Hands

Darkrai sat atop the beach cave, just outside Treasure Town. He listened as the waves crashed against the shore and watched the Krabby blow bubbles in the evening light. The ocean spreading out before him, the sun dipping over the horizon, could anything be more beautiful?

Alas, that isn’t what Darkrai came to see. A voice catching at his ears, Darkrai turned and watched a small Wooper wander onto the beach.

Taking in the scene, the Wooper’s eyes sparkled. ‘Wow, what an impressive sight!’

Looking upon his past self, Darkrai felt nothing. Flip, the Wooper, had been weak. Too weak to save Forrest, or Grovyle, or Celebi, but Darkrai would ensure things were different this time.

His eyes scanning the beach, Darkrai watched as a little green Pokemon washed up upon the shore. The sickly looking Turtwig lay still and Darkrai felt the urge to race to it’s side, but before he could, a shiver ran down his spine.

Forrest was the brother of Flip, not Darkrai. For Forrest to see him like this, what would he say? Would he be scared? Darkrai had planned to let things play out as they had, and simply watch, but it was too much. He couldn’t bear to wait, so he turned and ran.

As Darkrai flew away, Xatu’s words echoed in his mind, ‘demons run when a good mon goes to war. Flip, would they still run from you?’

Suddenly aware of just how cold he felt, Darkrai changed course. He flew towards the fading light, as if he were trying to catch the sun, but he couldn’t reach it, and the closer he got, the colder he felt.

When he looked back across the ocean and saw the long shadow he cast, Darkrai realised, he couldn’t feel the sun on his body. Light passed over him and disappeared; he drew it in, but felt no warmth. The person he’d been was truly dead, and only a vast emptiness remained. No would recognise him anymore. Actually, that’s not entirely true. Though, Vine was in a coma, possibly even dead by now, but there was still one more.

One other person who could recognise him. One other person who might stand by him. For Darkrai, the only way out was to see this through, but something in him yearned not to do it alone.

His eyes narrowing, Darkrai raced for Temporal Tower, where Primal Dialga waited.Fortunately, given his speed and flight, Darkrai could travel larges distances in short time. Hence, it was not long before Darkrai, in his own time, hovered above the city of Drifas.

Before we go any further, I feel I should apologise. Honestly, it wasn’t meant to go like this. Things weren’t meant to be this way. This, this isn’t what I wanted. I’m so sorry.

The mighty waterfall that once gushed into the caverns was silent, and still. Drifas was changed from what it had been only several days prior. The bustle was gone from the streets, and the city was quiet apart from an odd, piercing note.

The sound was pitchy, and awkward. It wobbled, rising and falling unreasonably. It paused for a moment, before blaring out again.

His curiousity piqued, Darkrai moved towards the sound and came across a small ampitheatre. A Gigalith sat in the stands, barking instructions and criticisms. Upon the stage stood Nick, his fingers plucking clumsily at the strings of a violin.

‘My boy!’ Cried Gigalith. ‘You are not a Kricketune, I beg you, use the bow!’

Nick’s grin stretched wider and still he tried, dragging his shadowy claws across the strings. How he didn’t cut the strings, I couldn’t tell you. I can only imagine he was dreadfully careful, despite the intense desire to create beauty with his own hands.

Darkrai lowered himself into the stands silently, sitting a few rows behind Gigalith. When Nick’s eyes lit upon him, a chill ran down the Sableye’s spine. He stopped playing, leapt from the stage and had a hurried conversation with Gigalith. A moment later, the stone golem walked from the ampitheatre, muttering to herself.

‘The world has been thrown into chaos. Yet, here you stand, making music,’ mused Darkrai.

Nick skittered closer to the strange shadowy being. ‘This city lives on a diet of music.’

Darkrai’s brow raised. ‘I see. Though, don’t you enjoy the chaos? Why not revel in it?’

‘Chaos requires life. Whatever’s happening isn’t chaos. More like,’ Nick paused scratching at his chin, ‘a purge.’

‘Only a temporary one, and for good cause.’

For a moment, Nick was silent, his expression inscrutable, and when he burst into laughter the sound was unsettingly and ghostly. Throwing his arms wide, Nick made a show of looking at empty stands. ‘You can justify this? I’m terrified of you.’

Darkrai’s head cocked. ‘You needn’t be. I want you to come with me.’

Nick cackled and dragged his hands down his face. ‘Forget it!’

‘Nick, I’m-‘

‘I’m not coming, Flip!’

Darkrai paused, his hand frozen as he reached for his friend. ‘You really do recognise me?’

‘I told you, I saw you in my nightmares.’

Darkrai felt as if he’d been punched. His insides churned and he sat heavily on the stands. Putting his head in his hands, he muttered to himself. Nick watched silently, filled with a mixture of pity, and fear.

Eventually, Darkrai spoke. ‘Nick, I don’t want to do this alone.’

Nick scoffed. ‘Find someone else then. I won’t help you.’

‘But I-‘

‘No!’ Screamed Nick, his fists clenched. ‘Flip, this isn’t right.’

Emotion surged through Darkrai like waves crashing in a storm. The currents raced along, sweeping him up and carrying him far away. ‘I want my brother back,’ whimpered Darkrai. ‘I need him.’

Something in the way Darkrai said it made Nick pause. Taking a slow step back, Nick whispered, ‘why?’

Darkrai’s gaze grew distant. ‘He loves me. My brother loves me. He believes in me.’

‘Vine believes in you.’

Darkrai’s brows furrowed, his fists clenching.

‘Flip, where’s Vine?’

His head swivelling slowly, Darkrai turned his gaze on Nick. ‘Gone. Why, why does everyone leave me? I’m nice. I can be helpful.’ His voice growing weak, Darkrai whispered. ‘I’m not worthless, right?’

His gaze falling onto Nick, Darkrai drifted closer. ‘Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me!’

Darkrai leapt, tackling Nick to the ground and sending them both careening down the bleachers. Darkrai’s hands tore at the Sableye, cleaving shadows from his friend’s body.

Drifas, the city of music, was filled with nought but the sound of screams, and the muffled sobs of a broken man.

Darkrai hadn’t killed Nick. Rather, the Sableye was torn apart. The once whole person had been cleaved into seperate beings. Six Sableye crawled along the ground, squealing and writhing in pain. Nick’s mind was broken and all that he had become was stripped away. Only six hollow vessels remained.

Ignorant of the howling Sableye, Darkrai clutched at his head, whimpering and whispering to himself, ‘I’ll bring them back. I’ll bring them all back.’ But even as he said it, Darkrai was terrified, for who could recognise him now? No matter what he did, or how hard he tried, he would always be alone.

And, as I said before, you can cry all you like, if none can you hear, you are silent, and alone, and worthless.