Chapter 22: Secret Costs

(Thank you everyone for continuing to read, I hope things are going well for everyone else as they are for me. I am officially working for my new contract/job. Excited to be back working and hoping to make all dat moneyz.)

{Rui's Point of View}

The next morning, I woke up to Aura sleeping soundly on my chest. I held her close, kissing her head. All the dark thoughts, nightmares were absent last night. I feel normal, calmer. She nuzzled into my chest, waking up with a tiny yawn. She looked up at me, staring and wanting me to make the first move. She's trying to gauge how I'm feeling. I smirked, pulling her into a kiss and squeezing her ass. She blushed, yipping cutely before hugging me tightly. Her dark blush and happy gaze filled me with warmth. Despite what's coming, I want to enjoy this. Our time together isn't infinite. I worry just how little sand is left in the hourglass. Last night more sand was added, and I trust her. For now, at least. She sat on my lap, "Was it just me or was last night really intense." Her mom popped her head into the room and said, "It must have been with how loud you were." Aura covered my lower half, blushing angrily, "Mom! Don't eavesdrop!" Her dad grabbed Crescent by one of the buds of her ear, "I gave in to letting you listen in, my love, but you have officially overstepped your boundary. You're going to timeout." Crescent playfully yelled, "Nooooo~" as he pulled her away by her ear. I felt embarrassed, realizing I'm still naked, "Can I have my clothes please?" Aura grabbed them and handed it to me. Aura looked very grumpy, "She ruined the morning." She started pouting and I asked, "How?" Aura blushed, leaning in to whisper, "I wanted seconds~" I rolled my eyes, grabbing her and pinning her to her old bed, "Good. I did too."

- Half an Hour Later -

We washed ourselves in the nearby river. It wasn't something I'm used to, but I enjoyed washing Aura and her returning the favor. During it, we both broke down and cried in each other's arms. She admitted to being terrified about our bond just as I am. She also admitted it's wrong to hide things but still doesn't have the courage to tell me. I told her about my dark thoughts and nightmares, earning a loving embrace as we kissed and tried to keep the other from shattering. I don't know how long this'll hold back the stream of sadness, but it's better than not having a dam to begin with. We went back to the tribe holding each other's hands happily. It felt so good to finally be out of the rut and in her embrace. She still thinks she can fix things... and I'll support her. Although, in my heart, I know she can't... but I'll keep that part to myself. Things then got really weird when some of the Gardevians she grew up with asked her questions about mating with me. Not what it's like, how to get it. Aura explaining love and all these really simple to understand concepts gave me a lot more insight on how Pokémon really see mating. Pokémon just want to by default, even though they might not like their potential partner to begin with. On the other hand, being rejected is seen as being lower on the social ladder. Like they're beneath you. Both genders are hard on themselves if they haven't experienced it. Love doesn't even seem to be a factor, it's like a foreign concept to them. Then it went full circle to questions about Aura and who she has had sex with. When she said only me, they are thought she was lying to spare my feelings. It took a while, but they all eventually realized she is telling the truth. That turned into a barrage of whys. Aura explained the situation to them, and they couldn't understand her reasoning. She could have easily gotten another mate... and in another parallel world she might have. Huh... I wonder what my life would have looked like in that case. As those thoughts ran through my head, I suddenly had a vision of me hanging. Like when I tried to kill myself. If I never met her, would that have succeeded? I guess so. Silvia wouldn't have cared. She only kept me around as a trophy to rub in Aura's face. Then my thoughts went back to Symphony, and I couldn't help but wonder, am I really just a trophy at the end of the day?

Later in the day, Crescent asked me to talk to her alone. She made a fire between us and sat across from me. I sat as well and asked, "Is something wrong?" Crescent sighed, "I know what's going on. I can sense the negative emotions swirling around your heart. ..." Then she shot me a sly smirk, "I also know my daughter has a good way of helping you feel better." I blushed, looking away, "Were you spying on us?" Crescent giggled, "Sorry, we're a bit mischievous here. I was. I won't lie. My daughter finally started trying to give me a grandchild. I'm so excited." I blushed harder, "That's really creepy..." Crescent got serious, "I was worried about her." I tilted my head, wondering why. She continued, "When I sent her under Margrev's care, I did it for selfish reasons. I wanted my baby to gain all the powers she is meant to have. Only to find out she met a human boy there she liked." She leaned in, smirking again, "I got her to spill the berries really quickly. Especially after your first kiss." She hugged herself, blushing and smiling blissfully, "My baby growing up, finding love and spending all that time with you~ Ah~" Then she froze, her face expressionless but her eyes were filled with hate, "That is... until Margrev took that away from her..." That got my attention, "You mean from the branding?" Crescent gave me a blank stare, "Sort of. Silvia and Aura were always competing and to cheat, she took you. I guess she was nothing but a cheater, right?" I thought back to the males lording over the fact she slept with them. It made me... Angry. I sighed, shaking the feeling away, "Yes." Crescent looked at the fire, staring sadly, "My beautiful baby... stopped smiling that day. She came home, unable to face seeing you after the branding. She curled up in a ball, crying angrily for a week. Nothing I said could get through to her. At that time, her biggest regret was never telling you she loved you." I saw a dark pink aura glow around her, "I wanted nothing more than to rip that estate apart, but she broke out of her funk at the thought of you being hurt in the crossfire. I remember asking, 'How can you care about him when he's gone.' She hugged me crying, 'He's not gone, he's just lost! I can find him!' I looked at her in disbelief, 'What in Arceus's name are you talking about? The kid isn't lost, he's right fucking there! Your love has made you crazy!' She cried harder, 'Please, don't do it. I don't want to get him killed. They'll do it! They'll kill the one I love and I'll... I'll have nothing!' I stood there flabbergasted, wondering just what the hell was so special about some kid? The years going by at that time was... difficult for her. She smiled at the estate she said. Smiled when you were near but at home... There was no smiling. Eventually she started feeling guilty about something. Did you know she used to hurt herself? She even had poisonous berries she'd eat to punish herself. The reason? That secret. The secret she's so hellbent on hiding is so bad, she tried to kill herself three times over it. When she saw you dead and was stopped from 'joining you.' I knew I had to finally step in. I never liked having to do this, but I threatened Margrev to involve my mother if this fucking circus wasn't resolved." I didn't picture our conversation going like this, "I don't remember anything like that. She always seemed so happy." Crescent wiped a tear, "She wanted you to remember good things about her. She erased the bad moments between you two revolving around the injuries and other things. That time you spent there in hell; she spent it with you. I just want you to understand." I nodded, "I... understand... I just... wish she'd tell me the truth." Crescent looked at me sadly, "The truth cannot be hidden forever young one. You will find out very soon. I just pray things don't go badly."

While looking at her, I thought of my own mom. I wonder how she's doing. My parents didn't want to see me anymore after I became nameless. She said she was... disappointed in me being unable to man up for 'my' daughter. I wonder if knowing the truth would even change that... but it doesn't matter anyways. My dad sacrificed me for nothing. Nothing changed when I was branded. Nothing will change after I die unless I make it happen. That's why I am trying to help the Gardevians see how cruelty just isn't worth it. Aura did more with one request than everything I've ever done in the last decade. It hurts to admit this, but no matter what she says, she's... not human. Her word has more meaning than mine at birth. Her status is higher by default. Society loves her and not me. In the eyes of society, I... and all the other male humans... are just... toys. Crescent broke me out of my thoughts, "You might have started as one, but you are no longer a toy. You are Aura's mate. She will literally risk death before ever even thinking of allowing you to die. She'd sacrifice everyone else just for you. That love is irreplaceable." I felt bad for her, "Hearing all this makes me believe she'd have been happier if we never met..." Crescent shook her head, "Don't think like that. You are here and she won't just stop unless you rip her heart apart." She bowed, touching the ground with her head, "Please... don't break her heart." I wanted to agree, I really did... but I couldn't stomach lying to her. I knew there is a big chance me and Aura could break up if things go badly. I could barely say, "I'll... try..." Before she could reply, Aura entered the general area, "Mother, are you with Rui?" Crescent smiled and said, "Yes, we were just chatting." Aura hugged me tightly and whispered, "Sorry... with everything going on, I already missed you." I smiled at her, feeling a tug at my heart strings. I embraced her, kissing her forehead, "I missed you too." She smiled, blushing a deep red before remembering her mom is right there. Crescent smirked, narrowing her eyes into a teasing glare, "Oh my, how romantic~" Aura pouted angrily, "You don't need to ruin the moment mother." Crescent giggled, "Sorry, it's hard to resist." Aura looked into my eyes, smiling at me. I caressed her cheek, smiling back. She pressed into my hand happily, sighing contently before asking, "Ready to go home? I think my mother has embarrassed me enough." I nodded, "Sure." Crescent approached us and hugged me tightly, "I'm glad we got to meet, and I entrust my daughter's life in your hands. Don't make me regret it or..." She gave me a happy smile, "I'll fucking kill you." I shrugged, "I've heard worse." Crescent chuckled, "I like him. He's braver than I gave him credit for." Aura hugged me, "You have no idea how amazing he really is." I felt embarrassed from her praise, "I'm not that great. If anything, you've done more than I ever could accomplish with just one request." Aura made me look at her, "It's only because of you inspiring me that it happened to begin with. Without you, I'd have been a lot less empathetic to humans. What changes I make is due to your influence." I cupped her cheek, caressing it with my thumb before giving her a kiss, "Can you promise me something?" Aura smiled, "Depends, what's the promise?" I asked, "Can you promise me you'll never ever hurt yourself again?" She gasped, looking away shamefully, "You... know...?" I nodded, making her look at me and smiled, "I'm not mad at you. Just... promise me you won't do it anymore." She looked down embarrassed, like a toddler being scolded, and nodded. I hugged her tightly, feeling her numb, allowing me to hold her like this. She teared up, "I'm sorry baby... Those years were so ha-" I held her tighter, cooing, "Sh... it's okay my love. I'm here. You don't have to hurt yourself anymore." She hugged me, nuzzling into my chest.

We said our goodbyes and teleported back to my apartment. We walked back up to our door and opened it to find someone sitting on our couch, looking out the window. It's Fiara and she gingerly turned her head to greet us nonchalantly. Aura had a look of despair on her face, "What...?" She panted heavily, as if struggling to breath before finally saying, "What are you doing here?" Fiara cracked her neck, getting up, "My job. As you know, I'm being paid by your boss's boss to slowly trickle the little secret you have to your wonderful mate over there." Aura opened her mouth to speak, only to quickly try to attack her. I looked at her in surprise, only to find her attack never to go off. A hand from someone else I never imagined to be there is on her back. The hybrid who assisted in stopping my escape years ago. What the fuck is she doing here!? Aura fell to her knees, powerless. The hybrid bitch chuckled, "Well, looks like imprison does wonders on you, doesn't it Aura?"

I shoved the hybrid away from her, trying to protect Aura. The hybrid chuckled, waving her finger at me, "You really shouldn't be trying to stop me. I'll leave of my own accord. It's you she should be scared of." I pulled out my knife, "I'm giving you this one chance to get the fuck out before it gets really bloody." Fiara yelled, "Christina, stop trying to piss him off." Christina shrugged, "Oh, sorry. I forgot. I'm just on guard duty." She gave me a smug look, "Looks like we can't play big boy~" I lunged at her with the knife. A look of surprise spread across her face and changed into anger as she caught my wrist. We locked eyes, glaring at each other. I yelled, "I gave you a chance! Now it's too late!" Christina tried to kick me in the balls, but I closed my legs to catch her leg. She then countered by swiftly headbutting me followed up by a knee to my stomach with her free leg. We separated and stared each other down. Christina looked really pissed off, "I'm an Armored One you little insignificant shit!" She charged at me, tackling me into a wall. As I stood there stunned, Christina grabbed my shirt and picked me up, throwing me onto the ground behind her. I felt dazed but shook it off as she tried to punch me in the face. I moved me head, shoving my hand into her face to disorient her. It worked, along with moving my head to the right as much as I could, her fist hit the ground and dented the flooring. I looked around as I pushed her face, earning an annoyed growl as she reached for my neck. I saw my knife and reached for it with my free hand. She stood up, stepping on my hand and earned a loud yelp of pain. I kicked her other leg causing her to lose balance, earning my hand's freedom. This allowed me to crawl along the ground. I reached for the knife, my fingertips barely scraping the hilt as a hand grabbed my ankle. Christina then threw me across the room into a corner. She chuckled darkly, tossing aside my couch as she approached me. A red haze, signifying swords dance, blazed around her. Her eyes glowing menacingly as I grabbed a nearby chair and tried to hit her with it. She caught two of the legs, kicking me in the stomach as she yanked it from my possession. She swung it in turn, knocking me to my hands and knees. She raised it up and smashed it on my back, destroying the chair. Everything became blurry as I struggled to get up. I could hear Aura crying and saw her staring at me in horror as Fiara gripped her shoulder. I reached towards her and felt a shadow loom over me before a swift kick knocked me out cold.

When I woke up, Aura and I were tied up on our couch with Christina and Fiara sitting across from us at our dining table. Aura is gagged but I could tell she was crying not too long ago. Fiara noticed I woke up and said, "Finally, we can get this over with already." I looked at Aura and asked, "Are you okay?" She hung her head, whining sadly. Christina groaned, "She's gagged you fucking idiot. She wouldn't be able to answer you." I looked at Christina with a glare before trying to keep myself calm. I said, "Alright, you have me stuck here. What is it?" Fiara looked at Aura, getting a loud whine and pleading eyes, "You remember how I brought up the hypnotism nights, correct?" I nodded, "Yes, what about them?" Fiara straightened herself out, "The hypnotism nights are nights where Silvia sold your hypnotized body to other females for nights of fun. They'd pay her a large sum depending on the request, would get some limitations and then we'd have at it." Christina sighed happily, "Ahhhh~ Those were so fun~" I hung my head, thinking about what Minerva said and then it clicked, "That's why she wanted me... She used me to make money..." Fiara nodded, "Yes. The thing is it wasn't Silvia's idea." I looked at Fiara in shock. Aura started struggling, screaming into her gag in vain. I whispered, "No, don't tell me." Fiara smiled a bit, knowing I put the pieces together, "Yes. Aura came up with the whole idea. She gave the idea in order to purchase the same privileges." I looked at Aura, repulsed by this and when she couldn't meet my eye, I knew it was true. I shook my head in disbelief, "If... If that were the case, then why wouldn't Silvia have spilled the beans on it from the start to ruin me and Aura's relationship!?" Fiara sighed and shook her head, "The answer to that is simple. You would have never believed her. After all, why would you believe the person you hated over..." She looked at Aura mockingly, "Your dear sweet innocent Aura?" I stared at the floor in shock, "That... that means..." I looked at Aura, "You were hoping to use Dialga's gift to erase that!" Aura whimpered softly, tears dripping off her chin quickly. Fiara came over to us and pat Aura's head, "Aura is a coward. She couldn't just tell you the truth. She knew in her heart you'd hate her because she turned you into a little sex slave for her own pleasures. That's why she did it. We talked that day, and she went on and on about how she hated being in heat, but you were tied to Silvia. Then she had this great idea and despite having the chance to back down since sex was off the table for specifically her... she still went through with it. That's why you had trouble sleeping at night. Your subconscious was aware of all the things we made you do... all for money. Isn't that wonderful?" Aura cried pitifully as I stared at the ground in shock. The sound around me started to die down as the shock started to weigh on me. It felt like an ever-increasing weight just trying to crush me over time. I trusted her all this time... and she did that to me without having the decency to tell me after everything we been through together. I wanted to have a family with her for Arceus's sake! This just proved what I always thought. Pokémon can't think of me as a mate. I'm not a person to them. I'm just entertainment.

When I finally could hear again, I found myself untied and Aura hugging me tightly, crying loudly. I pulled away from her, "Did you really do that?" I stared at her, begging internally for it not to be true. She couldn't look me in the eye. That alone answered my question... but I still needed to hear it to believe it, "Is it true?" She finally looked at me, "Yes..." I stumbled back, the wall giving me the support I needed to not fall. I held my head, "You? It was you who did that?" She nodded, starting to cry, "Yes. It's all my fault." I felt like she stabbed me, "Why? Why did you do it?" She couldn't answer, her crying turning into sobs. I asked her, "Why? I thought you loved me." She whimpered, "That's why I did it. It's all my fault because I love you." I shook my head in disbelief, "I... I thought you were different." My voice cracking as my own tears began to well up, "But you... you are just like the others. I thought you loved me." She hugged my waist, crying, "I do love you Rui! I do!" I struggled to believe her, "What else have you hidden from me? Was our first time even that!?" She kept crying into my stomach, so I yelled, "Answer me!" She flinched, pulling back, "Yes..." I then asked, "How can I believe you?" Aura gripped my waist in desperation, "I'm not lying. You're my only love. The love of my life. My entire world." I pulled away from her. She collapsed to her knees, sobbing and whimpered, "I need you..." I walked over to my knife, only to be tackled by her, "No!" I tried to get her off me, "Let me go! I'm tired of being a pawn in these fucking games!" She held onto me, "Never! You'll have to stab me first before I ever let you kill yourself!" I stopped trying to push her off and reached for it in spite. Instead, she reached for it and grabbed it. She put the knife in my hand and forced it to her throat, "You deserve retribution. If I'm to die for my sins, I'd want it to be by you, my love." I stared up at her in shock, her tears dropping off her chin, onto my cheek and mixed with my own. She gently caressed my cheeks and cried, "I'm so sorry my love. I love you so much... Please..." She wailed pitifully, "Don't hate me." We stayed like that for several moments, at least in my eyes it was. Maybe it was minutes... maybe it was seconds. She rubbed my face lovingly, whispering about how we fell in love during our teens. How she always wanted to be my mate. To bear my children because she loves me. She gently helped guide my hand to put the knife to her throat as close as possible without cutting her. I felt it in my heart when she did that. Seeing her desperately crying... my knife at her throat... telling me she loves me and wants me to kill her as retribution. I saw my reflection in the knife. I am crying just as hard. She whispered, "I'm so sorry I couldn't be the perfect mate. I wanted to, I tried to. I did the best I could and supported you through everything. I just want you to know I love you so much and please, don't hate me after I die." I pulled the knife away from her neck and tossed it across the room. She looked surprised, I took it a step further and pulled her into a deep passionate kiss. She melted into it instantly and wrapped her arms around my head. When we broke, we looked like a mess. I said, "Please, just tell me why." She looked away with shame, "I... thought we had no chance at the time. I'm sorry... I was desperate and stupid and-" I held her, kissing her forehead, "Sh... it's okay my ses frau." She started to cry again, nuzzling my chest, "Oh... my beh sze. I love you so much!" I held her in my arms on top of me for hours. Our crying turning into soft whispers, apologies and love. I only forgave her because I realized something. It hurt both of us, and she only hid it to spare the hurt from happening. She later admitted to wanting to secretly erase that mistake if she ever were to go back in time to have kept it a secret forever through prevention. I told her, "This is your only chance. If I find out, you hid anything else... I'll leave you without hesitation." She got on her knees, looking up at me seriously. A fiery passion in her eyes, "There's nothing else. They have nothing to lord over me now. I am yours, my love. My body, my soul, my love. Everything." I made her stand up and held her in a loving embrace, "Now, we have to get payback. Me and you, we're going to fucking kill your boss."

(Good news for some, or maybe all, but next chapter is going to be an Aura POV chapter. We get to finally have her thoughts and what she really thinks/feels. This also means we'll be seeing what she's been through and her mistakes. Hope you're all excited for that.)