Hey! Here's Chapter 12!
Defining-moment-in-a-character's-past time? I think so!
Chapter Twelve: Little Sister
My stomach let out an uncomfortable groan, twisting painfully into a knot as I waited anxiously outside the Opelucid City Gym. Wincing suddenly, I clutched at my side, feeling as if there was a stone weighing my gut down, tearing through my skin.
Not a stone, I realised, but worry- the same absolute, arduous worry that had been plaguing me incessantly since Friday last; that's two days, 21 hours and 35 minutes. The same worry that had been lingering in my mind from the moment Lenora had handed that stupid stone over to White, the source of the stress that was now crippling me.
"Are you okay, Black?" Bianca asked me, concern in her voice as she crouched onto the kerb next to me, the rays of the evening sun flickering in her meadow-green eyes as she moved.
"I'm fine…" I sighed noncommittally, composing myself into my previous seating position; a hand resting casually on either crouched knee, fiddling the visor of my cap between the fingers of my left hand nervously as I puffed out heavy, wearied breaths.
"You don't look so good…" she continued, placing a cold hand onto my forehead and biting her lip. "…and you're burning up! Cheren, look at him!"
Cheren, who was leaning vacantly against a nearby tree, passed little heed on her, instead, gazing off blankly into the distance.
"Cheren!"
"No you don't look fat in that outfit, Bianca…" he mumbled lamely, before blinking rapidly as he realised that wasn't the question he'd been asked. Bianca growled irately under her breath, flashing Cheren the famous 'look' as he awkwardly pulled at his collar.
"What I said was..." Bianca hissed, glowering at him once more before turning to me. "…do you think Black looks sick?"
Cheren grunted, before turning away again to gaze at the peaceful scenery of the almost-empty street, his eyes weary and sunken. "Probably just stress…" he muffled, puffing out a heavy sigh.
"I know I'm exhausted after Iris…"
Bianca giggled childishly, a satisfied grin stretching across her face. "So that's who you were thinking about, Cheren!"
I wanted to laugh, but the funk I was in said otherwise, as Cheren's face began to blaze up a deep scarlet colour, his dark eyes sinking nervously behind the thick frames of his glasses and his mouth hanging open slightly. "N-no… I was just, erm…."
Bianca let out a hollering laugh, rocking back against the kerb. "Cheren's got a crush! Cheren's got a crush!"
Ths time, my dark mood did nothing to supress the amused chuckle that formed in my throat at the thought of the unsociable nerd I knew having a girlfriend; nevermind one as hyper-active and eccentric as Iris.
"I do not like her…" Cheren grumbled dismisively, folding his arms across his chest and avoiding our gazes as he resumed staring off into the distance, his rosy cheeks scorching. "Well… what I mean is… she is a… nice person… with a nice personality and, um….a good trainer…"
Bianca giggled like an overexcited schoolgirl at the sight of him, her jade eyes gleaming in delight.
"Aw, you don't have to keep secrets from us, Chezza!" she chirped, annoying him further by calling him by his infamous petname. "For what it's worth, I think you and Iris would make a totez adorbz couple! And just think how cute your kids would be! OMG I can picture them now: puffy, purple hair with tiny little glasses holding textbooks in one hand and a lollipop in the other! AW SO CUTE! Even cuter than N's and Whi-"
At the sound of that lunatic's name, I lifted my head, glaring fiercly into Bianca as she cut off her sentence. "…um…I'll stop talking now…" she mumbled half-heartedly, hanging her head as I continued to scowl viciously at her.
How could she even think those disgusting things, after all White had been through with that monster, after everything he'd done to hurt her? No, There was no way in hell White and N were ever going to have kids, because there was no way in hell White and N were ever going to get married, because there was no way in hell White and N were ever going to get together again, because after she won this battle, he, along with all his minions, was going to leave and never return. Ever.
For many moments after that, a chilling silence hung in the air, neither one of us speaking a word or even daring to move. Bianca had shuffled awkwardly away from me and now had her chin cupped between her hands, which were propped onto her knees, and was frowning remorsefully, as my own grumpy scowl deepened, the previous mentioning of their coupling worsening my mood by a thousand.
"I-uh, I'm really sorry, Black…" she eventually piped up, fidlling coyly with her fingers. "That was insensitive of me…"
Fixing my cap back onto my head, I sighed grumpily, my eyes narrowing. "Just don't mention anything like that ever again," I muttered darkly, avoiding her gaze. "Because I'll hold you responsible if you jinx all this."
Bianca nodded her head, but fell completely quiet after that, the tense athmosphere between us seeming to weigh her normal chirpy personality down. I groaned loudly, thumping my head against my knees and wishing for White to hurry up inside the gym and get her final gym badge, so I wouldn't have to stay here with these two pains-in-the-butt and the sickening feeling of worry in the pit of my stomach.
I glanced at my watch. 6:48. We'd been waiting outside here for 39 minutes; I'd counted out of boredom. As I attempted to occupy my mind with other, calming thoughts, a sudden rush of fresh worry came flooding over me, drowning me in a sea of my own sick thoughts. I cursed as his face seeped into my head, smirking arrogantly as he towered above a defeated White, her pokemon lying unconscious before her, and with a forceful yank, lifted her up off the floor and thrusted her into a cramped prison cell for her to rot.
The nauseating thoughts could have easily continued to multiply inside my mind, had the sound of stampeding footsteps approaching not abruptly pulled me out of the depressing depths of my own head. The three of us simultanesously glanced upwards, to notice Iris' unmistakable cloud of purple hair charging towards us from futher down the street, calling out our names excitedly. Bianca giggled uncontrollably as the other teen suddenly darted forward to throw her arm around Cheren's neck and yank him downwards, evening the height difference as she flashed a cheery grin.
"Hey there, Chezza!" she joked, calling him by the infamous petname Bianca had told her about, his face boiling as he remained trapped in her iron grip. "How's my favourite nerd doin'?"
"Well…" Cheren uttered, his glasses hitting the ground as he struggled awkwardly. "I'd be a whole lot better if you'd stop crushing my epiglottis…"
Oh, boy. Cheren and social situations…
Both Iris and Bianca let out giddy laughs, grinning with amusement as Cheren finally freed himself, his face redder than a cheri berry, and shuffled to retrieve his glasses. When he noticed Bianca mockingly singing "Ooooohhhh!", however, I thought he'd burn the skin on his face right off.
Iris, oblivious to Cheren's flustered state, only laughed mockingly, then spun playfully around on the tips of her toes. "I've come to pick you sorry bunch up for more training! How do you expect to beat my dad if you don't get strong, huh?"
I moaned sluggishly at the thought of yet another training session with Iris, not knowing if I'd be able to survive another round of that torture. At the end of our last one, just two hours previous, I, along with all my pokemon, had barely made it out alive, and now she expected us to be up for another one!
"No thanks, Iris…" I grumbled, pointing my thumb towards the gym behind me. "We're waiting for White, she's in there right now…"
Iris' brow furrowed. "You mean White's gone in already? But-but… she's not ready! I still had so much to do with her!"
"She has to be at the Pokemon League by tomorrow…" Bianca reminded her with a glum expression on her face, remembering now the dilemma at hand. Iris pouted, folding her arms.
"Yeah, yeah…" she muffled sarcastically, no doubt upset over the fact her new friend was heading off tomorrow to put her life as she knew it in danger. "Can't wait for that…"
Once more, there was silence between the four of us, the subject hanging tensely in the air. I exhaled as I remembered all the panicked Xtransceiver calls I'd gotten from Mom on the matter over the last few days, each of them of her wailing and begging for me not to let 'her beautiful baby' throw her life away. There'd been nothing I could have said, though, just that what White was doing was brave, and that she'd be okay. Even when White had spoken to her, and, in a collected voice, told her not to wory, she'd refused to calm down, pleading instead for White to just come home. Poor Mom… having kids like us must be tough…
Iris, attempting to lighten the sullen mood, flashed a brightening smile. "She'll win tomorrow no doubt!" she cheered, to which the rest of us nodded and feigned half-smiles, unsure if we really had faith in that statement. Luckily, we didn't have to elaborate on it any further, as, at that moment, White came rushing through the door of the gym with a triumphant cry, her chocolate-brown ponytail swishing as she ran with her trainer case outstretched, proudly displaying every badge of the Unova region Pokemon League sitting stunningly in their rightful places.
"I won!" she exclaimed gleefully, being instantly trapped in an enormous group-hug by the over-excited Iris and Bianca, who were practically bouncing with happiness at the news. Cheren and I both slagged awkwardly behind, not exactly wanting to get involved in the emotional chick-party unfolding, and casted sarcastic looks at each other.
"I pulverised him!" White laughed as the giddy jumping and squealing died down, glancing down at all eight of her badges and smiling proudly. She then suddenly stared up towards me, a joyous smile on her face and her sea-blue eyes glistening with bliss, seeming to bear into me, causing my insides to melt. "I really did it, Black… I beat him!"
And suddenly, it was as if I was hit by a colossal boulder of panic, one that, like the rest of the stress that had been piling up over he last few days, was weighing me down, eager to push me towards the ground and watch me as I collided helplessly with the floor. The knot in my stomach twisted excruciatingly as I watched my sister, who only smiled back gleefully, the evening sun reflecting the pride in her eyes.
She had won. She had beaten Drayden, and now she was going to leave us to go to the Pokemon League, where she was going to fight N, and most likely lose miserably. He was going to steal her from me, lock her away and hurt her, and there'd be absolutely nothing I could do, because he'd make sure I was as far away as possible as he continued to make her life hell. He was going to destory her, all because I'd failed as a big brother to protect her…
She only smiled ecstatically back at me, totally oblivious to the turmoil that was welling up inside of me.
"I'm ready to go now!" she stated idyllically, as if the fact the whole of Unova was now completely in her hands meant nothing to her at all. Descending down from the steps leading up to the gym entrance, she began rummaging through her shoulder bag, double-checking that she had everything she would need for the day ahead of her tomorrow.
Cheren smirked proudly, the amber sun reflecting dazzlingly off his glasses. "The Pokemon League, huh? The Elite Four… I have to admit I never thought you'd get there before me, White..."
"I still can't believe you beat my Dad so easily!" Iris rambled, her dark eyes widening. "I mean, he's been a gym leader for nearly 40 years!"
What in Arceus' name was wrong with these people! Didn't they understand what was happening here? Didn't they get it that White wasn't just going off to take on the Pokemon League, but also the most powerful member of Team Plasma? This was beyond just serious, White might never be coming back, yet they acted as if it was just a little trip and by this time tomorrow, we'd all be relaxing with no worries; just a bunch of stupid teenagers, like we were supposed to be.
"I don't want my Whitey-White to go!" Bianca cried, slinging her arms around White playfully as she began to make her way towards the gate leading to Route 10 in the distance, laughing as Bianca pouted defiantly.
"Don't worry…" she reassured her hysterical friend, patting her mass of soft blonde hair as I lagged silently behind the procession, my hands buried firmly in my pockets, every footstep towards the gate becoming heavier and heavier.
Stupid White… I thought, watching her as she giggled with the other two girls, not a care in the world, just like every other normal sixteen-year-old. I huffed, unable to stare at her any longer, instead gazing blankly at the concrete pavement beneath us.
I could still picture her there, lying on the rocky forest floor of the woods next to our house, a nasty gash on the side of her head and tears spilling form her wide, cerulean eyes. She was only five, and wore her favourite light-pink, frilly dress, her long, curly brown hair tied back in two meticulously perfect pig-tails, both drenched in vile scarlet rivers of blood as she lay crying uncontrollably next to the jagged rocks she'd just fallen over.
"It hurts, Black!" she sobbed, as I frantically rushed to her and attempted to wipe away the blood from her hair, my heart thumping wildly as the fact that I, a clueless seven-year-old, had no idea what to do set in.
White exhaled, doing her best to keep up her chirpy spirit as we arrived a few yards away from the gateway leading to Route 10, the pathway to the famous Pokemon League. For several moments, her eyes simply scanned the odd passageway building before her, nerves finally starting to set in as she realised that this was it. It was time to say goodbye.
"I'm gonna be cheering for you so much, White!" Bianca cried, burying her head in White's shoulder and sniffling. "You're gonna be amazing, hon!"
"…and we're gonna get there to support you as soon as we absolutely can…" Cheren continued, patting her on the back comfortingly as she smiled heartily.
Iris laughed, swinging both her arms around White's neck playfully. "That's right! I'm gonna whip these guys into shape! Then, when they all get the badge, we're all gonna…"
Their voices seemed to fade into oblivion as I stood staring at my idiotic sister, defiantly supressing the need to let spil tears of frustration. She was so very stupid. So stupid for ever getting involved with N, and so stupid for insisting on finding the Light Stone to fight against him. She was an idiot, a stupid idiot who just din't know when to stop.
But I was an idiot, too; an even bigger idiot for not making her stop.
"Black…?" White uttered, noticing me standing several feet away with my hands deep in my tracksuit pockets and my expression sour. "Black… are you okay?"
I glanced up at her, wishing instantly that I hadn't. Her eyes were those same sad, sapphire orbs, though minus the floods of tears, that had looked up at me, 11 years ago, from the forest floor.
"Please help me, Black!" she'd wailed, as I sat biting my lip cluelessly next to her. "It weally weally hurts! Please make the hurt go away!"
"I don't know what to do…" I'd admitted desperately, panic coursing through me. I'd been absolutely terrified; petrified that she would die- the gash was just so huge and there was so much blood all around her, spilling onto the floor and staining her pretty dress.
It was then my breathing began to grow heavy as she slowly neared me, her head tilted to the side in confusion. "Black..?" she repeated cautiously, staring into me with such misunderstanding in her eyes.
My hands becoming soaked in hot, red blood, I'd reached beneath her to slowly pry her tiny body off the floor, bundling her into my arms as she began to grow limper. "I'm gonna protect you, White…" I'd whispered to her, shakily rising to my feet and taking off in the direction of Nuvema Town, screaming out for someone to help me.
"D-don't go…" I muttered, barely-audibly, to which she only cocked her head further.
"What do you mean? Black, I have to go, I-"
Before she could say a word more, I'd dashed forwards and caught her unexpectedly in my arms, gripping her tightly and burying my head in her hair, just next to the spot where a scar existed beneath the soft bundle of chocolate-brown waves. I was on the verge of crying, but supressed it, instead tightening my grip around her.
Please don't go…" I whispered in her ear. "Please… I don't want to lose you…"
"Black…" she whispered, her voice cracking as she wrapped her arms around my back. "Black, don't worry about me, please. I'm gonna be okay, all you have to worry about is getting the badge, and then…"
"No…" I insisted, stinging tears blurring my vision as I caught her face and held it firmly between my hands. Her eyes widened and her arms fell to her sides as she stared back at me and feigned a soft, unsure smile, one that told me that inside, she really didn't have as much faith in her words as she let on.
"No, don't go, White, please. I almost lost you once, and I won't to lose you to someone like N, not in a million years. I just want you to be safe, so please, just don't go…" Several defiant tears rolled down my cheeks, though I just about faught back the urge to let loose the sobs that were catching in my throat.
"I… I just have to do this, Black…" White murmured softly, her own eyes becoming shrouded in a watery silver veil as she looked up at me. "This is my purpose, this is what I have to do. Please understand…"
Angry sighs escaping my lips, I firmly grasped her arms as she attempted to walk away, my fingers twining around her thin forearms and staying there. "He-he's gonna take you, White. N's gonna kidnap you when you lose and force you to be the queen of Team Plasma. Do you really want that? DO YOU?"
The downhearted look on her face deepened as she stepped closer to me, her eyes marred with overflowing tears. This time, it was her who buried her head in my hair, her arms wrapping around my neck. "I have to at least try…" she whispered gently in my ear. "…I have to at least try to save Unova, even if that means giving up everything that's precious to me..."
My breathing rugged and my entire body shaking, I held her tightly in what was almost a choking hold, clasping my eyes shut as tears took over. "I love you, White. I only want you to be safe…"
White's eyes were drooping fast, and her body was a difficult weight as I staggered hopelessly through the forest, warm blood spilling down my shirt as I clutched her in my arms.
"Wake up!" I yelled distraughtedly as her grip on me loosened and her eyes continued to shut, the expression on her blood-drenched face turning blank. "No, White, wake up, please! You're gonna be okay!"
"I love you too, and I will be safe…" she continued, her azure eyes gazing up at me, so full of hope. "…I have my five amazing pokemon to protect me, and when Reshiram wakes up, I'll have six… you don't have to worry…"
I knew that White's team, Samurott, Zebstrika, Leavanny, Swanna and Druddigon, were amazing powerful, but for some reason, this gave me next to no peace-of-mind at all, and all because of the fact that Reshiram still wasn't awake. Even if White managed to defeat the rest of N's team, I knew she wouldn't stand a chance up against Zekrom, not without Reshiram, and even then, we still had no idea just how powerful N and Zekrom were.
I inhaled shakily, slightly releasing the grip my trembling arms had around her body as she began to pull away. "P-please just be careful, White…" I mouthed as she flashed me a peaceful smile.
"I will, Black…" she whispered softly, planting a gentle kiss on my cheek. "And I'll see you soon, right after I win."
Before I could do anything more to stop her from leaving, she was already gone, moving forwards to hug Cheren, Iris and Bianca one final time. Then, removing her trusty pink-and-white baseball cap from her shoulder-bag, she fixed it securely atop her mass of fluffy, chocolate-brown hair and quickly began to sprint forwards in anticipation, an enormous grin growing on her face.
The life drawn out of me, I slowly moved forwards next to the other three, my face a ghastly pale shade and my stomach twisting knots inside of me. Feeling myself grow sicker at the thought of unfolding events, I watched my little sister as she stopped about a dozen feet away, just outside of the entrance into the gateway, and began to wave frantically, her face glistening with excitement and hope.
And then she was gone, disappearing inside the small passageway without a trace, as if she'd never been here at all.
"HELP!" I screeched desperately, my knees buckling beneath me as I carefully placed the unconscious White onto the clean-cut grass at the edge of Nuvema Town, not twenty yards from our house. Panting hysterically, I attempted to shake my sister once more in hope she would wake up, but I might as well have been shaking a log, for she didn't even twitch.
The few people who were around, Cheren, Bianca and a few neighbours, came rushing instantly as soon as they caught sight of the dying child before me, her previously perfect clothes, as well as mine, soaked in oozing, red blood. There were several shocked screams and choruses of "What happened!" and "Get help!" as the small crowd encircled us, blocking the view of our mother as she came charging through to catch her young daughter in her arms, her high-pitched screams deafening.
I was drawn out of my thoughts by the sudden impact of a pair of arms forcefully wrapping themselves around my neck, accompanied by the clash of something soft as it buried into my chest. I instantly glanced down, only to notice Bianca clinging onto me and sobbing hysterically, drenching my jacket with her tears. I was taken aback at first- weren't girls supposed to have their little crying fits with their BFFs or whatever?- but eventually began to relax as I realised I needed the comfort right now just as much as she did.
Awkwardly, I patted her soft blonde hair, allowing her to vent her emotions on me, at the same time trying not to look like a wuss by holding back the tears that were on the verge of overflowing in my eyes. "It's okay…" I whispered.
My eyes widened as Bianca suddenly snapped, forcefully grabbing me by the neck of my jacket and staring at me threateningly, tears streaming down her face. "It's not okay!" she bellowed furiously, her brow furrowing. "White is gone! So just cry, Black! Just cry for Arceus' freaking sake!"
Before I knew what I was doing, I'd already crouched down and had my head buried in her soothing, fluffy hair, silent teardrops rolling down my cheeks, unable to be supressed. All I could see when I closed my eyes was White crying as N defeated her, her whole world crashing down upon her, and it made me physically sick. I felt like throwing up, I felt like puking my freaking guts out all because of this, this stupid thing that I couldn't do anything about. I'd let my little sister, the most precious thing to me in the world, go to throw her life away, and I felt like keeling over and dying, because I just couldn't take this anymore.
White had been okay. Doctors said it was a miracle, that she'd lost so much blood they didn't think it was biologically possible to ever recover. But she did; the gash on her head had healed up, she'd regained all her strength and was just like normal five-year-olds again.
But whereas she'd moved on from the near-fatal event and was as carefree as every other child, I was not so lucky. Everytime I closed my eyes, I could still picture her tiny, lifeless body in my arms, feel the warmth of her blood against my skin, hear the screams of our mother ringing in my ears. For months, I wouldn't let her out of my sight, even going as far as to sleep on her bedroom floor, and all because I was terrified she would get hurt again, and this time she wouldn't be so lucky.
I completely and totally blamed myself for what happened, believing that it was because I wasn't paying enough attention to her that she had fallen, and hating myself for it. I'd trailed her around everywhere she went, always there to make sure nothing happened and she never got hurt, physically or emotionally, like big brothers were supposed to. In many ways, I was still like that today. White often called me 'overprotective' and 'obsessed', but I didn't care how many migraines or excruciating stomach cramps I had to endure, as long as she was safe, that was all that mattered.
But I couldn't protect her anymore. No matter how I tried or what I did, it seemed everything I did was in vain, and she just ended up getting dragged by N deeper and deeper into a pit of darkness. He was destroying the perfect angel that she was, tainting her, forcing her into a life she didn't want. The self-obsessed monster was breaking up the little family unit we'd formed on this journey and covering up his immoral actions with his faulty beliefs. I knew there was no way he could really love White, not after everything he did to hurt her, everything he did to destroy her happiness, and could only pray White wasn't stupid enough to love him back. Only problem though, she was.
I wrapped by arms tighter around Bianca and allowed myself to sob more loudly into her hair, becoming lost in the wisps of golden strands. I didn't want to think about this anymore, as I felt my brain might just explode altogether if I continued. Right now, I needed to focus on becoming stronger and earning the gym badge so I could get to my little sister by tomorrow to help her in her battle.
Because I wasn't going to let N win.
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