Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters
Crystal knew that it was rude to watch someone so blatantly watch someone work but she was curious about what he was drawing. He was concentrating so intently and barely looked up from his canvas since he started drawing earlier that day. Throughout that entire time, she watched several emotions take over his face. It ranged from calm to frustration but she was able to read each emotion.
"Maybe you shouldn't be forcing yourself to draw," Crystal suggested after she saw him bite his lip for the fourth time. She had seen Lyra in a slump before but her sister never looked as scared and frustrated as Gold did now. But then again her life had never hung on her ability to create. Gold was concentrating on his canvas and didn't seem to hear her.
Crystal debated what the best way to help Gold. She thought inviting him out for a walk would clear his head but that wouldn't leave him as much time to paint. She wished they had more time to help him but that non existent clock kept pressuring them. She watched him force himself for hours now and was starting to worry about him.
"I have the day off from work so we can do something," she suggested. "I know Lyra would probably be better at helping you find inspiration for your art but I'll try. Lyra usually takes a walk to a place that makes her feel calm when she has trouble writing. Is there anywhere like that for you? You might not feel comfortable in this house just yet."
Gold looked out the window and thought about her words. Somewhere that calmed him? He had been painting in the sky for so long that he couldn't remember where or what he painted before now. Being a painter defined him longer before that title became a role the Gods placed on him but those times seemed so far away.
The Gods barely gave them time to reminisce about those times, instead giving them more duties to paint. He never liked how stifling those duties could be and first rebelled by granting wishes. Why was it that he could never finish anything he started? He gave up granting wishes after half a century and now he couldn't finish painting his starry night.
"I sometimes I forget that I was human." Gold laughed though his eyes looked rather sad. He used to visit his family often in the early days of being a painter but after watching them grow old he resigned himself to granting wishes for human interaction. He hadn't returned to his human home in so long and a part of him always stopped himself from thinking of it.
Crystal watched him and was once again reminded that she still knew so little about him. He looked human and was one long ago but he felt so far away from her. She wondered if she could save him if she got to know him better. He had so much power yet he looked so powerless now that he lost the one thing that defined him as a painter for so long: inspiration and drive.
Gold set down his canvas and Crystal looked to see what he was painting. It was of two rats playing with a much smaller one. Though it wasn't detailed or realistic, she could tell that every line was made with care. He had already made several marking where he intended to set the stars but he couldn't bring himself to complete something that he couldn't be proud of.
Gold stood and stretched his arms over his head. As he did so, he looked at the photos lining the wall and thought that they made the house into a warm home. He wondered if he would be able to stay long enough for it to feel like home to him too. He could feel Crystal watching him and turned a smile to her. "Maybe you're right to say I need a change of setting!"
Crystal's words of encouragement was cut off when he crossed the room and lifted into his arms. She didn't know why he thought it was okay to act so familiar with a person. She quickly hit him over the head and he almost dropped her but quickly tightened his arms around her. Gold didn't understand why she looked so flushed when she asked. "What are you doing?"
"I'm being a gentleman. I can't let a lady walk all the way to Bark Town when it's easier to fly us there." he answered her. Gold thought he was being perfectly logical so didn't understand why she wanted him to leave her. When she moved in his arms to push at his chest, he realized that she must've been uncomfortable with him holding her so close.
"Not one for flying?" He set her back on her feet and she placed her hand over her heart. She didn't know why he always made her heart race. Even when she was younger, her heart never beat so fast for a person. He didn't seem to be effected though since he only smiled, "It's a shame since flying is really freeing. One of these days I need to take you flying to see the stars."
Crystal thought that seeing him paint the stars personally but there were so many facts that kept that concept a fanciful dream. Even if the fantasy aspect of that dream was standing before her now, she didn't know how to fully accept it. "I don't think flying into space is a good idea since only one of us has that ability. Anyway, I'm not immortal and I can't breathe in space."
"Maybe we'll go when you trust me more," He brushed aside her arguments. Gold knew that they were from different world, facts and fantasy, but he wanted to get closer to her. He didn't know what exactly it was but Crystal interested him. "When you feel like going to see my stars, you only need to tell me and I'll work my magic. Until then we're going."
"Going where?" She asked when he pulled on her hand. He painted a door on the wall and opened it for her. Gold held it open for her expectantly but she looked beyond the door cautiously. She was still becoming accustom to his powers but didn't know why he created a doorway to a strange alley way.
"You said that your sister goes to places she feels comfortable when she has writer's block so I'm going somewhere like that for me." Gold placed a hand around her shoulder and prompt her forward. "I'm going home."
The door closed behind them and faded away into the brick wall. She didn't know where they were but the moon was out now so she guessed that they were on the other side of the equator. Did he truly intend to fly across the earth in the beginning? Then his words dawned on her. This was his home but he said he lived in the sky so they must be in his home while he was still human.
"This place hasn't changed at all." Gold voice was thick with bittersweet nostalgia. He left his home on a whim to pursue his passion and now he was returning on a whim to find it again. Just standing outside the eroding building brought back memories. But everything connecting him to the house died long ago so what comfort was he hoping to find?
"Are you okay?" Crystal could sense his hesitation. She knew that returning to a home after so long would be painful for anyone and wondered why he came back to it. She thought he must've been homesick when she remembered how he always had a yearning look when he spoke about his past or his home. "Maybe we can go somewhere else."
"You don't need to worry about me Crys. I've visited my home a lot over the years so I don't feel sad or regret," He lied to her. Gold was glad that he dragged her along since she gave him a comfort he didn't understand let alone explain. But with her by his side, he couldn't very well go back or else he would appear weak in her eyes. "Now let's go inside."
"I'm surprise that your home is still here since it has been so long," Crystal noted as he quietly opened a window for them to climb into. He painted the air around them to make them invisible so she guessed that a family had moved into his home or his ancestor could still be occupying the house.
"I don't think they would tear down an orphanage but you're right. Then again in a small town like this, things don't really change and it's probably a historic part of the town." More question raced through her mind when he said that he lived in an orphanage. She almost didn't notice him placing his hands on her waist to lift her through the window.
"You think too much sweetie," Gold could read her thoughts easily when he saw sympathy pass through her eyes. After he placed her on the ground and flew into the window, he explained. "My mother owned this orphanage and it's been passed down through my family. The outside may not have changed but the inside has a lot."
Crystal wondered what it looked like when he was human. She knew asking him to revisit painfully memories was rude so kept the question to herself. Gold took several steps forward and opened the first door he came into. "I asked the gods to watch over this place and keep it from being destroyed as a condition of becoming a painter."
He walked into the room before she could stop him. Even if he painted the air around them to make them invisible, the children would be alarmed if they saw doors opening randomly. He placed a finger on his lips to motion for her to be silent. Crystal looked into the room and saw that it was a storage room with sheets covering the furniture but Gold seemed to be reminiscing as he sat on the floor next to the window.
"Was this your room?" She asked.
"No, it was my mother's." He looked around the room but his eyes never focused on anything. "She was a simple woman and never needed anything grand. She said that she would rather give the children the large room and take this small one as her own. She said it also has the best lighting for painting even if it was during the night."
"She sounds like a wonderful woman." Crystal sat next to him.
"She was a total nag," Gold laughed. "She would always yell at me for leaving my paints everywhere even if I was a teenager at the time. She introduced me to painting too. Love her for that but I was beat so many times and called a queer for liking to paint. She just told I'll only be truly happy doing what I love so I should ignore them."
"I still think she sounds like a wonderful mother," Crystal repeated and Gold nodded.
"Her advice for bullies didn't work though. I ignored them but they still picked on me. Finally snapped one day and just beat them. No one bothered to pick on me for painting since then." She told her the story and she laughed since she could easily see Gold beating the bullies. While she didn't condone violence, she had to say they deserved it.
Crystal admired how Gold always seemed to be confident about who he was when he told her about his past. She hoped that she would be able to help him find that person again. Seeing him worried and unsure about himself wasn't like him.
She leaned away from the wall and stared at the moonlight trickling through the window not far from them. Crystal didn't know how it was possible to see every detail of that light outside of a painting. "Your mother was right when she said that this place has beautiful lighting even if it's night. I never knew that the moonlight could light up a room like this."
Crystal moved in front of the window and looked up at the stars in the sky. They were still shinning bright in the sky but how long could they keep their shine without Gold? How much longer did they have to help each other keep the stars in the sky?
Gold watched her surrounded by the moonlight Cresselia created. Since she had been spending so much time with him, she was beginning to cross into his world. Her being able to see a painter's individual medium in their creation showed that much. He didn't know if he should be worried since no painter had brought a human into their world before.
But seeing her in his portrait world of colour and hues, he could only find her all the more beautiful. He thought her beautiful before but now that he was studying her among the talent of the painters, he thought she outshined them. Her beauty was something that couldn't be captured in art because it came from her heart, in the person that she was.
"Did coming here inspire you?" Crystal asked him over her shoulder and looked back to him. He was sketching something on a canvas as a base like he was doing that morning but now his face look much calmer. She thought Gold didn't hear her for a moment before turning the canvas so she could see it. She sat next to him again and took it into his hand so she could study it.
It was a rather rough sketch but she thought that it was beautiful. It was of woman in a kimono staring out of a window with a white galaxy wrapping itself around her, giving her an angelic glow. Her face was turned upwards to something outside the window and Crystal wondered what Gold intended it to be since the window was empty.
"I was thinking that I can use a light blue for her kimono so she and the stars can be the focal point." He came behind her and moved his arm around her so he could show her what he envisioned. He didn't want to use his powers to paint it so would have to wait until he got some paint to complete it. "Do you think I should use silver for the pattern or do think it would blend into the star dust too much."
"I think that the stars being a part of galaxy would be beautiful," Crystal answered quickly. Her heart started to race and she was acutely aware of Gold's heat pressed against her back. He wasn't being his usual perverted self and instead smiling childishly as he explained the colours he was planning to use. He had held her close several times before but in this peaceful moment it felt different.
The sound of the door opening brought the moment to a stop and worried over who was entering. Gold covered her mouth to keep her from calling out and pulled her back into the shadows. While they were invisible, he didn't want to risk the boy walking into them. They swore together when his canvas slipped from her hand and landed on the ground away from his barrier.
It was too late to pick it up since the boy already entered the room. Crystal let out a breath of relief when he passed by the canvas without noticing it. He walked straight to the window and opened it. Gold went to pick up his canvas while the boy was still distracted but stopped when he heard the boy make a wish. He had to stop considering how the wish started.
I know wishing on stars is stupid but I have no choice, the boy pouted up at the sky. Gold was the only one able to hear him and debated if he should entertain the boy's wish. I want to become taller and more powerful. I don't want to depend on animals anymore. I want to use my own power to save this orphanage! Just give me the power to win the tournament.
Crystal watched Gold's face and wondered what the boy was wishing for. Gold was silent as he walked beside the boy and placed a hand on his head, melting the barrier he painted around them. The boy looked at Gold in shock, "Who are you? What are you doing here? If you're one of the people asking for money, we'll pay you after I win the tournament!"
"Do I look like I want money?" Gold knelt in front of the boy so he could look into his eyes with respect. "You made a wish and I came here to grant it. Now wishing on a star doesn't sound so stupid, does it. I'll over look that insult and grant your wish but I want you to tell me what you meant by people asking for money."
The boy was quiet for a moment before explaining that the orphanage had become ridden with debt suddenly. Gold's hand tightened when he was told that their troubles came around the same time he left to find his muse. But he needed to concentrate on helping the boy so forced an encouraging smile. He already decided to help the boy but his words struck a chord with him.
"There's a tournament and I want to win the prize money to pay off the debt. All of the other kids said that I'm weak without those stinky animals helping me but I'm going to win all on my own and show them. All I need is to become stronger but I don't have the time. Please just make me stronger and let me win the tournament!"
"It's really noble of you to want to help your friends," Crystal had never seen Gold look so calm. Maybe it was because he was raised in the orphanage surrounded by people that he was good with kids but she admired his patients. "I'm going to grant your wish. Just promise that you beat them so bad that those bullies can't say anything to you!"
"You can't be telling him to use violence," Crystal said in a heavy sigh and they both turned to her. The boy noticed her for the first time. He looked at her in wonder since she dared to reprimand a man with the ability to grant wishes. "Look, if you want them to stop bullying you, you must gain their respect by being the better person. If you win, you win with grace and shake his hand like a true champion."
"A true champion?" the boy looked down at his hand. She smiled softly to him and nodded.
"And you shouldn't talk about animals like you were since they seem to like you and help you. It's not weak to depend on friends." Crystal advised him. "Now what's your name? I expect to hear it often if you're going to use the power Gold gives you to win tournaments to help this orphanage."
"Emerald!" He said proudly. "I'm going to be a champion!"
"I'm sure you are," Gold ruffled the boy's hair. He took out his paintbrush and started to paint over the boy's long sleeves. He laced his magic into the fabric so it would make him stronger. He didn't want the boy to depend on the strong so said, "But I want you to promise that you're going to become stronger on your own so you don't need to use my power to defend your love ones."
"I'll train a lot," Emerald promised. With what he needed, he started to turn and leave the room. He stopped in front of the canvas Crystal dropped and picked it up. He studied it for a moment before smiling. "I've never seen this one before!"
"This one?"
"There's a lot of paintings passed down from long ago with this same style but I haven't seen this one before." Emerald walked to one of the clothes covering the wall and pulled it off to reveal a painting. "One of the owner's ancestors made it and she loves them so much that she couldn't bring herself to sell them. She made sure to preserve them all."
"Can I keep one in trade of granting your wish?" Gold's voice was hesitant but Emerald didn't notice and nodded. Crystal noticed though and placed her hand on his shoulder. Her thought was confirmed when she noticed that the corner had Gold's name signed in the corner. After Gold told Emerald to return to bed and he left the room, Gold immediately started searching the paintings.
One after the other, he pulled off the sheets to reveal beautiful acrylic. Gold went to the next painting immediately and she wondered what he was looking for. Each painting was beautiful and grand. She was pleasantly surprised to see that most weren't of the stars she knew so well since the gods recognized him for painting them.
"It's still here after a century?" Gold laughed in disbelief and joy at the same time. Crystal looked away from the painting to see that he was once against leaning against the wall. He had a painting in his hand but it was so small that it fit in his palm. "My mother loved this portrait that she kept it with her."
She sat next to him and saw that it was a family portrait. He looked only sixteen in it but the grin was mistakenly his. An elderly couple was standing behind him so she guessed they were his parents. Behind the family was the night sky, so bright with love. "I thought that I would never paint anything better than this and I haven't but once I find my muse I'm going to."
He had to or he would've left his family for nothing. How much different would his life be if he didn't take the gods' offer to become a painter. While he had a lot more opportunities to do what he wanted, he now felt trapped in it. His muse should be something that made him feel free rather than contained to one thing.
"I was right when I said your mother was beautiful," Crystal said beside him. She had a smile in her eyes though her lids were slowly beginning to fall. She must've been tired since she worked during the night and lately had to help him during the day too. She was so tired that she didn't complain when she leaned her head on his shoulder.
He thought that he should tease her for a moment but her even breathing lulled any intent he had. Gold knew they should leave but didn't want to disturb him. Even though he saw so many expressions on her face, this was the first time he saw her so unguarded and had to admit that he liked to see such a trusting look on her face.
Gold painted a blanket over her shoulder before he painted a barrier around them. While going back to his family home brought back painfully happy memories, he was happy that he did. Granting a wish felt good for the first time in a while and he felt closer to finding his muse.
"Thank you, Crystal." He whispered, liking how her full name felt on his lips. Feeling mischievous, Gold stole a kiss on the top of her head but she didn't want. She shifted and pressed her head into his shoulder. "I'm going to find a way to thank you, I promise."
Gold felt someone's presence near him and quickly pulled Crystal beneath his cloak to hide her. He didn't want to wake her and cause her to worry, especially if it was danger. He let out a breath of relief when he saw that the person to step through the window was Yellow. She pulled off her hood and looked worriedly at him.
She already knew that he was staying with a human so felt comfortable enough to move his cloak away from her. He moved her beside him so that she was more comfortable and painted a barrier around her so she wouldn't hear their conversation or wake. Yellow noticed how he treated her with such care and worried all the more.
"If you're beginning to care for her I want you to know the danger you'll be dragging her into. I want to help you but is it right to involve a human," Yellow was always protective of humans and Gold worried about what her words suggested. "I wouldn't say anything about being with a human if this wasn't the case but this might become more dangerous for her."
Gold looked back to Crystal and kept the emotion from his voice, "what do you mean?"
"They're sending Lance after you." She answered in a worried voice. "I'm trying to buy you some time but if it does come to blows you shouldn't involve a human. We have powers but she doesn't."
"Don't worry about us, I'll protect her." Gold vowed before she could continue. Yellow saw the determination in his eyes and knew that she couldn't change his mind so she could only support him. They both knew how Lance was and she hoped that nothing would come to her friend.
Giant MangaQuest chapter! Man I've been writing a lot since I posted Sweet Illusions this week too XD