Prompt: The consequences of recruiting a legendary pokemon.
It was another day of fruitless searching.
Another day of lost sleep, the headache having reached its peak and slamming the inside of his head and an ever growing urge to just snap.
If it wasn't for his two companions next to him, being by his side, he probably would have.
He appreciated the little one because she was as desperate to find the two as he was, albeit for slightly different reasons.
He appreciated the pink one for the aura of calmness she constantly emitted, even if she was hiding what seemed to be an unending hatred towards him.
He had accepted that, because he had noticed a similar hatred buried deep within himself for some reason. He brushed that feeling away once more as they entered the outer limits of Treasure Town, back home to relax.
"Mifi, Cresselia."
A small wall of pokemon greeted his companions before glaring daggers straight through him.
"Darkrai..." one of them said, poison dripping from every syllable.
"Oh, for the love of..." Darkrai grumbled to himself. "Can we please NOT do this today. I feel like I'm going insane..." He rubbed his forehead, the pain inside his skull not helping the situation.
"Then just bring them back." A scowl plastered on Drillburs face. "You were the last to see them, so stop pretending and just bring them back!"
"If I knew where they were, then why would I run around so-"
"STOP LYING!" Marill interrupted him. "You wanted to get rid of them, and now you have, so stop acting like you care!" The blue mouse's words went straight through Darkrai, stabbing his heart like a thousand tiny needles.
Despite how much he wanted to deny it, just as with Cresselia, there was something deep down that was happy that they were gone.
Something from his past which no-one had actually bothered bringing up with him. All the two ever told him was that he is not the same pokemon that he once was, and should not be judged by his past self's actions.
'If only these saw it the same way…' he thought to himself.
Cresselia was worse however, refusing to talk to him about their shared past, and spend as little time with him as need be.
"I don't..." He wasn't sure what to say. What does one say to an irrationally angry mob? He rubbed his forehead again.
"Leave uncle Darkrai alone." the manaphy called out. "He has been as desperate to find momma and papa as I am!"
Her words didn't seem to reach the group, as they started to yell at Darkrai, about how horrible and evil he was, how he should go die or face eternal torment.
"Quiet..." he whispered as his headache grew stronger.
They obviously didn't hear him, and he repeated, louder. "Quiet!"
They continued their onslaught, and for each comment his headache grew worse.
More and more pain filled his head, as an odd feeling of Deja vu hit and grew in tandem with the pain.
Mifi had apparently noticed and asked the group to stop, once again, but to no avail.
Even Cresselia could see that something was wrong, but apparently didn't want to interject.
He looked at Marill and remembered how he sent his brother into a painful nightmare. He turned to Cresselia and remembered the years of fighting between them. He looked at the ground and remembered the years of solitude and malicious planning to make everyone suffer as he had.
He started to cackle as he gathered up energy for an attack. He remembered everything, and as he did, he removed his hand from his forehead.
"QUIET!" He yelled out, his attack sending the group prone on the dirt, still laughing as he ominously approached them.
He looked back to see Cresselia realize what had happened, but thankfully for him, Mifi seemed to be on his side. He was hovering in front of the group, towering over them as he could see the fear in their eyes.
"Why are you afraid?" He asked them, his voice filled with evil contempt. "Wasn't this what you asked for?" he chuckled. "The evil Darkrai to doom you in a never-ending nightmare? The monstrous schemer who wants the world thrown into everlasting darkness? ISN'T THIS WHAT YOU SAY I AM?!"
He could hear Mifi and Cresselia struggle behind him.
He picked up Marill. "Look how easy I could toss you aside. By the snap of my finger, I can kill ALL of you."
He then carefully put the water type down and helped the others back up on their feet as well.
"But I won't. That is not who I am." He returned to his normal way of speaking. "That monster was alone and turned down a dark path. I, on the other hand, got a few friends and became an uncle."
He turned to Mifi who was giving him a bright smile.
"And right now, my friends are missing." he sighed. "So please, don't make this harder on me."
The group moved aside as Darkrai hovered into town, trying to sort everything, with Mifi happily following her uncle.
Meanwhile Cresselia stood with the group, a feeling of guilt building up within her.
"I didn't hurt them too badly, did I?" Darkrai asked as he could hear Cresselia hovering down the stairs into the home of Talon, Spike and Mifi.
"Barely a scratch on them." she replied quietly. "I am impressed with the restraint."
"I've had some practice." He looked across the ocean as the sun was setting.
"And you remember?"
"Everything." He turned around to face his old nemesis. "But not in the same way as I remember how I ran into the two. The screams of Talon as she saw me for the first time after... that. My old memories are more like... a nightmare I have just woken up from."
"That is, reassuring?" Cresselia wasn't sure if that was the appropriate word, but the point came across.
"Also, next time, listen to the kid. She is in tune with others' hearts."
Cresselia just nodded. "So, Darkrai... Don't know if it's too late, but I want to chat with you. Get to know you again. Become another... friend." She struggled with that last word.
"Of course." Darkrai replied. "Never too late for second chances. That is what the two of them have taught me."
AN: Darkrai would end up regaining his memories in every Explorers timeline I have running, but for the nexus ones, it went about this way.
Also, first application of a story that is canon to Nexus, with no relation to the Nexus, aside from why characters were doing something (searching for those who got sent to the Nexus). I haven't written another of these kinds of stories yet, IIRC, but like many other things, I want to.
