Chapter 89
The part that Sky hated the most was waiting. When he was waiting, it gave him time to doubt himself. Time to think about how the whole thing was a bad idea. If he could focus on the moment, he was sure he would be fine. But the waiting and the anticipation just made him focus on everything that was wrong. Little by little, his reason for coming and his resolve deteriorated.
While River was inside the stadium, enjoying her match, Sky was outside in the cold and the rain, doubting himself.
He waited a short distance from the locker room exit. In a few more minutes, River would come through those doors and he would talk to her for the first time in three years. Of course, that was if he didn't run away the second he saw her. Which was a stronger and stronger possibility the more he stood there, he had to admit. Briefly, he had considered actually going to the match. It would give him something to do while he waited, as well as something to talk to River about when they met. However, he was also willing to bet that seeing River from afar would remind him of how pretty and kind and wonderful and amazing and…everything that River was and he'd lose his nerve before he got within ten feet of her. Not that letting his imagination run wild was a better idea.
A single tree, without very many branches on it, was his only cover from the rain. He hadn't expected the rain to be very bothersome, but the waiting was making it worse. River's match seemed to be taking a rather long time, as well. Sky's clothes were very close to dripping wet, even in the light rain of the afternoon.
His tree wasn't very much help either. On the occasions where he managed to find a spot that shielded him from the rain, a rather large droplet from the upper branches would land on the center of his head, or the edge of his nose or somewhere else annoyingly uncomfortable, and he'd have to move. This happened four times within three minutes.
This sucks, Sky thought. The minutes ticked by painfully slowly and there was still no sign of River. Occasionally, he heard cheers from inside, telling him the match was still going. If he was guessing correctly, Sky figured that the match was rather even. The fans cheering for each side took turns. The louder one would be River.
That was a little surprising. It wasn't often that someone outside of the Four could keep one of them on their toes.
The crash of a Surf wave echoed at one point. That would be Teardrop taking advantage of the rain. Sky had taught River that technique. On occasion, he regretted doing so, but losing a few matches was minor compared to how happy and pretty River had looked when he had taught it to her. Even more so when she tried it against Edge, for the first time.
More than anything, he hated how that memory triggered such a bittersweet feeling in him. He wanted to remember it fondly and focus on her smiling face. But even his good memories were turning into bad ones. It was the smiling face of a friend that he had hurt. A friend that he had failed and left behind.
He was supposed to be fixing that now. He was setting things right, coming back to his true home and saving the girl he had hurt.
Except, Sky thought, except, except…except, I don't want to say it.
He cursed himself. And the island. And the rain. But he would never curse River.
River had done nothing. Sky was the failure. He was the loser that ran away and left her behind.
And now, here he was. Back again to fix something he couldn't. Too weak to admit his own weakness.
But why was he here? Correcting the past was beyond him. It couldn't be done. He carried pieces of it around with him and all it reminded him of was that it was done. He had said, done, or believed something foolish long ago and there was no way to change that.
So, why was he here? What did he really want? What did he expect to happen when he talked to River?
Well, he would talk to her. Probably ask about how she was doing and how the past few years had been, and then…well…
And what would he say to her? How could he answer those questions if she asked? He was doing…well. Okay. Fair. He settled for "okay."
He had bought a cabin in Sinnoh's mountains big enough for seven. Thank you very much, Mr. Silph. Yes, I will gladly take your generous amount of prize money. There was snow where he lived now. Lots of snow. Had River ever seen snow? Well, he could show it to her sometime. That was good. He liked that part a lot. He made a mental note of it.
Oh, writing, yes. Yes, he was trying to write something. Something that was…well…not ready to share yet.
And after that? What more was there to say or talk about? There was no answer that time.
The crash of Surf echoed around the stadium again.
River's battle really was taking a long time. How long had Sky been out there? Twenty minutes? Half an hour? He was trying not to check the time to make it go faster. He might go insane if he did.
Dammit, why was he here again? Well, he wanted to talk to River. Okay. Why? Did he really want to, or was it because Tempest had forced him?
That was unfair. Tempest had forced him to do nothing. She had wanted him to talk to River since the very first day of the tournament. She had been rather…insistent, even aggressive, but…forcing him? No, she hadn't gone that far. She didn't need to.
Sky wanted to talk to River. Tempest insisted that he needed to talk to River. But…why?
As far back as Sky could remember, Tempest hated River. Even when she was a Salamence, there was always a kind of resentment in her eyes when she looked at River. So where had the change come from? Why, after so many years, was Tempest telling him to go see River?
The only answer he could think of was simply because she knew he had feelings for River. All of his human Pokémon knew. Sometimes, he wondered if River knew already. They all knew, but only Tempest encouraged him to act on it. Not even the kind-hearted Flurry did that.
Six of his Pokémon had evolved into humans and he let down every single one of them. They had scattered in every direction the instant Sky let them come back to Himitsu. Tempest and Flurry were the only ones that remained with him and even Flurry's faith was gone. Tempest was the only one who still believed in him.
It made no sense. Tempest was stubborn, aggressive and angry. So why? Why did she encourage him to see River? Why did she care so much?
But he knew. Of course he knew. He didn't need to stay there. There was no reason for him to talk to River. The one who encouraged him, cared about him, and believed in him the most was not inside that stadium.
He turned to leave, wondering how he could be so stupid for so long.
"I hate the rain," Tempest said aloud for the fifth time since Sky had left. If there had been no rain, she would be flying circles around the island. Instead, she was trapped inside and forced to pace the hotel room. It was driving her insane. She needed to be outside at a time like this. There was no better stress relief than gliding through the air.
"Just sit down," Flurry tried to sound calm. She sat alone on one of the suite's couches. Ian was off at RiverofTears' match, but Flurry had decided to stay behind and keep Tempest company. She had hoped to keep Tempest calm since she knew what was going through the Salamence-woman's mind, but she'd have better luck making the rain stop.
"I can't," Tempest said quickly.
"Yes, you can," Flurry sighed, "You don't know when he'll be back. Ian's not even back yet, so the match probably isn't over yet. Now sit down and try to be calm."
"Heh," Tempest gave a quick, derisive laugh at that one. Flurry had obviously forgotten who, and what, she was. Acting calm was something that went against her very nature.
Still, the Glaceon-girl was right. There was no telling how long Sky would be gone. If it went poorly, he'd return much quicker. But if it went well, Sky could be talking to River for…hours, even.
For one of the few times in her life, Tempest wished Farsight was there. She could prod him for information and get him to use his psychic powers to see what Sky was doing. Instead, he was off in some library soaking up information. Of course, even if he was there, she doubted that he would help. He was just self-righteous enough to refuse.
Instead, she had to wait.
It was her own fault this was happening to her, at all. She had admitted defeat and convinced Sky to face River. Tempest couldn't get him to forget her, so, this was the next step. What else was there?
She paced the room, unsure of what she wanted to happen. If it didn't go well, Sky could return even more heartbroken than before. It was difficult for Tempest to envision it, but it was still possible. If that happened, then he'd only keep slipping and Tempest doubted if anyone could help. However, if it did go well, the Four would be a step closer to being reunited. They could all be friends again and there was a chance that life would return to the way it was three years ago. And if it went really well, there was a chance that Sky and River would…become…well, a couple.
Tempest didn't want to think about it, but she had to prepare herself. The next time Sky walked through that door, there was every chance that he would forget everything she had done for him. He would be…with River. And he would be happy. That was what mattered. She thought.
"How long has he been gone?" Tempest asked her tone close to a snarl.
"Half an hour," Flurry answered, "seriously, sit down."
"Fine." She sat at the edge of the coffee table. Her scale-covered tail twitched irritably. She lasted thirty seconds before standing again. She moved to the sliding door leading to the balcony. She cursed the rain again as it slid down the glass.
"Tempest," Flurry sighed, "no matter what he decides, you did the right thing."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Tempest scowled at Flurry.
"Look," Flurry began, "I know how you feel about him. We all know. He likes you the most, but…Sky's a different person, now. He's…broken."
"You too, huh?" Tempest sighed. She was the only one left. The only one who still cared. Even Flurry, who looked for good in everyone, had given up. But not the stupid, stubborn, human Salamence that she was. She was as alone as Sky.
"We all want him back, Tempest," Flurry went on, "but I don't think it can happen. And I just don't want you to hurt yourself because of him."
"I'll keep that in mind," Tempest rolled her eyes.
Fifteen torturous minutes later, the door opened.
Tempest spun to see Sky standing there, dripping wet from the rain.
Back already? Before Ian? Before the match was over? She watched him silently, looking for clues. His expression was…happy. Free. But…why was he back so soon? What had happened?
"Hi," Sky smiled at her. He sounded out of breath, as if he'd been running. But…holy Arceus, when was the last time he had smiled like that?
"Hi," Tempest returned. She continued to watch him and wait.
"I…wanted to talk to you," Sky began.
"…Alright," Tempest permitted. Flurry remained quiet and watched.
"Tempest," Sky searched for words, "I've…been terrible to you," Tempest did not respond, so he kept going, "I guess it's tough to see who really cares about you when you're…focused on something else. But, uh…I don't mean to make excuses or anything. I just…wanted to apologize."
"For what?" she asked.
"Well…I've been so hung up on River. So worried about coming back here and making up for the past that I…didn't realize I had help."
Tempest struggled to keep her expression passive. What was he saying? What was he doing? Could he…?
"Tempest, it's been three years that I've been like this. Three years that I've disappointed everyone around me with the way I've acted. Everyone has gone. Everyone has lost faith in me. Everyone…but you."
He took a few steps forward
"Sky…" Tempest dropped her gaze to the floor.
"Tempest, I am so sorry. But I will make it up to you, I swear."
"Sky…" Tempest breathed, "River..." he paused, at her name, "did you…did you talk to River?"
"Tempest," he took hold of her hands and held them up, "don't you see? I don't have to. I don't need River. I need you."
No, Tempest thought with horror, no, please.
How many times? How many times had she pictured this moment and imagined him saying those words? But not now…not like this.
Her mouth was dry, her knees were shaking. She wanted him to say it, wanted him to notice all that she had done for him. How much she cared…but, not like this. She shut her eyes and fought to be strong.
"Sky…" she struggled to speak, "Sky…did you talk to River?" She wanted to be weak. She wanted to give in and let it be over. She wanted to fall into his arms and love him. But not like this. Not when he wasn't ready.
"Tempest, I don't have to," he repeated.
"You didn't…" Tempest could feel her heart beating faster and faster, "you didn't…didn't talk to her."
"No, I didn't…" Sky repeated once more, growing confused.
"Didn't talk to her…" Tempest breathed, "Didn't talk to her…"
She took a few steps away from him. Her heart and her mind fought to keep control over the storm of emotions whirling through her. Which one was strongest? Which one would she listen to? She could feel her heart tearing itself to pieces.
"Tempest, are you okay?" Sky asked.
"You ran," she told Sky, her voice was barely louder than whisper, "you ran away. Again." She grew stronger as she realized what she had to do.
"Tempest, I-"
"Shut up!" Tempest snarled, "I can't believe you…you, DAMMIT!" She swung her fist down into the coffee table as hard as she could. The blow made the legs burst off and the table crack down the center. Splinters flew through the air as the crash sounded throughout the room.
"YOU RAN AWAY AGAIN!" Tempest screamed, "you miserable, pathetic COWARD! All you do is hide and run and pity yourself and hope that everything will go back! Well, it won't go back if you just sit here and hide! I've tried to tell you, tried to SHOW YOU THAT and THIS is what happens?! DAMMIT, SKY! You ignored everything I said and tried to do and you come back here and tell me that you NEED ME?! DAMMIT! You don't give a damn about me! You're just looking for another way out! Another place to run to! Well, I won't sit back and watch you do it anymore! Stay here and rot all alone for all I care!"
Tempest turned to the sliding door. She raised her right leg and kicked through the glass, shielding her face as jagged edges rained down. She then stomped through the shattered door and spread her crimson wings as she prepared to take off. Before she did, she turned back to Sky and told him one last thing.
"You know something, Sky," she didn't scream, but her words were overflowing with hatred, "this is why your only friends are Pokémon."
With a strong flap of her wings, Tempest shot skyward, into the rain, and was gone.
PureBlueSky stood frozen to the spot for a long time. The rain continued to patter on the balcony outside. It began to blow into the room, wetting the carpet that was also covered in splinters and shards of glass. Nothing was right. Everything was wrong. What had he done?
"Sky…" Flurry's voice was small and timid. She stood up and started walking towards him.
"Uh…I'm…uh…" he couldn't speak. He wasn't sure if he remembered how.
"Sky, she didn't mean…"
"Yes, she did," Sky corrected, "she meant every word of it…" He walked towards the balcony, his gaze aimlessly wandering over the shards of glass on the floor.
"Sky, d-do you need me t-to…to," Flurry began rambling.
"Uh…just…just…go," he held up a hand, "leave me alone…for a little while."
"W-will you…?"
"I'll be fine…" Sky nodded without turning to face her, "just…go."
The door opened and shut behind him. And then the only sound was the light pattering of the rain. He walked forward and stepped through the remains of the glass door. He didn't notice it at the time, but he cut his thumb on a piece of glass still stuck to the door frame.
Sky stood in the rain for a long time. He tried looking up, into the sky, but the rain kept falling into his eyes. He wondered where Tempest had gone. And if she would ever come back.
The rush of air around her body forced Tempest to grit her teeth. She flew higher than she ever had in her life and dove down, picking up more and more speed until it felt like the air pressure would kill her.
And still it wasn't enough. It didn't make her forget. It didn't make her stop hurting. No matter how high or how fast, it made no difference.
She flew straight north, away from the island. She didn't know how long or how far she flew and didn't care. All that mattered was getting away as fast as she could.
Now I'm running, Tempest thought. It made her scream with hate and rage that wouldn't stop.
But soon the blistering pace exhausted her. She realized that she would either have to turn back, find a spot to land, or fall into the ocean and let herself die. She might have picked the last one if she was weaker, but knew only the second one was a real choice. Once again, she cursed herself for being strong.
She climbed back up into the air. She was already so exhausted her wings ached and burned, begging for her to rest. How far had she flown? Fifty miles? One hundred? What did it matter?
She managed to spot a small island a short distance away. It was very small. Too small to be inhabited. That was good. She could be alone for a while. Five more minutes and she'd make it.
With her wings and her body aching, she drifted the final distance. On the descent, she all but stopped flapping and let herself fall.
The island was mostly forest centered around a single mountain. She glided over it for a short time, looking for somewhere to land. She saw a small cave opening at the side of the mountain. It wasn't raining anymore, but she decided to land there anywhere.
Tempest stumbled as she landed inside of the cave. She struggled to hold back the anger and the disappointment and the heartbreak for as long as she could. But it wasn't long before she realized that there was no point.
And so, for the very first time in her life, she folded her wings around herself, buried her face in her hands, and cried.
AN: I'll be quick.
Sorry for missing Sunday. Going home for the 4th made me lazier than I expected it to. Also, I'll be away this weekend and the weekend after. I'll try to post on Monday, instead, but it'll depend on how tired I am.
Anyway, that's it.
Thanks for reading!