Chapter 7: A life saved, a life changed

I sat under the shade of a tree. In its branches. Looking through a binocular. At an elementary school.

"There's something oddly creepy about this job." I frowned as I put down my binocular.

From my vantage point, I couldn't see Lilligant or my target. Currently it was recess and children ran wildly about. I checked the photo Liligant gave me of my target, Whimsicott, but none of the ones I could see matched the profile.

"Are you really going to do this?"

I looked down and to my surprise, found Gardevoir staring up at me.

"How did you find me?" I frowned.

"Actually Bisharp spotted you."

"And where's Bisharp?"

"He apparently got into a barfight so I sent him to the infirmary." Gardevoir sighed.

"He spotted me while he drunk?"

"No he just got back from a barfight." Gardeovir frowned, "Anyway, what do you plan on doing?"

"Confirming my target." I said, glancing through my binoculars again.

"I mean what are you going to do? Do you really plan on killing a child?"

"..."

"There has to be another way." Gardevoir frowned as she leaned against the tree, "I know...I don't think you will actually kill a child, but there has to be a better way to teach Lilligan-"

"Kids don't like to be lectured." I said as I put away my binoculars, "That would probably be the best way, but it's neither the only way or the most effective way."

"And you're saying that killing somebody is the more effective way?" Gardevoir scowled, "Oh who am I kidding, you're a wandering mercenary."

"..."

I took out my book and rested myself against the tree.

"What are you doing?"

"Reading."

"What happened to 'confirming your target'?"

"I can confirm him when school is dismissed."

"... You really don't see anything wrong?" Gardevoir said, looking down, "I want to say that I know you aren't going to kill anyone, but...no even if you properly told me that you don't plan to kill anyone, I can't accept it. Get down here right n-"

"Quiet." I said, glancing towards the school.

"What?"

I ignored Gardevoir and pulled out my binocular. I climbed up the tree a bit and looked down at the school again. A small group had formed in the courtyard and in the middle of it was Lilligant. I saw Whimsicott next to her, but they weren't fighting.

"...Interesting..."

"What?" Gardevoir called, "What do you see?"

"..."

"What is it?" Gardevoir frowned, "Did something happen to Lilligant? Or Whimsicott?"

"..."

"LUCARIO!"

I looked down, "You're still here, Gardevoir? Aren't you needed at the infirmary?"

"Don't try to get rid of me now!" Gardevoir cried, kicking the tree, "Tell me what you saw!"

"Go home." I said as I put away my binoculars again, "Calm down and take a break. I'm going to go talk to somebody."

"Ah! Hey!" Gardevoir called as I leaped down from the trees and walk off.

"That was reckless."

"Leave me alone." Lilligant snapped as she left school, "I don't need your help."

"Lilligant, there's no one else that can help you." Whimsicott said following her, "I think you need to calm down. You can't go around pretending you're part of the Guardians."

I interrupted before Lilligant could respond, "Hello."

Whimsicott jumped and spun around, "W-who are you?

"...A friend of Lilligant."

"Friend? Wait, that coat..."

Lilligant smirked as Whimsicott started to realize who I was.

"I want to speak with you a bit." I said, "Privately."

Whimsicott gulped, "W-W-W-Why?"

"I'm not going to hurt you. I just need to know a few things."

I saw Lilligant wink at me from behind Whimsicott.

"I-I'm busy..."

"Come on Whimsicott." Lilligant spoke up, "He says he won't hurt you right? Trust me."

"B-But Lilligant!"

"Please help him. He's from the Guardians. If he hurts you I'll take responsibility."

"...Alright."

Whimsicott followed me as I walked away. From the corner of my eye I could see Lilligant smiling.

"I really looked like a villain." I frowned as I walked home, "I really hope I finish this job soon. I'm not good with kids."

"You're working with kids?"

I spun around as Bisharp walked up to me.

"Yo." He grinned, "Seems like you've been keeping busy. So what's this about kids?"

"...Nothing."

"Oh really?" Bisharp said, skeptical, "I could help you, you know. I happen to be really good with kids."

"Do you even pay attention to what you say?" I smiled.

"Ha. Ya got me." Bisharp laughed, "Well I won't pry into your mission, but if it involves kids then it's one unique mission."

"...I'd say so."

"You look tired. Are you really that bad with kids?"

"That. And Gardevoir's been...really curious about my job."

"Speaking of, Gardevoir seems like she's in a really bad mood lately." Bisharp noted, "Is that related to this?"

"Probably."

"That's a problem." Bisharp winced, "Gardevoir is really scary when she's angry. Whatever you're doing, I hope you finish it soon. She can be worse than Chansey when she's pissed."

"I should be done tomorrow. If not, then the day after."

"Good." Bisharp smiled, "Hate you see you two fighting."

"You're still on about that?" I frowned, "I'm pretty sure that Gardevoir hates me now."

"Well yeah, she hates you Now. But later is a different story."

"...I don't think she's ever going to like me again."

"Then that's your fault man!" Bisharp laughed, hitting me on the back, "A real man shouldn't make women sad."

"..."

"Sure she's sad now. But sometimes that happens, you know. What we do is hard for normal people to understand. But you have to do your best to try and make others understand. And a real woman? She will understand you."

"...You're wiser than I give you credit for." I smiled.

"Comes with the age." Bisharp grinned, "I've seen things that would blow your mind."

"I didn't think you had so much love experience."

"Hey I got a son don't I? Had to be married at some point!"

"And what happened to your wife?"

"Let's not talk about that right now."

"Ouch. Did she not understand?"

"Hey! New subject! Now!"

"Okay. So I heard you got into a barfight."

"Zangoose got in a barfight. Me and Unfezant backed him up."

"You win?"

"No. We were too drunk."

"Figures."

"Morning."

Lilligant stared in disbelief as Whimsicott walked up to her the next morning.

"W-What are you..."

"Hm?"

"N-Nothing." Lilligant said, "So...um...what did the guy from the Guardians want with you?"

"Oh. He asked me about...uh...stocks."

"...Stocks..."

"Y-Yeah. Asked me which he thinks will rise and fall and uh...the stock market...and stuff."

"..."

"Yep...stocks..."

…

"Can I get your help on this math problem?"

"What does he think he's doing?" Lilligant scowled as she walked home from school, "I hand Whimsicott to him on a platter and he shows up the next day? What professional killer does that?"

BANG

Lilligant looked up as a gunshot sounded behind her. And to her surprise, she saw Whimsicott run into view.

"Whisicott?"

"Lilligant!" Whimsicott cried, running towards her, "Help me! Someone's...someone's trying to kill me!"

A shot buried itself into the wall behind Whimsicott who tripped in his panic.

"Help me!" Whimsicott cried as he covered his head in fear.

"W-Whimsicott!" Lilligant cried, running towards him.

A step too late as my next bullet hit his head with enough force to send him rolling to his side. Lilligant's run changed into a stumble as she fell next to Whimsicott's body.

I jumped down from my sniping point and sighed. It wasn't a particularly difficult shot. Just a really dissatisfying one. I jumped down from my sniping point and checked my bullet count. I used up three bullets. Only one of which hit my mark.

"Hope this doesn't become a habit." I sighed.

When I entered my room, I happened to startle someone.

"Ah. You must be Master Lucario." The woman said, "Apologies if I am intruding. I am a maid in service to the family. My work here is finished so I'll take my leave soon."

The maid gathered her stuff and began to leave before she stopped by the doorway,

"Ah. That's right. Do you think I can leave these flowers here?" The maid asked as she picked up a vase of flowers on the shelf near the door, "I think it might brighten up the room."

"...Sure."

The maid smiled and replaced the flowers, taking a small bow before leaving.

"...We have maids?" I wondered as I entered my room and placed down my hat.

I took a seat at my table and took out my book to return to my reading. I was only done with a single chapter before someone burst in. I looked up,

"Oh. Hey Garde-" I stopped when I noticed the dangerously calm expression on her face.

She looked around for a bit before grabbing the vase of flowers near the door.

"-voir." I ducked as she threw the vase over my head.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'VE DONE?!" She cried.

"W-Wait...let me explain-"

"Explain what?! That you killed Whimsicott in front of Liligant?!" Gardevoir cried, grabbing my hat and throwing it at me.

"But-"

"How heartless can you be to kill a child?!" Gardevoir continued to yell as she grabbed anything next to her and throwing them at me.

"I-"

"Why would you even accept that kind of job in the first place? Do lives mean nothing to you anymore?!"

Her assault stopped for a moment. Long enough for Gardevoir to coax a traumatized Lilligant into the room.

"Look at her." Gardevoir said as she glared at me, "She can barely talk now. But you know what, she got the lesson. So good job."

"...I-"

"There were other ways!" Gardevoir cried as tears began to come to her eyes, "There were definitely other ways! You didn't need to do this! You didn't need to go to such an extreme!"

"Of course I didn't need to go to such an extreme!"

Gardevoir blinked as I interrupted her. I sighed and bent down to pick up my hat,

"I talked to your friends you know." I addressed Lilligant, "They told me that you always seemed upset whenever they said you would never fit as a Guardian."

Lilligant looked up in shock.

"Whimsicott was your closest friend." I sighed, "And it hurt the most whenever he said you weren't suited to be a Guardian. To you it wasn't the idea of being a member. It was about being a part of this family wasn't it? The family that your godfather, Gallade created with the noble goal of protecting others. The amount of people who rallies under him with the same goal. Those people whom you've become so close with. More than someone like me, you consider the Guardians a true family."

Lilligant gave a slow nod.

"A part of you knew that Whimsicott and the others were always talking about you being a killer like us. But the fact that you still wish to become part of being that family meant that in one way or another you have to become a killer. Whenever with a gun or a contract in hand. That idea became rooted in your head and a scary obstacle for you to overcome. On one hand you want to prove to Whimsicott and the others you have a place in the family. If you didn't that meant possibly losing Gallade and Gardevoir and everyone in the family. On the other hand, if you want to become part of the family it meant you had to be ready to kill."

"Lilligant?" Gardevoir said as she looked down at the nodding Lilligant.

"Those were the two ultimatums you came up with. And you thought you needed to take one of them and risk losing the other. It's certainly a tough decision that even an adult would struggle with." I sighed, "...But that's exactly why I did what I did."

Lilligant and Gardevoir looked up.

"The choices you gave yourself were two opposite extremes. And when I took and carried out your job it was also an extreme. And look where it's left us. No one is happy. No one is satisfied. In fact, one person is dead."

"..."

"Extremes don't solve anything." I said, "It simply strains your body and mind. If you keep thinking in extremes it changes you. And blinds you to compromise. I know I'm not the person who should be telling you. In fact compromises could be even harder to do than extremes. After all it's not just you that you are satisfying. It's everyone. But it's better than simply accepting loss and taking the extremes. Sometimes it's stupid. You're risking your life, sometimes risking the lives of those around you all for something that seems impossible."

"..."

"I can't tell you how to do it." I said as I knelt down to look Lilligant in the eye, "But Gallade did not create this family by taking extremes. The people around you wouldn't be the same and this family wouldn't be the same family you know and love. If you want to someday become part of the family. If you really think you want to take over this family after Gallade. If you want this family to stay the same, you have to know the compromises that Gallade made. With the Guardians and with the other families that make Kalter their home."

"Do you think you can do that?" I asked.

Lilligant started to nod, but stopped, "I...I don't know if I can. But...I know that I want to. And that I'll try."

"That's more than enough."

"Oh Lilligant." Gardevoir said as she knelt down and hugged Lilligant, "You didn't need to do all this you know."

"...I know now." Lilligant sniffed, "A little bit too late though..."

"About that." I coughed, "There's more than one person learning a lesson today."

"Eh?" The girls said as they looked back up.

"Come out."

From behind Gardevoir and Lilligant shuffled in...

"Whimsicott?!" Lilligant cried, "What? But...I thought..."

"This was all Mr. Lucario's plan." Whimsicott laughed softly, "He asked me to take part in it."

"Y-You?!" Gardevoir cried, looking at me, "B-But...how?"

I simply put my hat on.

"Um...Lilligant..." Whimsicott spoke up, "I...I'm sorry. I didn't know that the Guardians meant that much to you and-"

"Don't you dare apologize." Lilligant interrupted, "I'm the one who needs to apologize. Until now I didn't know how much both you and the Guardians meant to me. I love the both of you and I won't give up one for the other."

The two smiled and gave each other a hug.

…

"I still want to know how you made it look like you killed Whimsicott." Gardevoir frowned as she glared at me.

"Eh?"

"Yeah me too!" Lilligant said as she turned to look at me.

"I actually don't know either." Whimsicott said, turning to me, "I want to know too!"

I stepped back as the three of them glared at me,

"I-It's a long story."

"We've got nothing better to do." Gardevoir smiled, "Everyone pull up a chair."

As the three got a chair I sighed.

"I think it's called Substitute."

"You think it's called?" Gardevoir frowned.

"I wasn't exactly the one who created the skill." I sighed, "I learned it."

"From who?" Lilligant asked.

"A guy that I was hunting."

"He taught it to you even though you were trying to kill him?" Whimsicott frowned.

"No I..." I sighed, "I was hired to hunt him but he kept evading me until I eventually tracked him down and apprehended him. However rival groups were looking for him too and didn't want to give the bounty up. And since it was Dead Or Alive, they decided to kill both of us and save the trouble. We were pinned down by gunfire until I asked him about how he eluded me for so long. He called the skill Substitute. It takes a bit of set-up and it's hard to properly pull off, but since we were kind of in trouble he didn't have much incentive to hide it's secrets."

"Did you make it out of there alive?!" Lilligant asked.

"Well I'm standing here telling this story aren't I?" I frowned, "But the guy who taught it to me is still alive. Probably still in jail, but at least he isn't troubling anyone anymore."

"What was the guy's name?!" Whimsicott asked.

"Erm...Kangaskhan I think."

"How many people were trying to kill you?!"

"What? I think...about 20?"

"Where were you? Where were you hiding?!"

"I tracked him down to a remote inn. We kinda trashed the place before I caught him, but then the other came in so we hid behind the counter."

"Who was it that was trying to kill you?"

"All I know is that I think they were part of a family named Curseed."

"What did you do after you caught him?"

"I went back to wandering."

"Wow."

"Satisfied?" I asked, "It's not that great of a story but-"

"It was an amazing story!" Lilligant cried.

"Yeah!" Whimsicott agreed, "Just you and the guy you were hunting. Working together because somebody was trying to kill both of you!"

"...Well if you like it..."

"Do you have anymore stories?" Lilligant asked.

"Eh?"

"Yeah! You're a wanderer right? You must have tons of stories."

"I...might...but they're really not worth telling."

"Oh come on, please..."

"I'm in the business of killing, not storytelling!"

"If you tell us stories I promise I'll be good." Lilligant said.

"I..."

"Me too!" Whimsicott agreed.

I looked towards Gardevoir for help but she just smiled.

"...Fine...I guess."

"Yay!"

"Now you two." Gardevoir said as she got up, "Lucario has already told you a story today. Plus today was an eventful day to say the least so let's hear his stories tomorrow."

"Aww...okay..." Lilligant and Whimsicott said as they got up and left, "Bye! Make sure to tell us a story tomorrow!"

I waved good bye as they left.

…

"Was this all part of your plan?" Gardevoir asked.

"It was...up until the part where they demanded a story." I sighed, "I'm going to need to make sure I have a story for tomorrow now..."

"I'm sure you'll be able to do it."

"My head hurts."

"...You're really impressive."

"What?"

"Nothing." Gardevoir smiled as she began to leave, "I'm just glad this story had a happy end."

I was left alone and confused. I sighed one last time before looking around my room.

"Hey. You just ruined my room!"