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Smile.
A twisting, spinning whirl of colours
Frown.
A lash, a dash of lightning fury
Tears.
The slipping away of a long-faded memory
Drown.
A chilling silence for all eternity
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A stifling, ominous silence fell like a veil.
Surrounding the forest with a cloudy, dark haze, it remained, not a sound to be heard, the dim yet magical glow of the late moonlight illuminating the outlines of the thick forage in a cold white. The sight, no matter how enchanting it seemed at an innocuous first glance, hid a cruel, sinister darkness deep within.
Everything felt like time had stopped- not a breeze licked at the leaves of the trees and shrubs that lined the forest, the usual rustle of leaves was absent, every Pokemon absolutely still in a deep midnight-induced slumber.
Every Pokemon, that is, except one.
A sheen of sweat coated it in a thin, slick film, glistening under the soft lighting of the moon, despite the cool, still air that surrounded it. His hurried pants were silent, and under the matted, grimy fur were tired, aching muscles that heaved and begged for a break. His tense body was rigid and silent, save for the occasional twitch of his ears as he listened intently.
Then, narrow eyes glinting like black, merciless diamonds, two bright spots against the mane of black and blue fur that masked his face, he pounced.
Leaves started to rustle under his feet, and the eyes of the creatures nearby started to open, the screaming of the thought "run away" hidden by the thick fog of sleepiness. Stumbling to their feet, they formed a ragged defensive position, but the low rumble of their predator's growl was too near.
A few metres away, a young Sewaddle awakened, its beady eyes quickly widening with both the fear that pulsed through its paralysed body and the moisture of tears that had started to gather.
It was thankfully concealed by the shadow draped upon it by a drooping tree, but that disguise would not last for long.
Words bottled up in its throat, but the wall of fear prevented it from speaking. It gazed helplessly at the two Leavanny who were no match against the large Luxray's razor-sharp fangs, crimson blood spilling onto the ground in abstract patterns akin to that of an angsty artist, the disgusting stench of metallic liquid quickly snaking its way to the young Pokemon's nose.
It caught the gaze of his mother, her red eyes screaming a silent message: Run.
Blood was smeared over her face, several slash and bite wounds nearly dismembering her unrecognisable body. That image, the weak happiness in its mother's eyes, had carved a deep, unremovable scar into its mind that very night.
Tears streaming from the Sewaddle's eyes, he turned and ran into the night, tripping and stumbling over his stubby legs, but he had done as his mother had told. Behind him, there was a sickening crunch, followed by a limp thud to the ground.
Everything was still once more after that terrifying moment.
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Cresselia
Far too young to have witnessed such a tragic scene with his very own eyes.
At least, that was my verdict.
The Sewaddle could have only been about two. And on that night, it had been ruthlessly abandoned, cast aside because of a starving predator, with little to no chance of survival. His nights didn't free him from the traumatising memories; instead, images and scenes from that very flashback plagued his dreamland.
I closed my eyes, feeling a burst of white light surround me, the energy contrasting with the pitch black of the night sky. When I reopened them, the familiar forest scenery still surrounded me, but it had been replaced with a different forage that scattered out in different directions.
Quickly locating the young, scarred Pokemon, I flew down, translucent, crescent ribbons of wings absorbing in the moonlight that coated them in an enchanting, glittering glaze.
The Sewaddle was asleep, his eyes shut tightly and forcefully, and when I touched his face lightly, it was wet with a layer of cold, fearful sweat. Incomprehensible mutters and murmurs escaped his mouth, with the occasional scream that ripped through the cold night air.
I smiled, caressing his cheek gently just like a mother would. A pink and yellow flare surrounded the both of us, the patch of dying grass we stood on illuminated briefly. A feather, soft and silky, spiralled down and landed on the ground, next to the slumbering Pokemon. His face was serene now, the terrified, shock-ridden expression relaxed, and his breaths were steady.
At least you can rest at night.
Sweet dreams. The phrase echoed through the area, and knowing that he would be able to hear that, my job was done.
Folding my wings, I concentrated, causing a hole to open up in the night sky, a glittering world of purple and pink blended together amidst the dull midnight blue. I glanced down at the now peaceful Sewaddle one more time, before escaping into my heavenly residence.
There was nothing in it, other than the large, clear globe that revolved continuously, acting as my eyes into the world which I protected. It was silent, and the only thing surrounding me was the void of what seemed like an endless galaxy, stretching out forever and ever.
It may have been once beautiful, but it had grown repetitive in my eyes.
Groaning, I lay down as a tendril of black shadow seeped into the once clear and gleaming magenta gem that rested on my forehead. I had long given up on counting the number of dreams I had salvaged from the murky world of nightmares that my brother controlled.
Darkrai...
I pushed that thought aside abruptly. A shudder flew threw my body like an electric shockwave, the twinge of pain striking at my heart in a sharp, quick motion. I winced, but otherwise, I was already numb from the thousands of years I had carried out the exact actions.
The gem on my forehead carried all the curses and darkness of all the Pokemon I had saved before, and as much as it trapped and bound me to this fate; this agony of a dark, painful eternity, I didn't mind it. I liked my job. Arceus created me solely for this, and I wasn't able to do anything else. It did hurt to absorb the pain and despair of thousands of Pokemon, but I would still be alive after the whole ordeal.
Technically, I wasn't alive— immortals like me had no beginning, no end, no past or future— but I would never die, after all.
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Through the clear globe that spun steadily, I saw the first rays of early dawn light leaking through and swallowing up the night, the hum of music spilling forth from flocks of Starly, and the sun slowly rising to take its position in the sky. My job was over for today.
Rightfully, I should have rested. I should have slept until the day was over, and then emerge once more to guard the dreams of Pokemon against their nightmares of pasts. But something stopped the world of sleep from overwhelming my tired mind.
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"Do you want to go now? The Creator is waiting for us," he asked, resting his hand on my heart- a gesture of warmth and comfort and reassurement. I could see a burst of light erupting from the mark that he had left, a thousand different colours shining on my heart.
"You touched my once monochrome heart and made it shine so colourful... but now, your world has been drained of all colour in exchange. But can we... can we meet again one more time, and hold each other just like this?"
And then I nodded, and he smiled a final time before I entered the mirror, leaving the purgatory behind, marking out a new chapter of my life for myself.
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That memory felt like a dream, but it wasn't surrounded with the mist-like haziness of that ethereal quality. It was clear as crystal, each image and sentence still haunting the back of my mind. Was it a punishment to me for turning him into the unrecognisable darkness he now was—a reminder of the permanent guilt?
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When was the last time he smiled...?
My energy had been depleted from saving that Sewaddle, and it would do nothing but harm and destruction to my tired body if I tried to enter another Pokemon's world right now. But—maybe it was the pressing desire to see him again?—I still had to do it.
I tried.
But in the end, I had still failed.
The pulse of magenta energy had still flared up around me, a wave so bright and powerful I had almost lost control of the magic for a short moment. It was blinding; more powerful than any of my previous attempts for sure. A glimpse of hope raced through my mind for a moment— maybe it would work this time.
But then, the aura dissipated, and I fell back down, exhausted, a buzzing, light-headed feeling causing my head to pound in agony. The energy darkened into a murky grey before slowly fading away. Dreams and nightmares would never be able to connect together, no matter how similar they were.
Likewise—a bearer and guardian of the magic that dreams brought could never enter the vast wasteland of nightmares.
I'm sorry...
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I detect a strange presence in the island.
Fullmoon Island was what they called it. The large piece of land that stretched out beyond the eye could see, decorated with only the shards and caves that rocks had formed over the years. It was always dark, always midnight, with the glimmering fullmoon hanging high up above the island.
It would never be a crescent moon. After all, that's how they had named the island— after the permanent form that it had taken.
Science didn't take well to me— I knew what a crescent was, and that the moon would have taken on that specific shape at certain times of the year, but I couldn't explain the strange phenomenon that shrouded my home all year long. And, honestly, it didn't impact me in the slightest— I had never bothered to find out why this was so.
After all, if Arceus created the world, this simple trick would have been nothing to him.
I raised my swanlike head, looking at the dusky sky. At first glance, it was just a bland canvas of midnight blue, but if one looked closer, they could see the million hues that blended together to form that one seemingly solitary shade; huge stars that looked minuscule from their positions in the galaxy illuminating the sky.
I felt a few auras numb the gem on my forehead for a few moments, and the sound of muffled footsteps echoed on the bleak land behind me. The scent of woven fabrics and humans were unmistakable.
I didn't recognise these humans— they stared up at me with a mixture of awe and fear— but I sensed no evil intention in their eyes. They seemed harmless enough, but I could tell that something had happened from the dark bags under their eyes. A grim, ominous feeling caused my heart to sink.
Darkrai's been at it again, hasn't he?
"C—Cresselia!" The tallest of the group spoke up, but he wasn't intimidating in the slightest way. His voice wavered in nervousness. "We're ve—very sorry to disturb you, but we need your help... please..." His voice died down to nothing more than a whisper. "Even a Lunar Wing would be enough to keep away the nightmares..."
I didn't know why they were so scared, but I had no choice but to agree. It was my destiny, after all- the one Arceus had planned out for me.
Lunar Wings were just a temporary solution. They wouldn't keep the nightmares away forever— Darkrai would grow stronger; the feathers would lose their colour and grow useless.
No, this was something I had to deal with myself.
I bowed my head in agreement, and the humans offered me grateful smiles in return. "Thank you, Cresselia," the same boy spoke again in the same polite tone. Rising upwards into the air, I shook myself gently, and four Lunar Wings fell down and landed in their hands.
Clutching them tightly, they smiled once again despite their exhausted expressions, before walking away. My eyes followed them, making sure they were safe, until their figures had diminished into tiny silhouettes in the far distance before disappearing altogether. Then, I turned around, faced with nothing but the dark night.
Come out, I hissed, using a more forceful tone than I usually would. I know you were there the whole time... Darkrai.
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:P I hope you enjoyed!
Read, vote and comment as always, critiques are extremely welcome and now *salutes* Nyx out! :)