Yah, this chapter small, don't fight me please, I'm still in the process of ordering my plot thoughts!
Chapter Eight.
Gladion's POV
"So how are we going to rescue Mother?" Lillie asked. I had no idea. What annoyed me was that my brain didn't immediately deny that Lusimine was our mother.
"I'm not sure," came both Moon and Hau's response to the question. I shrugged.
"Maybe we should… check the labs?" I instantly wanted to hit myself for suggesting it. I didn't want to go back to the place of my torture.
"Yeah, okay," Moon said. "Lillie and Hau, you check the labs again, me and Gladion will search Lusimines secret room again."
I mouthed thank you to her as my sister turned to Hau.
"Let's go!" she said over-enthusiastically.
"Where would Lusimine hide research on Lunala and Solgaleo?" Moon asked as soon as they had gone.
"I…" I could think of one place, though I wasn't too sure if Moon would like it. "Come with me."
Moon's POV
I followed Gladion back into the mansion and into his room.
"Why are we in here?" I asked.
"Because…" Gladion opened the draw on his beside table and brought out a key. He then walked over to the small bookshelf in his room and inserted the key in a funny-looking crack on the side of the wood. "My mother was a big fan of secret entrances and exits," he said as the bookshelf swung open to reveal a passageway going down.
I stared in awe. "Cool," I breathed.
"Not really, considering the purpose it was built for," he said, grimacing.
"Oh, okay then."
We entered the passage, which quickly descended downwards in a spiral staircase. The walls were surprisingly not white and gold, like the rest of the place, and was instead a bleak grey colour.
Finally, we came to an exit from the stairs, opening into a decently large room underneath the mansion.
The room itself was pretty unwelcoming; scratches stained the walls and floor and there was a small pile of broken glass in the corner of the space. And on the far side of the wall, that seemed oddly out of place, was a newly polished white bookshelf with lots of files stuffed into it.
"Geez, you would think she'd turn this into a lab or something," Gladion muttered to himself, cringing at what looked like blood splatters on the wall.
"What… what is this place?" I asked in shock, surveying the place again.
"This was built to 'contain' a certain failed experiment," Gladion said as he walked over to the bookshelf. "This is new though."
I blinked for a second before realising what he'd said. Was this place… meant to contain him? It would make… sense… if he… did he… I swallowed at the blood stains. Please don't tell me he killed anyone…
Gladion's POV
I glanced worriedly at Moon, who looked sick as she saw the blood on the wall. Please don't figure it out… don't ask…
I peeled my attention away from Moon, focusing on what needed to be done. It was so like my mother to put secret files in a place hauntingly familiar to me. I don't know whether she did it on purpose to spite me, or if she just saw this as a conveniently hidden room that no one would even dare to clean every once in a while.
I took out the first file on the shelf and flicked through it, and seeing as it was no help, put it back. I repeated this with a few more files before Moon came over to help me.
We did this in silence until Moon noticed a long box sitting on top of the bookshelf.
"What's that?" she asked, grabbing it.
"I don't know," I said as she opened it.
"It's… a flute?" I looked at the golden object in her hands.
"The Sunne Flute!" I exclaimed, putting away the folder in my hands. "It's used along with the Moone Flute to summon the Legendary Pokemon, Solgaleo and Lunala!"
"Really? Cool! But… where's the Moone Flute?"
"Not sure… is there any note inside the box?"
"Nope."
"Okay, then we'll have to look through all the files… unless…" I trailed off, remembering the legend Lusimine used to tell me and Lillie. Before… everything.
"Unless what? Oh! You've figured it out, haven't you?" Moon smiled, reading my expression.
"Legend says that the Moone Flute is located on a small island off the coast of Poni. Exeggutor Island."
"Great! We should tell Hau and Lillie!" Moon said as I pulled out another folder.
"There you are!" came a voice from behind us. I turned to see Lillie. "I saw a secret passage open in your room and thought that you might be dow…. ummmm…. what is this place?" she asked, realising what the surrounding walls looked like.
"Did you guys find anything?" Hau asked, entering the room as well, the look of it catching him too off guard. "Whoa. What happened here?"
I shook my head as all eyes turned to me. Whyyyyyyyyy?
Moon's POV
Gladion turned away from us as all our eyes burned into him with an intense curiosity. I didn't want him to feel uncomfortable buuuuut, like, WHAT THE ARCEUS WAS GOING ON?
"Gladion?" I asked.
"OH my Arceus, is that blood?" Hau asked, noticing the wall. Again, we all looked to Gladion for answers.
"I don't want to talk about it," he said, slamming the folder shut and shoving it away.
Lillie's POV
My brothers' aggressive movements scared me. The whole room that had been carefully concealed behind Gladion's bookcase scared me. I wanted to say something kind, but I was lost for words. What kind things could you say about a scratched-up blood-stained room, anyway, Lillie?
Moon's POV
"Gladion," I tried again gently. "I'm not saying you have to tell us, it's your choice, but we'd like to hear it whenever you want to." Whether a little bit of reverse psychology will work or not… is the other thing. Is it even called that?
I turned to leave, before realising I was still holding the Sunne Flute. I placed the old object carefully back inside its case and—
"Fine," Gladion said suddenly. "I'll tell you."
Ha, yes! Outsmarted by the Moon-ster! I mean, yes, go on.
"You'll hate me for it, though," Gladion continued.
"I'd never," I said (acting a lot more like a supporting friend than my thoughts, I might add). Gladion looked sceptical at this but went on.
"Okay… After the… accident—again, have no memory of it—I apparently started… killing people. This room was built to contain me."
I stifled a gasp that bubbled in my throat. Hau's eyes widened in shock, and Lillie let out an 'eep' and took a step back.
Gladion looked away, probably regretting telling us. I put a hand on his shoulder.
"It's okay," I murmured so only he could hear me.
Moon's POV
Later that day, we'd told Lillie and Hau about the flute and they were doing more research about it with Wicke.
I was supposed to be going through the files on Lusimines computer in her secret behind-the-mirror room with Gladion buuuuuuuuut…
Don't start fighting me, friendship issues are just as important as top-secret files!
Besides, it's not everyday that you're friends with someone who's killed people. Was it bad that I still want to spend time with him? I mean, it's not like he hasn't got control over himself… wait, now I'm confused…
My point is… that… he… *struggling*… didn't have control over his Silvally form back then, there we go, that's what I'm looking for.
And I'm trying to prove a point to myself why? Idk.
Aaaaaanyway…
I was sitting in Lusimines secret room with my arm around Gladion, who I could tell was trying not to cry.
Yes, of course it scared me that he'd killed people, but it shouldn't stop me from trying to comfort him.
'Shouldn't' being key word there, Moon.
Again with the talking to yourself for crying out loud!
"Gladion?" I asked. "Are you okay?"
"No…" he choked out. "I'm… starting to remember…" Gladion closed his eyes, holding himself tighter, his hands shaking white-knuckled fists.
Remember? Wha—oh. Oh, no… Oh, Gladion, how do I help?
I pulled him closer to me and kissed him on the head.
"It's okay," I whispered. "You're still amazing the way you are."
Unexpectedly, Gladion then broke into silent tears.
"No one… has ever said anything like that to me before," he said quietly.
Teacher: Raise yah hand if you too talk to yourself like Moon does. Anyone?
U. Cutie: *raises hand*
Teacher: It's okay, no one pick on Cutie, she can do that... I guess.
U. Cutie: IT'S OKAY, MOON, TOGETHER WE SHALL RISE! (Please review!)