Yveltal soared through the air, its eyes fixated upon the forest below as it restlessly followed the trail of fairy aura that was still lingering in a few places, the one it belonged to having long moved to another destination again. But it was certain that the bearer of life was still within that forest, for Yveltal could feel its presence nearby as it had undoubtedly stopped at a location that it deemed fit to rest for the time being.

But regardless of where it would go…

Yveltal shifted its head ever so slightly to the motionless form of Calem near its neck as it kept a strong but gentle grip on him to prevent him from falling off, a single eye gazing at his expression.

… it would track it down to the ends of the world if it meant to save him.

And at long last, Yveltal came to a stop once it arrived at a large clearing within the middle of the forest, and its eyes fell upon the one it had seeked. It didn't need to announce its presence, for its counterpart was more than aware of Yveltal's arrival. For a long moment, silence reigned in the air, the only sounds being the flaps of its wings until finally, a voice rang out to it.

"It is a rare occurrence for you to seek me out on your own intention. If so…"

A large flower bed was blooming within the clearing, almost like an undiscovered jewel hidden in the deepest reaches of the forest, a place that was seemingly calling out for the presence of the giver of life as it was surrounded by the pure beauty of nature and its liveliness. And finally, Xerneas turned its head around as it shifted slightly, its antlers reflecting the light of the sun in shimmering colours, before its eyes settled upon Yveltal above.

"... I wonder what it is that you may require from me?"

Unlike Yveltal, Xerneas's voice was light and gentle, carrying with it a soothingness and a sense of calm that could ease even the most distressed individuals, despite the fact that both of their tones left no clear indication of a true gender.

Without a word, Yveltal landed a short distance away from it at the end of the flower bed, both the Death and Life Pokémon meeting in a rare occasion that would normally only occur under the most peculiar conditions.

And even as they stared at each other for a long moment, Xerneas patiently waiting with a slight tilt of its head under Yveltal's unflinching gaze until suddenly, the latter bowed its head in a submissive manner, causing even Xerneas to watch with slightly widened eyes once its voice began to sound as well.

"I need your help…"

Utter silence reigned for another moment as Xerneas all but stared, unsure if it had truly understood the meaning of Yveltal's words. And yet, even after a short while, Yveltal showed no signs of regretting a single word before it slowly but carefully lifted the unmoving form of Calem from its neck and it was then that Xerneas could finally lay eyes upon the being that was the cause of Yveltal's utter desperation. A human…?

Taking a small step forward, Xerneas lowered its head slightly as it gazed at the unresponsive form of the human being in front of it, feeling barely a sliver of life within him. And it was then that it finally understood what Yveltal desired from itself, yet, the Life Pokémon could barely wrap its mind around what it was just experiencing, several questions coursing through its head.

"You seek to return life to him?"

"I will do anything to see his eyes once more, anything you ask of me, demand of me, I will obey if it means that you may help me…"

If Xerneas was not taken aback, it was certainly now the moment these words registered in its mind, for it went against everything that caused Yveltal to be what it was. Never before had it once seen its counterpart act in a remotely similar manner like this, and it was enough for Xerneas to know that it meant every last word of what it had just said. But to bring back a life from the clutches of death, as was the natural cycle of life…

"... you and I both know that it is not for us to decide who may receive a second chance. We cannot interfere."

And within that moment, Yveltal gazed back at Xerneas in a way that revealed its undying resolve and will, rendering the giver of life silent as its voice sounded once more.

"If our positions were reversed, you would do the same if you needed my help…"

Once again, Xerneas was utterly taken aback as it silently regarded its counterpart, until its eyes shifted back upon the human that was lying barely an inch away from Yveltal, almost as if, even now, it refused to let a single distance remain between them, intent to protect him from anything that could harm him. And a single question remained open in its mind…

Yet, Yveltal perked up slightly the moment Xerneas suddenly began to step forward until it was almost in front of Calem, regarding the Death Pokémon briefly for confirmation as it didn't dare to touch him without Yveltal's consent.

"... I will see what I can do…"

And thus, Yveltal allowed it as Xerneas slightly lowered its head until the tip of its mouth touched upon his forehead before it closed its eyes. Silence reigned once more, a moment in which Yveltal watched with barely restrained anxiety and hope, feeling utterly helpless and useless as it could do nothing but stand behind…

"Return to me… please…"

"Where are we going?", Shauna was panting heavily as she tried her best to keep up with Serena, just like Trevor, Tierno and the professor, who were closely following behind. Yet, Serena was not once considering to stop, her eyes solely fixated in front of her as they continued to move through the forest. She had seen it fly away into this direction, and she knew that it had taken Calem away as well.

Never once would she have believed to see one of the two Legendary Pokémon with her own eyes, but under these circumstances, she cared for nothing but to keep moving. The destruction Yveltal had caused was devastating, the power it wielded when it clashed against Zygarde, as well as the fury with which it targeted the tip of the Prism tower… she was certain that Lysandre was there as well.

And she could only imagine what had happened to the Team Flare leader after Yveltal was done. Yet, what could it have possibly wanted from Calem…? Her thoughts were beginning to race as she feared for the worst, her anxiety only fueling her determination as she kept moving forward. Many years ago, when she was still a child, her mother had used to tell her stories about the two Legendary Pokémon. Legends that had captivated her entirely back then…

And in all of those stories and tales, Yveltal was pictured as the ultimate embodiment of death, its hunger and greed endless, for which it was despised by all. Now, after everything she had witnessed, she prayed that Calem would be alright.

She wouldn't be able to forgive herself, not after everything that happened…

A bright glow suddenly began to emanate from Xerneas's antlers, growing in intensity as it focused its aura entirely upon the human. The light expanded upon every single bit of space it could reach, and Yveltal could feel the draining effect of the fairy aura that was surrounding it, but for this once, it utterly ignored it.

All until the bright light finally began to lessen once more, and Xerneas slowly pulled away from Calem before it opened its eyes again. Flowers began to bloom far beyond the flower bed, for the life Xerneas had shared affected even the environment around itself.

And suddenly, a small stir sounded from the human.

A slight pain coursed through his head the moment Calem slowly opened his eyes, albeit he blinked several times to try and adjust to the light. Yet, his confusion was evident in his expression, for the memories were slowly beginning to return to him, and once they did, his eyes widened once a certain being came to his mind.

And it was then that the very same voice sounded within his mind.

"My dearest…"

A gasp escaped him, and before long, Calem slowly turned his head, his eyes meeting the azure gaze of Yveltal. Silence reigned in the air as they gazed at each other, the Death Pokémon slowly, almost carefully lowering its head to convince itself that he was truly alive…

… and without a word, it suddenly placed its head against his own, and Calem witnessed as it slowly closed its eyes, a single wish for contact reflecting in its touch. Placing his hands around its jaws, he silently returned the gesture, causing Yveltal to nudge its head closer against his own, reveling in his presence.

At least, until Calem suddenly realized that somebody was watching them all the while, the deer Pokémon quietly observing the scene in front of it as it merely flicked its short tail at the sight. However, once Calem slowly but hesitantly pulled away, so too did Yveltal open its eyes to look back at the giver of life, a silent and unspoken gratitude reflecting in its azure gaze.

"I believe now you possess a better understanding of how it feels to lose something precious…"

However, the sound of steps approaching from nearby caused both Calem and Yveltal to shift their attention away from the deer Pokémon, the latter sensing no ill will from the humans that were coming their way. And yet, when Calem glanced back at the spot where Xerneas had been standing a mere moment ago, he realized that it was already gone…

It had… granted him new life…?

"Calem!", he perked up at the sound of the voice calling out for him, but the moment he witnessed the steps coming to a stop at the end of the clearing, he could only imagine their expressions. However, Yveltal merely narrowed its eyes ever so lightly at the interruption, keeping its wings around him.

"Calem…?", this time, it was Shauna who had stepped forward as the silence began to stretch, but unlike Serena and the rest of her friends, as well as the professor, she had an entirely different thought in mind.

"We never knew that you were friends with the Legendary Pokémon itself!", breaking the tense silence with a cheerful attitude, it didn't take long until even Tierno began to crack a smile.

"You know, Serena didn't rest for a moment once she witnessed that you were taken away, but by the looks of it…", everyone shifted their eyes towards Serena, who was still standing frozen in place, before Trevor continued in Tierno's stead.

"... I think we had nothing to worry about, thankfully."

Yveltal internally huffed, feeling as though a precious moment was taken away from it. It didn't take the intrusion well, and neither did it enjoy being stared upon by anyone who was not him…

However, after another long moment of contemplation, Serena slowly took a step forward as well, clasping her hands slightly together.

"All the instances where you have wandered off… it was to meet the Legendary Pokémon, wasn't it?", and a smile grew upon her lips at the sight. She was happy for him…

And yet…

Calem returned his attention back to the Legendary, their eyes meeting once again. And a single question lingered on in his mind.

"You have never answered me my question…", a small smile graced his lips the moment he witnessed the slight widening of its eyes. Until suddenly, he was rendered utterly silent once it gave him a lick against his cheek.

"All I see within you… is your care… your kindness… all of which you have willingly been giving to me, regardless of what I am. And that is all I will ever want from you, what I have learned to cherish in our time together… I want it to myself."

And before Calem could even form a single word to reply, several images suddenly began to course through his mind.

…

"I don't want to feel this way… of not having something that…", words failed him in that moment before the voice in his head sounded even more gentle than before.

"Ah, do not feel ashamed about these feelings. Even so, you have no need to feel this way…"

His eyes shifted ever so slightly to glance at Yveltal in confusion, its gaze not leaving him.

"You do have-"

…

Just as the final image faded away in front of his mental eye, its voice purred in his mind once more.

"There is no need to feel envious… you do have me."

Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: Thank you for leaving your thoughts on every single chapter! It is always appreciated.

Viperclaw14: That's one of the best things for me to see, I'm glad I could achieve the intended effect!

Guest: I'm glad you liked it.

The Brutal Legend: I'm grateful as always! I hope to continue to make it as heartfelt as possible, especially now.