Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or its characters.
Author's Notes: Boy... this is the longest chapter so far. I just started with a simple idea and then... I just know that when I woke up, I had 20 pages of stuff written on it.
Ethan jumped in the middle of the avenue; he shot his arms upwards, puffing his chest as he draws a long breath. "Goooood morning, gorgeous!" His voice stormed the spacious area around him, a huge smile on his lips. Sadly, his beaming happiness faded slowly as he noticed that his grand entrance or awesome return has a surprising amount of zero people. "This place is as huge as I remember, a bit roughed up and somewhat burned on some buildings… But where is everyone?" He cast a questioning gaze back to his traveling companion.
The young doppelganger shrugged, his eyes rolling upwards as he felt a bit of cringe from his friend's increasingly eccentricity. "Maybe they are waiting to ambush us." Spiegel shook his head, thinking of the dozens of criminal members who are probably watching them from the shadows. He wonders if they are just as surprised by Ethan's show or if that is just him.
"Really? Hundreds of them skulking behind some houses?" The look in Ethan's face is nothing more than pure disappointment. "Sheesh, what can a person do to get a proper battle." Waving his hand to Spiegel, Ethan walked inside Rustboro city, his shoulders deflated and his eyes staring at nothing more than the ruined street.
A depressed Ethan and a silent Spiegel made their way across the creepily abandoned street. They crossed various streets, some corners, and even the small-town square; sadly, the shining fountain in the middle is mostly ruined, as it is the small flower garden around it.
At every little stop that they made to study their surroundings and odd places, Spiegel noticed a small shift on Ethan's features and behavior. While brazing the path forward, he looks strong and fearless. However, when they stopped; Ethan always distanced himself from his companion, taking one of his hands to the surface of a wall or ruined wreckage on his way. His eyes flinching slightly, his expression falling into a sudden dark coldness.
Spiegel though to reach one hand to his friend and ask if he was okay. However, just as he made his mind to act, Ethan turned to him flashing a confident and simple grin. It happened like that every time, and they continued to travel in silence until they reached one of the largest buildings of Rustboro at the western edge of the city.
"This is weird…" Ethan raised the question, his gaze scaling up the impressive size of the hospital. "Every single spot of this city is marked with their touch… a bit of destruction showing at every house and buildings. Yet, this one is completely fine... Untouched even."
"Don't know. Maybe even they have enough empathy to not attack a hospital." Spiegel scoffed at his own words, he didn't needed an unbelieving look from Ethan but he received it anyway.
"Sure, Spiegel. Our friends who put an entire town on fire not too long ago, just now found their hearts to not attack the sick and infirm." Shaking his head at the ludicrous idea of Giovanni looking out for innocent people, Ethan stepped aside ignoring, for now, the silent hospital in front of them. "Can you wait here for a second?" He asked Spiegel.
Quirking his brow up just a bit, Spiegel glanced at him and nodded. He watched quietly as Ethan walked away, back to the path they just crossed, then turning and vanishing on a corner. Spiegel drifted his attention towards the hospital, its windows blackened. The place strangely quiet and dark, being basically impossible to glance inside, be by one of the windows or the glass made double doors.
He approached the place with an attentive precaution; he pressed one hand against the hard glass. Even in his touch, not a single ray of light appeared on the large square window. A loose and distant sound came from inside, not little much than a drop of water on the ground, but enough to tingle his sensitive hearing. He swallowed hard, his heart going almost twice as fast.
A drop of cold sweat slid from his forehead, the little transparent line making him shiver as it grazed his skin. 'Ethan is right… what is wrong with this place?' Spiegel wondered. He looked behind him, no Ethan in sight still. So, he pressed his ears against the glass, looking for that small sound again.
He waited and waited, nothing came. A bit of impatience getting over his calm exterior, so Spiegel pressed his entire body against the cold surface. Then an explosive gush of wind erupted from behind him, dust and rock flying everywhere. Spiegel jumped from his spot, arms high and firm. The brown-haired boy startled but posing ready to counter anything.
Brendan straightened his back, his hands pushing against Latios' body. His red eyes scanned the place, going from the ruined houses at his left to the cracked floor under him. He grimaces, clenching his fists and getting ready to curse. He opened his house, a powerful scream surging up from his lungs, and then his body froze.
Blue met Red, Ruby glow staring at Sapphire blue. Brendan jumped down on the street and tapped his friend softly on the side, to which Latios cried out, and flew away. They continued to stare at each other, nothing breaking away their line of sight, not even for a split moment.
"Jeez, they raided the stores too. Took me a while to find…" Ethan stopped, his golden eyes meeting Brendan's red eyes and then traveling to Spiegel's form. "Seeing double again? What was in that sake they gave me?" He said playfully, a little chuckle following right after.
His words, while little appreciated by neither of them, served to break their trance. Brendan turning a half circle to look at the golden-eyed champion. "Hey, Ethan." Brendan said with a polite grin.
"Hey there, champ." Ethan replied with an even bigger grin. "If you came here to tackle on the rainbow menace, they are not here anymore."
"They're gone?" Brendan replied right back. He looks surprised, confused and most of all, relieved. His eyes going back to the hospital, his uneasiness coming right back.
"We checked every corner of Rustboro, not a single sign of Rainbow Rocket." Spiegel rubbed his back, taking his eyes away from Brendan. "Although, we didn't check any interiors for them or bystanders."
"We… huh?" Brendan said, looking back at Ethan, the friendly boy just shrugged and smiled again.
"Got to know your second face over there. He is a cool guy." Ethan said, pointing to Spiegel. He managed to tease both of them at the same time. "Look, man. I have a lot to talk about, with both of you. But now, I have to do something else… something really important."
"You're leaving? Where are we going?" Spiegel asked.
"Not where… When." Ethan frowned and sighed. "Never mind that, I need to go and I need to do this alone. And because of that, I am glad that you showed up, Brendan." He saw his other friend tilting his brow at him, he has his mouth half-open as if he wanted to speak something but hesitating to do so. "Sorry, friend." He looked to Spiegel again. "Where I am going, you can't follow. However, I will be back here in an hour, two max. You can stick with him while I am gone."
Spiegel and Brendan both stepped forward furiously, ready to protest. Ethan laughed at their mirrored action, equal at even their breathing.
"Brendan has come here for something; the look in his eyes betrays him way too much." Ethan reasoned, hands waving in front of him. "You can help him for a bit. It will do everyone a lot of good, you two talking. Talking! No funny business like trashing the continent with legendary beasts."
Brendan just scoffed. He glanced at his other self, waiting for the same reaction or even something worse. Yet…
"Fine." Spiegel conceded, messing with his long hair behind his head.
Ethan flashed him a bright smile, giving the thumbs up. "I trust you can behave. If not for anything special, just do it for cutie." He outright laughed loudly as Spiegel went red in the face, turning away in embarrassment.
Ethan brought his thumb and another finger to his mouth. Taking a deep breath, he whistled out. The sound he made was unbelievable loud, piercing every little corner of Rustboro; loud enough to make Brendan and Spiegel wince uncomfortably. Smiling at his friends' reactions, Ethan took one hand to his pants' back pocket, pulling out a small packaged of Pokémon candy.
"Bi…" A faint little voice echoed in the wake of Ethan's booming whistle. The golden-eyed champion turned his attention to where this voice came from.
"See you two later." He waved one hand at the two and walked away, dangling the plastic bag in his hand.
As soon as Ethan left them behind, the awkward silence set right back in. They stared at each other, throwing daggers at each glance, but no words were traded between them.
Taking a different approach to everything else they had done before, Brendan just stepped forward. He ignored his doppelganger, eyes fully focused on the dark building as he trailed to it.
"Lost something inside?" Spiegel asked with a little sarcastic tone.
Brendan stopped, in a coincidence, right next to Spiegel. He sighed and looked at the boy's blue eyes. "Mr. Stone." He felt a little relief in his chest when he noticed the look of terror on his twin's face. "He's still inside, or I think he is… praying that he is still in there and safe somehow."
Spiegel frowned; he spun around to face the double doors. Even if it is a correct thought to have, Steven is his dear friend… even if is just in his head and memories. He didn't say anything, he didn't needed to. His gaze traveled to Brendan's face, he nodded and Brendan nodded back.
In a silent agreement, both Brendans stepped forward, pushing the doors open. Leaving the deserted city behind them, the young champions dared to enter the deep darkness inside this place.
Little did they knew that this darkness is not oblivious to their presence. Little do they know that the walls have eyes and ears. By stepping inside this abyss devoid of light, they have entered a living nightmare.
Ethan walked far away from those two, getting enough distance to feel himself get stared at by the chilling silence of the ghost city. Ever the cautious and skeptic person, he gave a glance to the way he came, waiting a few moments to see if he could hear anything follow his steps. As no sign of life made is presence know, he pulled the candy bag open and took one of the little colorful balls onto his right hand.
"You can come out now." He said, looking to the left and right. "Come on little friend, we are alone." His eyes searched for a little green Pokémon in the small cracks all around but found nothing. Until a lightweight pressed the top of his head, two little green feet dangling in front of his forehead.
"Ciao, Ethan." A child-like voice ringed from the little Pokémon, its big blue eyes staring at the destruction around them; the scene making its little body shiver. "I don't like it here… Can we go away?"
Ethan brought his hands up, taking his shivering little friend in his arms. "I don't like this either, but it was not always like this. Bad people did this, they took away the happiness from this place." Celebi eyed her big friend, her blue eyes mindfully watching as the trainer spoke.
"Can we make it go away?" Celebi pointed to the desolated street, her antennas twitching with expectation. "Will you beat the bad people? Like you did last time?"
"That's the plan." Ethan replied with a short grin. He placed the little candy ball on Celebi's hands, just to watch his small friend make a little cry of delight. "Repelling evil is one of my jobs, right? But I need to do something first. I have to find someone and I need your help to do it."
Celebi diverted her round blue eyes away from the candy ball, giving Ethan a curious glance. "With what?" Celebi asked, going right back to chew the treat.
"I have to see what happened here." Ethan said with a bit of hesitation, knowing that Celebi may look innocent and gullible, but she is quite smart and fast to pick up on the underlines.
"He will be mad again." Celebi said with a little voice, curling down into a ball, still chewing the candy. "I don't want to see him again." She puffed her cheeks, glaring down at nothing. "Ho-Oh is a meanie."
"If he asks, I will take the blame." Ethan petted Celebi's head, her eyes closing in joy. "Please, Celebi. This person… is important to me." The flash of a short story he once heard crossed Ethan's mind, he shuffled in hits spot a bit strangely and cleared his throat. "I need to find Silver."
Her blue round eyes grew even bigger, a silly grin crossing her tiny mouth. "I remember that name. The kind red-haired person from Ilex Forest, he gave me lots of candy when we met."
Ethan smiled, caressed the top of her head even more. He took another candy ball and gave it to Celebi, the small Pokémon crying out happily as she grabbed the sweet ball. "I am happy that you also know that part of him, although that makes me a little jealous of you since I only peeled his tough act just recently."
Celebi shifted her attention back to Ethan, her little hands still playing with the candy. "Okay… I will help you." She said quietly. Ethan beamed with happiness at her words and Celebi smiled just as happily by seeing him like that. "How long back are we going?"
"Half a day. We can start from last night, then we can cover all the ground until now." Ethan said in reply.
Celebi nodded and her antennas began to shine with a strange light. She curled down on Ethan's arms, embracing her little treat close to her body. Ethan gulped hard; he closed his eyes as the same excruciating sensation from years ago flared around his members. A hard, transparent cocoon-like sphere enveloped the young trainer, seizing his body up in the air. The light from Celebi's antennas grew and consumed the sphere's insides into a show of blinding flash.
With a muffled sound akin to a drop of water falling into a half-full bucket, the sphere disappeared, Ethan and Celebi went with it. After their departure, the corner where they once stood went back to its dreadful silence.
Brendan flinched as the door closed behind them with enough force to burst the glass into pieces, yet it remained intact. He stared at the massive lounge incredulous. Despite the hungry darkness surrounding everything, he can see bits of the location and this place looks nothing like the hospital he used to visit at least twice a week to check on his best friend's father.
First, he stared at the main staircase to the second floor, clenching his eyes to properly see inside that gloom. While the base and the structure still remain in the same location as before, the stairs are curved and trailing DOWN, not upwards.
As impossible as it looks, the staircase to the next floor, the second floor just above, is now a spiraling mess going down to an inexistent under level.
Brendan rubbed his eyes furiously, trying to wipe away the hallucination. Yet as he glanced back to the staircase, the thing still is pointing down. "Have I lost my mind or those steps are going down?" He raised his voice, almost forgetting that someone is standing at his side.
Spiegel hummed; he looks as baffled as his twin is. "Not only that, look at the ceiling." He stepped forward and pointed to the absurdity above them.
With his red eyes following the other boy's raised arm, Brendan stared at the ceiling, he felt his blood going cold. The thing that was supposed to be two stores tall, is now standing as far as the moon itself. Not only that, the peak of the building where it was supposed to be its ceiling, is now a mass of swirling black, ever-flowing towards its center where a massive red eye is staring right back down at them.
Brendan felt tiny under the gaze of that sharp pupil, a crawling sensation creeping on the edges of his arms. "Something is wrong here…" He said in a rushed breath.
"You don't say… Quite the observant, aren't we?" Spiegel retorted right back, still a mocking tone present in his words. "What the fuck is that?"
Glaring angrily at his not so polite twin, Brendan forgot about the fey space encroaching on them at each beat of their hearts.
Then a piercing ray of light flashed from nowhere, truly nowhere. It came from above, but it didn't reach the whirlpool of darkness surrounding that red ginormous eye, yet it was high enough to make a big cleared circle on the oozing floor. A high-pitched sound echoed, followed by a radio-like static, soon a voice sounded from everywhere.
"Hellooo! Welcome to my castle of dreams and delights." The unmistakable voice of Violet and her sparkly persona flooded in. Spiegel scowling and clenching his fist at the recognition of her annoying voice. "To tell the truth, I didn't expect to see both of you here and at the same time even. Hihi, is so surprising to see that you two made peace already… touching." She faked a little cry on her microphone or whatever she is using to speak. "ANYWAY! This unexpected turn of events will just make this more enjoyable, for all of us." Some of her vile venom spilled out in her last words, her true colors quickly coming to light.
"What is going on here?" Brendan stepped next to Spiegel. Without knowing where to look as he talks, he just stared at that monstrous red eye. "Who are you?"
Spiegel frowned and looked to the other side. He was ready to put his twin in the loop of who is this detestable creature, but her loud giggles muted him.
"I am glad that you asked, Brendan." Violet said back, her voice getting eerier by the second. "Knowing that you forgot a special prize here in Rustboro. I had my useless minions transform this place into the perfect little party, just for you." She giggled again, the rustling of clothes sounding clear on the microphone; whatever she is doing… is disturbing to hear.
Brendan stomped one of his feet on the ground, the sound echoing louder than her soft devilish giggles. "Where is Mr. Stone? What did you do with him?" He shouted his question at the red eye.
"I did nothing! So cruel of you to accuse a cute girl like me of doing something bad, you cruel petty man." She faked her sobs again, just to laugh right after. "The geezer is right here with me, peacefully resting on the finish line… Look, he is blushing, hahah." Again, those unsettling sounds of her clothes gridding against her skin echoed out.
"Don't listen to her." Spiegel called out to Brendan. He tried to reach his twin's arm, but he flinched as the arm pulled away.
"Nah-ah. I wouldn't recommend that. I went into a lot of trouble to prepare this… don't make me angry right at the beginning." Violet said back, her voice directed to Spiegel. "Anyway," Her charming cutesy voice coming right back. "Here is the deal, my handsome contestants. You two are standing at the start of my lovely maze of wonders and the game is this; You need to reach the finish line before I slit the geezer's throat out of boredom." Faintly, behind her crazed breathing, both Brendan and Spiegel could hear Joseph Stone's muffled voice, his pleas sounding a lot more desperate than his stern persona usually is like.
At her threats, Brendan assumed exact mirror features of his other-self. Furious, disgusted and unsettled. His fists clenched as if he is ready to punch this girl in the face.
"Go on, what are you waiting for?" Violet cried out. "Please explore this lovely place and all of its surprises to the full extent. I will be watching you." She giggled and sent them a kiss, the sound of her lips pressing against the microphone almost leaving those two deaf.
Brendan raged onwards, staring intensely at the ledge of the second floor. He reached with one hand inside his pockets, grabbing one of his Poké-Balls.
"Don't!" Spiegel shouted, holding Brendan's arm in place. "You heard her if you break her twisted little game… Mr. Stone will be the one paying the price."
The static sound echoing around again, announcing Violet's voice coming. "Your twisted, evil, disgusting, dumb clone is completely right. Don't be a naughty boy, Brendan. Violet will not like that."
"Crazy bitch…" Spiegel rolled his eyes, his cursing coming out as a lost whisper behind his breathing. If Violet has heard him or not, she made no reaction to it, while Brendan glanced back to his twin. "What?" Spiegel said to Brendan. "She is."
Brendan scoffed, gazing away from his twin. Where Spiegel though he has managed to grit on his other self's nerves again, the red-eyed boy just turned away to hid a little smile that crept upon his lips.
"Any ideas?" Brendan commented. The young champion taking a gander at the devastated reception desk. He picked a broken mug on his hand, a purple murk dripping from the cracks of the top part going all the way down to the base, after frowning in repulsion, he placed the item back in its spot.
"Mr. Stone condition, how was he the last time you saw him?" Spiegel asked.
"He was well, considering everything. He is awake and being treated to walk properly again. You know, being in a coma made his muscles weak and paired with his age…" Brendan felt his tongue loose out, he was reading to a long rant but Spiegel raised a hand to stop him.
"If he still in bed, then this finish line is most likely in his room or a place where would fit a bed." The blue-eyed boy sighed; he rubbed his nose with two fingers in a thinking manner. "That is if she is to be trusted about his condition…"
"Doesn't matter. Whatever his condition is, wherever he is. We need to find him." With his words coming out, Brendan gave Spiegel a simple nod.
That nod, no, just being treated normally by this person made a strong impression on the blue-eyed trainer. For someone he hated most of his short life up until now, for a person he saw as nothing more as an annoying stone in his way… Brendan's friendly tone sounded like the sweetest song Spiegel has ever heard.
"Aa… yeah…" He turned away, hiding the little glint in his eyes. "Let's storm this place."
They both chuckled and pressed on the haunted building. Spiegel focusing on the left side of the hall, while Brendan is on the most right one, pressing his hands against every wall he finds in his way.
While the blue-eyed one found his searching less than interesting in all that darkness, Brendan had little luck on that part. As he trailed his hand at the dump surface at his side, a small round hole literally manifested itself on the path of his touch. Without being able to distinguish the hole from just shadows, Brendan jammed his right hand inside the thing, the wall instantly pressing itself back around his limb.
A startled cry echoed from the red-eyed boy, his alarmed voice making his twin jump scared and run over to him.
"What's wrong?" Spiegel called out as he stepped behind Brendan.
"My arm… It's, garh, it's stuck!" Brendan pulled his entire body's weight back, trying to force himself away from that position. "A strange hole appeared out of nowhere and sucked my hand in."
To Brendan's strange surprise, Spiegel is showing to be twice as disturbed as himself. The longhaired trainer tugged at his twin's arm, doing an urgent effort to take the other boy away from the way. He pulled and pulled, only stopping when Brendan winced in pain.
"I can't get you out." Spiegel cried out in frustration. "Dammit, why won't it get loose?" He cursed loudly as his hand pressed against the same wall. Fully aware of how stupid this might look, Spiegel pulled his right arm behind his chest height; he took a long breath and punched the wall with all his might.
Despite the ridiculousness of his effort, the hole gaped itself open. A muffled cry echoing inside the room.
Brendan in his continuous effort to get out went rolling back at the ground as his arms flew away from the little opening. "I am out!" He chirped gladly.
Spiegel looked down at his hand, the feeling on his knuckle very different from what he expected. He punched a solid wall with all his strength, desperation forcing him to not hold anything back, yet he felt just a soft tingling at the impact. Not the harsh and dry pain he expected to flow his senses, but a fluffy tug as if he tackled a pillow.
"This wall…" Spiegel looked back to the spot where he hit. No holes in there, the normal surface coming back as if had never left. So he got closer, close enough to hear a low murmur coming from inside. "There's some-"
A massive black hand exploded from the wall. This shadow limb tackling Spiegel on the floor. A heavy fog descended from above, circling around the blue-eyed boy.
"The hell?! Get away from me!" Spiegel cried from inside the encircling nebula.
"Oi! What's happening?!" Brendan jumped on his feet. He jumped against the little storm happening in front of him, but his body got summarily bounced back to the floor. "Hey! Can you hear me? Hey!"
A strangled scream ringed from within. It's clear as the inexistent sunlight that Spiegel was not the one screaming, but someone else, something else.
Spiegel gasped loudly, the sound of his nails gridding against the floor was as painful as the sensation on the tip of his fingers. "Stay the f- Aaaaaaahhh" This time, Spiegel was the one screaming, his voice getting farther away quickly and abruptly, then a ravishing sound of boxes breaking exploded from bellow. The pocket-sized cyclone fading into nothing, the fog getting sucked back to the void from above.
Even in his shock, Brendan swiftly jumped inside the area where Spiegel had been jailed. However, in his effort, the red-eyed trainer could only see the marking of a big hole circling itself close again after swallowing its victim.
"Oi… Spiegel, can you hear me?" Brendan slapped the floor, his flat hand smacking the cold surface. "Spiegel!"
Static ringed true once more, the annoying little prelude to one of Violet's comments. "Looks like our first participant has fallen to one of our ingenious traps." She laughed in evil delight. "Is he alive?" She gasped, clearly with a fake tone of worry. "Of course he is, hihihi. The fun has barely started."
Brendan glanced upwards, the frown on his features fierce enough to twist his normal looks. "This is fun for you? The fuck is wrong with you?"
"Are you sure you got time to play tough?" Violet's voice turned into its evil form again, the vile practically dripping at each word. "Let's continue the show, pretty boy."
A swirling dark light erupted from the other end of the hall. Shadows flooding everything around the windows next to the exit door, that black mess of mud shaping itself into a terrifying form. It crawling onto of itself, a massive body taking form as a malformed head slithered into the air.
Red chilling eyes, sparkling brighter than Brendan's red gems of eyes. They stared at him, measuring him, seizing the distance between them. A monstrous hoar exploded inside the entry hall, the shadowy monster charging towards Brendan.
His entire body shivered at that sight. Brendan turned around and ran faster than ever in his life as he tried to reach to the inner hall of the first floor. He was fast, but the monster is twice as fast, its serpentine-like body getting in front of the entrance seconds before the boy could reach it. Sharp fangs flashed into the dark, those evil red eyes shining with increasing menace as the monster pounced.
Brendan slid down below that terrifying head. He swears that his chest clashed against the beast's body, but he felt nothing as he passed by it. In his evade, the young trainer managed to get clear access inside the inner hall, his heart beating like ongoing alarm. He ran and ran, his feet slamming against the floor as the echo guided his way into even worse darkness.
He doesn't want to, he really doesn't want to look behind him. But his head turned as if it had a will of its own. In that little peek at his trail he saw the monster no more than a door space behind him, every hair on his body jolted at the sight of those black fangs baring at him.
"Brendan, Stop!" An inner voice called out to Brendan. The always-familiar voice of Groudon echoed inside his mind.
"Are… you… INSANE?!" Brendan shouted his thoughts loudly. "If I stop, I am dead."
"Just stop running. Trust me, Brendan." Groudon pressed on, his persistence showing a strange calmness in his tone.
'Aarrhhh, fuck it.' Brendan stomped the floor in front of him, his body coming to a forced halt. He turned to the other direction with a messy rapid movement, his gaze going right at those dreading eyes.
The shadow beast pounced at him again, fangs at ready to rip his body into a bloody mess. Somewhat regretting what he was asked by the molten titan, Brendan closed his eyes and waited for his end.
Nothing happened.
Brendan opened his eyes again; the massive monster disappeared into nothingness, not a single trace of that thing lingering about.
"I don't know what is happening with your mind. But you're being afflicted by hallucinations." Groudon said calmly. "You and that other… and him. You both started to yell and scream, stare into an empty room and then talking about stuff that is not there. The disturbance has awakened me from my slumber."
"Wait… wait, you can't see this?" Brendan pointed to… everywhere around him. "This darkness, the gooey walls and that freaking scaring monster?"
"You're currently standing on a very messy but abandoned hallway." Groudon spoke again. "There is no darkness to be seen as those windows at the top of the wall to your right are radiating with the sunlight."
"You're saying that I am imagining this stuff?" He scoffed, not very receptive to the news. "Then what happened to Spiegel back there? He just vanished. Did I imagine that too?"
"That boy got dragged down into a black hole. How? I cannot say. Yet, I presume that the wicked host of this 'game' has control of these events."
To give his legs a proper rest, Brendan slid his back against the wall and slammed his bottom against the floor. Both of his hands went up to his face as he mulled over his own thoughts. "Groudon." He called out the red titan, who made a low growl inside his head to make his presence felt again. "Am I awake right now?"
"Yes."
Brendan sighed, a bad habit that he has developed over the past weeks. "Great…" He jumped back on his feet, turning right back to the way he dashed from.
"Aren't you going to ask?" Groudon curiously said. "I can tell you what your eyes can't see."
After a moment of consideration, Brendan shook his head slowly. "That monster, it scared the crap out of me. But he was not real, even while terrified I could not feel it. This?!" He ran his hand against the greasy mark on the wall, the sticky liquid getting on his hand. "This thing I can feel. I pray to everything that is good that this may be a poop joke on this girl's part, because if it is not…"
Groudon staid silent, not even an acknowledging grunt coming from him. The titan's silence making Brendan way more uncomfortable than he already was. A horrible feeling twisting his stomach, a feeling that what is staining his fingers right now may be…
Rattling noises of metallic objects falling on the floor echoed from behind him, Brendan's body jolting and turning to see the source. From one of the service rooms at the side, a door slowly squeaked open, the sound as terrifying as knife running against a wall. Blackened fingers grabbed the edge of the door, slowly pushing it open with its maddening tune.
A shadow, this time a figure as tall as an adult person, crept into the hallway. This creature pulled itself away from the hold on the door, the lack of stability on its posture making this thing fall face flat on the ground. It squirmed, limbs quivering softly as they looked for support. This shadow-person got back on its knee and then back on its feet, red eyes as evil and sparkly as that other monster, stared at Brendan as if it was peeking at his soul.
"D…Die…" The creature spoke. In one of its crooked hand, a shining sharp object flashed in the darkness. A single messy step forced this shadow forward, then another one, the thing getting closer and closer to Brendan.
The sickening feeling inside in his guts just got worse. Brendan wanted to turn around and run as fast as he could, as farther away as he could get from this place. But he stood his ground, glaring impatiently at the creeping shadow. "It's not real… Get yourself together, Brendan." He whispered like a mantra, his body trembling the closer that thing got to him.
"D-D-D-D… DIE!" A screeching sound escaped the creature's blackened mouth, its arm swinging back and then forward, aiming its shining weapon at the boy's face.
"BRENDAN MOVE!" Groudon shouted from within.
The primal's panicked voice forced Brendan to jump back, his reaction though not fast enough to dodge the end of that blade. His instincts made him trash his right arm upwards as to guard his face, and thankfully for it, the tip of that small knife only managed to tear a cut on his shirt and draw a line of blood on his skin.
Brendan lost his breath at the realization of how real that weapon felt, how real this thing in front of him is. However, he got little time to think about this as this creature jumped at him again, swinging its knife in a wild arc. Again, Brendan dodged a full hit by that cutting edge, but this time his belly was the one getting a new scratch. He gritted his teeth in anger, annoyance. As that monster made a movement to jump at him again, Brendan took two steps to the side, letting this shadowy arm hit the air in front of him and then his right fist exploded against the shadow's face.
A painful cry echoed around his ear, a woman's voice whimpering in fear and pain as that shadow rolled away from him. As that messy of a body stopped against an abandoned cart, it just stood there, not movement no attempts to get up. Just a low sobbing and terrified groans.
The radio static coming back, now paired with a low siren. "And he scores!" Violet chirped with a happy voice. "That was amazing, Brendan. So, you do know martial arts, that was so cool… Ahh, I am falling in love. But ouch, what a punch. Let's ask our volunteer what she thought of that, shall we?"
Following the crazy girl's laughter, a spot of light shined upon the shadow monster, the blackness around its body sipping away slowly. Soon, the darkened silhouetted covering that body vanished, revealing one of the nurses sobbing on the floor.
Brendan's face fell to the floor, his blood went cold as he stared at the poor young woman, her face a mess of tears and ruined make-up. He ran over to her side, kneeling next to her. "I am sorry, I am so sorry… Are you okay? Can you hear me?" He tried to rub her arm to give some comfort, but his touch sent the woman into a panic spasm.
"Please, stay away from me. Please!" She curled into a ball, crying heavily as he rubbed the already forming lump on her left cheek. "Please… I just want to go home…"
Brendan gritted his teeth, a furious scowl appearing on his face. His blood that was cold now flared up into a boiling rage. "You're sick." He growled quietly, even so his voice made the nurse shiver and whimper.
The light spot faded away, but the nurse remained there in her normal form, the illusion cast over her, now completely dispelled. "Oh thank you, you're sick too." Violet giggled at her microphone. "Now, now. Back to the game, we wouldn't want to keep all the guests waiting for you, would we? Oh, sorry, yeah. A friendly remember, I would not go punching everything you see in your way. You never know when you're going to cave in the nose of a poor old lady."
In the echoes of that twisted person's laughter. Brendan took his long shirt out and placed it over the poor crying woman. She didn't jerk the clothing right away but made no sign of taking comfort with it either. A saddened growl escaped the young champion's mouth, there is nothing he can do for her now, the only thing he can do is stop this madness. With that in mind, Brendan stood up and stepped forward. He once more dared to venture into the darkness.
"Does it hurt?" Kyogre asked, his question receiving only silence. "At least compress the wound."
Step by step, Spiegel continued to march forward on his way inside the almost silent hallway. A dripping sound is the only company to the boy's walk, his right leg stained with three lines of blood going down from his thigh. He pressed forward, limping, grunting painfully, but he did not stop. Not to breathe and not to talk.
"Boy, don't ignore me!" Kyogre roared from inside, his voice raging and reaching, yet to no avail. "Spiegel, listen to my voice."
The blue titan continued to curse, continued to call, but his guardian made no sign that he would respond. However, that is not the boys' fault. He cannot hear Kyogre, he cannot feel the jolting sensations searing inside of him; His eyes half-open, the blue gaze of those sapphire gloom and out of their usual sparkle.
"Where is this?" Spiegel finally uttered some words. He stopped at the sight of an open door. His gaze falling on more of those strange shadows that attacked him before, these ones also carrying a makeshift weapon. "More of them…" He growled in clear frustration, his fist still tingling with the sensation of the punches he dished before.
"Die…" One of the shadows crept up from the floor, arms ready to attack.
Spiegel limped closer to the door, snarling at the shadowy figure. "You wanna go at it again?" He spat at the incoming monster. "Then let's do it you freak!" He stomped inside the room, the wounded leg stinging at the heavy step, but he didn't stop.
From behind Spiegel, another arm reached in; longer, faster and fiercer. A rocket punch soared in and plunged the silhouette far back into a corner.
The blue eyed-boy jerked to the side, mouth wide open and gaze startled as it could get. To add to his surprise, the figure standing behind him was as dark as the one that got punched, no, even darker. He tried to spin and attack his newcomer too, but that reaching arm was faster, tackling him at his side, sending him spiraling right in the middle of the room.
He gasped; spit flying from his mouth as his back crashed down against the hard surface. As soon as his pain dulled, his eyes shot back up to the door, watching as that taller monster walked inside. "A-another one?" He said, pressing one arm to his abdomen.
"Another one, no. Not another one." The shadow spoke, clear as any other person would. This thing stepped inside, slamming the door close behind it. "What a pathetic little sight. Look at you! Bleeding, on the ground, panting like a loser."
Spiegel scoffed, pressing himself up to sit. "Like a stupid shadow knows anything about me."
The creature sneered. "I do." Its dark skin peeling down as if had turned into drops of water, dripping down on the floor, revealing a pale color. Brown hair, blue and red eyes, an evil smirk plastered all around its face. "Because I am you."
Any defiant look Spiegel had on his face before, instantly disappeared. "This can't be… right… They made another one. THEY MADE ANOTHER ONE?!" His sapphire eyes fired up life again, burning anger filling him up.
The shadow turned Brendan instantly moved from the door, getting on top of Spiegel faster than a blink of an eye. He zoomed his arm forward, latching on Spiegel's face, more accurately silencing his mouth. "You got this wrong, friend. I am not another clone of Brendan." At his words, Spiegel visibly calmed down, his body stopping trashing to get away from the hold. "I am you, literally. Everything you can be, everything you forgot… that is me."
Jerking his arm forward, the duo-colored eyed man tossed Spiegel forward, making him slam his head against a large shelf, glass pots and cups falling all around him.
"Look at you." This shade of Spiegel spoke with an utter repulse. "Crawling at the floor, miserable." It snorted, glaring down at the boy. "A pathetic travesty of something godly." Again, with its phantom speed, this thing lunged at Spiegel, grabbing him by the collar of his now dirty-brown kimono. "Weak, insignificant failure. You bent all at four to him, didn't you? You took comfort in his friendly words, YOU!"
Growling in frustration of his situation, Spiegel jerked his head forward in a head-butt. His sudden strike, however, swinging freely in the air. His self-declared real self-appearing at his side with a creeping smirk.
"You're supposed to be a god on this planet." Again its voice sounded ever so vile and yet comforting somehow, a feeling that is scaring Spiegel more and more each time. "Being like us, we are the pinnacle of existence. We don't beg, we don't ask and more certainly… WE. DON'T. NEED. PITY."
"Yeah? How about 'we' go fuck itself?" Spiegel spat back.
The twisted version of him growled furiously, its hand smashing forward, grabbing the pale skin of the boy's neck. Spiegel gasped in pain, gurgling sounds escaping his lips as the suffocation began to set in. "You need me…" It whispered next to his left ear.
"Gel…" Kyogre desperately shouted from within, its thunderous voice coming up as a light echo to Spiegel. "Boy, listen to me!" The titan finally got to his guardian, his desperate voice startling Spiegel away from his excruciating pain. "Look down, you imbecile! Stop chocking yourself."
He glanced down at himself, his eyes widening as big as saucers. Pressing merciless at his neck it is his own left hand, his fingers getting red for putting so much strength in the action. His body jerked to the side, his hand pulling away from his neck; air finally reaching his lungs. He hacked, coughed and even puked a pool of saliva.
"What is wrong with your head boy?" Kyogre echoed his anger without restraint. "Stop fighting against the wind and get a hold of yourself."
"He… was here…" Spiegel spoke in a broken sentence, a searing pain flaring from his head with more intensity than anything that he has ever felt before. His blue eyes caught a glance of something, a figure of a person, standing against the other wall. "It's not real… You're not real."
"Oi! Spiegel, get a… Boy, don't you dare…. Listen… Spiegel!" Kyogre's voice faded back to the pit of Spiegel's sub consciousness once again, now even with his most heated struggle, the sapphire titan cannot reach the boy again.
"It's a waste of time, you know." The other Spiegel came back, now looking down at his real-life self with contempt eyes. "I am more real than the air that you breathe. More real than the ground you step on. Wanna know why?" He vanished and appeared in front of the boy again, crouching in front of him.
Spiegel trembled in response, his eyes fleeing the image of that villainous face. "Go away… You're not real; just get the hell away from me."
"I am real… because I am right here." He reached in with one hand, gently tapping Spiegel's forehead with his index finger. "Look inside you, you know the truth. Our plans, remember them. Remember, Deoxys. REMEMBER, BRENDAN!"
Another attempted flew right past the mocking shadow, Spiegel's arm swinging so hard that his knuckle did a complete arc, hitting hard the edge of the shelf, a little cut forming on tip of his fist.
Laughing away in a theatrically evil manner, the shadow stood up making room for what he was planning next. "Brendan, look at me. This is where we belong. This is what we want." It frowned angrily as the boy didn't comply and continued to stare at the ground at his right. "LOOK AT ME!"
He flinched, that voice startled him to his core. It is his voice, dark, evil… but his voice, commanding him to look up and that he did. With a single glance, his body shot up from the ground, his back grinding against the broken shelf as he tried to back away, to run away, but couldn't get a single step away from there.
Standing next to that repulsive thing, are Zinnia and Flannery. Both girls looking at him with passion, with care… with love. Seeing them here, real or not, made him almost lose the grasp of his sanity, the only thing keeping himself awake being the throbbing pain in his wounded leg.
"Come here, Brendan." Zinnia cooed, her voice making his heart warm up and ache at the same time. "I will give you all of my love."
"Yes, come." Flannery said next. "We are here for you. Always for you."
"Stop…" He begged quietly.
"Why? This is what you want. I know this. Because it is exactly what I want." An evil chuckled echoed, a certain trigger affecting Spiegel's head, forcing him to look up again.
Any balance or strength he had left just got drained away from him. His back slid all the way back down; the little rough edges of the damaged furniture marking his back even more. "Please, stop." He begged, his eyes shutting close to not look at those two, not like this… as this monster forced him to look at them naked. "Stop doing this... I am not a monster."
From nothing and silence, an ever-familiar jovial laugh sounded out. It was a spot of light inside this turmoil of darkness. "That's obvious, you dork." Ethan's voice called out to him. Spiegel instantly jerked his head up, eyes shining with hope only for that hope to die and sink him in even bigger despair. "You're not a monster, retard. You are a god."
The same grip as before latched on his neck again, the familiar burning pain grazing his skin yet again, forcing his eyes up to stare at the sole figure standing in front of him.
"Accept your fate, embrace your darkness." The shadow snarled on his face. "Kill that bastard, take his place. Take everything. Go on. Accept me!"
In their dreading struggle, the room sunk into a deep silence, devoid of any sound other than his choking noises. It hurts to think, hurts to not breathe, and hurts even more to stare at that thing strangling his neck. Yet, his heart is aching a hundred times fold. To think that something like this lurks in his core; that this came from him. "Gah…" Spiegel pushed his back against the shelf; he bit his lower lip in a desperate reaction, blood leaking slowly at the side of his mouth.
A flicker, one moment. One last sparkle flashed on those sapphire eyes, an undying determination filled the boy's core and in that… "Aaaaarrhhhh!"
A single noise ended everything, a breakpoint that finished his inner fight. Inside that room, no, from within that entire floor, no other sign of life appeared. No sound, no hustle; yet that single noise still lingers in a faint echo, the noise of bone cracking.
"So…. Anything…?" Brendan bent next to a closed-door, seeking support on the wall.
"You're clear. The only thing in your path is rubble and broken things." Groudon said. For the last past minutes, the red titan has been served as his guardian's compass inside this oblivion maze.
"Really? Are you really sure?" Brendan asked. The young champion glancing behind him, the horde of shadows crawling after him.
"Rejoice. Your only problem at this moment is ignoring those illusions." Groudon replied right back.
"Yeah… so reassuring. Those evil looking things are clearly not so scary… for you who can't see them." Brendan snorted, ignoring the growl of those things getting close to him. He tackled the door open, scanning the room quickly. A huge sigh of relief escaping his lips as he saw nothing in there, human or not.
Violet's inhumanly annoying static sound sounded in, her giggles following right after. "Hi, handsome. It's been some minutes, right? Missed me?" Her cutesy voice singing happily, after Brendan just ignored her altogether. "Ah, tough love. You just know how to appease me. Hey, hey. I wanted to talk to you a little bit, please answer me."
Taking rest in the vacant rest, Brendan sat down, leaning his back against the cushioned head support. He digested her request for a quiet minute and then scoffed.
"Okay, just listen then." She pouted and somehow conveyed that on the sound of her voice. "I've groomed that clone of yours before. I had suuuuch big plans for him, beautiful schemes. He is a masterpiece, ready to be unleashed." In that turn of topic, Violet was able to capture Brendan's full attention and she delighted herself upon noticing it. "He is perfect in every sense. A blinding darkness to counter your shining light. Oohh I want so badly for him to break this region, I get shivers just thinking about it."
A sarcastic snort played Brendan's reaction very well. "I am flattered that you think so highly of me. But you're having an absurd delusion if you thinking that I am so big and powerful that just me or an evil me can break Hoenn."
"You? Ha! You can't. Even if you were to murder half of the people in this shitty piece of land, that would not be enough… That would be bland and boring." Violet sang loudly, the screeching sound of a chair spinning passed on to the microphone. "Don't you get it? If there is a symbol, a hero. People will always turn their faith to that symbol, that beacon of hope. And Brendan, dear… you are Hoenn's light. Now imagine a shadow as big as that light, better, a monster of unparalleled evil who just happens to look exactly like the one everyone looks for in their desperate times." Her fingers scratched on the surface of the recording device, making another annoying sound. "That would break Hoenn. It would break this entire place's spine right in half."
Brendan frowned, his guts turning with as he imagined the events she detailed. Then a little flash of Spiegel's desperate attempt to save Brendan from that stupid hole crossed his mind. That person is harsh and sometimes way to forward with his thinking, yet Brendan cannot see that much evil on him, despite their recent history, he just can't.
"Well, too bad for you that he is not like that." Brendan said, looking up to the ceiling with a defiant look.
His composure, however, lasted only until Violet's maniacal laughter echoed around the whole building. She snorted, growled and laughed out of control, hustling sounds of clothing once again getting over to the microphone. "And that brings us to our final challenge. Good luck Brendan, hihihi. I will be rooting for you with all my love. Please don't die so easily."
As her voice faded back into nothing, the closed-door busted open, as in tackled down at the floor without remorse. From the wake of the violent crashing sound, five shadows poured inside the bedroom, her voices chanting the same word again and again as they glared at Brendan.
"Brendan!" Groudon called.
"How many are real?" Brendan asked frantically, getting back on his feet, arms standing in guard in front of him.
"All of them." The titan said and Brendan grimaced.
After his first encounter with one of those 'monsters', Brendan did his best to avoid any confrontation with them. Not only for the ferocity of their attacks but because attacking those shadows back will just mean that he is attacking innocent people trapped in this place. He glanced down to the bed, his hands quickly snatching the large pillow and putting it in front of him. If he at least could push them without getting stabbed in the process, he would be able to escape without many consequences.
That was his battle plan, little did he know that it would even get a chance to be put to test. A powerful banging sound echoed from the hall outside, a ghostly cry of pain piercing the veil of silence. Every shadow standing ready to attack Brendan fell on the floor, their bodies turning into a ragdoll mess as they mounted on top of each other in their fall. It was then that this unique noise came to life, a metallic sound of a blunt object grinding against the concrete.
A sixth shadow popped from the corner, this one much darker and eerier. Standing from the norm, this one walking with its head hanging low, one arm flapping down in the air as if it was a mere piece of cloth, while it holds a long metal cane on the other hand. This shadow stopped in front of the open door, slowly its head going up, revealing glowing round blue eyes, eyes that stared deeply at Brendan.
From everything he has seen and faced inside this place, nothing came as close as this one in the terrifying scale. Brendan's legs got rigid as cold steel; his mouth opens but not a sound coming out. He needs to run, to escape from this room.
The thought came too late, as his feet started to action of moving an inch forward, that shadow has already dashed inside, eyes staring with a dangerous fixation. A gush of wind cried in the swing of that cane, like a bird's whistle, a piercing sound followed the trail of that arcing movement.
Brendan raised his pillow-shield, closing his eyes in fear. The same bang from before echoed again, this time from his left. An agonizing screech pushed Brendan down on the bed, his eyes shooting back open. He could see a deep red eye, large blobs of tears forming at its corner as a bulky grey body got ejected from within the wall. A Dusknoir waved its arm in the air, head shaking from one side to the other, pain visible in its wails.
The metal cane flashed from bellow, hitting the screaming Pokémon on its huge ghostly belly. Crying even louder in pain, the Dusknoir went flying to the ground, its red eye shutting down as he painfully growled into a dark slumber.
A single ray of light poked from the dark glass of those windows. The first drop of light unleashing an effect that began to clear the room of every illusion, every little shadow which didn't belong in the real world. Brendan drifted his gaze away from the unconscious Pokémon, glancing upwards to the panting man standing next to the bed.
Spiegel stared down at his twin for a moment, his face turning into a painful mess at every odd moment. "Let's go." He commanded, turning his back away and pacing himself towards the door.
For what seemed an eternity, Brendan finally had a moment of respite. He watched the other boy walk away and vanish at the corner. His attention changing for a moment to the group of people lying on top of each other; patients, nurses, doctors… He frowned getting the proper confirmation that everyone who was in this building fell victim to his horrible situation.
Spiegel tapped twice with the metallic cane against the wall on the other side, the sounds taking Brendan away from his depressive thinking. And so, the champion jumped from the bed and followed after his twin. Just as he walked into the hallway, he jumped startled by Spiegel's image who is standing right next to the door, close enough to scare anyone who would walk out of there.
"How did-" Brendan began but got silenced as Spiegel hissed at him.
"She used those Dusknoir to change everything. Basically, making a living nightmare inside this place." Spiegel whispered quietly, for only to Brendan to hear. "Every floor had two of those creeping from the shadows, watching us and changing things as they wanted."
Spiegel pointed behind Brendan to the long part of the hallway behind them, Brendan followed the tip of the cane, his eyes landing on the ridiculous amount of people laying on the floor, most unconscious, the rest just sobbing and talking quietly to themselves in a total state of shock. Far on the other end, he also noticed another Dusknoir laying on its belly, totally out of itself.
The blue-eyed boy tapped his twin on the arm with the side of his cane. "Come, let's end this." He said and turned away before Brendan could get a proper look at him. Limping at each step, Spiegel continued to walk with Brendan in his tail, the two passed by three other rooms, the scenery not getting any better inside all of them. They went onward, until Spiegel suddenly stopped, raised his good arm to warn his twin.
He took a long breath and then glanced back onto Brendan's eyes. He waited until the red-eyed boy nodded and stood ready at his side. Then, breathing heavily and deeply once more, Spiegel turned the knob and kicked the door open.
Violet's shoulder jumped at the sound the door made. The girl more than ready for their arrival, pressed herself against the older man, her knee resting on his bed as she threatens him with a sharp little knife. "Not a single step forward or-"
She had no time to finish her sentence as the metal cane went flying towards her. In a panic, she raised both hands in front of her face, in a weak attempt to block the thing from damaging her so badly. The cylindric weapon clashed against the white wall at her side, her eyes widening in fear as she opened them up again just to see the blue-eyed Brendan right on top of her.
"Please, wait!" She cried in terror, voice as pleading as it could be in its child-like innocence.
He didn't wait, not even for a moment. Spiegel grabbed the girl by her neck and bashed the back of her head against the wall, the muffled sound of the impact is the last thing she heard before her head limped to the side and her limbs went soft.
His still functioning arm swung to the side, tossing the girl on the floor. Spiegel trembled in place, his breathing hard and uneven. His legs are itching to move, craving to stomp right after her and finish everything for real. For a moment he considered giving in, just embracing what his body wanted to badly, but a firm hand on his shoulder pulled him away from such dark thoughts.
"It's over." Brendan said with a stern face. That was everything he spared to his twin as his attention quickly changed to the gray-haired man looking at them. "Mr. Stone are you okay?"
The old man looked at him still surprised by everything and even more by seeing two of those boys at the same time. Yet he nodded at Brendan and smiled. "I am… Despite everything, I am well, young Brendan."
"That's great to hear, sir. Steven would have my hide if I let anything happen to you." Brendan jested with a weak smile. "We will help you get out of this place, sir."
Joseph looked conflicted by the news, while happy to leave this place, his heart ached in the thought of everyone also stuck in here. "You should help the others." The old man said. "I am safe and secure here." He tried to reason, but have little effect on Brendan's resolute gaze.
"Sorry, sir… I can't help those people. At least, not by myself." Brendan walked next to Joseph, giving the old man the support of his shoulders. "They are in shock and deeply traumatized. If we tried to move them now, they could react violently." He carefully grabbed the old man's arm, resting it around his neck and pulling the aged man to the edge of his bed. "Hey!" Brendan called out Spiegel, who was still staring at Violet. "I can't do this without you, come on."
A slow grunt was Spiegel's response. With a lot of effort on his part, he took his eyes away from the pinky-haired girl, slowly pacing to his spot next to Brendan and Joseph.
The young trainers carried the weight of Mr. Stone's body, while they slowly crossed the horrible halls and floors, now properly lit and showing the devastation brought by Violet's sick game. Joseph, despite his maturity and advanced age, could not stomach the sight of those people crying in fear. As soon as they stepped outside his room and his eyes landed on the first victim, the old businessman closed his eyes and let the other two guide him away from this hell. And they continued without stop, slowly but steady, carrying Steven's father all the way to the main entrance and to the big double doors at the exit.
With Spiegel's right arm still lifeless hanging to the side, Brendan had to be the one pushing the doors open. They clenched their eyes for a moment as the noon' sun bathed them in light and them they finally stepped outside that horrible place. Yet, at the first step out, they stopped.
Brendan and Spiegel stared down at the little stairs case leading to the street. Never crossed their minds that once out of there, there would be people waiting for them. So, to their surprise, two pairs of eyes are watching them.
"Steven…" Brendan said quietly, a shy smile crossing his lips.
The blue-haired scion had a million emotions racing across his face. First, he blinked a few times, surprised to see two Brendans, then the line of his jaw softened and his eyes watered in glinting tears. His body trembled as the blond woman at his side touched his arm, taking his attention. She smiled at him and nodded for Steven to go to them.
"Father." Steven called out to Joseph. He rushed those steps like the wind was carrying him, his arms grabbing his father as soon as he got close enough. "I thought… for a moment I thought..."
"I know, son…" Joseph pulled his arms from his kind helper's necks and fully embraced his son. "Sorry for making you worry."
Steven pulled his face away from his father's neck, tears now freely sliding down on his face. He smiled and hugged the old man again. He stood like that for a few seconds, until he pulled back again and looked at Brendan, both of them.
"Thank you, Brendan…" His thankful words had a little uncertainty on then. Seeing two Brendan was way confusing that it may look. "You kept my father safe."
Brendan smiled fully, tapping his friend on the shoulder. "You would have done the same for me." He said back. Steven now looking at the right Brendan and smiling. "We sure have a lot to share, Steven. But for now, just focus on your father."
Steven nodded, helping his father get proper support on his shoulders. Then the old champion grimaced, his eyes darting back to his ruined city. "We need to find a safe place." He said with a touch of sorrow in his tone.
"Go to Lavaridge." Spiegel raised his voice, getting everyone's attention. "Mr. Stone will not be able to reach Ever Grande in that state. But Lavaridge is safe, the international police are staying there. Plus, he can get treated properly there too." He thought of Looker and Max, while they are not a full force of agents, they are still cops. And Ethan's silly joke about getting healed on the thermal baths, somehow convinced the naïve blue-eyed boy that they are magical and will heal anything.
Steven glanced from Spiegel to Brendan, then back to Spiegel. He carefully studied the boy, but then smiled and nodded. "Thank you." He said in genuine appreciation. "Cynthia, can you help me?"
She smiled and nodded, climbing the steps towards Steven. Together the two of them carried Mr. Stone down to the street, where Steven called out his massive Metagross. Gently in their care, they helped Joseph climb at the back of the big Pokémon and then they began their journey to Lavaridge town.
"Where are you going?" Brendan said, directing his voice in the best way he could to the boy behind him. Even if Spiegel tried his best to sneak away without a sound, Brendan caught a glimpse of him at the corner of his left eye.
"Doesn't matter." Spiegel responded dryly, still stopping on his tracks.
"Aah… And here was I thinking you could be a normal person and not an ever-grumpy bastard." Brendan turned around, his vision properly sitting on the other boy's figure. Out of that glooming darkness and free of the stressful situation of always being on the edge, he now can see how battered and outright trashed his twin is. "What's wrong with your arm?" Brendan asked, stepping a little closer. "Just look at people when they are talking with-"
Even in his childlike stubbornness, Spiegel turns around, slowly, to face the red-eyed youth. "I… I told you… this is nothing…"
Brendan sucked his breath in, his heart felt like it has stopped for a moment. He stared at his twin, he watched those blue eyes now surrounded by nothing but a blood-red color of his eyeball, his face a mess of moist dust stuck at his cheeks, his lower lip is even worse as it is full of cuts and a trail of blood.
"Just, leave me alone… D-doesn't m-matter…" Spiegel faltered as his voice quietly died down.
Another long step forward, Brendan reached with one hand to his twin, the blue-eyed boy jerking backward in response. His broken arm swinging freely down, its movements making him shiver and grunt in pain. This person is broken in body and mind. Anyone can see that with just a glimpse at him.
'He is shivering and trembling everywhere…' Brendan frowned, an involuntary look of pity showing in his eyes. This time he took three steps forward, basically tackling Spiegel in a hold. With one arm, he pressed the other boy closer and then he said. "It's over… I don't know what she did to you in there… But it's over. You're safe now and I am here with you."
At those words, at the warmth of that embrace. Spiegel broke down in tears. He pressed his face down against Brendan's shoulder. He raised his left arm around his twin back and pressed it with all his might. Everything that was stuck in his chest came pouring down at those heavy, painful sobs.
Brendan held the trembling boy even closer, letting him cry all his sorrows at his shoulder. It was weird hearing his own voice in such agony and pain, but more than that it hurt even as if he was the one feeling all that. With his gaze focused on the blue sky at the distant, Brendan felt a tingling sensation in his red eyes, small warm tears slowly appearing, gliding down his cheeks.
For a long time, much longer than they expected. Both boys just stood there, hugging each other, while Spiegel continued to cry without an end in sight.
This morning left its mark on Brendan, making him categorize such events as ever so properly as a 'shit-storm'. Taking in count everything he saw and heard inside the building behind him, he has to admit that what he is seeing now takes the crown as the weirdest thing he has ever seen in his life.
In the middle of the deserted street, a human-sized green sphere appeared out of nowhere. The foggy image of a person stuck inside is reflecting on the exterior. That person inside, spasmed wildly, hands digging out in a desperate attempt do escape, the nails scratching and reaching, little by little carving a way out. After a minute or so of a struggle, Ethan plopped out of that thing, the raven-haired boy falling on the ground as a berry in its prime, ready to be ripe. He coughed loudly, a green mist mixture with spit landing on the warmed concrete. He stayed there for a few more moments, getting his senses together and a minimum bearing of his surroundings.
Ethan chewed something at the side of his mouth and spat it out, more of the same green-like spit. His eyes traveling upwards and meeting the curious gaze of Brendan, who is sitting at the last step of the sidewalk stairs. "Hey, there champ." Ethan chirped happily while visibly tired. "Did I miss something?"
At that Brendan scoffed, not holding back a little laugh. "What does it look like?"
Those golden eyes glanced all over him and at the boy sleeping at his side. After mulling over some thoughts, Ethan sighed as he walked closer. "You guys look like trash." He said, stopping in front of Brendan. A playful smirk crossing his lips. "At least you two are friends now. Look at you, letting Spiegel use your back as a pillow."
Brendan gave a soft side glance to his twin, peacefully breathing against his back. "He cried himself to sleep."
"That bad?" Ethan's eyed widened. "Jeez, now I feel like an ass for leaving you two alone."
Waving one hand in front of him, Brendan dismissed Ethan's concern. Getting a third person to that hell would most likely do little good and more bad then it was worth it. "We took care of it. But he got it worse… a lot worse." Raising one arm, the young champion pointed to the improvised support made of clothes wrapped around Spiegel's arm. "He broke his arm and got his thigh stabbed… Those are the ease wounds he got from the ordeal."
Letting out a sigh of exasperation, Ethan took a sit at Brendan's free left side. He brought both hands to his face, letting his fatigue escape through his lips in a long second sigh. "Blazing hell, the guy just wanted to spend some time with cutie and I dragged him into this mess." Ethan looked pissed, more at himself than at anything else. With a low growl he just swallowed his anger. "Found what you were looking for?" He asked.
Brendan nodded quietly, letting out a stern humming sound. "The price was high, especially not for me… But it was worth it. I have a feeling he thinks the same. And you? Found what you went after?"
Ethan scoffed, a disheartened grin giving away his dissatisfaction. "In a way, I did." He looked at Brendan's eyes, in its all rarity, a serious look flashed at the raven-haired trainer. "The dumbass went after his father on his own."
"You're going after him?" Brendan asked.
"What choice do I have?" Ethan snarled in response. He growled and shot himself back up to his feet. "Can you look after him for a little while more?" One of his fingers trailed down at the sleeping boy, Brendan following with his eyes.
"Yeah… I can do that." Was the brown-haired champion's response.
Ethan smiled, brightly so. "Good. He will not admit it, but he thinks too highly of his older brother."
At that Brendan frowned, adjusting himself uncomfortably on his spot. "He is not my-"
"Then just think of him as such." Ethan cut him quickly. "Don't do that too. He has been called a thing, a monster, an evil clone… That guy is like a lost little kid without guidance. Don't be another one treating him as something not human, it will drive him crazy." With his shoulders stiff high, Ethan shook his head a low chuckle sounding off. "Just think about it okay?" Speaking his piece, the raven-haired trainer trailed off to a different way, going on his quest to find his lover before is too late.
"I will gather everyone at Ever Grande." Brendan said loudly, his voice making Spiegel stir at his side. "I will wait for you there, so you better come."
Ethan stopped for a moment, he considered the idea for a moment and without turning to look at his friend, he raised one hand and waved. "Then I will show up. See you later, big bro." He teased Brendan one last time and then properly set off on his unmarked road.
A little end note here: Writing this chapter was a real challenge, sure the change to a bit of horror was a little hard to make BUT! Writing this tense stuff while listening to Kara no Kokoro - Anly and Newsong - Tacica. Jeez why I had to get so hook up on these songs right when I am about to write a chapter like this. But in the end, I think I did a good job a conveying what I wanted to pass, so much so that I have to admit by the end of the chapter my eyes got a little teary.
If you are liking the story so far, please leave a review. :)
Reviews:
DOOT76 chapter 30 . Oct 3 – I have to admit, I was a bit scared that you just got bored by the story and left. Glad to see that you came back ;)
This stuff with Dialga and Palkia, it's good to know. As I said like twenty chapters before this one, my experience with Pokémon is not that grand. I played gen 2 a lot, really a lot. But after that my next Pokémon game was Omega Ruby, when I decided to write this story. So, most of the knowledge I have about the series comes from stuff I read on wikis or from things my friends told me.
I will disclose my idea for legendary Pokémon on this fic. They really are legendary, like they can blow up stuff easily if used in the wrong way. But I almost totally disregard the "power-order" from the original series, a bit OoC but oh well. The thing is, there are the 'normal' legendary like Kyogre, Groudon and Lugia, those guys. They are strong like divine beasts, but there is also the deity of the region. Rayquaza and Ho-Oh for an example, those two are far above the others I mentioned because they are like the beings who watches their respective regions and keeps order and all that.
Anyway, I rambled way to long about this stuff, If you also want me to elaborate a bit more on my idea of "Guardians" I will gladly do so. Because the technical stuff about that role is far too "complex" for me to explain properly by just small talks between Ethan and Brendan.
Mr MogiGaming chapter 30 . Oct 4 – Something big that is for sure. Let's just say that I have something in mind for an occasion like that.