For the prompt 002 - neck
Warnings: Death, violence
Chapter Twelve - Snapping Like Bones
Green feels death before Yveltal arrives.
Well, to be precise, the pokemon do. Then he does. Green has had it on his back for a few days now and chasing Lysandre down without mercy, which either has dulled him to the sensation of death at his shoulder, or he's just too worn out by the absurdity of the situation to care. But still, he notices it,
But the other pokemon are not dulled; they have never been dulled. They are aware of nature in a way that Green is only just now starting to understand and appreciate now that he's had to do more than rough it, but rough it with monsters. And rough it being chased by death.
Nothing crumbles, though Green feels the train tracks bend and seem to rust, not dying but transcending from a mere wing flap. The hysterical laugh sticks in his throat.
The blue deer - Xerneas, yes xerneas - steps in front of them in a single bound. "Peace," they say. "Peace Yveltal. Judgment is coming. For him, not them. They are children, and it is not their time. We have him. Peace."
"If you underestimate any human and humankind technology after that blasted weapon ate us both, you have lost much in your latest slumber, xerneas." The voice that answers is frayed with simmering rage, boiling hate. "I thought you knew better, comrade."
"I understand plenty," replies xerneas. "And you are correct to be angry. But do not direct your anger at the wrong targets, or you won't have any power left."
"How human of you," says the bird, which sounds like a sneer.
Green wants to know how birds can sneer, but Red's hand is on his wrist, so he shuts his mouth. Xerneas snorts and paws at the earth. Yveltal's responding squawk is quieter, but he settles like a regular flying type, only huge, leaning down to look at them both.
The remaining tiny zygarde cells bounce up and down. Slowly they rose into the air like miniature rockets and flung themselves into the center of the room, towards the doglike form of the zygarde. They form into a sphere covered in scales. It touches the tip of its white nose.
Zygarde howls, and Blue feels the weight of the sound in his bones. Dizziness threatens to overtake him, and he stumbles back. Red catches him with an arm, and Green grunts in thanks. Red nods. He looks at Lysandre. His expression is blank, exhausted. His eyes did not sparkle with life or joy.
In another moment, Green would almost pity him. But his eyes are drawn to the rising serpent-like dragon, black frill starting to shine. It doesn't look at them, but then again, Green can't find their eyes in the first place.
"Children of Pallet Town," intones Xerneas softly. "It is time we advise you to step back."
Green has zero objections to this. He has never objected less to anything in his life. He and Red return their pokemon and run. He doesn't look back at Lysandre and he feels no obligation to.
They can't hear the legends, gods, and words, but they hear Lysandre's laughter and shouts, cutting and breaking. Green wonders if dying makes you lose fear or if it just makes you more desperate, more hungry, more alone. There's the sound of pokemon cries and screeching sounds. Pikachu and eevee lean against their humans.
Finally, when they're far enough away, Red stops running and slumps behind a wall. Green puts his hands on his knees. "this doesn't feel far enough," he wheezes. Red says nothing, just stares off into space. He's not breathing as hard, but then again, he also trains on Mt. Silver on the regular. This is probably nothing.
"I don't think anywhere is far enough," Red says. Green nods.
A lion roars in the distance, and there's a splattering sound, audible in life and in death.
Death, Green thinks, is not gentle nor kind. It is quiet. It is lacking. It is frightening. But it is inevitable. Nothing will stay perfect and beautiful.
"I almost understand the appeal," Green says thoughtfully after a while. Red nods, listening. "In freezing everything in a moment, no one can die, no one will ever change visually, even if their minds break down. But what does that do for the rest of us? For people who are already broken? For people who were already tired? They're stuck in that, forever. And the gods have it the way they do for a reason, surely. So I understand it, but it would never work, would it?"
Red says nothing.
"Imagine us being eleven and fucked up about each other forever, not even friends. Would we even be able to make it better? Would we know how?"
"I think so." Red scoffs, and Green lets out a puffy breath of air.
"You put too much faith in me," Green says with a wan but fond smile.
Red takes a seat, and they listen to the sounds of battle and death. Pikachu and eevee snuggle close. Eevee doesn't shiver, but pikachu wraps his tail around one of Red's wrists and holds it tight.
"You don't put enough faith in me," Red says eventually.
"I didn't then."
"Do you now?"
"Worrying isn't the same as not believing." Green strokes behind one of eevee's furry ears until her breaths are slow and more relaxed. "You got into Rocket, you got into stuff like this, and now we're meeting gods. Next time we're going to Alola together. That should be much easier."
"Together?" Red repeats, flexing the fingers of his free hand.
Green looks at him. "Yes, obviously."
Red hums and looks at the trembling roof of the cave. It won't fall. The gods won't let it fall tonight, but the idea does hold some concern.
Just as the noise is starting to grate on Green's ears, Red says in a voice as gentle as he's ever heard it. "I'm glad we got to grow up."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. I wouldn't want to be a child forever. I like being like this now. And maybe what we'll get to be later. To be the same thing forever, do the same things forever… it doesn't feel like that would be real, in the end."
Green swallows his spit. "Red…"
"To do different things with you, to see different things with you, to experience things until we grow old and die together… I wouldn't mind you and me staying the same."
Green sputters. "Are you hitting on me?"
"Have been for years. Thanks for noticing."
"Is this really the time?"
"We might die against Yveltal today. No better time."
Green feels his mouth work to twist into a smile and a grimace at the same time. "I… guess."
"You can give me an answer whenever, though."
"Red, what the fuck?"
Red laughs, short and sharp, and Green does too, a little bit hysterical. "Of course, I'd like to grow old with you, dumbass."