Pokemon Virus Version Chapter 41: Noah's Arc Part I; Burial
Okay, so this chapter is a little late, and I apologize. Now this will be another chapter about Noah, and I hope you enjoy.
Noah's POV
I turned to the dirty blonde haired girl accompanying Seth.
"This spirit told me all about you..." I said to the girl named Chapel. "Is this woman familiar to you?"
Chapel looked down at the ground, moments passing before her reply. "Yes...that dead woman...she was my mother."
"Although your mother was already dead, what she said to us that night...it had changed the lives of both my mother and I." I said.
Flashback-
Just imagine staring at your own dead body after you've died. And imagine your skeleton just waiting in the same spot, day after day.
I slowly walked into the blood stained room, still quite disturbed at such a pitiful sight.
"Like I said before: I was put on the receiving end of a tragic sin just 'passing by'. The only reason I was killed was because I lived..." The spirit's face saddened at just the mention of her own story. "Here, my remains have been ever since, without a purpose, just like my whole life before I was gone. Day after day, I stare at my remains, and can't help but cry, though tears would never run down my face. To this day, nobody even bother to give me a proper burial... My daughter, Chapel, her life was once threatened by a guy named Wes (Chapter 4). Had it not been for the actions of a young man named Zero and his orange dragon, Chapel surely would've either been forced to joined Neo Snagem, or worse...she could have shared my fate, ending up getting killed."
"Chapel...Wes...Zero..." I said to myself.
"Zero was also apart of Team Neo Snagem."
"So then, why would he opposed Wes?" I asked. "They ARE on the same team after all."
Who was Zero? Who was Wes? Who was Team Neo Snagem?
The spirit herself was unsure about the reasons why her daughter was freed, and did not answer my question.
This spirit's story was so sad. I felt sympathy toward toward the woman. I mean, what did she do to die the way she did? Not only was she kiiled, she was left behind and forgotten as well. A lost soul who only desired for her death not to be considered some random lowly casualty...I had to help the poor spirit in any way I could.
"I..." I took half a step toward the spirit. "I could give you a proper burial, if you want..." I was still horrified by the blood stained, decomposed skeleton, but I could just imagine staring at MY own dead body, waiting to slip into eternal sleep once my last wish has finally been granted. My life would be complete, despite the fact that it would still be INcomplete at the same time.
"Y-you will?" The spirit questioned.
I nodded, taking one more step toward the spirit.
"I may not know who you are exactly, but nobody deserves to be treated the way you were...
The spirit bowed her head in gratitude.
Words were no longer used at what we considered a funeral. Sakura, Poochyena, and I helped the decomposed skeleton just outside the room's broken window, not without using some of the house's bedding to cover our hands first, of course.
Outside was another acre of grass bathing in the moonlight that shined down. I could still feel the light breeze from earlier, and I could see what looked to be a helicopter, distant, passing through the night sky.
Following a Dig used by Poochyena, Sakura and I used our hands to dig out just a few more inches of dirt. The process took longer than expected simply because we didn't have shovels.
As we finished, the spirit calmly floated outside of the broken window and towards us.
"The funeral's ready?" Was all the spirit questioned.
Sakura and I nodded, then turned our attention to the bedding covered skeleton.
Once in the hole, the spirit had a few words to say, a eulogy the better describe it.
When someone VERY special dies:
It has ended here, the life of a loving and caring woman. The greatest mother she tried to be, she can only now wish her daughter the best from here on out. Here lies a woman who was very special and unforgettable among those who have attended her funeral, and those who were eternally linked to her by connection. Though her body is forever gone, her spirit, along with the memories of her, will live forever among the people of earth. Forever young...
...When someone VERY special dies...
May you rest in peace, Chiyo...
The woman who called herself Chiyo...after her body was buried, we spent the next few moments in silence. Soon after, I looked at Chiyo and asked-
"Who is Chapel? And where did she go after you passed?"
"Hmm" Chiyo echoed, "It's been about 365 days since I last saw my daughter, so my guess as to who she is is something I am not sure of. But I do know that when she ventured into the open world, she was accompanied by a Chimecho named Chime, who was once my best friend before I passed." Chiyo then looked at me and asked, "So, what brings you and your company here?"
"Well, um," Sakura was quite hesitant about explaining our current situation.
"We...we don't exactly have a place to stay." hesitant, I finished my mother's reply. "And so we came here because wew knew nobody lived here, or at least that what I thought."
"You know, it seems like it's been forever since I've talked to anyone," Chiyo said. "And I'd love for some company to stay here at the house. At least for for tonight."
Ending our day (or night) with a funeral was certainly 'weird', but it was still worth having shelter for the night as I closed my eyes, body covered in a dark red blanket that was probably abandoned. With Poochyena snuggling up to me, it was safe to assume it was here to stay as well. But now I ask: What's next for us?
The next morning...
"She must have been here not too long ago..." A distant male voice said.
"If we can't find Commander 26,then-" A second male voice was interrupted by a third male voice.
"-Failing to find the little girl won't be as consequential as it sounds." The third male voice said. "26 may be physically and mentally superior to that of the average human, but she often fails to understand how other people receive her words. She isn't the most social person in the world, and most people would think she's just trying to tell 'the tragic story of a little girl's fairy tale."
I was still half asleep with my eyes closed, so I couldn't see where the unfamiliar voices were coming from.
"Noah," My mother shook my shoulder, whispering my name. "Noah, Noah, get up."
"Er," I groaned.
"Ye?" Poochyena, who was still snuggled up to me, was woken up as well.
The conversation seemed to be coming from the entryway. Quietly, Poochyena, Sakura, and I all peeped just outside the room. The front door was open (I can assume it always is), revealing to us a 4:00 AM morning sky that was like a color palette ranging from a darker blue shade to pitch black.
Walking inside the abandoned house though, were three guys. Two of those guys look like twins. With grey beanies to cover dark brown shaven heads, red open vests with grey sleeveless undershirts, and black bottoms to match their black boots, I was almost sure they were twins.
The third guy however, had dirty blonde hair with some sunglasses worn at the top. His hair was fairly straight on the front and sides, while spiky in the back. He wore a blue overcoat, while everything else was all black. Undershirt, gloves, pants, boots...all black. But what bewildered me was the strange device he had attached to his left arm.
"Well, maybe Umbreon or Espeon could get their scent." One of the twins said.
"Do you not see what clues lie before us?" The dirty blomde haired guy picked up one of the roses that littered the entryway. "Do you not see the rose that still lives even though it has been picked? Flowers don't live for TOO long after they're picked, which could mean someone was recently here."
"26?" One of the twins questioned.
"Why don't we ask our spying company." The dirty blonde haired guy replied.
Company...So he knew we were here the whole time?!
"Don't be shy! We've no reason to antagonize you." The dirty blonde haired guy made direct eye contact with a spying me. Startled, we all quickly retreated back into the room.
"What should we do?" I whispered. I looked around to try and find Chiyo, but to no avail. "Where IS she?"
"Where's who?" Sakura questioned.
"Chiyo!" I replied in a whisper. "Where's Chiyo?!"
"I could ask the same thing, little boy..." The dirty blonde haired boy was right behind me.
Move...move! I wanted to turn around and face him, but why could I not? I didn't even know this guy, but just his presence and seemed threatening. Was I actually scared of another human being? (This is just Noah's character when he was younger. He's quite timid when it comes to meeting strangers).
"Wh-Who ARE you?" I asked as my body remained still.
"I suppose formalities won't do any harm." The dirty blonde haired guy replied. "My name...I am Commander 02; Commander Wes-"
My eyes...without facing this Wes, my eyes shot wide open, as if they could've popped right out of their sockets. This guy...he was the one who killed Chiyo...Wes was a killer.
"I'm here to gather information as to where a certain little girl is."
"Why?!" I began shaking as I winced. "So you can kill HER too?!"
"Noah..." My mother whispered my name.
"Well?!" I turned to Wes with anger in my eyes.
Those eyes, his yellow eyes made no immediate reaction to my question.
Wes looked down and sighed. "Look, I know my actions that day were nearly inexcusable. But what I have too say may clear any accusation of me being a killer, should you believe me. But answer me this-" Wes looked at me with an intimidating expression. "-Why should I waste my breath explaining myself to YOU; a random nobody that's just as forgettable as the next?"
"Why did you kill her?" I asked. "Chiyo's death was just a forgotten Sin, and her daughter-" I was interrupted.
"Her daughter?!" Wes questioned in shock. He then grabbed my arm, holding it with a firm grip. "Chiyo told you about Chapel?!"
"Get, away from me!" I struggled to try and break free, but to no avail.
"Let go of my son!" Sakura and Poochyena were just about ready to fight Wes before-
"-If you wish for me not to harm your son, you won't come any closer," Wes threatened.
Mother and Poochyena complied as Wes returned his attention toward me.
"Now, who are you, and why did you come here?" Wes asked. "What did you see, and how do you know about Chapel?"
"We...we came here to the abandoned house to stay the night. Without a home to stay in, it was just my mother and I with only the clothes on our backs. I don't know how, but I met an actual ghost who talked and, well you know, behaved like a normal human as well. I don't know if it was just a dream, or what. It was just, so bizarre..." I replied, uncertain as to whether Wes actually believed me or not. "The ghost-that spirit...she told me about Chapel, and she told me about you as well, about how you were about to kill Chapel had she refused to follow your orders (Chapter 4)."
"But, I can't see the spirit..." Wes questioned to himself, looking around the room.
"Well, I don't blame her. She probably doesn't want to be in the presence of a killer, let alone a killer who killed her."
"Am I really?"
"Huh?" I looked at Wes. It was as if he suddenly became a different person in only a matter of seconds. (Note that this isn't Wes' POV, so we don't know he is thinking at this moment).
"That guy you called Wes, that guy was me." Wes said. "But the guy you called Wes, the 'killer', that wasn't me... 'That' Wes was once a part of me, as the shadows slowly swallowed me whole. I became a demigod who would've sacrificed many lives without hesitation, in order to save a girl who has grown on me over time. I have since repelled the shadows from my mind and heart, only for the shadows to find their way inside the leader of Team Neo Snagem, Commander 01, Atticus."
"Atticus?" I questioned.
What exactly did all of this have to do with Chiyo.
"Anyways, I digress. I would like for us to keep in touch." Wes let go of my arm and I quickly backed away from him. "Anything you and your mother might know about Chiyo and Chapel may be of much use to us, I believe."
Wes then held out his arm toward us. Poochyena, Mother, and I stared intently at the open hand that gave us the impression that Wes really meant no harm.
"Hmm?" Sakura didn't quite get what Wes was trying to get us to agree to.
"Join me, join US- Team Neo Sngem." His hand remained open.
"Why?" I asked.
"Look at you and your mother...And tell me how you plan to never spend another night here in this abandoned house." Wes was starting to become quite persuasive.
"Well..." My mother was thinking of something to say, but nothing...
"Food, clothing, shelter, and a steady job would be more than what is asked for from a woman who has hit rock bottom- A woman who has nothing left to lose, and everything to gain."
Nothing left to lose, but everything to gain...This guy was very persuading, but what about Chiyo? Where IS she, and what would she think of us actually selling out to the guy who killed her. Wes killed her, he said, but he also said that he didn't kill her. Regardless, Chiyo now wants Wes dead. She wants for him to join her in Hell, but when would that time come?
My mind was torn between what's right and what's wrong, between Chiyo and Wes. But who was right? And who was wrong?
Wes and Chiyo aside, Mother and I decided based on our own judgement, and what was for our own good.
As for our answers...
The next morning...
Like the day before, I woke up in a room very unfamiliar to me. But this time, I was in a small white walled room with white carpet throughout. I rose from the black framed platform bed, along with a Poochyena who was at the bed's edge, resting on the read covers. I took a better look around the room. There were no windows, only a closet, a desk, a small trash can, and a mini refrigerator that stood on a patch of white tiled flooring.
Minutes later, I was all set and ready for my day. I wore some black sunglasses to go with my red vest and grey t shirt. I also wore black pants and black boots.
"Arf arf!" Poochyena approached me with much enthusiasm.
"You know you don't have to follow me," I said coldly. "I'm not even a Pokemon Trainer."
Apparaently oblivious to my words, Poochyena just stood there with a smile on it's face.
"Why me? It's not like we're friends." I said to the Poochyena.
"Arf arf!"
"Don't you want to go home?" Poochyena just kept staring at me with an innocent smile. All I wanted to do was avoid Poochyena because I didn't want to treat it like a 'pet'. I was reluctant, but I was willing to allow Poochyena to stay with me. "Do you really want to stay with me?"
Poochyena simply tilted it's head to the left, no verbal reply seen.
"Well, at least you didn't say no..." I said as I started toward my room door. "Follow me."
And with that, a new day has begun, a day where my name would forever be cemented within what could be a future dynasty.
Stepping outside, I was INside a building that was completely underground. Right across from my room was a window that stretched all the way across the very long hallway, giving view to a hangar below that featured a pokemon battle on a flat, metal flooring.
To get a close look, Poochyena and I proceeded downstairs to the hangar.
The battle featured a Magneton and a Bagon going all out. But what caught my eye was the two pokemon emitting an unfamiliar dark aura.
"Well well." Bagon's trainer turned her attention toward me. "A new face."
"Yes." Magneton's trainer added.
"My words exactly," said a voice from behind Poochyena and I. "I thought you'd see things my way. Anyway, it's a new day for you, Noah. A day where you become apart of the dynasty known as Team Neo Snagem."
To Be Continued...
So, Noah's past has actually turned out longer than I expected, and the next chapter I will try my best to wrap things up before returning to Seth and Chapel (But no guarantees). Anyway, I was originally going to change the cover art for this fic again. I've been working on a picture of Rose, but I'll admit that I've been taking my time to perfect every single detail as far as shading, shine, and her design, so for now I'll change it back to Seth until I get Rose done. I've even started on Chapel's picture, but I promised I'd get Rose up first. So please review.