An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Good news, everyone! Can’t stand our dull and dreary theme? Don’t like the light text on the dark background? Tired of rifling through tags to find everything? Because I sure as hell am! But I’m not gonna change the theme yet because aesthetic.
Anyway, this work has everything important so far in Dusknoir’s POV. We’ll see about adding the other stuff eventually.
Asks obviously won’t be posted there, just the main story bulk. I’m putting it there to have it handy so I don’t have to go rifling through tags, and perhaps expose it to a bigger audience!
NS063 @ Dusknoir: You seem to be an older type of person, You must have a lot of stories, a lot of memories to tell! Is there a particular memory that makes you feel good?
“Aah, come on, Dusky! The sunset’ll be gone by the time you get here!”
The Gardevoir sat on the edge of Sharpedo Bluff, looking back towards the town. Her partner, Dusclops, was taking his time reaching her on purpose. He normally wasn’t one to act out, but he was in a sour mood. Today was a bit of a special day for him, and he had expected her, of all people, to take notice.
Once Dusclops had settled down next to her, Lilith turned towards the sunset, careful to shield her eyes from the bright light. The orange glow made everything seem warmer, even though the haze of summer had started to fade into the crisp of autumn.
NS063 @ Dusknoir: You seem to be an older type of person, You must have a lot of stories, a lot of memories to tell! Is there a particular memory that makes you feel good?
“Aah, come on, Dusky! The sunset’ll be gone by the time you get here!”
The Gardevoir sat on the edge of Sharpedo Bluff, looking back towards the town. Her partner, Dusclops, was taking his time reaching her on purpose. He normally wasn’t one to act out, but he was in a sour mood. Today was a bit of a special day for him, and he had expected her, of all people, to take notice.
Once Dusclops had settled down next to her, Lilith turned towards the sunset, careful to shield her eyes from the bright light. The orange glow made everything seem warmer, even though the haze of summer had started to fade into the crisp of autumn.
“Lilith, I’m not really in the mood to watch the sunset today, can we just-”
“Ap-bup-bup!” Lilith interrupted. “We’re not leaving until you tell me what’s bothering you.”
“...”
Dusclops remained silent for a few seconds. He could have taken advantage of this moment and told her how disappointed he was, but was it worth it? After all, it was just a date that happened every year. It was petty of him to expect somebody to remember every single time.
“Lilith, don’t you think you’ve... Forgotten something today?”
“Forgotten something...” She put a hand to her chin and thought for a moment. “Well, I did forget to buy an escape orb like you told me to! We had to tough it through that dungeon today, didn’t we?”
“I mean something else.” He huffed, feeling annoyed again.
“Not really... Let’s see... I brushed my teeth. Restocked our reviver seed supply... Put our Poké in the bank... No, I don’t think I forgot anything!” She shrugged, smiling at him.
This was the final straw for Dusclops.
“I didn’t expect you to remember. Sometimes that personality of yours gets in the way of things, you know.” He scoffed, standing up and starting to walk away.
Lilith frowned and glared after him
“Hey, if I’m forgetting something important, just let me know! No need to act like a baby about it!”
“Don’t you know what today is? It’s my birthday!”
Lilith stared at him for a moment, looking absolutely befuddled. Suddenly, her eyes widened, and she let out a yelp.
“I TOTALLY DID FORGET! I THOUGHT IT WAS A WEEK FROM NOW!”
She immediately began to dig in the item bag that always hung at her side. It was now Dusknoir’s turn to be confused. He hadn’t expected such a reaction from her, so most of his anger had suddenly diffused.
“Here,” She managed, bowing her head and producing a small purple package. “I was going to give it to you on the big day, but... I guess that’s today.”
Dusclops blinked at the package before gently taking it from her hands. It seems to be wrapped very carefully, even having a hand-tied bow. Dusclops undid the wrappings on the package, revealing a box. Upon opening it, he went still.
“Your... Reaper Cloth?” He asked, looking up at her. He didn’t realize it until now, but the purple scarf usually tied around her neck was missing.
“Y-Yeah.” She said timidly with a faint smile. “I know I teased you with it a bunch, but... I really have no use for it. Besides, you’re my boyfriend! It wouldn’t be fair if I were fully-evolved and you weren’t as well.”
“I... I don’t know what to say.” Dusclops admitted. He knew this Reaper Cloth meant a lot to her. It was one of the only things she had left of her missing mother.
“How about, ‘Thanks so much, Lilith! Once I evolve into a Dusknoir, I’ll be sure to marry you and invite all of Treasure Town to the wedding!’” Lilith said, giggling, before Dusclops shot a curious look at her.
“Perhaps not that...” He managed, but he too was chuckling. “But what do you say we go out looking for a Link Cable tomorrow? That’s all we need to complete the process.”
“Wait, you need TWO items to evolve?!” Lilith said in surprise, making Dusclops chuckle even more.
I’ve noticed writing is a lot easier for me nowadays if I just churn out random tiny pieces. Send me a word like ‘knight’, ‘mystery’, ‘watchful’ or anything really and I’ll see how hard inspiration strikes. This might be what I need to get my writing engine going; I’ve been lazy lately.
"MR. WIGGLYTUUUUUUFFFFFF!!" Came the Azurill's young squeal as both he and his older brother hurried up the steps to the guild. Both blue rabbits looked frantic, not even caring as they tripped Diglett's alarm. By the time they had reached the bottom floor of the guild, everyone was out on the floor, wondering who had disturbed them all at such an early hour.
The guild's alarm was something that they didn't hear very often, so, of course, the entire guild turned up to see what on earth was going on. Wigglytuff was at the front, wearing a very puzzled expression. What could have put the brothers in such terrible distress? It must have been something terrible, since Azurill looked close to tears.
"What, what is it?" Wigglytuff questioned, wanting to find out their troubles, but not wanting them to be distressed any extra. "Don't be afraid, we'll help you out!"
Azurill sniffled and twitched his ears, suddenly unable to speak, so Marill stepped forward to explain.
"Our Water Float has gone missing! And... According to a note that was left... It's been left in Amp Plains! I... I tried to get it earlier, but it's an electric-type dungeon... I stood no chance."
A hushed murmur went through the crowd; most of them knew about the brothers' missing item, but to hear that it was in Amp Plains... That was an incredibly hostile place, and someone had to be really cruel to leave it there for the brothers to retrieve.
"Can I see that note?" Wigglytuff took the note and read over it, his brow furrowing in deep thought. "Hmm..."
His head suddenly snapped up, and he turned to face the guild members. "ALRIGHT! Everyone, listen up! We have to get the Water Float back!"
The guild shouted their agreement, and whispers of a quick expedition ran through the crowd.
"However, we can't spare everyone to go retrieve it all together! Most of us have to stay here and perform our normal duties! Is there anyone who wishes to volunteer for this mission?"
No one said a word.
Yin, who was sitting in the back of the crowd with Luna, looked over to her teammate. They had helped Azurill and Marill out before. Besides, they were showing a lot of ability as explorers. Surely Amp Plains wasn't that bad?
"Well?" Yin asked tentatively, cocking an ear.
Luna looked to her companion, smiling. "Well, what? You have that incredible sense of smell. We'd be able to find that item in no time!" The Cleffa winked, then raised her stubby arm up into the air, waving it around.
"Guildmaster! Guildmaster! Team Tao volunteers to go to Amp Plains!" The crowd parted before them, revealing the oddly paired team.
"Guildmaster, I don't think our most junior members would be right for this mission. Perhaps you and I-?" Chatot started to intercede, but he was cut off by Wigglytuff.
"Nonsense! Team Tao has shown incredible skill as a team! It's decided, they will go to Amp Plains, and retrieve the water float! YOOM-TAH!"
"Thank you so much, Team Tao!" Azurill suddenly seemed to be in much better spirits. After they had saved him from Drowzee, he looked up to them very highly. There was no doubt in his mind that they would be able to get the Water Float back!
"But first..." Yin mumbled as the crowd parted, most going back to bed and the rest deciding there was no better time than now to get to work. "Luna, remember how Wigglytuff told us to tell him and Chatot if we ever had another, um... vision? Like we had with the apple? and Waterfall cave?"
Marill's ears perked, and he looked at the two girls. "Wait, you had another vision? Like the one that told you where Azurill was? Was it about our Water Float?"
"No," Yin said in response. "It happened when we shook hands with Dusknoir."
"That ghost guy that showed up a few days ago? Mom says he used to live here, but I don't know. He seem really scary." Azurill commented.
Luna bit her lip, having totally forgotten about their vision. "I remember... but do you think it could wait until we get back? I don't want to waste any time! Someone could steal the Water Float before we get there." Azurill's comment caught her off guard, though.
"Mister Dusknoir used to live here? Well, that's surprising. Wigglytuff never said anything about that, and he didn't say it himself... What do you make of that, Yin?"
"Y-Yeah, but it was a long time ago." Marill said, putting a hand on his brother's head. "She doesn't really know the whole story because we moved here only a few years ago. But Everyone's talking about it in town for some reason."
"I'm glad he doesn't actually live in town, though." Azurill huffed. "They say he's got a house somewhere in the woods. I don't think I'd like living next door to some old ghost guy!"
"Azurill, be nice!" Marill said, though there was a bit of a grin on his face. "Anyway, you guys probably want to go get ready for your mission. Thanks again for taking care of it, Team Tao!"
With a nod from both brothers, the two water Pokemon climbed back up the ladder and left. It was just Yin and Luna left.
"If we really want to learn more, then it probably wouldn't be too hard to overhear something if the whole town is talking about it." Yin said, flicking her ears. "But we do need to get supplies. It's an Electric-dungeon, and neither of us have any moves that are really good against that type."
"I'm not sure if either of us can learn Ground type moves," Luna said, looking inside their treasure bag. "And even if we can, there's no guaranteeing the Kecleon brothers will even have one. We'll have to be pretty careful." She finished taking their inventory, and pulled out their small bag of gold.
"We have lots of Oran Berries, but we could always use a few more. No telling how much damage we'll take in there. While we're in town, we can listen for some stories. What do you think?"
"Sounds like a good idea," Yin said, nodding. "I was actually thinking I could try out my Illusion ability some more... See if I can extend it to work with you, too."
Once the two girls had gathered their supplies from their room, they set out for Treasure Town. By the time they got there, it was a much better time for people to be up, and the town seemed a little more lively. They each said hello to whoever they happened to pass by, before stopping at the Kecleon Brothers' store.
"Good morning, girls!~" Green trilled, gathering the Poké of a customer who had just left. "What brings you here this early?"
"We're going on a special mission," Luna told the brothers. "You know Azurill and Marill, and their missing item? Well, we're going to go get it from Amp Plains!" She noticed the shock on the Kecleon’s face, so she continued before they could object.
"We know it's dangerous, but we came to you to see if you have any Ground type TMs." Luna smiled sweetly, trying her best to dissuade the Kecleons from trying to convince them not to go.
"Well, you'd have to ask Red about that." Green chuckled. "He's the one who handles all of our TMs." He pointed to his purple older brother, who had just appeared from the back of the shop.
"Also, we have a couple of other questions to ask you, if you have the time." Yin added. "They're more about gossip, though." She bit her lip, not really wishing to distract the Kecleons from their main job.
"What's this I hear about Amp Plains?" Red questioned as he came from the back of the shop. He saw the exploration team, and red flags immediately went off. He knew they were competent explorers, but still... They had no place going to such a hostile dungeon!
Luna was able to convince him to sell her his TM before he could berate them for going somewhere so dangerous. When she purchased the TM Dig from him, he calmed down considerably more.
"You know we don't deal in gossip, Yin," Red said primly, counting Luna's money. "However, rumors and hearsay are another matter entirely. What is it you wish to know?"
Green snickered a little bit at his brother's attempt to remain professional. Everyone knew the pair were the biggest loudmouths in town.
"Actually, it's about Dusknoir." Yin said simply. "Marill and Azurill had said something about how he used to live here in town a long time ago. You guys are some of the longest-living residents in this town. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"
"Ah...." Green's mouth hung open as he remembered the incident from last night. Dusknoir was furious when they had told Elise about his history... But... The ghost was nowhere to be seen, so..? He looked to his brother for assistance.
"Well..." Red glanced at his brother, asking the same question: should we? After a brief mental conversation with his brother, Red decided to tell only a little bit of the truth. It technically wouldn't be a lie...
"Dusknoir did live here, yes," he started slowly, trying not to let his hesitance show. "He was an explorer of course, and he embarked on a great long journey years ago, returned briefly, and then went away again. And now he's back from his adventures. Though we are sure he'll be off adventuring again soon enough, ha!"
"Yes-yes!!" Green suddenly agreed, nodding vigorously. "He was such good friends with many people here, even Wigglytuff!! He was part of this little group the kids made when they had their hearts set on becoming explorers when they grew up. It's what inspired Wigglytuff to make the guild here! He had so many friends, he didn't want to leave!"
"I'd say Dusknoir himself stayed here for about... Oh, 15 years at the most? He moved here when he was still a Duskull, and--" Green stopped himself from babbling on too much. He had gotten caught up in reminiscing, one of his main problems.
"A-Anyway, that's really all there is to it!" He finished hastily. "Anything else is probably just rumors twisted in by everyone else." He pathetically tried to wave the two explorers away, but they just looked more confused than ever.
Luckily, before he could try and save himself, a scream of pure anger erupted into the town, making all the passerby freeze and look down the road.
" HOW DARE YOU TRY AND ASK ME THAT QUESTION AFTER TEN. YEARS. "
"Was that..." Yin started, blinking uncertainly.
"Sounded like Chansey..." Green mumbled, doing his best to duck back into the store. He could tell who she was yelling at just by the sound of her voice.
"Should we go check things out?" Yin asked Luna. She folded her ears back as Chansey continued to yell, put off by the noise.
"I dunno if I would recommend that..." Green mumbled, but nobody bothered to listen to him.
"She... might need some calming down," Luna said, not feeling too sure of herself. "We can at least... stop by."
Red harrumphed. "Have fun with that, you two," he said primly. "Don't be surprised if you get chewed out."
The two cautiously made their way down the streets, noting that several other people were staring towards Chansey's hut. The yelling only got louder the closer they were, and by the time they reached the entrance, Yin's were folded all the way back.
To their surprise, the pink Pokemon was actually yelling at Dusknoir. But... What would he be doing here?
"Of course I don't know where they are!" Chansey was seething with rage. " YOU'RE the one who requested I send them off somewhere!" She looked close to smacking the ghost type across the face.
"Um, Miss Chansey?" Luna spoke up, trying to smile. "Is everything alright here? We heard you yelling, and thought you might be in trouble..."
Dusknoir turned slightly to look at the girls, and was embarrassed that anyone was seeing him like this. Luna pretended not to notice.
Chansey blinked, suddenly aware she had an audience. Sometimes she got so caught up in her emotions, she didn't notice her surroundings.
"N-Not at all, Luna dear!" She managed, trying to don a deadpan look. "Just a minor miscommunication, that's all."
"Didn't sound like that..." Yin noted, finally lifting her ears up again.
Luna opened her mouth to say something, but then she closed it, seeing that, perhaps, this was something they shouldn't be messing with.
"Oh, alright. Sorry to bother you, then! Have a nice day!" Luna grabbed Yin by her paw and led her away, not wanting to get in the middle of that fracas.
"That was certainly odd," Luna said. "I would have stayed longer but... Chansey's energy was scaring me."
"Seems like the two of them have a history." Yin said with a shrug, suddenly throwing off her initial concerns. If it wasn't their business, that's the way it would go.
"Say, do you know what kind of Pokemon are in Amp Plains?"
Luna put the Chansey thing aside, and opened up her map. She located Amp Plains on it, and saw that the mapmaker had drawn it with dark clouds over it.
"Hmm... The map makes it look kind of dark. Maybe those are storm clouds, so... Water types? Or Electric?"
"Given that 'Amp' measure electrical energy, I'm willing to go with Electric... Which is good, because I had an idea and I was thinking we could try it out on this mission."
"Oh, what is it?" Luna put the map away, looking at Yin with enthusiasm. She loved Yin's ideas, since they usually tended to be very creative! What a great partner she is.
Yin look flustered for a moment, not expecting Luna to take the idea up so quickly.
"Um, well... Lately I've been practicing my illusions and... I think I could disguise us as some of the Pokemon in that dungeon."
"That... that's a great idea! The Pokemon there wouldn't see us as intruders, and we could move safely! What Pokemon would we be disguised as?"
"Well... Given we don't know what kinds are out there... I'd say it would be safe to just do a Shinx and an Electrike. Those are pretty common." Yin said, looking away.
Though the two Pokemon were common, there was no guarantee they would be found in that specific dungeon. But if that were the case, Yin could change the illusion after figuring out which Pokemon did live there.
"Well, what are ya waiting for?" Luna prodded with a beaming smile. "Let's try it out!"
Yin gave a small smile back, then began to concentrate. All she had to do was imagine the two of them as the right Pokemon...
The air shimmered around the two, and small waves of energy passed through the air. The grass rustled, and falling leaves were swept in a different direction.
Concentrate... Yin told herself. Luna and I... Are electric types...
After a few moments of silence, Yin carefully opened her eyes. Standing before her was not Luna, but a Shinx wearing Luna's bow. Yin almost forgot this was due to her illusion, and jumped back in surprise. Apparently Luna had forgotten as well, because she let out a yelp when she laid eyes on Yin.
"It... It worked! Yin, you're an Electrike!" The Shinx said in Luna's voice. Yin looked at herself, finding her sleek black fur had been replaced by a short green coat.
"And you're a Shinx." Yin said, a little winded from the effort the illusion took. She watched as Luna finally looked at herself, marveling at her bright blue fur.
"It's pretty crummy, though... I don't have enough strength to make it substantial. Things will pass right through us if we're not careful, and if I take too much damage, the illusion will break..."
Yin blinked at Luna's kind words, feeling a rush of warmth flood her face. Luna was always so kind... Yin didn't know what she would do without the cheerful Cleffa by her side.
"Well... Let's get going, then." Yin said with a nod.
"To Amp Plains!" Luna agreed.
The two then set off down the road, looking proud and ready for whatever awaited them. They didn't seem to be aware, however, that somebody had been listening in.
Dusknoir had managed to slip away from Chansey a few moments before, though not without receiving a good smack to the face. He knew asking her was risky, but... He had to know. Even if he couldn't do anything about it.
But when he had heard the two girls were going to Amp Plains, he didn't feel at ease. That dungeon was very dangerous, what with all the Electric-types... And at this time of year, it would be even worse.
"I've got to stop them before they get hurt." He said to himself, taking off after Team Tao.
The Kecleon brothers spent the good portion of an hour consoling Dusknoir. They explained that he had disappeared a little bit over a week ago, with no sign of where he had gone. Lilith had visited Chansey and gotten the news that she would have eggs, but with Dusknoir gone, she began to get stressed. When she collapsed while walking down the road one day, it was then that Chansey insisted she be admitted into her nursery.
The Kecleon brothers spent the good portion of an hour consoling Dusknoir. They explained that he had disappeared a little bit over a week ago, with no sign of where he had gone. Lilith had visited Chansey and gotten the news that she would have eggs, but with Dusknoir gone, she began to get stressed. When she collapsed while walking down the road one day, it was then that Chansey insisted she be admitted into her nursery.
Lilith's condition hadn't improved, but it didn't deteriorate, either. After three days in the nursery, she finally had two eggs. Chansey tried to keep her in bed, but Lilith insisted on going about, in case Dusknoir might come back.
Upon hearing this, Dusknoir could feel his heart shudder. He had not been there for her when she needed him the most. Did he really deserve to see her now? He spent a few minutes in contemplation. Green and Red stared at him, not sure what to do. Dusknoir wasn't exactly a friend, but they didn't want to deny him any assurance.
"I suppose I should... go to her. Isn't that the right thing to do?" If Lilith had still been looking for him, then that meant she still wanted to see him, right? But knowing her, she was only going to berate him for leaving... He supposed he deserved it. Well, the reason for his disappearance was out of his control, but... Lilith deserved an explanation. It was the least he could do, before he... started his mission.
The two exchanged looks, communicating without opening their mouths. Finally, Red looked at Dusknoir and nodded.
"She's been so stressed lately... Even if she was angry at first, she's probably glad you're back safely. I'm sure Chansey can give you some advice, too." He cupped his chin in his hands. "Not sure what to do if things go south, though..."
"D-Dusknoir, can we at least ask you a question?" Green interjected, surprising Red. Apparently the younger brother had been thinking on his own.
"Why did you vanish for so long? Without even a note?" The chameleon tilted his head, looking rather confused. Even the most experienced explorers had ways of contacting others if their mission was going to take longer than expected.
"Ah, I..." He wasn't expecting them to ask that. The ghost shifted uneasily, trying to come up with a feasible lie. "It was an accident, that I was gone for so long. I was merely going out to... Gather apples from Apple Woods, but things went awry. I took a wrong turn, and ended up lost for days. The good thing is that I was able to learn a few new shortcuts." He tried to end with a little joke, hoping the two merchants would buy it. No one could prove him wrong, could they?
"I think I will go see Chansey, and see if she knows where Lilith is. Thank you both for your assurance, but I must be going." He didn't want them asking more questions that he couldn't answer.
"Well, alright, then." Green replied, sounding convinced. "Those woods are pretty easy to get lost in."
"I think it's time to close up shop." Red suddenly said, prodding his brother on the shoulder. The incident in the town had cleared the square of people, so it was unlikely the two would be getting any business for the rest of the day. The two brothers said goodbye to Dusknoir before heading back to their stall, packing up wares and drawing a cover over the counter window.
Relieved to be out of their presence, Dusknoir made his way to Chansey's nursery, planning to tell her the same story if she asked. He drew back the curtain to her hut, looking into the semi-darkness, where several nests lay, some holding eggs, some with ill citizens.
"Chansey? Do you have a moment?" He wondered if any of the eggs in these nests were his, or if Lilith had them... He couldn’t think about that right now. He needed to find Lilith first, and Chansey would know- if she was willing to volunteer the information.
The pink nurse stood up from tending to a patient to give him a cold look. If there was one thing she didn't like, it was parents who showed no respect for their children or spouses. Suddenly leaving when his wife was pregnant?--Dusknoir chose one of the worst things to do in Chansey's book.
"What?" She said, not sounding aggressive, but with just enough edge in her voice to make it clear she was agitated.
"I just wanted to know if you knew where Lilith is," Dusknoir said, registering her icy look. Clearly, he had to butter her up a bit. "I also wanted to come by and thank you for looking after my wife in my abscence. I know she must have been very well taken care of with you."
Now, he had to get to the point.
"I'd like to apologize to Lilith, for not being there for her when she needed me. I know it won't excuse what I've done, but I do need to make amends."
Chansey was quiet for a few moments, staring straight at him. Either she was trying to figure out if she should help him out, or she was attempting to muster up the power of heat vision and burn a hole right through him.
Luckily, it was the former, as she quickly tucked the patient in and began walking down the hall.
"She's further in the back. I think she went right to sleep when we got here, though. You can either wait until she wakes up or I can come get you in town when she does." The look on her face made it clear that he should probably go with the first option so he looked like a better husband.
Dusknoir followed her down the hall, though at a distance. He wouldn't put it past Chansey to hit him if he got too close.
"Of course I'll stay with her and wait. Thank you, Chansey, I am in your debt." When the approached Lilith, Dusknoir felt an overpowering sense of dread fall over him. Seeing her lying there, looking peaceful, sick but peaceful, just made him realize how bad his absence had affected her. And now, he had to... He didn't want to think about it yet.
"The eggs are in that smaller bed over there," Chansey said with a gesture, before heading back to the front of the building.
Lilith did not stir as her husband arrived, though she did look a bit better than before. Her face wasn't flushed anymore, and Chansey had probably gone through her hair to make it a touch more tame.
In the cradle Chansey had pointed out, lay two eggs. One was dark grey with bone-white markings, while the other was white with a green and red top. They looked as peaceful as any eggs could look.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, Lilith opened her eyes. She blinked slowly, trying to get rid of the sleepy haze, and turned to look at the eggs. She stopped, however, when her eyes fell on Dusknoir.
"Mmm, what are you doing here?" She groaned quietly, closing her eyes again and tilting her head towards the ceiling.
"Lilith, I..." Dusknoir started, but immediately trailed off. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to say. She was obviously still in a sour mood, but he wanted to be clear that he was remorseful.
"Well?" She asked, a little more of a harsh tone entering her voice. Dusknoir was quiet for a few seconds, then carefully placed one of his hands on one of Lilith's. She didn't shake him off, which was a good sign.
"Lilith, I want to apologize for what I did." He mumbled. "I had no right to put you in such a situation, especially without letting you know beforehand. If I had known I was going to get lost, I would have..."
He looked into her eyes, which seemed to burn into his with unbridled anger.
"I would have let you know. I am a horrible husband for leaving you in such a crucial time."
"You're darn right you are!" Lilith sat up suddenly, taking her hand away.
"Dusky, when I heard the news from Chansey, I waited up the entire evening for you to come back. I wanted to tell you as soon as you got home. Those days without you... I was scared!" She began to shake a little, and her voice creaked as if she was close to tears.
"Not scared... Terrified! What if something went wrong while you were gone? Wh-what if they didn't make it?? Then what would I tell you? 'Sorry Dusky! You were going to be a father, but because it's my first time, I flubbed up and now you lost two children!' I didn't WANT that!" Tears began to pour down her face, and her shaking became worse.
She was starting to sob now, but continued to speak. Dusknoir felt as if his body was being ripped into pieces. It was his fault that she felt like this.
"A-And Chansey was say-saying that getting str-stressed wo-wo-would only make things wor-worse! She to-told me to st-stay in bed, bu-but! I had to-to go out every d-day and check and s-se-see if you were b-back! It was on-only when I coll-collapsed in the mi-midd-middle of the town like an-an IDIOT that I st-stopped!"
Dusknoir could barely make sense of her words in between her sniffles and sobs. What should he do? He needed to calm her down. To assure her things would be okay.
Suddenly, he reached over and wrapped his arms around her. Lilith stopped talking, but her tremors continued, letting out a sniffle every now and then. Dusknoir began to slowly rock her back and forth, saying nothing.
As the minutes passed by, Lilith's breathing slowed, and her shaking ceased. Even then, Dusknoir did not let her go. He simply stayed there and looked at her with a questioning expression.
Lilith rubbed her face before looking at him, a look of pure exhaustion hanging on to her.
"But you know... Now that you're back..." She began, sounding much calmer. "You're not just a horrible husband. You're a horrible father too."
She gave a weak chuckle before lowering her head and closing her eyes. It wasn't long before her breathing became shallow, and she was softly snoring. It must have taken a lot of energy to let all that emotion out.
Dusknoir carefully let her go and placed her down on the bed, making sure she was tucked in.
"Just in time. Visiting hours are over." Chansey's voice stirred Dusknoir from his relief as the pink nurse came hobbling towards them. "I think you can go now." Chansey seemed to be in a much better mood than earlier.
Perhaps she was glad the two had finally made amends. She took Dusknoir's hand and began to guide him back to the entrance, but the ghost hesitated.
"Are you sure?" He asked, glancing back at Lilith. Now that she wasn't hostile towards him, he felt reluctant to leave her side. What if she woke up and he wasn't there? Chansey seemed to be aware of his suspicions, and she shook her head.
"If Lilith seems uneasy, I'll let her know you went back home. With a little bit of rest, she should be ready to head back in just a couple of days."
Dusknoir nodded at this, but he felt a feeling of dread hang over him. He wouldn't be able to stay here for very long. Hell, he had probably been sent back here to cut ties before he moved on with his mission. How would Lilith react if he were to suddenly vanish again?
Even if he told her, she wouldn't take it well. She was in such a weak state after giving birth, there was no way he would be able to explain it to her and have her understand.
"Thank you again, Chansey." Dusknoir said softly. As Chansey turned back to check on other patients, he glided carefully out the door and into the streets of Treasure Town. The sun was starting to hit the edge of the ocean, turning it an odd crimson color.
Dusknoir stared at the sunset for a few more minutes, thinking over his options. He could do his best to try and turn against Primal Dialga, but what good would that do? No matter where he hid his family, Primal Dialga would find them with his power over time. Not to mention the dragon could simply pull him back out of the past for even longer than just a week.
What else was there to do? He needed to figure out some way to have an excuse to leave Treasure Town indefinitely, as well as leave Lilith...
Then, he felt a cold feeling creep up his back. He remembered this sensation, and every time it made him sick. In the future, it happened whenever he made a decision that he would have otherwise been violently against.
If that is... My only choice... He thought, realizing how powerless he truly was.
That was the last thing Dusknoir heard before he felt the familiar sensation of being pulled through time.
---
Dusknoir blinked slowly. He was unused to the brightness. Where was he? Obviously not in the future. A gentle breeze swept against his shoulders. A jolt arced through his body as he realized he was back in the past. His eye finally used to the bright light, he could see the crossroads under his body. He was back home. In Treasure Town. He shuddered with relief, and almost collapsed where he stood, but a thought kept him up.
Lilith.
Where was she? Was he back in his time? Or was he long before or after it? He had to find out. no matter what Dialga threatened, he needed to see her again.
Once he had collected himself, he floated into town. He could hear the bustle of its residents as they walked about and did their errands. It was calming to him. Pretty soon, he could see the Pokemon that inhabited the small town. As far as he could tell, not a day had passed since he had been pulled from his time. He could see the Kecleon brothers, Electabuzz's link shop...
Nothing had changed. Could it be possible that it had only been a day at the most? Perhaps he could say he had gone exploring... If anyone asked.
As he moved further in, the chatter of the townsfolk began to quiet down. Several eyes fixed themselves on Dusknoir, and he could even sense a few ugly looks in his direction. What in the world was their problem? Why was he being judged like this? He couldn't help but want to sink into the ground. He had never experienced such animosity... Let alone silently.
Before long, everyone who had been walking about to shop or talking with friend had stopped. The crowd formed a barrier between Dusknoir and the crossroads. Whatever he was about to face, it did not seem good. Dusknoir carefully made his way over to the Kecleon brothers, who seemed to be the only ones looking at him with sympathy. Red and Green exchanged looks between themselves, before reluctantly turning to greet him.
"You're back." Was all Green managed to say. "Welcome back... I guess." He mumbled. He kept glancing down the road, as if expecting something to come charging their way any second.
"What even happened?" Red tilted his head, looking a bit more concerned than his younger brother. "Not even difficult missions take so long!"
Dusknoir felt a weight fall in his stomach. So he had been gone for a while. So that explained why everyone was looking at him. But why the looks of disgust? Had something happened?
"I-I..." He began, trying to formulate an alibi. Dialga's warning was still rather fresh in his mind. If he told anyone... There's no telling what would happen. Did he really wish to endanger everybody? No, he thought. I cannot. I have to keep everyone safe, if even for just a little while.
"Lilith was so devastated!" Green suddenly chirped. "I don't think I've ever seen her so distraught. Chansey's tried to keep her in bed, but she can't do anything more than tag along. Lilith really doesn't want to sit still." He wrung his clawed hands nervously. "I don't think it's wise to just be strolling about, Dusknoir. You should think of something before Lilith--"
"A little too late for that." Red interrupted. He pointed back down the path Dusknoir had come from. The crowd had parted to let a Gardevoir pass through, and Dusknoir found himself frozen in place with shame. He couldn't bring himself to look into her eyes.
Lilith stood, slightly hunched, and simply stared at Dusknoir. Her hair was messier than it usually was, and her face was flushed and tear-stained. There was a fierce intensity in her gaze. She was angry, but trying not to make a scene in front of the crowd.
"A week..." She mumbled, folding her arms. "You were gone for a week. And you left without telling me." She swayed at bit on her feet, but Chansey appeared and held her fast. Lilith wasn't in the condition to be out and about. But it was obvious she wanted to confront Dusknoir.
"Lilith, I..." He began, but couldn't think of what to say. I'm sorry I got pulled away from time and forced to work for an insane dragon? I'm sorry that while you experienced only a week without me, I experienced several years? He finally looked straight at her, but immediately regretted it. He had never seen her so furious. Gone was her bubbly, reckless smile. This was an entirely different creature. Yet it was still his wife. He had wronged her, and he had to make up for it. Even if it took forever.
He approached her carefully, arms raising slightly as if to reach out for her. Lilith tensed a bit, not sure how to respond.
Dusknoir was a yard away from her.
Two feet.
One foot.
He reached out to place a hand on her shoulder, when--
SMACK!
A sharp pain blossomed on Dusknoir's face, and he was stunned for a moment. Lilith had lashed out and slapped him. She stood still, breathing heavily, her arm still raised. She glared at him in silence for a few more moments.
Dusknoir didn't even dare to breathe. He wasn't sure what kind of response she wanted from him. Perhaps she didn't want any response at all. Sometimes people just needed to vent their feelings, no words necessary. He absentmindedly reached up to rub the spot where Lilith had struck him.
"Don't ever scare me like that again... Please..." Lilith said. This time her voice was mixed with a sob. She wobbled a bit more, and fell to her knees. Concern flared up in Dusknoir's chest as he realized she looked much paler than she had moments before. He tried to approach her again, but Chansey pushed Lilith back up, already in doctor mode.
"Lilith, no more leaving your bed until I say so!" The pink Pokemon urged. She began to guide the Gardevoir back to the building that was part nursery and part hospital. Lilith put up little resistance, and she seemed ready to collapse any moment. The crowd parted again to let the two get through.
Dusknoir could only stare after them, not sure what to do. The crowd remained quiet, still staring at him, for several minutes. It was only when Dusknoir sunk to the ground from emotional exhaustion that they began to disperse.
He wanted to tell her everything. He wanted to apologize. But Dialga had made it perfectly clear that if Dusknoir did not do as he said, she would be hurt. He felt alone, not sure what to do. Tears began to form in his eye, all the feelings finally surfacing and combining into sniffles.
"Um, Dusknoir?" A voice broke into his thoughts, causing the ghost to stiffen in surprise. The Kecleon brothers appeared in his view, each of them looking extremely worried.
"Did something happen while I was gone?" He asked lightly, his voice finally breaking. "Lilith... She looked very weak. Is she alright?"
"Oh dear... He doesn't know." Red mumbled, covering his mouth and looking to Green. "He really doesn't know."
"Know what?" Dusknoir's tone became urgent. If he had not been there to help Lilith when he could have... If he had had a heart, its pace would have been lightning fast by now. Was she sick? In danger? What??
"Uh-uhm... Dusknoir..." Green began, wincing. "The day you disappeared... You remember Lilith had gone to do some errands, right?"
It had been so long to him... But...
"Faintly," He said in response.
"Well, she decided to visit Chansey because she had been feeling sick." Red continued. "And... Well... She got the news that..."
"Dusknoir, Lilith had eggs. Just the other day." Green finished, looking frantic.
Uh, Dusknoir... If you don't mind us asking, how exactly did your wife die?
“Didn’t you hear those meddling brothers?” He said tersely, his patience a bit thin. “A pack of Zangoose attacked. We wandered into their territory unknowingly and...”
He was silent for several minutes, making it very clear that he was not in the mood to answer this question.
“I had to carry her body back to Treasure Town.” His words were light, and he was staring into the open air again. Why did he have to be reminded of this? It made him sick to his stomach.
“Now, if you don’t mind. I have to speak to Wigglytuff about a few things.” He added stiffly. It sounded as if he were speaking through clenched teeth, but seeing as he lacked a mouth, it wasn’t exactly possible.
