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Chapter 94
Anomaly
Zekra sat at an empty table within the mess hall the following evening, gazing idly at the celebrating Pokémon within the room. She could clearly see so many of them eating at various tables that Len and Crystelle helped to set up, eating delicious foods that the cooks had kindly prepared. Everyone was smiling and chatting amongst one another, though talking about what, Zekra didn't know. Despite her sensitive hearing, she couldn't understand what anyone was saying. Everyone's voices seemed to jumble up together, making a mesh of muffled voices that held no meaning.
Everyone clearly seemed happy and quite enjoying the celebration. She could smell the wonderful aromas rising from all the foods wafting from the kitchen and from everyone's plates. And yet she could not feel the slightest prick of energy or the urge to smile.
All she felt was emptiness. She could not even will herself to eat the large, juicy steak sitting before on a plate.
To her, the food might as well have been piles of manure with all of the Pokémon nothing but mangled, oozing corpses that stank of decay just like the ones that lined the Fellowship's halls a day earlier.
Zekra had not slept last night. She had tried to. She had forced her eyes shut and made her mind wander off, but she couldn't dive deep into the dream world. Her mind had wanted to remain deeply rooted in reality, refusing to rest. She could barely keep her eyes closed for five minutes before she could tolerate the darkness behind her eyelids no more.
So in the end, she had given up trying to rest. She only retreated from her spot amongst the spire, taking extra care not to alert the dragon that still sat before the slumbering Rayquaza, and crept back into the Fellowship. Then, after she had made sure that Len and Crystelle were both asleep in their separate rooms, she removed every single body from the castle.
There were some bodies that were quite heavy, such as Lairon or Rhydon. There were also bodies that when she had tried to drag them away, they came apart and spilled all of their intestines onto the floor, creating even more of a putrid, bloody mess. However, no matter how gruesome or challenging the sight, Zekra was able to bring every single body to the very courtyard where she had last seen Yimtri in his Sableye form. She dragged each and every one of them there with an apathetic stare, not even once cringing or reeling back in disgust at the horrendous conditions so many of the bodies were in. No matter how much blood was pooled around their bodies, how many faces had been mutilated to make the Pokémon unrecognizable, how horrendously the gastric acids filled the air with their scent, or the terrified and begging expressions forever frozen to every single identifiable face, Zekra did not react in the slightest.
She had only brought every corpse to the courtyard and threw them into a great, big pile. By the time she had gathered all of the corpses, it was hundreds of Pokémon large, innards and blood trickling down the hill of bodies like rainwater.
Zekra remembered that she didn't even hesitate to set the grotesque sight on fire.
She had not plugged her nose as she watched the flesh upon everyone's bodies become charred a deep black. Zekra had not closed her eyes as smoke and ash filled the air around her, casting her in a hazy world of burning death with the melting faces being the only thing she could identify amongst it all.
Zekra had stared back at those faces, those faces that lacked eyes and had only black holes with pale flesh oozing into them. She had watched them burn before her, keeping them company as everyone slowly became a massive pile of blackened bones and fur.
She remembered that she could not even will herself to feel pity for all of these lost lives.
She had stayed until the fire died completely, but she had found that not all of the bodies had been reduced to ash. Some of the Pokémon, particularly the rock and steel-types, had survived the fire and were now nothing but red-hot corpses. For those, Zekra remembered simply throwing them into the dungeon after their bodies had cooled.
After that had happened, Zekra then scrubbed the floors and walls of blood and other remnants of the corpses. Then after she had finished that menial task, she had simply waited for Len and Crystelle to awaken. Once they had, she helped them set up for the celebration that was to happen later in the day. They of course had wondered what had happened to all of the bodies and why Zekra stank of death, but it only took a jovial remark from Zekra herself for them to understand she had taken care of everything. They had been surprised, as it had been a large task for one Pokémon, but Zekra had said it wasn't a challenge. It had required no effort for her. She could barely recall all the work.
She had not been lying.
Even now, Zekra could barely remember gathering up all of those corpses and setting them aflame. The same could be said about helping Len and Crystelle gather the volunteers to cook and decorating the interior the castle for the great celebration.
It seemed to be nothing more than a dream to her.
Everything could have been a dream for all Zekra knew. All of her memories felt hazy and disorganized, and she wasn't sure what was real and what wasn't. She knew that she had been a Zorua at one point, living with her parents and spent time with her friends. She could remember that. That was a concrete foundation of Zekra's reality. However, everything other than that was far less concrete. Had her brother been living with her, or had he left? And if so, when had he left? She had friends, but what exactly had she done with them? And what had she even wanted to do after she became a Zoroark like her brother?
Then of course there was the Plagued Ones. She knew that they had struck her town and taken everyone except her. Of course she knew that. She could still see their otherworldly eyes closing in on her as she backed toward the edge of that cliff. But that was the only other true, concrete memory within her mind that she knew to be undeniable truth. Everything other than that became increasingly blurry, even more so than her peaceful life with her parents.
She felt like she had been on a Fellowship team once with a number of Pokémon. She could even recall their names. There was Syn and Impetus and Novus. And then there was Terron. Terron… was special. She thought that she loved him and always cherished the days that they spent together, even amongst all their arguing she could so vaguely recall.
But they were all gone now. For ambiguous reasons she couldn't recall quite clearly, they were all gone. And she wasn't in the Fellowship anymore. And yet, here she was, sitting in the Fellowship with a Fellowship leader treating her with a great deal of respect.
There were other memories in her mind that could have been real. There was a place called Erebus Woods and nearly dying a number of times to a Sableye. There was something about spending time with a Greninja that watched over her, Novus, and Terron. There was a wonderful time when Terron and Zekra were mates and loved each other with all their hearts. There were also two times when she threw herself off some cliffs and failed to kill herself both times.
A good amount of memories were also saturated in blood. Sometimes it was from other Pokémon that Zekra killed while hunting. Sometimes it was blood from civilian Pokémon that Zekra had murdered. Other times it was Zekra's own blood, sometimes with flashes of black tentacles.
She also had memories of Len introducing her to a crowd of Pokémon, stating that she had also helped him kill something called a Primogenitor and was not dead after all. She could hear the cheer from the crowd as well as see the confused glances some shot her when they gazed at her strange, demented appearance.
None of them seemed real, quite honestly. Nothing she saw in her head seemed like something that had occurred in her life, even if she knew that some of the memories were real.
It was all so surreal and unbelievable.
"Hey, your name is Zekra, right?"
Zekra snapped out of her dreary daze and found her vision focusing in on a Glaceon standing before her table. For just a brief second, Zekra thought she knew this Glaceon. She thought she had seen him long ago, hiding from him when he had tried to kill her for a reason she couldn't recall. She saw his piercing eyes glimmering with a sinister red as he stalked through the night. She could remember cowering against a large boulder, praying that he would not spot her.
That's a fake memory.
It was with this thought that Zekra realized she didn't know this Glaceon. The supposed memories that had manifested themselves before her were nothing more than fever dreams.
Zekra straightened herself and plastered a smile onto her face before gazing down at the Glaceon. He seemed to be watching her with a cautious, almost shy gaze. Not only that, but he seemed quite younger than the Glaceon her mind had conjured up.
"Hi," Zekra said, setting her claws on the table before her. "I'm Zekra alright."
"H-Hi Zekra," the Glaceon said, seemingly resisting the urge to look away from her. "I had a… a question I wanted to ask you, if it's alright with you."
"Sure, go ahead," Zekra replied, widening her smile. "Ask me anything."
"Okay. Well. Are you really a Plagued One like Len says you are? I mean… I understand if you don't want to talk about it or anything, but it's just that Len said that you are even though all of the Plagued Ones are g-"
"Yeah. I'm a Plagued One. He wasn't lying."
Zekra watched the Glaceon's expression carefully. She noticed the subtle changes in his facial expressions, like the dilating of his pupils, the split second that he backed away, and the claws sliding out of his paws. She could even hear the beat of his heart quicken from within his chest. However, she made no mention of them and continued observing the Glaceon in silence, waiting to see how he would react to her words.
"So um… I know that this might be personal, so you don't have to answer this if you don't want to," the Glaceon then said, fidgeting for a moment. "But um… what's it like being a Plagued One? I um… I'm curious."
Zekra felt a hint of a genuine smile creep into her façade. It had been quite a while since someone had asked her that and did not intend to kill her.
"It's really not that different from how you feel," Zekra explained softly. "Even though the Fellowship told everybody that the plague makes you a monster, it doesn't actually. You just feel a lot stronger. Like… do you remember what it felt like to evolve?"
"Yeah," the Glaceon said with a small nod. "You… you feel like you have more energy. You can hear and see everything more clearly. And… you feel a lot bigger and stronger. You don't feel as weak. Some things that hurt you before don't as much anymore."
"Yeah. Well, being a Plagued One is just like that," Zekra replied. "But it's more than that too. When you become a Plagued One… when you synchronize with your shadow… you get more powers that aren't normal. Like I'm immortal. You can cut my head off, and I'll just reattach it to my neck or just grow a new one. Or I can make all of my illusions real and actually hurt you instead of having it all be in your head."
"I see," the Glaceon said quietly. "But… what is this synchronize thing with your shadow thing? I know that the plague connects to your souls. I know that it drown… drowns out your soul and takes over from there. I know there's a process and that's why almost everyone in Dusk Mines is still alive instead of dead like all those other Plagued Ones. But I thought… I know you said that you're synchronized with your shadow. What is that? Is that why you're still a Plagued One when all the others are gone?"
"Your shadow is pretty much everything you hate about yourself," Zekra explained, resisting the urge to smile dryly. "The plague latches onto that side of everyone and it uses that to take over them. But… I was lucky. I figured out my shadow or plague or whatever you want to call it just wanted to help me. It took a long time to figure out for a lot of stupid reasons, but I did, and we synchronized. And that's basically where we become one. That's… that's where I stop telling my shadow to go away and that I hate it. That's when I accept my shadow and stop ignoring everything that it tells me, no matter how much it hurts or how much I don't want to listen to it. I start understanding why it's talking to me and become friends with it.
"And when you synchronize… that's when you get the strength and power beyond your wildest dreams. Beyond what I've already told you about. It's like you evolve into a whole other being."
The Glaceon nodded. Zekra felt her urge to smile disappear, but still kept it plastered to her muzzle. She could feel her mind rebelling against her, telling her it was tired of pretending, but Zekra only retaliated by saying it would just be for a few minutes longer. If it went on any longer, she would simply conjure up an illusion of her smiling before the Glaceon and revert back into her blank state from beneath the disguise.
"You say… you synchronized with your shadow," the Glaceon said carefully. "That's not the first time I've heard about that. Some others… some Dusk Mines Pokémon I tried to talk to about the plague said you were synchronized too. They said you're the only synchronized Pokémon in the whole world. They think… they feel that you're the only Plagued One left because of that."
Zekra didn't say anything. However, she did have to create an illusion of her smiling, for she could take it no longer. She was fairly confident that the Glaceon hadn't even noticed that she had switched out her real face with the illusion's.
"But I guess there's something that I've been wondering about, since you're synchronized," the Glaceon went on, staring at Zekra with earnest. "You… you say that you're one with your plague. Your dark thoughts and everything you hate about yourself. How… How do you live with that? How do… do you deal with all of those thoughts that come up in your mind that seem to hate you? It's already pretty bad for those of us who aren't plagued, but you're saying that you're friends with it because you synchronized. What does that do to you? How do… how does that affect you? Do you ever feel influenced to do bad things because of it?"
"How do I live… with that," Zekra repeated slowly, drawing out each word as long as she could.
"Yeah. Doesn't it… don't all of those bad thoughts make things hard for you?" the Glaceon clarified. "Because some of the Dusk Mines Pokémon said it made things hard to deal with, but you seem so… so happy really. Like you're not even plagued at all."
"Because I am happy," Zekra replied as she glared at the Glaceon from behind her illusion. "These 'bad' thoughts that I get aren't really all that bad. They're just… different. They're just my other side's way of wanting to do things. Sometimes the thoughts are pretty bad and you could call some of them evil… but most of the time they're not. They're just my shadow's way of wanting to help me with problems."
"And… they don't make you want to attack everyone like the other Plagued Ones used to?"
"No. They're just thoughts I've always had. They're only thoughts that I didn't want to have. Everyone has those thoughts. But I don't push them away like everyone else. Because when you push them away and tell your shadow how evil it is, it just gets mad and starts fighting with you. And it won't back down either. It's really persistent and the two of you are just going to keep going around in circles. You'll get exhausted real fast from all the arguing and you'll finally give up after a while and let your shadow win. But now it's going to make you do stupid things because it's so angry thanks to all the fighting.
"So instead of letting that happen, I listen to the thoughts. I understand why they're there and then they leave me be. And after a while, you start to realize… your shadow really isn't as scary as you think it is. It's not some demon living inside of you that wants to make life hard on you.
"It's only scary because you want it to be."
Zekra observed the Glaceon carefully behind her cheerful illusion. She could see how though he seemed to be making an effort to understand Zekra's words, his scowl was only growing more and more uncomfortable. His tail was tucked between his legs and she could see how much he resisted folding his ears back.
"Being synchronized with my shadow isn't doesn't hurt me or make my life more difficult," Zekra said dryly. "I know you must think I synchronized with a monster, but it's nothing like that. I'm just not scared of my own thoughts anymore. I'll admit that quite a lot of them can be violent. I remember I used to have a lot of cravings to kill Pokémon out in the wild. I used to want to attack anyone that was hurting my feelings. I even wanted to kill someone because he wouldn't be mates with me."
The Glaceon cringed at the sound of that, but Zekra couldn't feel the sting of regret shoot through her heart. In truth, she couldn't feel anything at all.
Zekra removed her illusion, allowing the Glaceon to see her true, impassive expression.
"But having all of those thoughts doesn't make me a monster," Zekra went on. "I know that they're just thoughts that I don't have to obey. They're my shadow's thoughts, my thoughts that I could maybe follow if I was still a wild Pokémon. My thoughts that only want to help me in their own unique way. And that's why I'm not afraid of them. That's why you shouldn't be afraid of your own shadow's thoughts as well."
The Glaceon nodded slowly, but not out of understanding.
"Alright. Thank you for answering my questions, Zekra," the Glaceon said meekly. "I… I hope that I didn't bother you with them."
"You didn't," Zekra said blankly. "You didn't bother me with anything… just don't forget what I said. Don't forget what Len said last night either."
The Glaceon gave another nod, and then wandered away. Zekra watched him retreat to a table in the corner of the mess hall where a Scizor and Staraptor. They both gave a small cheer as he sat at their table and spoke amongst the two, which Zekra quickly deduced were his teammates. Even from her distance she could hear him talking to them about the conversation he had just had with her and her strange, uncanny words. His friends seemed to share the same sentiment as him, finding that they understood the meaning of Zekra's words, but still found them to be rather unsettling.
Zekra got up from her seat not long afterwards. She abandoned her plate of meat and retreated to the nearest courtyard, no longer wanting to be in the presence of the three or anyone else for that matter. She had a compelling urge to be alone and she saw no reason to disobey it.
However, in the end, her efforts were futile, for the courtyard seemed even more crowded than the mess hall. It was perhaps the largest courtyard in the entire castle, this one holding a great bonfire in the very center of it. Dozens and dozens of Pokémon gathered around it and socialized, whether it was in the form of telling stories or by playing games. Zekra saw a small amount of Pokémon not much younger than her running around the fire, chasing one another with gleeful smiles or frolicking about merrily. The older Pokémon, the ones that she knew to be veterans of the Fellowship, sat around and seemed to be ingesting berry drinks that stung Zekra's nose and made her head swim.
Zekra snorted, ridding the scent of the juice and smoke from her nostrils, and then turned back to the mess hall. It seemed that she would have to find somewhere else for peace and quiet. She knew that the rest of the courtyards would undoubtedly be filled with Pokémon, and the same could probably be said for the interior of the castle. There was at least one Pokémon infesting just about every single room in the castle for a wide variety of reasons. If Zekra wanted any form of solitude, she needed to go somewhere no Pokémon would dare reside.
She had to retreat into the dungeon, where only the corpses that would not burn remained.
Zekra knew that she could have left the Fellowship entirely, but she couldn't quite put up the effort to transform into a Skarmory and fly away. She felt rooted to the Fellowship, trapped in the form of a land creature out of sheer lethargy. But Zekra did not fret. No one would bother her in the dungeon. No one would dare go down there where so many were once tortured for days on end until Len had freed them all.
But just as to disappear from the bonfire, she saw someone familiar in the corner of her. She stopped herself and brought her full gaze to the sight, and quickly discovered that it was Rem.
Rem was standing quite close to the bonfire, his hide glimmering from the orange glow of the flames. Many Pokémon of all ages and types were gathered around him, whether they were from Dusk Mines or from the other Fellowships, and asked him questions. They were humble before the great dragon of course, bowing their heads and keeping their voices low, but they would not hesitate to ask him what was on their minds. They asked him who he was and why he was no longer Reshiram, if he really had helped Len, Crystelle, and Zekra defeat the Primogenitor, and more insignificant questions such as what elements he was now that he was an amalgamation of three dragons and what it felt like to be three Pokémon at once. All of the Pokémon were quite eager to know all of this information and poorly concealed their obvious zest, something that made Zekra want to roll her eyes. And yet, with great and divine patience, Rem answered every single one of the questions as honestly as he could, prompting awed gasps from the crowd before him.
It was not long after Zekra noticed him, however, that the divine dragon also caught sight of her. When his eyes locked onto hers, he ushered the Pokémon surrounding him away with a motion of a wing. And though there was an unanimous sigh of disappointment, all of the Pokémon did as instructed and let the dragon be as he made his way over to Zekra. The Zoroark craned her head up as the dragon drew closer to her until he was only a few feet before her.
"Ah, Zekra. There you are," Rem said with a bright smile. "You had disappeared shortly after Len announced the beginning of the festivities."
"Well not really," Zekra said blandly. "I just went to the eating place. You just didn't come with."
"I suppose not," Rem agreed with a dismissive shrug. "Regardless, I am glad to see you once more. It would have been quite unfortunate if I had not been able to see you one last time."
Zekra shot the dragon a confused frown. However, before she could make sense of the mumbling thoughts slowly entering her mind, Rem's joyous smile weakened.
"I spoke with Rayquaza last night when all of you were fast asleep long into the night," Rem began, softening his voice. "He is quite well despite the injuries that were inflicted upon him the other day and he and I had a wonderful talk despite not seeing each other for what I believe has been centuries. It was quite lovely to speak to him again before he went on his way, declaring that he would reclaim his home in the sky he left behind so long ago. However… his departure conjured up a thought in my mind. A thought that Reshiram and Zekrom held that drove their existence and now resurfaces within my own mind."
"And what kind of thought is that?" Zekra asked.
"At the very beginning of existence, before time ever flowed and when the chaos that was the universe churned without cease throughout the infinities, the creator was born," Rem began as he turned his head and stared off into the sky night sky, gazing at the galaxies so far away. "From the moment he existed, he desired order and life amongst the chaotic yet lifeless world. And thus, he created us godly beings to fulfil the task for him. He crafted our bodies from the energy of the universe all around him, masterfully weaving the stardust and matter drifting through the endless space into a physical form that soon became our bodies. When our bodies were complete, he then breathed his essence into us, crafting our souls.
"The moment we awoke, he gave each of us a purpose that he engraved deep into our minds. A sole reason of existence, one could call it.
"For Dialga and Palkia, it was to shape time and space respectively, making the very galaxies, planets, and dimensions that countless lives could inhabit. For Kyogre and Groudon, it was to fill the planets they were cast upon with water and land to support life, all the while Rayquaza was there to keep the both of them in check. Xerneas and Yveltal were to introduce the cycle of life and death that all of you mortals are victim to.
"It was this way for every godly being the creator brings life to. We were given a purpose, and we were to fulfill that purpose. It is what drives our immortal existence since the moment we are born and what will continue to be our impetus until time ends. I am no exception.
"My purpose is to guard this very planet we both stand upon. I am its divine protector. I am the one to quell the mortal legendaries' rage when it is great threat the mortals, the one to put the other circles of balancing godly beings in check when they fail to do themselves, the one to prevent the absolute destruction of this planet when its time to expire has not yet come.
"There is a guardian for every planet brimming with life in the endless galaxies of our existence, though we are of different species and of different names. Not a single one of us is alike. However, in the end, we are all the same. We are the planet's guardian and we do everything in our power to protect it at all costs. Sometimes we protect the planet by ourselves and decimate the threat within seconds. Other times we summon creatures from other worlds or dimensions when our sheer power alone cannot stop them. For instance, I do recall that on some far away planets, the guardians of particular worlds have summoned humans to their worlds of Pokémon to stop abominations that no Pokémon can truly harm.
"Regardless, I was unable to fulfill my duty for far too long. For far too many reasons, I was unable to fulfill my divine purpose and left this planet to become swallowed up by my own shadow. However, it is finally over. All of my fragments have been restored to their former glory, and have rejoined to bring me back to life. My very shadow has been quelled and has been returned to its rightful place within my soul.
"Thus, I believe I should resume my role as the guardian over the land I was created to protect, now that the destruction I wrought has been eliminated. There will always be threats that threaten shatter the planet before its proper time, and I must be there to stop them."
For a moment, Zekra said nothing. All she could do was stare up at the great dragon's solemn eyes, waiting to see if he had anything more to say. However, he did not speak further. He only brought his gaze back to Zekra and cast her a gentle smile.
"So you want to leave," Zekra finally said after a small pause. "You want to go fly around Shiron and stop any huge problems from happening like you did hundreds of years ago."
"Yes, but I will not be protecting only Shiron," Rem clarified. "I will be protecting Kuron was well. They are both my worlds, and I cannot neglect one for the other."
"Can't you just split into Reshiram and Zekrom again like you did before?" Zekra asked pointedly. "That way, you can be in two places at once again."
Rem's smile seemed to brighten a small amount as he let out a short laugh. He attempted to subdue it so that it might not rock the very ground that the two stood upon, but it still rattled in Zekra's mind even after his bellowing ceased.
"I considered that," Rem confessed. "I know that it would certainly require less energy to guard the two dimensions as fragments. Then also, if I could stay here as the fragment that grew quite fond of you over these past few months. I would not be able to spend as much time with you as I once did when masquerading as a mortal, but I could perhaps visit you on occasions.
"But alas, splitting apart is no longer possible. I must forever remain as Rem, the amalgamation of Kyurem, Reshiram, Zekrom, and my shadow."
Zekra let another moment of silence pass between them. It took her a moment to even process what he was saying.
"Why can't you split apart anymore?" Zekra asked hollowly.
"I am not terribly sure myself," Rem admitted. "I attempted fragmenting not long after Rayquaza departed, but my body would simply not obey. It wanted to remain in this whole form. However… if I must ponder in the reasoning behind this, I believe that it might because of my synchronization with my shadow.
"Perhaps because it clings to my very soul now, my soul cannot divide into separate creatures. It might not have the ability to divide itself evenly amongst Reshiram and Zekrom. Of course, I can never know the true reason, but this is what I believe."
"I see," Zekra said, bowing her head. "So… I guess that means we have to say goodbye to each other then. We're not going to see each other for who knows how long."
Another companion of hers was going away now. Another Pokémon she had grown attached to after al these months was leaving her life now.
She should have expected this. She should have known deep down it was going to be this way. However, she hadn't. Perhaps she had been in too much of a vapid haze to even consider that Rem couldn't remain in her life anymore.
"Yes, you are correct," Rem said with a deep sigh. "I will make an effort to visit you whenever I am in your particular area of Shiron, but any immediate dangers that are present through the dimensions might heavily influence how often I visit."
"Rem… it's okay," Zekra said, forcing herself to smile. "I get it. You've got to go back to being a guardian again. It's… it's your calling. I get that. I can't just force you to ignore it. It would be great to have you around still, but you don't have to worry about me. I'll be okay on my own."
"Are you quite sure, Zekra?" Rem asked. "I do not mean to open up closing wounds, but you have lost many of your companions. In the time I knew them as Reshiram, I remember that you were very fond of all of them and were quite close. And though I will admit that I cannot completely grasp your pain because I am no longer Reshiram, I know you must miss them dearly. My departure certainly must not be making anything easier for you. Perhaps you would like me to stay with you for a while longer? The lands of Kuron and Shiron could perhaps wait for just a while longer to have their guardian return to them…"
"No Rem, I'm fine," Zekra said, quickly shaking her head. "I mean… it's true that I lost a lot of friends. I do miss them. And it's going to hurt knowing that you're going away too now. But I'm not alone. I've got Len and Crystelle still here. They're both still alive and well. And so are Crystelle's parents. You know that they're always going to be there for me.
"So don't worry about me, Rem. You go do what you have to do. Protect this world so that we don't have another catastrophe again. I'll be okay."
Rem cast his sad smile down upon Zekra and held a moment of silence between them. Zekra forced herself to smile back even though she wanted to do nothing more than stare blankly into the sky above them.
She would miss Rem after he left to watch over Shiron and Kuron. There was no denying that. She had known him for so long and the thought that she would be losing yet another companion did make the emptiness in Zekra's heart grow.
However, it did not break her heart. Her heart had already been broken when she discovered what had become of Terron and Yimtri. A fracture had formed so deep and so wide that she wasn't sure if her heart would ever heal. She did not know if she would ever feel anything more than the vaguest sense of stinging in her heart ever again.
Rem breathed a deep sigh, snapping Zekra out of her dreary thoughts.
"Very well then, Zekra," he spoke. "If you insist that you will be alright, then I will choose to trust you."
The dragon brought his gaze to the sky, and then outstretched both of his great wings.
"Oh, you're going to go now?" Zekra asked.
"Yes. There is no more need of me here amongst this celebration," Rem confirmed as he looked back down upon the puny Zoroark. "I have spoken to as many Pokémon as I can and have answered many of their perplexing questions. They will surely spread the information amongst one another, soothing any troubling thoughts that I could have alleviated."
"Oh, okay," Zekra said, nodding slowly. "Well then… goodbye, Rem. Thanks… thanks for helping all of us defeat the Primogenitor. We really couldn't have done it without you."
"The same for you," Rem said with a beaming smile. "I could not have understood what my shadow has wanted all this time without your insightful words. Without you, all of us would have perished within that ghastly dimension. And for that, I am eternally grateful. But most of all…
"Thank you for the time that you spent with me when I was Reshiram. Though they were quite arduous times and I could not tell any of you who I was for so long, I never once wished to be detached from it. Life was less lonely within your presence regardless of the circumstances. Though fleeting compared to my time as a deity, I quite enjoyed my time when I was amongst you mortals and masquerading as one of you. I will forever cherish the companionship and beauty that can only be found in your mundane and ephemeral existence.
"Farewell, my blighted friend. Until our paths cross once more."
And with that, the great dragon took off and flew into the distance like a shooting star. A great gale swept through the vicinity, causing many Pokémon within the area to be blown back into walls. However, it was only fleeting, for they quickly righted themselves up and watched the great dragon leave behind the Fellowship with great cries of awe.
Zekra didn't say a word as she watched Rem's grey outline swoop into the darkness of the world, becoming one with it as he melted into the black. She did not even smile even as everyone else walloped and shouted cries of gratitude, as if somehow realizing that this was the last time they would see him as well.
Before long, the great guardian disappeared completely, his glorious and divine image nothing more than an afterthought. Everyone resumed their celebrations and carried on as if nothing had happened. Life continued onward, as it always did.
But not for Zekra. Time did not move forward, nor did her heart. Everything around her only continued to lose meaning. The voices echoing of the many Pokémon became only further muffled and incoherent. The darkness of the night lulled her. Being within the presence of others became very similar to swimming in a toxic swamp.
There was no returning to a normal life for Zekra.
All she could do was turn away from the sky and retreat back inside of the castle without a single word.
Zekra found herself in the dungeon within a few short moments. She could only vaguely recall the walk down the Fellowship's winding and elongated halls, passing by various Pokémon who were either slumbering away from exhaustion or simply talking amongst one another. She was sure that no one had paid her any mind. She couldn't recall anyone making note of her.
Or perhaps she hadn't cared enough to take notice of what other Pokémon were thinking. Zekra wasn't sure. She only knew that she had found a trap door that led to the dungeon sometime later and opened it up before plunging deep into the darkness.
It was damp and cool within the black that filled the dungeon. As she had suspected, no one inhabited the dungeon except for the corpses that Zekra had thrown down there the previous night. They did not reek as much as the fleshy corpses had, but something within them still rotted away, letting the scent of death linger in the air. However, the smell did not tickle or sting Zekra's nose. She had grown far used to this smell.
Zekra released a deep sigh as she settled herself against a wall near one of the now vacant prison cells and slumped her head back. This far down beneath the castle, she could not hear the celebrations of the night. All was quiet around her.
All she could hear were her own thoughts, echoing softly in her mind.
I did it.
I actually stopped the Plagued Ones like I wanted to. Even after getting plagued, having the Pokémon I trusted turn on me, losing my way too many times, getting into so many stupid fights with my teammates, nearly dying and actually dying so much, evolving, and fighting things I never should have been able to win against, I did it.
I saved the world from the Primogenitor's reign. I stopped so many Pokémon from dying by realizing what the Primogenitor really wanted. I actually made it to the end despite everything. I won this long and draining battle that feels like it's been going on for years.
Not everyone can do that. Not everybody can actually say that they've seen all of the stuff I've been through and be able to tell everyone about it. I'm sure a lot of Pokémon would have given up a long time ago if they were me. Probably when I got kicked out of the Fellowship. I remember how horrible that felt. Being kicked out of a place that you devoted so much of our life and energy to, and then having to slog through all that monotony afterwards… If Tear wasn't there with me, I'm sure I would have given up. I probably would have sat in Lyra and Frazil's house and never even think about going back to Shiron. I would just stay there while the Primogenitor kept infesting Shiron.
Or maybe they would have given up after I got plagued. That was… that was a real shock. I'll never forget how I felt. The idea that I was becoming the very thing I hated made me angry. And sad. And confused. And hopeless. All those things…
Or maybe they would have even given up the second they saw Erebus Woods. Maybe at that point, they would have realized that something really wrong was going on and wanted no part of it anymore. They'd probably abandon their quest to kill all the Plagued Ones right there if they saw that demon forest. They would have seen reality's true face right there and not the happy façade that it was wearing when they first decided to fight back against the Plagued Ones.
I should be proud that I made it to the end. I should be proud that I actually stayed strong and kept going forward even when things got in the way. I should be happy that some Pokémon think I'm a hero now because I stopped the Primogenitor. I should be happy that the world is okay again and that I can live in it just like everybody else.
So then why…
Why do I feel so empty? Why is all of my hard work and all of the struggles I went through nothing but blurry memories? Why do I feel like this was all a waste of my time?
"We both know why, Zekra. There's really no point in asking why."
For the first time, Zekra's heart jolted in panic. She snapped out of her daze and hurriedly cast her eyes toward the source of the voice. What she saw nearly made her cringe back.
It was a Zorua lying on the ground only a few feet away from her, resting its head atop its paws. It cast her a sideways glance glimmering with a knowing look that seemed almost smug. However, it did not take Zekra long to see the long frown stretched across its muzzle, making the seemingly sly Zorua appear to be nothing more than a rueful little child.
"Hey Zekra," the Zorua said quietly. "It's been a while. You still remember who I am, right?"
Zekra hesitated. She didn't recall ever knowing any Zorua, but she admitted that there was something familiar about this one. She peered at the Zorua, studying her closely and thinking carefully.
"It's okay. We don't have to play a guessing game," the Zorua said, shaking her head. "I'll just tell you. It's me, Venri."
Zekra resisted gasping as she shot the Zorua a bewildered look. Now that she truly thought about it, the Zorua did look awfully familiar, and it only took a moment to understand why.
It was herself as a weak Zorua. It was herself every single time tragedy struck and when she could no longer hold the strength to take a step forward.
"I know, you're not used to me looking like this," Venri admitted. "Or well, sounding like this either. I know I usually sound more… energetic. But not today. And I just don't really want to be a Sableye anymore and wasn't sure what else to look like…"
"Venri, where have you been this whole time?" Zekra asked, still trying to grasp the situation. "You haven't spoken at all since the Primogenitor muted you or whatever it did. I thought that maybe something happened to you…"
"I've been sleeping," Venri answered. "Making it so that your soul didn't get ripped out of your body when Rem was reabsorbing everyone's shadows was really tiring. It would be like you running for a whole day without any food or water. So I've just been trying to sleep and get my energy back. I'm still not totally better, but I'm getting there."
"Oh… so you mean, if you hadn't of held onto me, I would have…"
"Yeah. You would have. We're one now, remember? I didn't want you to go away with me. I wanted you to keep living. Even if I had to nearly kill myself to do it."
Zekra didn't know how she wanted to respond to any of that. In the end, she didn't have to. Venri's knowing look faded as the light in her eyes seemed to dim and her form blinked out of existence for a brief moment.
"I can't hang around for too long," Venri said. "I'm still trying to get some rest. I'm still really tired. But I wanted to talk to you about something."
"Okay. What is it?" Zekra asked earnestly.
"Why you don't actually feel happy right now even though you won," Venri said softly. "We both know why that is. I want to talk about that since I know you're not going to tell anyone how you're really feeling."
Zekra sighed. Of course Venri wanted to talk to her about that. That was Venri's role after all; she was supposed to bring up subjects that Zekra didn't want to dwell in.
Zekra shook her head and brought her knees to her chest.
"What's that going to solve?" Zekra asked. "What's the point of thinking about all of those things?"
"Maybe if we talk about it, we can figure out what to do about everything," Venri replied tenderly. "You don't want anyone to hear you or see you, but it's okay. Nobody's going to be coming down here. So let's just talk. Maybe you'll even feel less empty afterwards."
Zekra breathed out another sigh, but she knew there was no reason to argue with Venri. She had ceased resting just so she could speak with Zekra, even though Zekra knew that Venri still needed rest. She could see how much Venri's illusion was fizzling out and how it was becoming less of a Zorua and more of a blob. Venri had only awoke from her much needed slumber because she knew how much Zekra needed her aid. Zekra knew she could not turn away Venri's willingness to listen when that was so.
Then also, she did need to talk about the tempest brewing within her heart. Sulking in silence would lead to nowhere. She had learned that lesson enough times.
The Zoroark rested her head against the wall behind her once more before she slid her back a small amount down the wall. It was not long before her head and knees were at the same level.
"It's not the same without them here with me," Zekra confessed, letting the mournful words flow out of her. "Zev, Syn, Impetus, Nyx, Tear, Yimtri… I thought that they were going to make it to the end like me. I really did. I thought… if we were strong enough… we would all make it. But they didn't. Even though they were all so strong, it meant nothing. They didn't make it to the end with me.
"I should have known the second that Syn and Impetus seemingly disappeared on our last day as Fellowship members that we wouldn't all make it. In a world like ours with some many broken ideals like promises that are always broken and your closest allies becoming your worst enemies, I should have known that. But I thought we would all live and make it to the end together. I at least thought… Tear would. Tear…"
"Yeah. He was with us since the beginning," Venri said with a slow nod. "He was a really big wimp back then, but he was also kind enough to stay with us and put up with us. Even when we got into fights with him and became friends with him for the wrong reason, he still cared. He still wanted to be with us and help us get rid of the Plagued Ones."
"Yeah. He was my partner. My best friend. The one I loved more than anyone. I really thought he was going to be with me until the end. Because that's how it's supposed to be right? In all those stories you read, the one that you care for most is always with you until the end. They're always by your side, no matter what goes wrong. No matter what obstacles get in your way or what the villains end up trying to kill you both. You'd both make it to the end because you two loved each other so much and would be willing to do anything for each other. But… it didn't work out that way. Tear… Tear didn't die… but he… he…"
Zekra felt tears well up in her eyes. She buried her face in her claws as she let them flow down her cheeks. Low, hoarse whimpers escaped her throat as Terron appeared within her mind's eye, smiling at her and shooting her a loving gaze.
"It wasn't supposed to end this way," Zekra muttered. "He was supposed to be by my side and fight with me. We were supposed to be together. We were supposed to both live and stay together! But he's gone now… he's gone forever. He and Yimtri… they're both gone inside of Dimitri now. Dimitri doesn't know who I am. He just thinks I'm some random Pokémon that was messing with him. He doesn't think any of Tear or Yimtri's memories are real. He… He doesn't know. He doesn't know how much he meant to me. He doesn't know how much I depended on him for so long. He doesn't know how much I miss him!"
Zekra fell over onto her side, feeling the tears pool beneath her. She ignored it and only curled into a ball, shutting her eyes tight as she dug her claws deep into the ground beneath her. It did not stop the stinging in Zekra's heart, or the headache ensuing within her mind, but Zekra had the strength to do nothing else.
"Everyone's gone…" she whimpered. "Everyone I ever cared about is gone… I can't ever see them again. I can't ever see any of my friends. I can't see my parents, my old friends in Blackoak, Zev, Syn, Impetus, Yimtri, Tear… they're all gone. Every single one of them is gone. Every single Pokémon I thought that might be there for me at the end is gone. Yimtri and Tear are wiped from existence. Novus has to go protect Shiron and Kuron again. And everybody else is literally dead. And I can't see them in the spirit realm because I literally can't die.
"All because I'm plagued. All because I'm the last Plagued One in existence. All because I didn't want everybody dead. I might have saved so many lives by telling Rem not to kill the Primogenitor, but I wasn't able to save anybody I care about. I'm the only one who made it out! I'm… I'm…
"I'm all alone."
Zekra said nothing more as she took in many raspy, loud breaths, practically tasting her very misery in between each gasp. She knew that there was nothing left to say. She had let out everything that had been festering within her heart. It did not lessen the tightness in her chest or slow the flow of her tears, but Zekra had never expected it to. She knew that sharing all of these miserable thoughts with Venri would not cure of her pain, even temporarily.
All Zekra could do was stifle her wails and whimper, all the while letting the tears flow as she waited for her eyes to run dry.
"You still have Crystelle and Len though," Venri offered. "You're not completely alone."
"Yeah… I know I do," Zekra said with a hoarse cough. "But… it's not the same, Venri. I never knew them like I knew Tear. Sure, they're still my friends, or I'd like to think they are, but I never had a special connection with them. They weren't… they weren't there for me during all those bad times. They just showed up in my life and helped me out. They don't really know my darkest secrets and who I really am underneath all of my weirdness."
Zekra couldn't help but laugh bitterly at the sound of her own words. She glanced over at Venri to find that she was still lying close by, watching Zekra with a blank gaze.
"I'm so pathetic," Zekra realized, still laughing under her breath. "I'm here complaining that I have nobody left and that I'm alone even though I have those two. It's so stupid. I'm being so selfish and complaining like I lost literally everybody I cared about like Len. Like I lost everyone who ever meant anything to me and watched them all die right in front of me. I guess I really am a monster. I really haven't changed since the day I named Tear after my old friend because I couldn't bear the thought that I was alone."
"Zekra… you're not a monster," Venri stated tenderly. "It's okay to miss Pokémon that you were really close with. I get why you feel alone even though you've still got Len and Crystelle. Your old friends were part of you and now that they're gone, it's like part of your soul is gone too. You're not selfish for saying that you feel alone without them. Especially Tear. I know how much you loved him."
"Sure I'm not," Zekra said with a dry smile. "Make up excuses for why I'm not pathetic. Make up reasons for why I'm better than I think I am. It doesn't matter. I'll never get any of them back. I'll be forced to wander Shiron for the rest of eternity without any of my friends. Without Tear or Yimtri…"
Venri did not say anything. Zekra snorted as she glanced back at the ground and continued to lay upon the cold, stone flooring. She let her mind wander into a blank void of dreariness as she basked in her own self-depreciation. Why had Terron ever loved her? Why had he stayed with her for so long when she was such a vile scourge? He had to have seen her for who she really was. He could not have possibly been blind to her deplorable ways.
Why had Zekra believed his promise that he would be with her until the bitter end when it was so obvious that she was a terrible Pokémon?
"Maybe… you could go see Dimitri."
Zekra snapped out of her gloomy daze to find Venri still staring at her. She gave Zekra a sad smile as she crawled closer to the Zoroark until she was right in front of Zekra.
"Maybe you really didn't lose Tear or Yimtri," Venri suggested. "You have those portal powers still. Maybe… you can go find Dimitri and talk to him again… He's probably in Kuron right now…"
"Venri… no, he doesn't want to talk to me," Zekra said with a low sigh. "I remember what I saw in his eyes. He wants nothing to do with me anymore. He thinks I'm just a fake memory. He's… he's not going to change his mind. He's not Tear or Yimtri anymore. He's just Dimitri now, an ordinary human of Kuron. He's not my partner anymore…
"Besides…"
The hard lump in Zekra's throat returned. She coughed for just a moment, painfully loosening it from her throat.
"Besides… I don't want to see him," Zekra confessed. "He's… He's just a painful reminder of everything that's happened. And I… I really just can't deal with that right now. I can't, Venri."
Venri did not respond. She only held her saddened gaze with Zekra as her form continued to fizzle out, now disappearing for several seconds at a time.
"Alright," Venri said after a small pause. "You don't have to see him. It was… just an idea. But I get that it's probably not a good one…"
"I can't Venri," Zekra replied. "Maybe one day in the future I'll try to find him, but not now. I just… I just don't want to think about him for a while."
"It's okay," Venri assured, seemingly forcing a smile onto her face. "I understand. You don't have to say you're sorry."
The false Zorua glanced down at her paws. Zekra saw that they were beginning to disappear, as were the tips of her ears and tail.
"I think I should get going," Venri said. "There's really nothing else to talk about. You think you'll be okay without me? I um… I don't know when I'll be back. Well like this anyway."
"You'll always be with me," Zekra said as slowly sat up and wiped away the tears in her eyes. "I really doubt you could ever actually disappear. So I'll be okay."
Venri's plastered smile brightened as she went over to Zekra and climbed into her lap. Once she was settled, she stood on her hind legs and pawed at Zekra's chest. Zekra picked up the little Zorua and held her against her cheek. She closed her eyes as she let Venri nuzzle her, cherishing her shadow's affection.
"Be strong, Zekra," Venri whispered into her ear.
And then, just like that, Venri disappeared, and Zekra was alone amongst the darkness of the dungeon once more.
Zekra left the dungeon a short while after Venri had let her be. Though her heart still felt empty and still craved the solitude she could only find in the dungeon, she knew she could not remain down there. Somebody probably wanted to see her thanks to her status amongst the Fellowship and would investigate every dark corner, hidden room, and oubliette until they found her. Zekra wasn't exactly sure what anyone would want to speak to her about, but it was a persistent thought that tore at the walls of her mind and forced her out of the dungeon.
It was not long until Zekra found herself at the entrance of the mess hall that she had spent so much of her time in earlier. There seemed to be fewer Pokémon and for the few that were sitting amongst the tables, they spoke less and in more subdued voices. There was no boisterous talk nor merry celebration. A lulling, almost peaceful aura filled the room.
Zekra entered the mess hall and strode past a Malamar and Noivern eating from a large pile of fruits. They only continued their conversation about their plans for the next day, though Zekra thought that she felt their eyes on her for just a brief moment. She kept the two in the corner of her eye as she continued to wander away. When she sat down at a table on the other side of the room, she noted that the two were not watching her and were once again absorbed in their future plans of what to do now that all of the Plagued Ones were gone. The two apparently were from the Oracion Fellowship before Zephyr ordered everyone to flee to the castle and had been members for a couple of decades. Before, the two had ordinary roles in society, the Malamar once a fisher while the Noivern worked as a delivery Pokémon for the post office. The two were heavily debating going back to their ordinary lives, for they did not know what else to do with themselves now that the Fellowship was crumbling apart and the Plagued Ones were no more.
It was upon eavesdropping on their conversation that Zekra realized something she had not thought of since the moment she had declared a vendetta against the Plagued Ones.
She did not know what she wanted to do with her life now that it was all said and done.
Her only aspiration in life, for as long as she could remember, was to rid the world of Plagued Ones. That had been her only goal and she worked toward it every single day with all her heart. Even as everything she thought was so simple became tangled in a web of lies, she knew at the end of the day that the Plagued Ones were the true problem she needed to fix.
But now that they were gone, she had no idea what she wanted to do with herself. She imagined that at one point she would have settled an ordinary life with Terron. She had spent so much time with him that she could see the two of them leaving everything behind and finding themselves a home in a small, humble town. It would have been a simple but happy life after all of the chaos and despair that she had to live through. She could allow all the death and tragedy to be nothing more than bad memories. However, now Terron was gone, and that life was nothing more than a whimsical fantasy.
Perhaps she could have held similar lives with her other friends if they were still alive. If Zeverous was still alive, perhaps she could have become his partner in his mercenary. They would be known as The Illusionary Siblings and be the best mercenaries in the entire world, never once failing any of their clients.
If Syn were still around, then she could help him find his family. Perhaps he still wanted to see them and she could help him find closure with that. She imagined it would take some time, and perhaps the two of them would never actually find his parents, but she would be willing to dedicate her time and effort to helping Syn.
Zekra did not know what she might do with Impetus, as the two were never all that close, but she imagined the two of them could have at least seen each other every so often. Perhaps Impetus, with her wise and zen-like ways, would establish a school to help feral Pokémon become civilized. And though Zekra never saw herself as a teacher, she would be willing to help Impetus in her endeavor.
Then of course there was Yimtri. It was unlikely that he existed in a universe where Terron didn't, but Zekra was sure that it could have been possible. And in that universe, if he was her only friend left, Zekra would have followed him. She was not sure where he would have gone; she could never read the Sableye's mind. Perhaps he'd go back to Kuron and find a way to appear human again. Perhaps he'd stay on Shiron and try to become an ordinary citizen all the while declaring himself a Pokémon instead of an enigma. However, regardless of where he went and what he did, she would be there to support him. Perhaps they'd even grow to love each other in the time that they spent with one another and become mates. Perhaps then, Yimtri would finally seem happy and no longer steeped deep in darkness.
Zekra imagined that all of these scenarios could have been possible. She even knew that she had the opportunity to help Rem for a brief time before she shunned it away. However, it no longer mattered. None of these possibilities existed anymore. They had all been wiped from existence with the deaths of each of her friends, or in the case of Rem, because he had more divine duties to fulfil. Zekra no longer had any paths to take in her life.
She had reached her goal and now she was at a dead end.
She did not know what to do all alone. She had her entire life built around her friends, and now that they were one, there was nowhere to go.
Zekra buried her hands in her face and sighed deeply. Of course another melancholy thought had to surface within her mind. As though she did not already have enough things to despair over.
"Oh, Zekra. There you are. We've been looking for you."
Zekra didn't want to look at the Pokémon that wanted to see her. She more than anything wanted to crawl back into the dungeon. She didn't know why she had listened to her thoughts and came back up when she knew only more suffering was waiting for her. However, Zekra knew she couldn't do that. She had a façade she had to keep.
Zekra forced a smile onto her muzzle and then lowered her claws. She soon found herself staring at a rather familiar duo: Len and Crystelle.
"Oh," Zekra said, caught in a stupor. "Oh hi guys."
"Hello Zekra," Len greeted. "Are you doing well?"
"Yeah, I'm doing just great," Zekra assured. "Just been enjoying food and stuff. Was kind of falling asleep though since it's getting a little late."
"Even though you're a dark-type and quite enjoy the night?" Len asked smugly.
"Well it's what happens when everyone forces you to sleep at night and be up during the day," Zekra said.
Len laughed a little to himself. Zekra didn't know why he found that funny.
"Anyway Zekra," Len said, quelling his laughter. "Crystelle and I were talking about the state of everything right now, with the vast amount of Pokémon being unsure of what to do with their lives and the overall well-being of Shiron in a rather tattered state right now. We decided, due to these two things, that she and I are going to rebuild the Fellowship."
It took Zekra a moment to process what she had just heard. She almost thought that she was daydreaming for a brief second.
"You're… you're going to rebuild the Fellowship," Zekra said slowly.
"Yeah!" Crystelle chimed in. "It won't be exactly like the old Fellowship though. We're not going to say that we're doing everything to raise money so that we can stop the Plagued Ones or use our resources to gain information. We're literally just going to have the Fellowship so that it can help patch things up in Shiron. There's a lot of work to be done and I bet a lot of Pokémon around here would be willing to help. Though we're not going to be called the Fellowship. We're going to have a much better name."
"Well, I can understand you wanting to do that Len… but you, Crystelle?" Zekra then asked. "You were never even in the Fellowship and you were barely caught up in this whole mess compared to me and him…"
"I don't exactly have anything better to do," Crystelle said with a shrug. "I mean, I've finished all my dark-type training and now I can do whatever I want. So I figure, why not help Len fix the region I might just move to? I don't think I'm going to hang out on the island with my parents forever. It's kind of small really. Besides…"
Crystelle grinned evilly, making Zekra's insides squirm.
"You might just be there helping Len, so of course I'd want to hang out with you more," Crystelle then said.
"What…?" Zekra asked, shooting Crystelle a baffled stare.
"Ah Crystelle, that's not how you go about inviting someone," Len said with a flustered sigh, though Zekra could hear him chuckle subtly. "You'll only make them feel obligated. Here, let me do it."
The Luxray brought his normally stern gaze to the Zoroark, and then allowed it soften as he gave her a gentle smile.
"Crystelle and I were wondering if you would like to join us and lead this new Fellowship," Len said. "I realize that you've been through much, and you are in no way obligated to come with us. You are free to do whatever you like. We will not hold it against you. However, I would greatly appreciate if you would help us and rebuild this world that has deteriorated thanks to this terrible war. Though Rem has left to guard it once more, I am afraid that he alone cannot mend the wounds this world has sustained. We mortal Pokémon must contribute our own part.
"So Zekra, would you like to lend us your strength in rebuilding the world?"
Zekra gave Len on a long stare. She momentarily glanced over at Crystelle and saw the obvious glee in her eyes before bringing her stare back over to Len.
In truth, Zekra didn't want to help Len and Crystelle. She more than anything wanted to be alone. She was even considering that when everyone fell asleep, she'd disappear from the Fellowship and run away into some remote part of Shiron where no one could ever find her. She felt she had none of this supposed strength that Len said she had.
However, Zekra knew that she couldn't say no. She didn't break Len and Crystelle's hearts. They wanted her to be with them as they mended the world. They wanted one of their few remaining companions to be with them and create a better world out to replace the old, deteriorating one.
But most of all, Zekra knew that she couldn't say no because she had to move on. She could not dwell in deaths of her friends any longer. If she ran away to somewhere where only she could well, she would never recover. She would only think about her missing friends even more, never moving forward in life and being stuck in a perpetual loop of longing and misery.
She had to move forward, make herself useful. She had to make the most out of the life she still miraculously had.
She had to live her life for everybody she ever lost.
It was with this thought that Zekra knew what to do next.
"Alright," Zekra said with a nod of her head. "I'll come help you guys rebuild the Fellowship or whatever you're going to call it now. I'd like Shiron to be somewhere great again…"
Len beamed at Zekra while Crystelle let out a loud wallop and practically pranced about in place.
"Perfect!" the Umbreon cheered. "This is great! Oh wow, I was worried for a second that you weren't. You looked like you wanted to run away for a few seconds."
Zekra forced herself to smile.
"Thank you Zekra," Len said with a bow of his head. "Well then, let us gather everyone here. I think it is time to tell everyone of what we are going to do, now that all of the leaders have been assembled."
Then without another word, Len and Crystelle turned away from Zekra and set off to spread the word.
Zekra knew she have felt her heart radiate with warmth at the thought that she was going to be with the two Pokémon she still had left. She knew that they truly would revitalize the world and rebuild it from its ruined state. Shiron would soon give back prosperity and happiness to its inhabitants as it did in days of long ago. Shiron would be a paradise once more. Zekra knew all of this.
And yet, even in this uplifting reality, Zekra could not rid herself of one persistent thought that ate away at her mind.
Shiron would never give her back the ones she cared for most.