Author's Note: Well…it's been nearly 4 years. Sometime in late 2018/early 2019 my computer's hard drive went out. I lost everything, including the entirety of this story. No recovery was possible. With all my other responsibilities and crushed motivation I forgot about this story… The latest episodes of Journeys jogged my memory and I reread what I had left here. Though I cringed at first (as I do with all of my old writing) I fell back in love with the story. I said I'd finish it and I meant that. I've attempted to rewrite the missing chapters according to my memory. By the time you read this I will have completed everything and will release the chapters over the next couple of weeks. Have a lovely day/night and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story. ;)
A light breeze ruffled Darkrai's fur as he stood at the edge of the ocean. He ran his claws through the cool air. Faintly the memory danced in his mind but was quickly snuffed out. Much time had passed since he last did this.
The sky tore. Countless Unown shrieked and scattered out of the gash of bright white light. Dread crawled through Darkrai's very soul. The sea ahead of him broke and salty water sloshed onto him.
"YOU!" a harsh voice growled.
Darkrai was pinned to the dirt by the very shadows he used to hide. Livid red eyes bored into his. Darkrai could only think one thing.
Azelf. If I die. I'm rising from the grave solely to give you a nightmare.
There in Cresselia's cave they had all sat in the early evening. Mesprit, Uxie, Azelf, and even Celebi had cared to join. Tiny human made cups were passed around filled with pale brown liquid. A tea party. That's what Cresselia had called it.
"It's a honey sitrius berry tea. It's supposed to be good for health." Cresselia beamed.
Hunched over, Darkrai took a sip from the tea and enjoyed the sweet taste. For a moment his focus could be steered from how much his dark form stuck out among the pastel colored creatures.
"Have any of you noticed that something is really off about Giratina?" Mesprit asked, suddenly.
"She hasn't been resting at all." Cresselia looked to Darkrai for confirmation of her observation.
Darkrai nodded. They had spoken often after meetings about Giratina's rapidly deteriorating state. He had been glad just to converse with his dearest friend. Sometimes she would even lean against him as they talked. His chest ached. Hopefully one day she'd accept him into her heart again but he refused to rush her.
"First we must get Giratina's attention." Uxie's voice disturbed his thoughts.
Darkrai startled. In his pondering the conversation had gone on without him.
"I'd say we could visit her…" Mesprit twiddled her thumbs, "but…well…"
Giratina wasn't one to accept unexpected visitors. Darkrai knew this. He also knew she wouldn't arrive to a meeting before she was needed. Arceus above, the renegade was so much like him it was infuriating.
"What if we made Giratina notice us?" Azelf suggested.
"How would we do that?" Mesprit asked.
"You know…" Azelf shrugged, "She gets pretty vexed when anyone messes with space-time."
"Please tell me you're not suggesting we distort space-time." Celebi groaned.
"Think about it. What would get her attention? You know she doesn't care about us or our mundane problems." Azelf took another sip of her tea, "But distort space-time-"
"-and she'll know right away." Mesprit sighed dejectedly.
Darkrai flexed his claws, imagining how they viciously tore through deep blue and into a white void of nothingness. He'd sworn to himself to never cross that line again.
"I'll do it."
Attention quickly fell to him. Darkrai lowered his head into his collar.
"Darkrai…" Cresselia's soft worried voice caused him to shiver.
"I already know how to." Darkrai hid himself deeper. "Besides, who out of all of us would Giratina consider a more serious threat?"
No one objected to Darkrai's plan except for one. A paw delicately touched his claws. Silently Cresselia pleaded with him. Her intense stare almost caused him to falter but he remained firm. Darkrai would not watch as Giratina slowly withered away. He'd prove to everyone else that even he could do some good.
And now he was here. Giratina loomed over him ready to punish the one who dared distort her dear space-time. His fur raised. Darkrai shot a glance at the trees in the distance. Deep in their shadows the others sat waiting for the right moment.
"Oh Giratina!" a magenta and blue blur shot out of the forest and straight onto Giratina's angry face.
Flabbergasted, Giratina stepped back letting the shadows release Darkrai. He quickly rose.
Azelf and Uxie came out of the bushes to join their sister. Giratina was frozen. Confused, she scanned the creatures that surrounded her. Darkrai slowly disappeared back into the shadows while Celebi fixed the space-time tear.
Mesprit patted Giratina's head and whispered something to her. Darkrai watched in awe as Giratina's defenses fell. Her wings drooped and she lowered herself looking absolutely pitiful.
"Poor dear…" Cresselia sighed empathically, "She's exhausted."
Once again she placed her paw on his hand. The Lake Trio and Giratina eventually returned through the portal to the Distortion World. Darkrai prayed the trio would succeed.
"I think it's time we all went home." Celebi glared pointedly at Darkrai, glancing down briefly at his and Cresselia's joined hands.
"Agreed." Cresselia's paw left his as she began to float away.
The glowing daggers of Celebi's eyes seared into Darkrai's back as he turned away to follow. Newmoon Island was closer to the mainland than Fullmoon Island but Cresselia paused and waited.
"Cress. Is something wrong?"
Cresselia fidgeted unable to look at him.
"Darl-" Darkrai bit his tongue.
No. He could not slip up and call her that again. The full weight of her body crashed into him nearly toppling him over. Cresselia trembled and pushed her cheek against his. Darkrai went rigid.
"Cress…" he rasped, his voice straining "Please don't-"
"Do you want to hold me?"
Darkrai's arms twitched.
"Yes."
"Then hold me."
Darkrai didn't need any more permission. He wrapped his arms around her. The warmth of her feathers soothed him. Letting every care fall his muscles relaxed for the first time in what must have been forever.
"Seeing you at the mercy of one of the Creation Trio was terrifying."
"I wanted to do the right thing."
"You did." Cresselia's warm breath shifted his fur as she sighed heavily, "But it was dangerous."
The sun peaked over the horizon of the sea. Cresselia had left only moments before. Darkrai was about to settle down to rest when a strong presence called to him. Darkrai abandoned his comfortable bed. Outside his cave, to his shock, was Giratina.
"Uxie told me you volunteered."
Darkrai nodded.
"Don't be so nonchalant." Giratina rolled her eyes, "I had half a mind to kill you on the spot. What you did was unbelievably stupid."
Darkrai shrugged. So much for praise. Giratina drew herself up to her full height.
"Arceus may not have made you directly but I swear you possess his most annoying traits."
Darkrai tilted his head. Him? Like Arceus? In no way did Darkrai find the two of them comparable. Was this some sort of bizarre insult?
"And I thought I was more like you."
Giratina blinked.
"In what way are you like me?"
No one particularly liked them. Even the ones that did had difficulty reaching out. They stayed confined. To the Distortion World and Newmoon Island. Both isolated to keep others and themselves from being hurt. Darkrai could go on and list everything but Giratina wouldn't listen to any sort of rambling.
"You put on a façade so no one knows how much you really care."
Azelf's plan might have worked but she was wrong about Giratina's nature. Though her actions could be conceited and unfriendly, everything she did was in the pursuit of protecting the world she had helped create. Giratina turned to stare at him with one commanding eye.
"Don't be like me."
And she was gone. Darkrai was alone.
He turned tiredly to his bed, ready for a long deserved rest. Before he could even lie down a crackling pain ripped through his mind. Darkrai found himself somewhere he'd never been. Overripe berries littered the ground. Towers of flowers in every color cascaded around a manicured forest. Two human children were playing far too close to a cliff. One boy. One girl. They were so busy playing neither noticed the weakness of the ground beneath them. Rocks groaned and snapped under their weight. The girl fell.