"Oh, do tell me what the issue is then, Gallade?" Gothitelle scoffed in front of the entire village. "The New Moon's passed and, forgive if my eyes deceive me, but..."
She launched her hand to the sky.
"Is that not the radiant Sun and clear heavens above? It would seem to me that it's become daytime! Whatever you're scheming must be over with soon, because we should be able to go to sleep already!" Once the assembly of Pokemon around her was done voicing their agreement, she paused and tilted her head, a malicious grin spreading across her face. "Hmm, what is it that you're doing, come to think of it?"
The suggestive tone of her closing question visibly confused quite a few of them, riling up the otherwise docile crowd into a dissonant symphony of overlapping queries, pleadings and whispers. Much to Gallade's annoyance, Gothitelle had committed to her role as an agitator.
He gave her an exasperated stare — one which was met with an equally vexed glare from the Sanctuary manager, and perplexed gawks from the rest — before turning to confront the tumultuous mass.
The Guardian scanned through their exhausted, anxious expressions. What was he meant to tell them? How would they react to anything he said? He wasn't even sure what his plan was, yet!
It was in times like these that he regretted his leadership role...
"Everyone, please," Leavanny, seeing Gallade overwhelmed, gestured for the townsfolk swamping him to calm. "I am begging you to all return to either the Shelter or your residencies."
"But WHY do we need to stay awake for so long, Miss Leavanny?" Morgrem groaned from among the crowd, rubbing his weary eyes in-between sentences. "I'm run down, I wanna sleep! I know that I don't need to know, but..."
"Exactly, you don't need to know that, and you know how we do things in difficult situations," the Guardian cut him off. "You all know how things are done, and I can guarantee you that this isn't an ideal time for questions. Vacate the streets. I don't want to see anyone out here until new order."
"Actually, I would rather we explained to them the situation, Gallade," Gothitelle snickered. "I'm sure that they would be more than willing to lock themselves inside and hide if they knew what was happening. So, for the sake of efficacy, I grant them the permission to ask questions."
Gallade could only snarl in disbelief at her behaviour.
"Wait!" Mawile cried out. "Is it Espurr who isn't well? What happened to her?"
Morgrem gasped. "That's it, isn't it? She never should've gone outside!"
Gallade sighed. Gothitelle's crypticism had immediately been converted into fuel for the worst case scenarios their minds could come up with.
He opened his mouth, ready to reassure both of her friends, yet went mute the instant he realised that he didn't know where Espurr actually wa—
A loud thump, followed by distressed squawks from parts of the crowd, diverted Gallade's attention. His eyes frantically darted throughout the Town Square, until they landed on the spot where dust had risen and villagers had begun to congregate.
"Oh my..." he heard Gothitelle gasp with genuine concern.
"Scyther!" Gallade leapt over to the collapsed bug, feeling a tinge of relief when he saw that he was, thankfully, still awake and only struggling to get back on his feet. "Are you alright?" The Guardian sputtered while he and Leavanny heaved Scyther up.
"I feel cold," the trembling insect, now hunched over and clutching his stomach with both claws, muttered. "Sick. Dizzy."
"There, there, dear," Leavanny gently patted him on the shoulder. "I'll go and get you another Chesto concoction to keep you awake."
"And what were you doing instead of looking after him this entire time?" Gothitelle exploded at Leavanny. "Actually, no! I'm not playing this game anymore! This is outrageous! Your stalling almost took a life!" She turned and pointed to Gallade. "Scyther needs sleep, and the reason Gallade is denying it to him and to all of us is that he decided to let the Nightmare Weaver into our village!"
He didn't need psychic powers to see everyone's panic and confusion flare.
The Guardian turned to Leavanny and Scyther. "Get him treatment and then find Espurr, let me deal with this."
"But what if Espurr's with...?"
"You know Grass Whistle," he put a hand on her shoulder. "If you feel threatened, use it," Leavanny nodded before dragging Scyther away.
Seemingly discomforted by the shift in tone, Gallade had resolved to leave, thankfully.
That entire conversation had been excruciatingly hard to bear, so seeing him reach for the handle of the door, hearing him utter those few words — 'I need to go', a gentle breeze to roll what felt like a boulder off of his soul — was a relief.
Now that the wraith was alone and in peace, he couldn't help but veer his eyes towards the window... it was free, none could stop him from leaving right then and there. Even injured as he was, the Moonshadow likely could muster the force necessary to shatter the glass and fly away, or at least vanish by slithering through the shadows...
No, he wouldn't try to leave. He had accomplished far too much to abandon it all... their revulsion towards the monster was evident, but finally, finally, after so many decades, so many accusations and misunderstandings, someone knew the full truth of Haven's curse. It was a relief, yes, and much good could come from it, too much for him to flee.
...
... Darkrai's mumbling of the word 'forgiveness' had been the first and last mention of it during the conversation. He couldn't expect them to ever grant it, but... it wasn't useful to ponder that issue, it was out of his control and up to destiny, now. There were many other — more important! — things to consider, such as...
His eyes shifted towards the roof while he contemplated.
Before the night terror, there was Espurr's arrival, and, before that, he had used his illusions to try and frighten Gallade and Ursaring into retreating, which was due to them initiating a fight... he had been confused for Pumpkaboo... no, for Lampent, and that was just after...
He didn't really remember, it had all happened too fast.
Darkrai palpated the sack of hay he was lying down upon. Sleeping on something other than wet stone was pleasant, he even regretted mutilating it. Truly, it was a miracle that they had granted him a bed so comfortable!
...
Yet, behind the cosy cushions, he could almost feel the story of some poor soul scared for his life, making panicked calculations, wondering whether they should give the foul creature a blanket, so as to not offend it, once it did awaken. Perhaps that was why they had not restrained him at all, nor put him in a cage... most likely it was.
...
Alright, he was apparently incapable of finding anything durably nice to ponder, best to turn to something more useful: working backwards to try and remember what had even happened the night before.
It was another nightmare where he hurt her, the worst one yet. This one... felt different, in some way. It was overwhelmingly powerful... he had never willingly attacked her...
The creaking open of the door, followed by light footsteps and a familiar chiming, drew his attention: Espurr wobbling in from the corridor and proceeding to struggle to push the door closed made Darkrai's heart leap for joy.
"Good morning, Darkrai!" She waved from across the room. The best he could respond with was slightly raising his claw.
Espurr flew to his bed and landed by his left arm, gently placing her little paws on his shoulder. "Sorry that I wasn't with you when you woke up, Gallade locked me outside in the hallway by accident, I think! You're okay, right?" She asked with a warm smile.
He was overwhelmed by... just about everything currently happening. He wasn't quite certain if he was alright, but it was best not to bother her. "I... I am alright," he made the mistake of nodding to respond, sending a sharp pain lashing across his upper back.
Noticing him flinch made the little psychic-type take on a sudden, downtrodden expression. "Well, I'm just a wee bit tired, but poor you, you've been through a lot."
And she, in turn, proceeded to make the mistake of trying to hug his arm, inflaming a long series of scars and extracting from Darkrai an acute shriek
Panic struck the Moonshadow as he watched her enter a startled retreat back into the air. He didn't mean to scare her! He was sorry! He wanted her to come back!
To his relief, Espurr didn't stay away for long, and instead landed once more by his side, with a newly softened expression.
"You startled me a tad, Mr. Scary Nightmare Weaver," she giggled, grooming her fluffed up fur. "I'm quite sorry for hurting you like that, though!"
"I am... fine, my apologies for scaring you," he reassured in the most pathetic, meek tone he had ever uttered. "I appreciate your concern for me, but..."
He had a thousand questions and, in this dazed state, was having trouble formulating any one of them into a coherent sentence. Slowly, Darkrai raised his claw, beholding the deep, diagonal cut Gallade's attack had inflicted upon his palm.
"How did your talk with Gallade go?" Apparently, she would be the one asking questions. He had grown to dislike being interrogated... but, well, it was fine when Espurr did it.
"I... am not certain," he hadn't been attacked, at the very least. The Nightmare Weaver almost felt like he could discern some semblance of sympathy from the Guardian, but it was best not to be optimistic as to whether he was faking it or not. "What does he intend to do with me?"
"Oh..." she put her paw to her lip. "I'm not quite sure. I don't think he's decided quite yet... he's been very frustrated all morning and just doesn't really know what to do with you!"
Gallade's indecision was a legitimate surprise, to say the least. By all accounts, it should have been an easy call for him to make: he was invested in nothing more than the security and well-being of his community, Darkrai, on the other hand, was not a part of their circle and actively threatened it, whether voluntarily or not.
A pleasant surprise, it was.
"Espurr, how did I get here? Why didn't they...?"
"Oh, I can explain everything from the very start!"
"I would appreciate it."
"Well," Espurr put her paw to her chin. "When everyone heard the kerfuffle going on outside, I decided that I should go out and try to help stop the fighting."
He spontaneously considered condemning her decision for a short moment, yet the reminder of what her absence would have lead to kept him quiet. Notwithstanding how imprudent of a decision it was, nothing had happened to her. She had done well, and any vexation from his part would be unproductive.
"I floated OVER the forest and just followed the sounds and flashing underneath me!" She tittered at her own cleverness. "Since it was all dark and I could see all the lights, so it was really easy to find you all like that!
Espurr paused.
"Just before you fainted, I blew some Heal Powder onto your wounds, which Miss Leavanny said really helped keep the poison at bay, but..." in almost an instant, the joy drained away from her expression, her eyes hovered back down to the wounds on his shoulder. "I got... quite scared when I saw you beaten up on the ground and... well, my psychic powers started getting out of control, Gallade and Ursaring ended up listening to me after that, though..."
Darkrai's heart twisted. He had caused her so much distress... and her recounting of her misery at that moment was only serving to fuel his disgust at himself: as much as he wanted to deny it, to exorcise such a vile feeling, the confirmation that she felt sorrow in that situation filled him with a guilty sense of comfort.
"Espurr..." he resolved to do his best to console his friend. She had done so much for him! "I am highly grateful, truly. You... saved my life," she saved him from having to end Ursaring and Gallade's lives, yet... he would rather not mention such a thing.
He was delighted to see a proud smile slowly take the place of her downtrodden frown "Well then, since I saved your life," Espurr eventually stood back up. "Can I make a remark that may be seen as a tad rude? But it's also somewhat funny as well, I promise!"
Getting to meet in the flesh again was one of the few comforting aspects of this whole ordeal, he'd legitimately cherish any conversation with her. "Go on."
"Well, I did tell you that there was nothing to worry about: I got through this night without an issue, but you were the one who didn't!" She awkwardly giggled.
"It is... funny, I made a fool of myself," he held in a chuckle, certain that it would turn into coughing.
That was unlikely to be the ideal way to word it but, yes, him making a fuss about her security, only to fumble such a simple mission and get caught, would be hilarious... if it came without consequences, that was.
"Well, how come you got caught? You're so sneaky!"
It took Darkrai a moment to realise that he still had no clear answer for what did happen that night. "I'm not quite sure," he decided to at least give her the parts of the story he knew. "One moment I was in Gothitelle's tent, searching for the Life Orb... and then I was out on the street, in front of Pumpkaboo."
"Huh?" She tilted her head. "How come you went outside like that?"
"I don't understand what happened, either," but he had a theory. "Right before that was when I got ambushed by Scyther and poisoned."
"Oh..."
"I suppose the combined strain from my tiredness and the toxins made me forget some parts of the night?"
"Huh, well, okay," she patted him on the shoulder. "I managed to wake Scyther up with my Dream Eater, so don't worry about him! You should've seen how focused I was! I zoomed over to him and was done with it instantly!" She was proving to be far more effective that Hoothoot... who was, peculiarly, far less effective than Gardevoir before him. "Oh! Also, very clever of you to lure us to him in the way that you did!"
"Wait," a realisation rushed to mind. "Does that mean that everyone else is aware about me, now?"
"Nope, not quite! Gallade wants to decided what to do with you before convening everybody," she responded. "There's only me, him, Miss Leavanny, Mr. Ursaring and Miss Gothitelle who know for now."
An assortment he could have predicted: it was all those important to the administration of the locality, minus the undoubtedly still wearied and traumatised Scyther.
"May I also have a rundown of their... outlook... on the situation?"
"Alright, well, I'll do them in order," she sat down on the bed, and began to pretend to count on her fingers, even thought she had but singular stubs for hands. "I already told you that I don't know much about what Gallade thinks — hopefully talking with you changed his mind, for the better! — but Miss Leavanny is very afraid, and she got angry at me over and over again for being friendly towards you!"
Already, this had made Darkrai deeply uncomfortable and upset. He was no threat to her — she was legitimately his best friend, his only friend! — and yet their friendship had been causing her caretaker great discomfort!
If he ever got the chance to do so, convincing Leavanny that there was no Pokemon more appreciative of the little, gray furball than him was an imperative.
"I don't really know what Mr. Ursaring thinks of you," she continued. "He's just somewhat grumpy over not getting to sleep yet."
So the bear wasn't confirmed to detest him, but he definitely was considered a nuisance by it. A degree of bitterness had sprouted, as much had been made clear by how roughly he was handled by the ursid upon waking.
"Miss Gothitelle..." embarrassingly, he tensed up at the mere mention of the name. "She doesn't like you... really doesn't like you. I tried to explain everything to her over and over again, but it's like she just... doesn't care!"
The frustration in Espurr's voice was evident, he appreciated her trying to rehabilitate him on her own... and, although he wasn't sure of what they intended to do with him, the possibility of having to confront Gothitelle, in much the same way he had been faced with Gallade beforehand, filled him with nothing but utter dread.
"Oh! I forgot to mention the reaction of the last Pokemon that knows about you being here!"
He shuddered. After that last one, having to hear another return on their attitudes provoked the equivalent apprehension to anticipating being hit by a Focus Blast.
"Me!" An impish grin formed across her face. "And I think that you're really neat and cool."
He... knew not how to respond to that, but he didn't need to, as Espurr came to tightly curl herself around his waist.
"I'm so glad that you're alright," she mumbled.
Even her soft fur grazing against his skin was enough to make his injuries flare, to a greater degree than before, even. Her touch was scorching, yet his only solace in all of this.
The pain he would surely have to endure if he moved his hand precluded Darkrai from petting her, but he appreciated her being there. He could thank the actual nightmare for helping him relativise this metaphorical one, at the very least.
The door creaking open once more drew their attention: Leavanny took a single step inside, before emitting a puny squeal and stiffening once they locked eyes.
"Espurr, could you... um... maybe get off of the... patient?" She sputtered from the entryway, reluctant to approach. "Please?"
She shot him another disgusted glance and her leaf-hand jolted to her mouth. The Moonshadow was well aware that she knew Grass Whistle, being one of the few Pokemon in Haven allowed to learn a sleep-inducing move. If he didn't do well to control his demeanor around her, he would end up back in his nightmare.
Only, Espurr latched on even tighter around his waist, burying her head into his abdomen and inadvertently reigniting a number of searing cuts. "He won't hurt me. I swear!"
Darkrai was on the verge of tears, and the bug seemed to have noticed. "Espurr, you're hurting him, dear. Please do get off!"
Espurr's eyes darted to his tortured expression and she gasped. "I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to!" The little Pokemon retreated into the air, having realised that she had been trampling his wounds. "Sorry, Darkrai, you didn't deserve that! I'm quite sorry!"
"It's... alright..." it felt like he was being burnt alive, but the Nightmare Weaver kept himself composed.
"Poor you, you're so terribly hurt!" She landed back by his side, eyeing his injuries, while her caretaker finally developed the courage to trot up to them, hand still stuck to her mouth in apprehension. "How come you didn't heal him even just a tad?" She turned to Leavanny.
"I was... uhm... too cautious to approach," she picked up the concerned Espurr in her arms and, ironically, took a few steps back from the bed. "I beg you to excuse me, but you kept... attempting to claw at me in your sleep," Darkrai's eyes widened.
Was he frequently so agitated in his sleep? He had never slept close-by to someone else to be able to know! He was a hazard in ways he hadn't even considered!
"I am deeply sorry," his voice made her jump, prompting him to go silent for a shameful second in turn. "I did not wish to harm you. It is just that I was... distressed in my sleep, as well."
"Aww, you had a nightmare?" Espurr asked, giving up on her attempts to undo her caretaker's hold. "What was it about?"
"You... suffer from nightmares, as well?" Darkrai noticed Leavanny slowly move her hand away from her mouth.
The jolt of pain from nodding to respond felt milder than the times before. "Every night. My ability remains a curse for me... in many ways."
"That's... unenviable," the bug muttered.
He sighed. "That I was able to awaken from my sleep, even after how thoroughly I was weakened, proves that it would be... insensitive to compare what I endure to all that you have suffered."
Would it be too transparent for him to hammer down what this confirmed? No, this was an excellent opportunity to do so. "At the very least, I hope that this lends credence to my claim that I do not do any of this willingly."
"Oh... uhm."
"Come on, Miss Leavanny! Please help him get better!" Espurr tugged at her upper arm. "He doesn't have any way to heal himself! We owe him a bit of kindness, since he's my friend, after all! And a very kind Pokemon himself!"
Leavanny looked about as perplexed as Darkrai, every time she used that word to describe him. It felt... utterly undeserved, when he knew well that he was helping no one, only mildly mitigating the damage he caused with half-measures.
The bug stared at him for a moment and then left his friend back on the bedside, striding over to the hospital's table instead.
Darkrai and Espurr attentively watched as part of her leaf-crown grew out, only to once more be sliced back into shape by her sickle hand. She then proceeded to fidget and shuffle around the various, multicoloured glass bottles and other items lying on her counter for a while, before turning around with several, makeshift bandages in hand.
"I imprinted your bandages with a mixture of Sitrus and Rawst Berry juices," Leavanny explained as she handed Espurr the tainted pieces of leaf and silk. Rather than administering it herself, she found the need to run back over to her table and hold up the labeled flasks for Darkrai to see. "The first simply heals wounds, the latter is to undo any bitter energy burns. Night Slash — and dark-type moves in general — tend to leave a lot of lingering irritations, in particular," she uncomfortably stared at him. "Of course, being a dark-type, I assume that you already knew about that, of course... my bad!"
"That is much appreci—"
Espurr plastering one of the leaves on a laceration on his chest made him want to cry out in pain.
"So, um, these bandages are quite rudimentary, only to calm the continued searing sensation," the bug explained, handing the next one to Espurr, who then more carefully administered it to the palm of his hand. "A full recovery would require a good deal more work, just to be clear."
"May I know how long such a 'full recovery' would take?"
"Oh..." she bit her lip. "Uhm... it's tough to say... I am not used to treating accumulations of wounds so severe, fights rarely get this bad," she thought for a moment. "A few weeks, perhaps?"
"Well I am able to heal much faster than the common Pokemon."
"A few days, still, I would say, definitely," Leavanny responded, his remark seeming to have worried her. "I'll have to see with Gallade if we can afford you such time, though. A curious crowd's formed outside, and I think he'll want to have you explain your... everything about you to them, first."
...
Darkrai shut his eyes and dissolved into the cushions.
The time had finally come. He could already see the mass of eyes, judging him, spouting denigrating half-truths and accusations, scrutinising every word he offered in return, their biased verdict capable of condemning any chance he had of reconciliation for the coming century.
And it was bound to happen: he was well aware that they would either attempt to end him as soon as possible, or have him stand trial beforehand. That Gallade hadn't tried to drive his blade into his gut had eliminated one out of two options.
As he gaped at the ceiling, his feelings on the matter fluctuated between gut-wrenching terror and a hopeful eagerness to get it done with and back, depending on whether he was fantasising about explaining himself or having explained himself at the given time.
"It's pretty funny how, sometimes, you just go silent all of a sudden," his friend's snortling startled him. "You're so awkward!"
He... failed to see how she found such joy out of the deficiencies in his demeanor, but, even in circumstances such as these, her giggling hadn't failed to uplift his mood.
"This is a difficult situation, I am begging for— no, I demand goodwill and cooperation from every single one of you!" Gallade's blood boiled. No one was even making an effort to be helpful!
They were either scheming behind his back and then betraying him in front of everybody, like Gothitelle, confusing him with long-winded, convoluted stories, like Espurr, jittery and reluctant to follow along, like Leavanny, and, well, there was Darkrai, whose mere existence was burdensome.
And now, he needed to contend with a riled up mob in the midst of it all.
"... but, yes, we did beat the Moonshadow, and we are currently holding it captive."
What ensued were gasps and gaping expressions — with universal hints of excitement. The assembled crowd stared at him, before turning to Ursaring with similar awe in their eyes.
The bear acknowledged the silent praise with a proud smirk.
"For real?" The incredulous Morgrem mumble, being followed along by Skwovet crying 'no way!', Oricorio gasping and putting her wing to her forehead, an ecstatic Lampent shouting that it was 'tremendous news', Mothim — cautiously — asking whether they were finally free and, finally, an amazed Mawile questioning how they did it.
"How they did it is not of any importance, Mawile," Gothitelle intervened once everyone else had died down. "The real issue at hand right now is that Gallade, captured by cowardice or a delusion I can't quite explain, is afraid to do what's necessary for our protection: to put an end to the thing."
Sparse, discontent grumbling sprouted all throughout the Town Square.
"So, I ask you this," she addressed the crowd. "With our Guardian hesitant, is there not someone else willing to march into that hospital and be the one to set our village free, once and for all?"
All over the plaza, he sensed fear Instantly overwhelm the previous irritation. The murmurs subsided, everyone used the moment of silence to turn and look towards one another, hoping for one, brave volunteer. All of the Pokemon he knew to be competent fighters, though, suddenly averted their gazes to instead stare at the ground.
Gallade would let this play out, even if for just a few seconds.
"Anyone?" Gothitelle fumed. "Scyther, do you not wish to exact your revenge upon the Nightmare Weaver?"
She turned to the bug, who could only mutter a few, incomprehensible words and then shield his face with his claws.
"Honchkrow?"
The bird remained quiet and tilted down his hat in shame.
"Arbok?"
The snake hid himself away under his own coils.
"Chief," Gallade was startled by Ursaring's paw weighing down on his shoulder. "Do you want me to go ahead and maul the thing, or?"
With hindsight, it would've been nice for him to have accepted Darkrai's mercy, back there in the woods, to have just left with Ursaring, it would've spared him... all of this.
... it would've also been much easier if Darkrai was simply as vile as he looked: Gallade had no reservations towards righteous executions.
But, instead, he was left with a lingering feeling of being indebted, indebted to the Nightmare Weaver.
"No," his answer killed the praises and cheers the ursid was being showered with, heralding the return of the confused stares. "I... I think we should let him go instead. Tell him to leave us, to leave here forever, and... in exchange, he gets to live," those words, however, were a struggle to pronounce.
The idea was a gamble, a high-stakes gamble, a gamble for their lives, and those of their descendants, if, indeed, Darkrai would leave any of them standing after what Gallade and Ursaring had done to him.
The reaction he got from Gothitelle was exactly the one he expected: her face contorted with anger, her eyes fixated and ever-widening, starring increasingly sharp daggers at him.
"Do I need to reiterate that, no matter if there is even a tinge, a sliver, of truth to what it told you and Espurr, if its abilities truly are just uncontrollable, it resolves nothing?" She growled in a half-surpressed tone, practically whispering to him. "So what are you planning on doing, then? Just letting it back into the woods? It's apparent good faith won't stop the deaths. Mighty convenient for it."
"I am aware of all this, there is no way that I'm allowing him to return to the Blightwoods. The idea I'm proposing is to make him leave Haven entirely, in exchange for his survival."
His reassurance did not serve to calm her down. "So do we, as a collective, not deserve some semblance of justice for this century-long crime against us?" She finally exploded with a shriek that made everyone around her recoil. "We just take its word for it and let it leave, when generations suffered and succumbed due to it!?"
"When we're unsure if the crime was committed voluntarily, and when there's an alternative that still resolves the long-standing problem, I think we should take it. We know what our immediate priority is."
"An involuntary crime?" Honchkrow inquired.
"I will explain everything in a second," the other priority was making his stance clear to Gothitelle first, no matter if the rest were clearly lost along the way.
"And do you not realise how many of us you're putting at risk, if this doesn't work, if it decides to return?" She paused. "What happened to putting the village's safety first?"
"We've beaten him once already, so, let's say that he really is an evil entity that only wishes to spread nightmares," Gallade retorted, to the utter confusion of the attentive crowd. "We've proven to him that we can defend ourselves, so do you not think that that would give him every reason to leave here?"
"But why?" Morgrem interjected. "How do you know it won't... try and trick us?"
Gallade inhaled. Here he went, moving a few steps forward to once again address the assembly. "Everybody, we have discovered many things over the course of the previous night. First of all: the Nightmare Weaver's true name is Darkrai."
It was the easiest bit of information to communicate, none were perplexed by it, only intrigued. It simply made sense that it had a name of its own, which they weren't aware of.
"Now, you have to bear with me," he took a moment to calculate his next words, this was going to be the hard part to make them understand. "But I intend to soon have Darkrai speak before all of you."
He paused again, not to think, but to take in all of their faces shrivelling up and going ashen at the same time, their eyes widening with terror as the plaza erupted into protests at the idea of ever being forced to meet the monster.
"Please, bear with me here!" Gallade gestured for them to simmer down. "Please," he cleared his throat. "After defeating him, I held a conversation with Darkrai. I asked him what his motives for tormenting us were, and I believe it necessary for everyone here — without exception — to hear out what he has to say for himself."