Chapter Seven- Those in the Shadows
Kate looked at Cain, tears in her eyes. "Why? Why do you torture me? Why won't you just let me forget you?" She started trying to hit him. "Just leave me alone… just…" She sobbed and hugged him. "Lord Arceus, don't let this dream end… I'll…"
Cain and Kate lay there, the two of them happier than they had been since his death.
"It's a dream… but… your warmth…" She whimpered. "It's so real…"
How do I prove that I am real and not just a dream… some way to prove it. "Kate… I'm here…" He hugged her tightly. "I left you twice before… once when I was alive, and once when I was dead. Not anymore."
"Cain… I… I… I never worked up the courage, but now… I… I loved you."
Cain paused. The two of them had dated for a long time, but to hear her finally say it…
She smiled. "That's how you would react… if you were here…" Her eyes were still teary. "Cain… I feel like I must be going crazy or something… but… I feel it. You… you're here. Only if you were actually here would you react like that… tell me… are you real?"
"Yes… I… I promise you. This is no dream. I won't leave you this time."
The Glaceon closed her eyes, then said, "I believe you…"
"Really?"
She hugged him tighter. "I don't know why I believe you. I shouldn't. But I do. Just… cuddle with me…"
"But…"
"Shush. You explain it to me in the morning…"
"But on the roof. You get a cold…"
She smiled. "I'm an ice type, you idiot."
He hugged her tighter. "Tomorrow… you will know everything. I promise." Thank you for being so accepting, Kate. Thank you…
"I'll hold you to that Cain." The two of them just looked up at the stars, enjoying the happiness of being together.
A few minutes of silence passed before she fell asleep. Cain just hugged her. Thank you…
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"Gah! Wh- Cain!"
"Kate? What's wrong?"
"Wh- wh- what is this? You're… you're… you're dead!"
"I thought you said you believed me!"
"I do! I thought I was hallucinating! But it's clearly morning and I'm wide awake and… you're actually here!"
Cain sighed. "I promised that I'd tell you what happened."
"I… We're on the roof…" She looked at him intently. "Are you for real?"
"Yes." He took a deep breath. "I'm a retributor. A retributor hunts those who are evil and bring death to them. Only a select few can become retributors. But, put in short, I am in fact… dead."
"Oh my Cain… you… I…"
"I know… I thought you took it all too calmly yesterday night. So I'll prove it." Cain closed his eyes, and willed himself to slowly vanish from sight.
Kate covered her mouth. "My god…"
He reappeared. "See? I'm here."
"So… my ex-boyfriend is a dead reaper now… that's a first." She shook her head, still confused.
"It's a lot to take in, but…"
"Can others see you?"
"Only other retributors and angels."
"Angels…? Forget I asked… I need to take a breather. What about your friends? Can I meet them?"
"Of course. They're… here, you'll have to come outside with me."
She looked hesitant. "Will… will they be okay with me? Like, am I someone who needs to be killed?"
"Oh no! They… there's nothing that they would want to kill you for." Cain had almost forgotten about the voice that spoke up now. I'm glad you found her. You should bring her to the rest of your friends. "Here, let's meet them."
She paused, then sighed. "Perhaps they can explain better than you exactly what's going on."
"You told me not to explain…"
"Well…" She smiled. "Explaining was never your strong suit."
The two of them quickly made their way over to where Cain had met the rest of the retributors. He opened the door. "Guys, I'm back…" The others all looked at him, surprised.
"Oh, good, you didn't get hurt," said Gail.
Liz huffed. "Let us know next time."
"That'd be wise," added Vince.
Blade just shook his head. "Fool. You got your ass kicked by a girl who you have a type advantage over. What would you do if you encountered that Vaporeon? Oh that's right, you met them and they spared you… and… who's the girl?"
"This is Kate, she's…"
The Glaceon looked around. "So… uh, how are you guys?"
All of the others seemed shocked. "Wait… how can she see us?" murmured Liz.
"I… is there something wrong with me?" Kate self-consciously looked over her body.
"No… just…" Vince's voice trailed off. "Who is this girl?"
"She's my girlfriend… or was…"
"Wha- what's wrong? Am I no supposed to see you?"
"Err…" Blade looked at Cain. "No really, who is this girl? This is unnatural… if Giratina deemed you worthy, you'd be able to contact others. But it's only her, and all 5 of us can contact her."
"C-Cain isn't lying. We hadn't seen each other for awhile, but… we were… well…"
Liz rubbed her temples. "This is making my head hurt. This shouldn't be happening, but…"
Kate blinked. "So it is true… Cain was telling the truth…"
"But you're not." Vince narrowed his eyes. "I know exactly what you are, Glaceon."
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Saya and Vent both didn't say anything until they got back inside. Agni and Rhea were both sleeping, and Saya headed to her room. Vent silently went to his room as well.
Saya flopped onto her bed. "Raphael…" The stone floated up over her head.
"What is it, Saya?" The stone flashed.
"I'm not feeling too good. Could you check me over?"
The stone flashed a few more times, then said, "Your vitals are all fine. You're not sick."
"It's not physical. It's more… I can't explain it… but I'm not feeling great."
"You get some rest Saya. I'll…"
"Please talk with me. I need to get the burden off my chest."
"Talk about… your past?"
"Yes. You know right? When we merge."
Raphael flashed. "Yes. I know about what you did. It was a terrible thing, but you did lots of good as well. You saved your only daughter."
Painful memories flashed through Saya's mind. "I know. But who wouldn't save their child?" She flinched slightly, before adding, "I couldn't see her. I don't even know where she is. She shouldn't have existed."
Saya felt a warm light wash over her body. "It's alright, Saya. I'm sure she's alright. Still… how do you feel about Vent?"
"He…" She had kept quiet about it before, but part of the reason she lost her temper… "He's a better person," she croaked. "They still look so similar…" Her voice was now barely a whisper. "But he's not the same. Vent… may have done some bad things, but out of the other angels, he's the only one I trust somewhat. None of them are really friendly though."
"Really… He has a strange past… he told you he was once a demon, right?"
"Yeah." She was curious now. "Do you know about that?"
"Yes. He told me he was once a retributor. They're on the other side of the balance. You angels are here to keep them in check while punishing the evil. They have the same mission, but in order to keep one side from going on a killing spree, you are forced to fight one another. It's a dangerous game the creator and destroyer are playing."
"How did he change? Why did he change?"
"His younger sister and him were caught in an accident. He became a retributor, she became an angel. After cornering her, the other retributors killed her despite their relations."
"Are those the same retributors now?"
"No. Those who killed his sister were killed by him."
"So how did he become an angel then?"
"He did the job angels would, and a spot opened after his sister was murdered. So he took it and became one of you."
"Did he kill our predecessors?" She swallowed. "If he-"
"Your predecessors were all lost in battle against other retributors or relieved of duties and sent to heaven."
She blinked. She could never imagine the quiet Vaporeon would go berserk and kill his allies. Would he hurt us? Her mouth felt dry. "He is 212 years old… he is truly horrifying."
Raphael flashed. "That was just in the afterlife. The way he died in his first life… I will not talk about that. There is more hate than-"
"That'll be enough, brother."
Saya whipped around. Standing in the doorway was Vent. He held Gabriel's stone in one hand and his sword in the other. "You think I'm a monster, don't you?"
"N-no, I…"
"Saya… Theia… I've been here listening to everything. You had a daughter?"
"I… yes." She looked away. "I had a daughter."
The Vaporeon, for the first time as far as she could recall, looked sympathetic. "What happened?"
"I couldn't protect her." Saya twitched her pronged tail. "I…"
"Who was the father?"
She looked at him, then said, "A Vaporeon I believe."
"What does that mean?"
"I was a prostitute. A slut. Whatever you call it. From your time, they probably existed too. But once I had her, I started working. I turned around and helped others at the hospital, trying to help the nurses there. Then one day, they came. From my past of working behind the law, they wanted me back. I refused, and they kidnapped her. I went to save her and died, though she did escape."
The Vaporeon, much to her surprise, sat next to her on the bed. "I lost my little sister… losing your daughter must be so much worse."
"She shouldn't have existed. I freed her, but what could have happened? Was she raised by them? Was she orphaned? Is she dead? I don't know. But I do my duty of killing in hope of reuniting with her one day and apologizing."
Vent was silent, then said, "The killing isn't something I enjoy either. We need to keep retributors in check, but they're just like us. I know." Hurt flashed in his eyes.
"Vent…" She reached out for him, but he stood up.
"I'll make sure you see your daughter. I promise." He quickly walked out the door.
"I…" She huffed. "How can you do something like that?" she muttered. "Raphael… you haven't found anything on her right?"
The stone paused before saying, "No. I'm no computer, but I haven't sensed any life force like yours."
"Alright, if you say so."
I will find you… no matter how many deaths it takes, my precious daughter.