Kuro

I took a second to process the question that Charm just asked Naru and I. Well, by a second, I more mean a little while… More like a minute or two… It's not like it was a hard question to answer, I mean, it was simple, Shiro wasn't our daughter, she was someone we took care of. If the answer was so simple, then why did I have such a hard time saying it? I mean, it was two things really. One, I sort of thought about Shiro as if she was my daughter, not like I knew what it was like to watch over someone, but it just felt that way for some reason. Not that I minded, but that was just what was going through my head.

And the other reason… Well, he sort of implied that Naru and I 'produced' her, and once one thought connected to another, it was enough for my face to go red. Luckily, it didn't seem like Charm had any real realization of what was happening, which I was grateful for. Naru on the flip side, looked worse than I did. Just by glancing at her to see how she was reacting showed me that she didn't take it any better than I did, probably worse. I wasn't sure why she did, but that's the message I was getting from her very visibly vermillion face.

"W-W-Well, you s-see…" Naru gave an honest effort at talking, despite the fact that she clearly wasn't too up to the task. I commend you, my friend. I took in a deep breath and tried to focus on taking over, as it was pretty clear Naru wasn't going to sound too convincing.

"C-Charm, Shiro isn't our blood daughter, she's someone we look out for. We didn't p-produce her." I had a hard time getting a certain word of that sentence out. Naru swung her head up from looking down, but she was still really red.

"Y-Yeah! Also, K-Kuro and I aren't t-together like that…" Naru further explained to Charm, though she sounded a little better. I'm sort of glad she cleared that up for Charm, as he may have thought otherwise if he assumed that Shiro was our daughter.

"Together like what?" Charm then asked. Maybe not then…

"N-Never mind." I said, hoping to cut the topic off right there. It was obviously making Naru and I uncomfortable, so I wanted to stray away from it. We were just supposed to be talking after all, passing the time until night, where Naru and I would investigate whatever we needed to. There was nothing awkward about it, Naru spoke the truth, and that was that. Would I really mi- I shook my head and felt a familiar warmth become very prominent in my body. Now is not the time to think like that…

I took a deep breath and composed myself to keep my mind going to places I honestly didn't want to turn away from, but now wasn't the time for an inner conflict. I looked back at Charm and got ready to answer any more questions he might have had.

Naru

I found myself at a loss for words for a little bit. Or rather, for a long bit. Charm had just asked Kuro and I a question, and I guess it was a pretty normal one, considering how little he really knew about us. It wasn't too strange that he assumed what he did, so I understood it, but that didn't make me feel any different. I was still flustered beyond belief, not because of the question itself, but because of the wording he used, which made my mind really go wild, which didn't have too great an effect on me. Like, really didn't have a good effect.

I mean, answering the question wouldn't be hard, all we needed to do was clear up the confusion, that's all. Now… That would be easy if the question was phrased differently, but… the way he said it put a bunch of thoughts in my head. Thoughts that I honestly… kind of liked. The fact that I liked them was what made it suddenly hard for me to form words in my mouth. This was stuff I thought about only when I was by myself, or when everyone else was asleep. Needless to say, because I was now thinking about it in front of Charm, Shiro, and a certain umbreon, my reaction wasn't very… calm. I felt my body heat up, like, my whole body all at once. Instead of focusing on that, I glanced at Kuro, who was looking down at the ground, with a small red tint below his fur. That just added to my crimson face. C….Cute…

I shook my head rather harshly, trying my best to ready myself to talk. I took in a breath, and gave it a shot. "W-W-Well, you s-see…" Naru… you sound like an idiot…

"C-Charm, Shiro isn't our blood daughter, she's someone we look out for. We didn't p-produce her." Kuro said, cutting me off a bit. Not that I minded. In fact, I was pretty thankful. I can't just stay silent though...

"Y-Yeah! Also, K-Kuro and I aren't t-together like that…" I said afterwards, hoping to clear everything up. I seriously needed to get off of this topic, otherwise, I wouldn't be able to talk in a coherent sentence.

"Together like what?" Charm asked, which relieved me and sent me into a worse state than before at the same time. He doesn't even know..? How did he manage to embarrass me so much without even- I cut myself off, not wanting to worsen my ability to form words in my mouth.

"N-Never mind." Kuro said, hopefully ending the conversation topic right then and there. I glanced at Kuro again, and stared for a second or two.

…

I shook my head again, focusing on Charm once more, getting ready to answer whatever he asked us.

Shiro

Kuro, Naru, Charm and I were now all sitting in a circle, similarly to how we usually do back at the Nest, but with one extra pokemon. I admit, I was starting to feel more comfortable in the presence of Charm, despite still not being too on board with the idea of talking. I'd barely said a word since we all started to talk with each other, but it was less about being uncertain if I could trust Charm or not, and more of just me being me. However, I wasn't the only one that slowed their talking for a little bit.

Kuro and Naru asked if Charm had any questions at all for them, and the first one to come out of his mouth made Naru become a stuttering mess, and Kuro needed to clear his throat before answering in a better way than Naru, although not by very much. All they really had to say was that I wasn't their daughter, but someone who was taken in by them so they could look after me. The two of them sounded like they were holding back on what they were saying, but I didn't give it much thought, as the topic distracted me as much as it seemed to distract them.

Despite the fact that it was a misunderstanding, I couldn't help but harp on the question that Charm asked. Well, not the question itself, but rather, the idea behind it. Obviously, these two weren't my blood parents, I mean, I was a different species as them altogether, and although my memories are astray as they are, I knew that I couldn't be the product of a glaceon and an umbreon. That being said, I couldn't help but look up to Kuro and Naru as if they were my parents.

After all, they were the first two pokemon who really made me feel safe, even with my weird situation, they still said they would stay with me, and help me. They even look after me, bring me food, make sure I'm happy around them, and are even trying to help me overcome all of the problems I have. I mean, what else could they be to me? I had no idea what I would call them, other than parents to me. Because of this, I really did consider them something very close to parents, but thinking about it made me feel odd. Like, I had no idea what it was even like to have pokemon in that position to look after you, or, at least, I didn't remember.

In the circle we were sitting in, I was between Kuro and Naru, and across from Charm. He had asked us a variety of questions since the first one, mostly about what they do as Ravens, and a little bit about the place they came from, being the Nest. I even learned a few things, like how it was divided into different parts, and how Ravens were trained differently depending on what they wanted to do at the Nest. Like, Kuro and Naru could fight really well, but some others could fly really fast or are really smart. I had assumed they were all like Kuro and Naru, but it didn't look like there were any duplicates at all, everyone was different, even if they were in the same field. I liked that about the Nest, it meant that there were a lot of different pokemon in one spot, and they can still be friends with each other. As much as I liked this about the Nest though, I wish I was able to experience it more, but I had to get over my timidity for that, which wasn't going to happen in the near future. All of the questions were good ones though, even if the first one made Kuro and Naru bumble around for a few seconds, it at the very least gave me something to think about.

We had been talking for a long time though, and none of us had asked Charm a question yet, despite the rapid fire ones coming from his end. Not that it bothered me, but it was just something I took note of. Again, it was a really weird thing to notice even know I wasn't trying to pay attention to it, sort of like how I noticed the way Kuro walks earlier. I still wondered what Charm was doing here, or why he was by himself, even know he seemed just as, if not younger than me. But I was afraid to ask, I think the voices that Kuro and Naru put on earlier when I asked them about their parents kept me from giving that question to someone else, as I really didn't want to hear that voice again. It made me sad, even though it was just a pitch. I would rather not hear a voice of that type again than have my curiosity sedated.

"It depends on the day, sometimes, we have all the time in the world, other times, we're pretty strapped down." Naru said, responding to Charm, who asked how busy their days typically were. "A little while ago, we had to go pretty far away to complete a few tasks, and we were able to get everything done with less than half the time we were given! Although, we sort of had to leave early…" That's when they both came back really hurt…

"What made you leave so early?" Charm further asked, sounding rather curious. I didn't really blame him, but part of me wanted to interject because it seemed like that was a bad memory for both of them. Or, it was partially bad at least. They seemed a lot closer after that, but at the same time, Kuro in particular acted different for a while, but he was back to normal now.

"We actually got attacked by someone." Naru said with a awkward chuckle afterwards. "She pretty much knocked my lights out for a day, and did something similar to Kuro." I noticed that Charm tensed up a little bit. "But we made it out okay in the end! Thanks to a bit of of a slip up on her part, so it all ended up okay! Well, other than a bit of head trauma for a while." Naru chuckled again.

Charm didn't look too amused though, he still looked scared. "W-Was the one that hurt you a part of the V-Void?" He shakily asked. I was initially surprised at what he said, but thinking back to what was going through my head a little while ago, it wasn't all that unlikely. If anything, this just confirmed my earlier thoughts. I'm surprised I figured that out without asking…

Kuro put on the same serious-like gaze he had on earlier, when discussing the symbol scratched on the back door. It wasn't cold though, just stern, and I hoped that Charm saw that the same way I did. "Yes, she is with them. In fact, she's up there with the most dangerous members." Kuro said with the same relaxed tone as earlier. They were attacked by someone that scary..? They didn't tell me that… "If you're okay with me asking, how do you know about the Void? You don't need to give out an answer if you don't want to." Charm looked down at the ground, suddenly looking dejected, rather than scared.

""T-They've been really close to me before. M-Mommy used to tell me about them." Charm sounded like he was choking up more with every word. "S-She…" He then went from barely talking to seemingly not being able to get a word out. I felt bad for him, as it wasn't too hard to piece everything together. I mean, an assumed child living by themselves already wasn't exactly standard, and the fact that his parent presumably told him about the Void can suggest that she had some sort of connection to them, which could have led to bad things. Why did that pop into my head so quickly..?

Charm looked like he wanted to keep talking, but he just stayed silent for a few moments, tearing up. It looks like Kuro struck a nerve by mistake, and his and Naru's expressions looked as if they were all too aware of it. Kuro did quickly wipe that regret off though, and took a breath, probably assuming the same thing I did. Charm no longer had a parent.

After taking that breath, Kuro took a few steps forward, standing directly in front of Charm. Kuro placed one of his forepaws on top of Charm's head, which was only possible because Charm was sitting, and Kuro was standing. Charm glanced up towards Kuro, with his teary eyes not changed. "You don't need to say anything else. We get the picture, Charm." The two looked at each other for a few seconds. "You're not alone, we know all too well what you mean." Kuro took his paw off of Charm's head and took a few steps back, before Naru got up and stood next to him. Not wanting to feel awkward, I also got up and stood next to Naru. She rose of of her paws and put it on my head, initially making me flinch because I wasn't expecting it. I looked up at her and she smiled at me. What's going on..?

Kuro took in another breath. "Want to hear a story, Charm?" He tilted his head in response. His eyes were still teary, but his expression wasn't quite as sad as before. Perhaps he was able to recover quickly.

"What k-kind of story?" Charm asked, sounding a lot less choked up, but not quite all better yet. Admittedly, I was really curious too.

Kuro stayed quiet for a few seconds, looking like he was gathering his thoughts. "A story to show that you're not the only one who was left without anyone to help." What does he mean..? Kuro took another deep breath, which he had done three times now in a very short amount of time. Why does he keep doing that..? "I actually used to live in a place really similar to yours, but maybe a little bigger, and a lot farther away from everything." Is he just going to tell Charm where he used to live..?

"In that home, I lived with nobody other than my two parents, far away from everything else. I liked it though, it was peaceful, despite there not really being anyone else there, I was never bored, just always eager to waltz around and take in the air. Living there sort of made me love just being outside with the rest of nature, so I'm glad it turned out that way." Kuro paused for a few seconds. "As much as I enjoyed my life here, I was promptly forced away from it rather suddenly. Three members of the Void decided to approach my family, although back then, I had no idea who they were, or that they even belonged to an organization. I just thought they were a few random pokemon, so, even if I was uncomfortable, I didn't think too much of it. After watching them talk to my dad for a bit, my mother decided to go see what was up with them. As soon as she got close, the three of them attacked, instantly murdering my dad right there on the spot." My eyes widened at what Kuro was saying, and I stood stiffly. Did… I just hear that right? My mind rewound back to the trip over here when I asked Kuro and Naru a question, now filling me with an uneasy amount of guilt. I felt Naru start to rub the top of my head, like she knew. I still couldn't really process it though.

"After that, my mother was pretty petrified, as was I." Kuro glanced up to the top of the interior of the dirt hill and stared at it. "Sadly, it wasn't over yet. One of the other pokemon came over and did the same thing to my mother." Kuro closed his eyes, but he didn't seem uncomfortable at all, and I wish I could say the same for me. I was practically shaking at this point, I mean, I had absolutely no idea that Kuro had something like this locked up in his mind, even if it made sense when thinking back logically. I just… didn't know how to react. "I was left alone after that and… the three pokemon just left me for dead. I managed to survive on my own, but I was without any company for quite a long while, similarly to how you seem to be right now." Kuro took a breath and looked back down at Charm with a small smile on his face. Charm on the flip side, looked absolutely petrified, jst staring up at Kuro. I was giving him a similar stare, not sure how to take what I just learned. And to think, it wasn't even over yet.

"And Kuro isn't the only one, you see, I got practically tortured by a bunch of kids in the old town I used to live in, and my only real solace was my two fathers and my overly energetic little brother, who liked to break things a lot." Naru smiled at her memories, but I couldn't bring myself to do the same. All because I knew what must have been coming next.

"I came home from a normal day a long while ago, and walked in to something I wasn't expecting. I probably don't even need to say it, but all three of the other members of my family were no longer alive, which put the younger me in quite a panic. After the initial shock though, I realized that I was now just… alone. Like Kuro, I managed to survive by myself, but it wasn't easy on my mind at first, that's for sure. Even if I coped with it over time, the notion that I grew up for a large amount of time on my own is still evident in my mind. In the end, I know what it feels like to be in your position." Naru finished speaking, not moving her paw from my head. I couldn't really grasp anything right now. I had no idea at all what Kuro and Naru had been through… They didn't tell me any of it, and they didn't show it at all… at least… not to me.

I glanced over at both Kuro and Naru, who still had calm expressions, like they were hardly fazed. Kuro seemed like he had a hard time talking at times, but Naru just said the whole thing fluently, almost like it just doesn't bother her. I thought that to be impossible, but thinking about it more, she always seemed to never let anything get to her. Despite how much he wanted to hide it, I've been able to tell when Kuro was sad about something in the past, he wasn't the best when it came to his feelings. But Naru, I never, not once saw her in a bad mood. She was always jolly, always happy, and always friendly, almost never feeling sad about anything. At least… when she's with me…

"W-Why are you telling me all of this?" Charm asked unsteadily. He sounded just a little bit better though, I could tell by the pitch of his voice. Despite him not knowing, it looked like Kuro and Naru telling Charm all of this helped him out a little. Although… I'd be lying if I said it didn't do the polar opposite to me..,

Kuro took a step ahead of Naru and I and looked at Charm. "We don't want you to feel alone is all. If anyone can understand the situation you're in, it's the little group standing in front of you right now. All of us know what it's like to be alone, and to be terrified, to be traumatized." Kuro took a breath and smiled. "I won't pry, but I can tell you're in a similar situation. Because of that, we're here to help you if you need it, beyond just completing this task we have." Charm looked up at Kuro with teary eyes. I had to admit, as quiet as he was, Kuro sure knew how to talk. At least, when other pokemon needed it. If it was just for conversation, then I think the opposite is true.

After staring for a few seconds, Charm got up and ran at Kuro, wrapping his arms around Kuro's neck and dragging his head down into a hug. "T-Thank you!" He shouted out and dug his head into Kuro's neck. His voice was scratchy, like he was resisting the urge to cry.

Kuro didn't look too comfortable, but after a second of recovery, he smiled again and brought one of his paws to Charm's back. "N-No problem. That's what we're here for after all." Charm released Kuro's head and looked up at him with a smile. I felt Naru finally remove her paw from my head, and I looked up at her, only to see the same bright smile as always, but maybe a bit different than usual. She had two different kinds of smiles, and I'm not too sure what made her show one or the other. Even so, I have noticed that sometimes her smile looks different from the usual bright one, and while this one is just as blinding, there was something about it, like she was admiring something. I just didn't get it.

"That being said, is there anything you want us to do besides the task we're here for?" Naru asked. Charm looked at Naru from next to Kuro and then down to the ground, putting on a thinking expression. He honestly looked as if he had something in mind, but was hesitating to say anything. I would have tried to think about what he could ask for, but the previous conversation was still ringing through my head, and it was hard to process anything else. I couldn't help but linger on the topic, which was beginning to annoy me, and make the guilt I had raise to the surface further.

"I-I really don't want to trouble you any more than I already have..." Charm said in a low voice. I guessed that he didn't like the fact that we had been here for as long as we have, just talking, despite the fact that we're the ones who suggested that we'd do it in the first place.

"Don't worry about that! We're happy to help you with any request!" Naru excitedly squealed with enthusiasm. "I mean, we're already here and it's about night, so it's not like we mind staying any longer anyway! Plus, we're the ones who wanted to in the first place!" I didn't mind staying longer either. Despite the fact that I've said a total of five words since we arrived, I sort of liked the conversation that was going on, even if I wasn't a part of it. I also saw a bunch of new stuff on the way here, so I had no problem staying, as I was in a good mood already. At least, for a while…

"W-Well, there's one thing that comes to mind, but it's not really… likely I think." Charm said, a bit sombrely. Naru just perked up more.

"Awww, I'm sure it's not that out of reach! Why don't you just ask us? It couldn't hurt!" Naru still sounded just as happy as before.

Charm looked at the ground for a few seconds before turning his eyes to Naru. "I r-really don't like living here, it brings back too many bad memories…" He paused for a second. "D-Do you think you can help me find a different place to live..?" Charm slowly turned his eyes to the ground again as he was finishing his request, like he was embarrassed to ask. However, Naru didn't change her vibe.

"Of course we can help you out! That's not too hard of a request at all!" Naru exclaimed, getting Kuro to smile.

"I-I don't want to go too far though, just not in h-here." Charm followed.

"Not a problem at all! You know, we can probably get someone to build a new home for you around here if you want to stay in the area!" Charm looked up after Naru finished.

"B-But, isn't that expensive?"

"Price doesn't matter!" Naru retorted. "I mean really, it doesn't matter, we can handle it, promise." She assured with a nod. Kuro and Naru always seemed to have more money than most of the Nest, and while I wasn't too sure as to why, as money really didn't matter for anything other than food in the first place, and we had plenty to get food. Ravens got awarded a ton for their efforts too, so I don't think money would ever be problem for us. Unless we get robbed or something, that is.

"A-Are you sure?" Charm asked again, still not sounding too confident in his ability to ask. I sort of understood it, but because I knew just how much we had, I also knew that it wouldn't be a problem.

"Positive!" Naru shouted. I was happy that Naru could keep so lighthearted all the time, but I also hoped she wasn't intimidating Charm. He backpedaled a little bit and gave a small smile.

"T-Thank you!" He said gratefully. I was past the suspicion of Charm putting on an act at this point, it seemed like I could trust him. That being said, I still wasn't too keen on talking yet. I was way too distracted by my other thoughts.

"No problem! I guess we can get started on that as soon as we're done with the first task!" Naru sounded even more excited now. "But, if you want to stay in the area, we probably shouldn't leave, so mind if we stay here for the night? That way we can get started right away tomorrow!"

"O-Of course you can stay! T-There's not too much room though." Charm said.

"Well, our room back at where we come from isn't too much bigger, if at all really, so we'll be okay!" Naru paused for a second. "By the way, it's getting later in the night, isn't it? Shouldn't we start keeping an eye out for that… whatever pokemon trying to scare you?" Kuro nodded after she stopped talking.

"I can wait outside for whoever it is. It's going to be dark, and I won't have a problem seeing anything." Kuro said calmly.

"W-Will you be okay in the cold Mr. Kuro?" Charm asked him, sounding worried.

"I share a room with two ice types, I'll be okay." He said with a small smile, and Naru blushed a little. "One of them overexerts themselves during training sometimes, and has a hard time keeping her body temperature at normal levels when trying to sleep."

"H-Hey! That doesn't happen often!" Naru retorted quickly.

"Can't deny it happens though." Kuro taunted, before walking towards the back door. Naru just made a few weird embarrassed noises and turned back to Charm and I.

"I-I'm going to make sure nothing bad happens, so I'll wait by the door for Kuro. You two can talk for a bit." Naru very swiftly turned away and speed walked to the back door right as Kuro was exiting. She held the door open and looked outside, and it looked like that was the spot she was going to wait in while Kuro was scouting for whoever this scary pokemon was. I didn't focus too much on that though, as I was distracted by two things now. One, the conversation from earlier, and two, the fact that I was being forced to converse with someone else. Well, not forced, but I didn't want to be rude. Charm walked up next to me as the two of us both looked at Naru standing in the door.

I was thinking of a way I could possibly try and talk to Charm, but nothing came to mind. I had no idea how to start small talk, and I didn't feel confident at all either, so I stayed silent for a bit. "You have really nice parents." Until Charm spoke to me. I took in a breath and gave my best attempt at a response.

"T-They really are g-great." I said, growing a small smile. I loved Kuro and Naru a lot, and hearing them be addressed as my parents made me oddly happy. "I-I wonder what my b-blood parents are like…" I said out loud without thinking, not taking into consideration who I was talking to.

"You don't know who your blood parents are?" Charm curiously asked me. I shuddered a little bit, forgetting that he knows pretty much nothing about who I was, thanks to my five words in the prior conversation.

"N-No, I'm not n-normal." I paused. "I-I can't remember anything f-from when I was y-younger. That includes my p-parents." I was a little saddened to say it out loud, but I had accepted it at this point. Plus, I had a family now, and I was able to make new memories, and figure out new things! Or at least, rediscover things.

"O-Oh, sorry…" Charm apologized, which made me feel a little bit guilty… On top of the previous guilt I had…

"I-It's okay, I don't m-mind. I-It doesn't bother me a-anymore." I was telling the truth, it made me a little bit sad, but now that I found a place to be, I really didn't mind when it got brought up. Obviously, I was curious, but I could live with that, so long as I could still learn new things. Or… re-learn things… That's weird to think about…

"B-But it's good that you found new parents! And really nice ones too!" Charm said with some enthusiasm, making me smile a little. "I-I don't have any anymore… but I'm happy for you!" I looked at Charm, surprised at his words. Not too long ago, he was nearly in tears at the mention of his mother who was presumably… gone. Now, he was bringing it up to me with a smile, trying to make me feel better at his own expense. He's odd… But I appreciate it…

"Thank you." I told him, feeling much more comfortable than before. "A-And, even if your mom is gone now… We can help y-you. The two of them helped me, and I think they can help you t-too!" I tried to sound energetic, but I probably just sounded really awkward… Kind of like how Kuro sounds when he tries to imitate Naru.

"T-Thank you! I'm happy you're here to help!" Charm said, before wrapping his two small arms around my head. I wasn't too surprised at the gesture though, seeing as he did the same exact thing to Kuro earlier, so I just accepted the hug.

"That's what we're here f-for!" I said loudly, pretty much just copying how Kuro and Naru act. I wasn't one of the pokemon here to help, but I was still going to try if I could, even if I wasn't a Raven. At least… I don't think I am… am I?

"All of you are great!" Charm released me and backed up a little with a smile. I tried my best to smile back, and though it wasn't hard, as I was in a good mood again. I still couldn't help but feel guilty about earlier, but I put it in my head that Kuro and Naru would understand, because that's who they were. No need to worry too much about it… They'll understand…

"Thank you!" I bowed my head a little bit, appreciative of Charm's positivity. We were just on a hard topic, and yet he bounced back from it just like that. "I'm glad you're-" I heard the door that Naur was standing in earlier suddenly close, and I turned my head to look at it. Naru was no longer in the door, presumably now outside. My body involuntarily tensed, just because I was not expecting that at all. I glanced at Charm and saw that he wasn't reacting much different than I was. I gulped down, feeling just a bit nervous.

"H-Hey, what do you think that was..?" Charm asked, sounding uneasy. I don't blame him, but I took a deep breath and tried to think about the answer to that question. We're here to catch someone who keeps coming here at night, so that's what it has to be. No doubt, right..?

"D-Don't worry, I think everything is okay, we were ready for this." I told Charm, trying my very best to assure him. Not that I was good at it, but Kuro and Naru did it to me all the time, so maybe I inherited some of their wisdom..? Probably not…

"O-Okay…" Charm took a deep breath too, calming himself down, which was good. "Tha-" The door suddenly flew open again and Naru walked into the home with a rather annoyed expression. She gave a sigh and looked at the two of us.

"Mission accomplished… But I don't like this guy…" Charm and I tilted our heads. "Your culprit is a haunter that is doing nothing more than playing a prank on you, so don't worry, you're safe. Kuro kind of has him… trapped right now and is giving him a nice talk." I shuddered at what Kuro was possibly saying to this pokemon. He was so nice, but I'd imagine that he's not the same way when he's angry… "But alas, you're safe, so don't worry!" Naru turned her expression into a smile.

"T-That's good." Charm looked down with a smile. "Thank you!" Naru chuckled.

"Awww, no need! We're happy to help!" Charm ran over and hugged Naru's neck, just like he did with Kuro earlier. She wasn't caught nearly off-guard as Kuro was and just nuzzled him back. After a few seconds, Charm pulled away and walked backwards to stand by me again. "Looks like Kuro's just about finished... " Naru looked back in the door, and Kuro walked in, his tendrils still drawn out. Mercy on that haunter...

"Well that was just a bit annoying…" Kuro said with a sigh. I thought that the situation was fairly normal, Kuro just walking in, a little upset with the pokemon he had to talk with. Charm, however, was taken aback by the large tentacle-like appendages eroding from his body. It looked like he nearly toppled over upon Kuro entering the home. Kuro just looked confused though, and he tilted his head. "Something wrong Charm?"

"W-What are those things!?" He asked, sounding almost panicked. I was sort of confused as well at his reaction, but then again, I thought Kuro's abilities were a bit odd too, I just got used to them. Not only that, but the first time I saw them.. I was just a bit too preoccupied to be concerned with the shape of the things. They were being used to help me, so I didn't really care.

Kuro took a second to stare at Charm, before coming to the realization of what exactly Charm was referring to. "Oh, sorry about that…" Kuro retracted his tendrils and looked at Charm again. "Those are normal, don't worry." Just normal..? Even to me that sounds hard to believe…

"W-Why are giant tentacles n-normal..?" Charm asked, sounding a bit intimidated. Kuro smiled and looked like he was resisting a chuckle.

"Well, maybe to me they are. Sorry, didn't mean to catch you off-guard." Kuro bowed his head apologetically.

"I-It's okay… I just wasn't expecting it…" Naru walked over and placed a paw on Charm's head with a smile.

"Don't worry! Kuro isn't scary as he looks sometimes! He's really soft when you get to know him!" She exclaimed, making Kuro give her a strange look. Naru then let out a large yawn, which made me do the same in return. I guess I was feeling a little tired, it was my first time out in the field with Kuro and Naru after all, so I guess the excitement was taking its toll on me. I did take in a lot today after all.

"A-Are you tired? I have beds you can use for the night if you're planning on staying. There's only two of them though." Charm pointed to the set of beds near the side of the near empty home.

"I think I'll stay outside and watch for the night. I think it's important." Kuro said, looking in the direction of the back door.

"But, won't you get cold Mr. Kuro?" Charm asked in response to his statement.

"I'll be okay, plus it'll be nice to absorb some moonlight. It's been a long time." Kuro stretched his legs out as he spoke, looking a bit excited to spend some time outside at night. Why does he feel the need to keep watch..?

"Okay, then you and Miss Naru can share a bed if you want, then we'll have room for everyone!" Charm said excitedly while pointing in my direction. I just nodded and put on a small smile, brought on by Charm's enthusiasm at something as simple as finding room for everyone to sleep.

"Sounds good." Kuro said as he finished stretching out his limbs. "I'll see all of you in the morning then." Kuro bowed his head and walked off the back door before exiting. As soon as he was gone, Naru yawned, which made me yawn again, but not Charm. He seemed immune to the contagious act for some reason. Maybe he's just not tired..?

After a few more minutes of idle chatter, Naru walked over to one of the beds and laid her body across it, curling up a little. I also went over to the same bed and curled up beside her, and she placed one of her paws on my back. It felt… really comforting. I don't know what it was really, I felt the same way when I was resting on Kuro's back, like I was safe. I closed my eyes and went into my mind for a bit, still focusing on Naru's paw.

Earlier, I asked myself what I really considered Kuro and Naru. Even if they felt like parents to me, did I really view them as such? I wasn't sure, I hadn't ever thought about it to that point. I don't know if they had either to be honest, if I'm like a daughter to them or not. Either way, I wouldn't change my thoughts. In the end, these two were my parents, there's no dancing around that. They give me food, they protect me, they make sure I'm happy, and I love them more than anything else. I curled a bit closer to Naru, rubbing up against her. She's my mom after all. I relaxed my mind and went to sleep with a smile evident on my face.

Kuro

This is relaxing…

I sat down in a small grassy area, no trees nearby, only a few bushes scattered around the edges. There was a waxing half moon out at the moment, and while it didn't quite give me the same euphoric feeling as a full moon, I still loved every second of the light being absorbed into my body. I had my eyes closed, using this time for some more mental-based training. Whatever the 'dark energy' in my body was, it was pretty obvious that there was a methodical way to keep it controlled. I wanted to get better at that, it made it easier to use my tendrils, and made it easier to shoot off larger scale attacks. The recoil was ever so present, but that was just more of an incentive to get better at… whatever this would be called.

I took a few deep breaths, feeling something flowing within my body. I tried to control the flow of what I felt, moving it all around within myself. The flow was smooth, and I could very easily grasp a certain amount of it, but it felt like there was always more that I couldn't access, despite feeling it in my body. The more I focused on feeling it, the more I felt like I could take advantage of, but that worked in very, very small increases. They did exist, but that was definitely the slowest part improving out of everything I was attempting to improve on. At least it's getting better...

I rested my mind while sitting on the ground, focusing on the relaxation I had from the moon. It was soothing, and I loved the feeling I had in my body. There were only a few things that could calm me down to this extent, and I was glad that this was one of them, as it was an irreplaceable feeling. The only other times I could be this calm was when I was surrounded by nature, like when in the forest behind my old home, or when Naru was talking to me about something. No matter what though, this feeling was so relaxing, and so calming.

"Mr. Kuro..?" I opened my eyes but didn't turn around at the sound of a voice behind me. I wasn't sure why Charm was still awake, but if he wanted to talk, I would gladly do so. I didn't turn around, I was still stuck in the feeling of basking in the moonlight.

"What's up Charm?" I asked him, curious as to what he wanted to talk about. He came over and sat down next to me, so the two of us were side by side in the yard, which was nearly pitch black, it was really dark. I could see fine because I was an umbreon, but Charm probably only knew where I was through the rings on my body.

"Aren't you tired, Mr. Kuro?" He asked form beside me.

"Not really. The moon keeps me awake and energized at night." I responded to him. "By the way, you really don't need to call me Mr. or Naru Miss. You can just use our names you know." It felt weird to be addressed formally. I wasn't used to it, it's not like anyone would ever have the need to do it in the first place.

"But, mommy told me to treat adults with respect!" Charm said energetically. Someone was taught good manners…

"Well, Naru and I aren't really adults quite yet. We're old enough to have matured a lot, but not quite adults. However, if you really need to call us that, I won't stop you." No need in trying to fix what's not really broken…

"Okay! Thank you!" Charm still sounded energetic, but he then looked down for a second, and went silent again. "H-Hey… How did you get over it?" He suddenly asked. I knew what he was talking about, and I can't say I was expecting a question like this to come from him. I thought trying to get over what I presumed to be the death of his mother would be the last thing on his mind, but it looked like this wasn't the case.

I took a second to gather my thoughts. I had to tell Charm the truth here, despite the fact that the topic made me feel much less comfortable than I would've liked. "I haven't." Is all I could really say. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Charm look at me with disbelief.

"B-But you were able to talk about it so well earlier, how aren't you over it yet if you can talk like that Mr. Kuro?" If only I knew how to answer that…

"I just sort of… do it. I used to not be able to even think when the topic came up, or I thought about it at all. I hated the feeling, and I just tried my best to cry it off and think about something else. After a while though, I was able to think about it without freaking out, but talking about it was still too much for me." I thought back to a certain point during the applicants' tournament, when I attempted to tell Naru about my situation, and I was a total mess. But after that…

"But… then I talked about it more with someone. That pokemon being Naru. She listened to me, and then told her own story, which I had no idea about at the time. Even so… she was so strong about it. Not even a stutter. She gave me the whole picture, and yet, she didn't falter in the slightest. I really respected that. I thought it was amazing that she had the ability to talk about something as tragic as that without any hindrance. Part of that motivated me to be like her, to be able to face all of this without faltering, to accept that it happened and there's nothing that can be done about it. I'm still in the process of doing it… but talking it out with Naru, and her being there for me is what made it easier, even if I'm not fully over it. She's really amazing… especially to be able to do something like that. That's one of the things I like most about her." I glanced at Charm, who was staring at me with a near unreadable expression. I couldn't tell what he was feeling in the slightest.

"B-But I can't even talk about it…" He said in a choked tone. I just placed a paw on his back, still looking forward. Looking directly at Charm would just make him uncomfortable.

"You know, you're not the only one I know who was forced to face life with nobody just like that. There's en espeon who I met on a mission a long time ago in a similar situation to you, nobody really there to help, with one exception." My body tensed as I thought about Shine. Does he know yet..? Did Cyan tell him..? Is he okay..? Is everyone there okay..? Did the Void member come back to finish the job..?

Does he know that I failed him..?

"Even so, that espeon… He looked at life, saw it give him a hard time, and attacked it head on. He has such an optimistic attitude, despite so much fear and doubt he has in his head. I'm not sure how exactly he… deals with his stress, but you're not the only one, Charm." I felt myself tense more, and I closed my eyes. Damn it… Why did I have to think about that..?

"Listen, Charm, if you ever want to even try it, talking about your past, I'll always be here to listen. And not just me, Naru will too. We'll always try our very best to help and support you, so even if you feel like you can't talk about it, just know we have your back." I wanted to show Charm that he wasn't alone, that we could help him. That I wouldn't fail someone else.

Charm came closer to me and buried his head in the side of my body, letting out sobs, which escalated into him crying. I just kept my paw on his back and held him there, not wanting to look down at him. Although, at this point, I don't know if it was for him or for me. "T-Thank you…" I heard Charm barely get out between cries. I didn't respond, I just wanted to let him release his emotions. Arceus knows that's important… I knew that better than most.

This continued for about ten minutes of silence, other than the cries coming from Charm, there was nothing. I was okay with just letting Charm get everything out, no matter how long it ended up taking. I was doing exactly what Naru did with me, and that helped more than I can possible describe, I was more than willing to do the same for Charm. I won't fail you… I promise.

After Charm finished sobbing, he moved away from me a little bit, but this time, he had a smile on his face. "Thank you… but I think you should go in and get some sleep now. I can keep watch." He said, and I shook my head, also putting on a small smile.

"Sorry Charm, but you can barely see, and you should get some sleep. I'm okay out here." I told him. I really was okay out here by myself, and I wanted Charm to get some rest, but I had no idea why he was being so stubborn.

"B-But you haven't gotten any sleep either! It would be good for you to get some!"

"Same to you Charm, you need it more than me."

"You're guests here though! I should be the one who needs to stay and watch!"

"But we're here to help you, no?"

Charm and I went back and forth for a bit, him desperately trying to get me to go to sleep for some reason. I appreciate the concern, but you need sleep… "Charm, in the end, nothing you do will get me to switch places with you, so why don't you go to Naru and Shiro to sleep? You have a big day tomorrow, remember?" Charm was getting a new home tomorrow after all, he needed his rest.

"I guess… But if you get tired Mr. Kuro, come wake me up and I'll switch with you!" Charm told me with a bright smile.

"I promise that I will Charm." I said, returning his smile. "I'll see you in the morning, Charm!"

"Right! Goodnight Mr. Kuro!" Charm bowed his head down and went back inside of his home with the others. I turned back and looked blankly ahead into the night again. Charm was a pleasant pokemon to talk to, he had the standard curiosity that any child would have, and he was incredibly polite, which was a great trait for him to have. I liked talking to Charm, I just wish that it didn't bring in… other memories.

He reminds me of Shine… I sighed to myself loudly. I couldn't get Shine out of my head now, I kept thinking back to the point where I just… left because I was distraught. I owed it to Shine to at least tell him what happened, but I didn't… I ran like a coward instead. I couldn't face Shine after what happened… After I knew what I had to do… I just couldn't. I'm not making that mistake again… not now, not ever.

I took a few more breaths, calming down. Thinking about Shine made me feel guilty, and distressed me. I wanted to go back and see if he was okay… if only Myriad wasn't so far away… Maybe I can get a free day to go there sometime in the future… "Kuro~~"

I turned my head to melodic voice that came from rather close to my ear. I saw Naru sitting down next to me, giving me a blinding smile. "That was a great talk Kuro! You did a good job!" She exclaimed to me.

I tried to smile back at her. "Thank you, I tried to make him feel better… hopefully it works out...:" I said, looking to the ground for a second. I hope this works… Wait… How long was she… "Naru, how long were you listening to us..?"

"Since the veeerryyyy beginning." Naru said playfully. I instantly felt my body warm up, and I looked down again. Since the beginning…

"R-Right… since the beginning…" I instantly felt more embarrassed than I could possibly describe. I didn't say anything too flustering, but I definitely said some stuff… some stuff that I'm not sure I'd be able to say to her face… Geez… Why do you have to be so stealthy sometimes…

"That was really sweet, Kuro." She said appreciatively. I just kept looking down, probably blushing. What could I say really? I wasn't planning on her hearing that… not in the slightest… At least that's all can embarrass me right now… I was just about to take a breath and compose myself, but then, I felt Naru quickly plant her lips on my cheek for a second, before pulling away.

The gesture made me flinch, and if I wasn't blushing before, I certainly was now. Why did she… I couldn't finish my thoughts, I was way too flustered. I also felt my heart start to race, which hadn't been happening until semi-recently, but it was very distracting. My muscles got all stiff, and I had a hard time even bringing my head up. With enough effort, I managed to look at Naru, and despite the fact that she was the one who did this in the first place, she was just as red as me.

"N-Naru, what was…" I couldn't finish my sentence. Looking at Naru made it even harder for me to process my thoughts. I just ended up looking down again, not being able to say anything fluently. I must look like such an idiot right now…

Naru just giggled from next to me. "S-Sorry, I couldn't help it…" She started laughing a bit harder, which made my body tense even more. I sighed, but let my mouth grow into a smile. I didn't… dislike that… But that doesn't mean I'm letting her get away with it…

I broke through the stiffness of my body and, with my heart still racing, I leaned into Naru with the side of my body and nuzzled the side of her neck with my head. I felt my own body heat up even more, but it was worth it to fire back at Naru. whenever she did something to embarrass me like that, I always did something to counter, though, usually it was just with words… not this…

I glanced up at Naru with the corner of my eye and saw that she was acting just as I was a second ago, I probably took her off guard with my gesture, just as she did with me. "K-Kuro, what a-are you…" I didn't move from where I was.

"P-Payback." Was all I could get out, and even then I barely did. I just wanted to show her that she's not the only one who can do that to her partner on a whim. That was the only reason… I think. This was just for payback… right? I had a hard time moving though, as in, I really didn't want to. I'm just doing this as payback… right?

"I-It's N-Not over yet!" Naru leaned into me and pushed me onto to the ground, landing beside me. She lifted her head and put it on my neck, laying herself down on the ground, using me as a pillow of sorts. I didn't think it was possible for me to blush any deeper, but Naru didn't take very long to toss that aside. I felt my heartrate pick up even more, and I hoped that Naru didn't feel it. She rubbed her head into my neck, making me just look into the distance, trying to not give Naru any other kind of reaction.

"Y-You win…" I said, trying to end the back and forth we had, despite the fact that I kind of… liked it.

Naru giggled again. "G-Guess you couldn't quite keep up!" I was still looking away, but I started smiling again. You're really something Naru…

"I-I guess not…" I said, still smiling. Naru didn't move, despite our little challenge being over. Not that I minded though, in fact, part of me really just didn't want her to move. A big part of me. So, I just rested on the ground with Naru laying on me. Some time passed with us just laying in silence, nothing being said. We were just enjoying each other's company.

After a while, I felt my mind drift off, and I fell asleep with a smile.

Hello Readers!

Alright… Another slow update, and once more, I'm sorry… I have a lot going on right now, I don't think I should really go into detail, but if anyone is really curious, them send me a PM and I can tell you all about it, I just don't think I should say it here is all. But hey, another chapter is done, more reading can take place, so yay!

Also, for those who are also reading the story that I am co-writing with CharTheLittleCharmander, that will be on a bit of a hiatus for a while, I'm not sure how long, and again, I can't really say why, but there is a very good reason behind it, I assure you. If you have any questions on the matter, then I'd be happy to answer whatever I can, but for privacy reasons, there's only so much I can say about that. I'll talk about anything when it comes to what's going on with me, but when it comes to that story, I'm sorry to say that I need to hold off.

As usual, thank you to everyone who reads, PMs, reviews, the works. I love every bit of it, and it means a lot to me! It would also help me out a lot right now, so don't be shy! Thank you to my beta reader for cleaning up my chapters as usual! (8-BitUmbreon)

See You Next Chapter!