I'm around him, my heart starts to flutter, my stomach feels like it's housing twenty Beautiflies, and I suddenly feel self conscious about what I do or say," she explained.
"What exactly happened, if you don't mind me asking," Soul gave the white haired woman her full attention.
"After he killed the Devilry Brothers, he was still possessed by that demon. I stood against him, telling him to bring Blake back. Even if he glared at me with his scary red eyes, I was willing to risk it and embrace him, telling him to come back. Next thing I knew, he was kneeling over while clutching his head. After a bit, he seemed alright, and he was back to normal."
Soul looked away and closed her eyes, an answer already coming up in her mind. Though, she couldn't say she didn't see it coming because anyone who glanced at the two could've guessed it. However, she decided to keep her opinion quiet until she heard more.
"What did Blake say after that?" Soul asked Akira.
"He told me he heard my voice, that my voice guided him out of the darkness and allowed him to come to his senses," she explained further, burying her head in her hands. "Since then, I couldn't look at him the same way anymore. I don't understand, Major, what's wrong with me? Why can't I look at my best friend the same way anymore?"
The blonde woman opened one eye and stared at the somewhat frustrated white haired woman in front of her. It hadn't occurred to her until now, but maybe this is the first time Akira had felt a different kind of emotion toward someone that wasn't her family.
Love.
Soul sighed before opening her other eye and turning her body around to face Akira. She placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, causing the white haired woman to raise her head a bit and look at her superior. A small grin was placed on Soul's lips as her green eyes softened.
"Nothing is wrong with you, Akira. Everyone goes through this at some point in their lives. There's nothing wrong with a change of emotions when it comes to a certain someone, at least that's what I believe. I think the reason why you can't look at Blake the same way anymore, or why you feel so differently toward him, is because you're in love with him."
Akira's eyes widened as a blush rose to her cheeks. Her? In love with Blake? That couldn't be the case because there's no way he could ever feel the same way again. So why, of all people, did she end up having those feelings for him?
"L-Love?" Akira stuttered before looking away. "That's not possible! There's no way!"
"You're pretty stubborn." Soul sighed. "I'm telling you this because I don't want you to run away from your emotions. Not only is it bad for you, but it's also bad for Blake. You have to face it, Akira. You fell in love with an idiot."
Akira looked back at Soul, who gave her a closed eyed smile as a small chuckle left her mouth. A small breeze went by as two Flying-type Pokémon soared the sky above them. The white haired woman looked away again, a sad look visible in her brown eyes. Sensing that she's not getting any kind of reaction, Soul opened her eyes and saw Akira gazing at the river with a sad look.
"What's wrong?" Soul asked.
"How could I've been so careless and let myself fall in love with someone who could possibly die at any day?" Akira mindlessly asked. Soul smiled once again and placed a hand on her friend's shoulder.
"Don't worry about him," she assured. "He has a reason for living and that reason is you. Without you, he'd be roaming the world without a cause. All you have to do is stay alive, both for yourself and for Blake."
Soul removed her gaze from Akira and looked up at the sky, watching as two clouds parted for the sun to shine brighter than earlier. Something ran through her mind, something about her own feelings.
"Believe me, living on would be best for the both of you," she added.
Just like Akira said before, how could she have been so careless as to fall in love with someone who could possibly die at any day? She was well aware of the disasters that love brought upon people, but even still, she managed to do it. Unlike most woman, Soul did not want herself to fall in love with anyone, afraid that she'd only get hurt in the end. That's why she kept her distance whenever she could. After all, there's nothing more painful than a broken heart.
Unfortunately, she did end up falling in love. What made it worse was the fact that she fell in love with her mentor and fellow aura guardian. That dance they shared during the ball was magical. It felt too good to be true, especially when they almost kissed.
With a sigh, Soul stood up on her feet, catching Akira's attention. She noticed that Soul had a strange look in her eyes. It was faint, yet she was able to see it. It looked like sadness, but there was something else that Akira couldn't quite put her finger on it.
"We should head back to the others and head out again," Soul suggested, offering her hand to Akira.
Akira nodded and accepted the blonde's hand, using it to hoist herself up to her feet. The two women maneuvered their way through the forest and met up with the others. It wasn't long after that they all headed off to their next destination.
Viridian Village.