ShadedSkies
New Member
Chapter 22
BIRTH
BIRTH
Life… Life is unpredictable. We're all but ragdolls, thrown around by the hands of fate. Heck, I'm not even sure that I'll finish writing this before something happens that completely changes my situation! I might succumb to a deadly disease I knew nothing about… Get caught by some kid possessing an unhealthy obsession with the daycare center… Or a legendary Pokémon might just stumble upon my humble home!
Crazy? I'll have you know that the latter actually happened to me barely a year ago. I remember it like it was yesterday, but even so it seems like the event occurred ages ago…
Another night of… Whatever I used to do back then to kill time. Everything I did besides building the place was pointless, that's for sure. Anyway, I remember hearing a small thud right outside the hut. Nothing special, probably just a Pidgey settling down for a moment. I wasn't lonely enough to invite a complete stranger in for homemade poffins in exchange for some company…
… Alright, so maybe I was. That's not the point. The lack of wing fluttering told me that whoever had landed outside was still there, so I hastily put on my cool face and went outside, seeing if I could charm whoever it was.
My first sight told me that "whoever" was a definition that would stick with this Pokémon a while longer. On the ground was a small Pokémon, clutching her abdomen in pain. This is before I had served her any homemade poffins, mind you! She appeared to be a Grass-type, with green skin and some kind of growth stick out of her head. She had very small, barely visible wings sticking out of her back, and some kind of antennae on her forehead.
"What's wrong?" I asked to see why she was in such pain, but my words only seemed to increase it. In an instant she twitched, looking up at me with her big, blue eyes…
Ah, those eyes…! A perfection of color, placing sapphire in front of her serene green body to create a picture of harmony and purity! Crystal clear even in the middle of the night! It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, and needless to say I was taken back by her response.
"W-Who are you!?" she growled between gasps, failing to make her sweet and sugary voice sound intimidating, "Go away!"
"Uh…" I stammered, being too paralyzed to do anything.
"Get out of here! Leave me alone!" she shouted and started to rise up from the ground.
"No, wait! I…" I started as I became worried that she would fly off and disappear into the night once more.
Instead, she collapsed to the ground, seemingly overtaken by pain. I hadn't noticed it before, but the crystal clarity in her eyes seemed to come from the fact that they were being cleansed by tears.
"No… Not like this…" she cried to herself, "I-I am not ready yet…"
"I'm just trying to help!" I told her with sincerity, "You look so pained… There must be something I can do!"
"There is nothing you can do…" she said with bitterness towards both me and herself, "This night will be my last…"
"Were you attacked!? Someone struck your stomach!?" I shouted out, trying to guess my way as to why she was holding her stomach so tightly, "Wait, did you ingest poison!? I have a whole stack of Antidotes right inside m-"
"I'M GIVING BIRTH, YOU DOLT!" she finally screamed at me, shutting me up. I can't exactly remember what my response was, but I'm sure it went something like this:
"Oh… Oh? Oh!" I blurted out, "YIKES!"
Hey, I thought she had just sprained her ankle or something… Alright, so far it's pretty uncool, but just wait until you see what I did next!
"That's… But… Like…" I stammered as my brain put two and two together, "… Water! And stuff! I've got it all inside!"
"Just… Leave me alone…" she responded, sounding far weaker than earlier before and shrill scream escaped her. The poor girl's voice said "no", but her writhing on the dirty soil gave off another message.
"Sure…" I said, bending over and carefully picking her up. I am a Weavile, so I had to hold her with my arms as not to get her cut with my sharp claws.
"What are you doing!?" she yelled at me, "Put me do-ARGH!"
I brought her inside my home, despite her complaining and screaming all the way. All the time I held back making any snappy retorts… Because, well, I was not the one in severe pain.
"See!?" I shouted while hiding my annoyance after finally placing her on my bed of moss and straws, "Beats the ground, doesn't it!?"
"I'll die, either way" she pouted, still protesting my actions in a sense.
"Don't say that!" I told her, "It's bad luck!"
"Luck? LUCK!?" she screamed back at me.
"Hey, don't give up until it's over!" I interrupted her, "You really want your child to grow up in a world without a mother!?"
Hearing this seemed to calm her anger. However, I had no time to feel satisfied with myself as her anger became replaced with despair.
"… Or a father… Or anyone…" she spoke quietly, not even once having released her grip of her abdomen, "I… Will be dead before I can even see her…"
"Keep talking like that, and maybe…" I started, but halted myself when I saw that she was in much more need of reassurance than I was, "… No. I'm here with you. I won't let that happen."
"You can't stop it. No one can…" she continued with sadness, "I knew that, but still…"
She trailed off, and we were left in silence. I realized that despite my initial thoughts of bringing her inside to help her out, there was nothing I could do.
"My species… They die when they give birth" she whispered slowly while giving her own stomach a tighter grip, "My mother died giving birth to me, as her mother did with her… Not until now do I realize what she-ARGH!"
Another pang of pain suddenly struck her, tears flowing down her cheeks. No matter my many accomplishments in life, seeing this poor woman in such agony made me feel as helpless as a Magikarp.
"There… There must be something I can do to help…" I said.
"T-Too late… My powers are already disappearing…" she whispered with a weak smile as she had a dreamy stare on her face, "Can't fly… Or sense… Anything… Anymore…"
"… Sense?" I repeated while trying to figure out why she had gotten such an odd expression all of a sudden, "… You can still see me, right?"
"… Yes…" she whispered slowly, not averting her eyes from the ceiling.
"Well, as long as you see me, that means you're still alive!" I shouted right in her face as her vacant stare made me worried that she was actually dying, "And if you're alive… YOU'RE ALIVE, DAMN IT!"
She instantly snapped out of it, seemingly coming back to life. She looked at me with a surprised face before throwing her head back again, screaming from the pain.
"Sorry, but I don't think I'd be a lot of help down there…" I said, lamenting over the sharp claws only the truly ignorant would ever define as 'hands'.
"You… Why…?" she gasped before giving off a higher pitched wail than ever before.
"Water… Poffins… I'll get you anything you want!" I tried to reassure her as she suddenly lifted her arm towards me.
"No… Stay…" she whispered weakly, her arm shaking more and more with each passing second, "I… I don't want to…"
"Hey! HEY!" I shouted while carefully poking her chin, "Don't give up! Focus on me!"
"… S… Sorr…" she started, but was unable to finish as her voice finally gave out. Her eyelids fell in what seemed like slow motion as her breathing started coming in weakly. Then, her arm fell to the ground as her body suddenly turned limp.
'A turning point of fate' is a term that has remained in my life for as long as I can remember.
Seeing this woman dying before me while giving birth to a child, I was finally able to give it a definition.
Seeing those beautiful eyes brimming with life close for the last time, I was finally able to hate it.
"No! NO!" I remember shouting while halting myself from holding on to her and possibly cutting her, "I… I won't let it happen!"
The future showed me a single clear path. As such, the time had come to alter fate. A technique as forbidden as it was secret existed within me. I knew that its results would vary, and consequences could be detrimental… But I also knew that it had greater chance of success than doing nothing.
The first YEARS of learning about the technique was spent learning me that using it to steal life was wrong. WELL, DUH! They're the ones to talk, stealing away MY life by cluttering up my childhood with such stupid… At any rate, while actually using it is strictly forbidden, exceptions had been made in the past. It doesn't create or destroy life… It just… Moves it around a bit.
Whether she was already dead or just unconscious, she was lucky to not have to see anything as I used my left claw to tear up my right arm. Screaming in pain while crouched next to this girl who was literally DYING seemed a little out of place, so I grit my teeth and kept quiet. My blood was filled up with both my life and my will, and I knew I could rely on it to handle the rest as I let it drip onto her body.
Suddenly, she stopped breathing. Noticing that she was running out of time, I gave up on holding back and started rubbing my right arm against her, smearing blood all over her.
The blood seeped into her, disappearing under her skin as I started feeling woozy. Doubt struck me as I asked myself whether I should stop as to not succumb to death as well, or go all the way and be at the very least be able to save her…
My question answered itself as her eyes shot open once more.
"I… GAH!" she started, interrupting herself with a gasp of pain.
"Welcome back…" I said.
"What- AH!" she tried to continue, the pain seemingly coming on stronger than before now that she wasn't close to death anymore, "I feel- ARGH!"
"I'll explain later…" I mumbled as I sat down to recover from my blood loss. This technique, referred to as 'Blood Magic' by some, is a little too complicated to explain… So I'll just summarize this next part as 'I ordered the blood to crawl back into my veins'.
The rest of the birth went smooth
Was beautif
Alright, I'll be honest - It was hell on both of us, more so her than me I'd imagine. But when it was all said and done, we had something to show for it… In my case, her. In her case…
"What's her name?" I asked her as she was lovingly cradling a baby that looked very similar to herself.
"I… Haven't thought of that" she said with a weak smile hiding her newfound strength, "I was supposed to die… And she was supposed to inherit my name…"
"… What's your name?" I asked, trying to ignore the fact that the baby had an aura surrounding it that was rapidly changing colors, passing it off as something normal. All I knew was that I was NOT up for elongating this trying night even further.
"… Celebi" she replied, still smiling.
"Celebi…" I repeated, the name hitting a familiar note in my ears but her eyes striking a different, stronger one, "A pretty name. Can't be used enough…"
The scene will forever be burnt into my mind. Celebi, the beautiful Pokémon, lying in my bed while holding her baby close to her. Knowing that I had a hand in keeping both of them alive made me feel like the best. Still, the name left a nagging feeling in the back of my head which I couldn't shake…
"Heh, the same name as that legendary Pokémon, right?" I chuckled.
"Um…" she said while looking up at me, "About that…"
If you have ever been told by the woman you just helped deliver a baby that she's actually a legendary Pokémon, you should know my reaction well. Since you probably haven't… Well, I'll leave that part out anyway, since it's not something I'm very proud over. The good news is, I took care of her anyway, for almost a month before one of her friends (Tefay) found her and picked her up.
She could easily have left me there and then, but pleaded that I be brought with her. At the time I didn't realize that we were falling in love and thought they were going to silence me for 'knowing too much', but…
… Aw crap, I just ruined the whole romantic part, didn't I? I guess that's something you can read in HER memoirs! OK, fine, so maybe I'm not so good at expressing myself… But seriously! Living together with such a kind, beautiful, loving, intelligent, caring and fun Pokémon… You work out what happened!
To be honest… I had no chance. Just being near her was enough to bring me delight from the moment she struck me with her killing glance. She radiates and aura of love and positivity that fills me with joy every day… Literally. As a Dark-type I am unaffected by it, but the energy her body exudes is nothing compared to the happy feelings our love brings.
I'll finish up this part later, but currently Celebi is expecting our first… And her second baby. I actually dissuaded her from having another one, since... Well, I don't want anything to happen to her. But… She really loves little Celebi. She wants her to have a sister or brother so badly… I just hope…
To be honest, I am sad at heart and insecure. She's suffered enough… She tells me that we are "bound together" and that "everything will turn out fine", but… But…
… But who am I to judge her? I should be the one to trust her. These are all feelings I had better not show, I don't even know why I'm writing this… Pretty rude of me, eh? (If you're reading this - No hard feelings, sweetie. I can see that you really need me now, and as long as that's the case I won't surrender!)
Anyway, like I said I'll finish up this part later, but just know that… Celebi has made me the happiest Weavile in the whole world!
"… And that concludes the memoirs of our father" Celebi said, closing the book and using her psychic powers to put it back on the shelf.
"… That's it?" Zerobi asked while snapping out of her trance, "Wait, what happened then!?"
"You" Celebi replied with a faint smile, "Mom did not survive the second birth, and our father… Either left her or died as well."
"That's…" Zerobi muttered sadly, "… No one knows?"
"Tefay was the one found you and mother's body" Celebi explained while thinking back, "… She herself died a few years back after giving birth to Azelf, Mesprit and Uxie… Simultaneously, might I add."
"… Huu…" Zerobi shuddered at the thought, "… Am I going to die if I give birth, too?"
"Don't worry!" Celebi exclaimed with cheer, "We fairies die because our powers are transferred to our child, leaving us helpless. You had no such powers to begin with!"
"But… What about you?" Zerobi asked with concern in her voice.
"… I'm… Different…" Celebi whispered sadly to herself before perking up, "… But who needs a baby when you've got a sister?"
"Hey… Sis…" Zerobi said slowly while choosing her words carefully, "That whole 'Blood Magic' thing…"
She was worried when it came to talking about that subject. Family or not, she knew there was no way anyone (including herself) could forgive the crimes she had committed in the past. Even so, she had to know…
"Yes…" Celebi said, "I remembered that passage of the memoirs well when Pikablu told me what had happened."
"Is there any way to get rid of it?" Zerobi asked bluntly, having wished for nothing more after the destruction of Evolution's Gate.
"To be honest, I know very little about it" Celebi explained while looking at Zerobi, "I'll have to do some research… Uh, with your body."
Celebi then twitched and started waving her arms back and forth.
"Ah! That sounded creepy!" she said with a panicked look on her face, "Sorry! But that's the way-"
"I get it" Zerobi groaned, having been needlessly apologized to many times in the past week, "I don't mind. I'll do anything to fix this…"
"Then I'll get started right away!" Celebi exclaimed as she regained her usual cheerful demeanor, "Sit still for a while, so I can chart out your genetic code!"
"… How long will it take?" Zerobi asked while leaning back.
"About three days!" Celebi replied obliviously before placing her arms in front of her, "Now, be ABSOLUTELY still…"
"… Ugh…" Zerobi groaned again as she decided to lie down for the procedure. She was suddenly overcome by tiredness from the long day and her eyes closed, her mind filled to the brim with the story she had just been told…
… This nightmare seems rather familiar.
Ah, yes. Celebi… The insipid Weavile… I remember it all.
Rarely do I make my appearance. Rarely is my appearance called for. As such, I remember this event quite well.
The beautiful cycle of life and death that graces the fairy legendaries had been broken. No inherent ability, skill nor luck had ever caused such to happen. Should an army of those tiny psychics appear, my position and plans might be compromised…
Investigation as well as action was required. Monitoring her dreams for some time, I decided on the perfect time of attack - During Celebi's second birth. To bear witness to this perversion of their species… And prevent it.
Undetected I moved to their location. A primitive structure, providing no protection from me whatsoever. It is as if the other legendaries wished for me to end her as much as I did.
A Weavile stood before me. Bearing some childhood trauma from his abusive parents, and carrying with him a fear of Bug-types. Nothing that needed to be abused for this simple encounter.
"W-Who're you…?" he asked, sweet fear escaping his every pore.
"Darkrai…" I whispered slowly, acting with grace to instill him with a false sense of security, "Move…"
"I won't let you have her!" he screamed before cutting into himself. I beheld the technique of blood magic being used against me. That was a surprise. However, as he soon found out, using a technique against the being that once created it is nothing short of a fatal mistake.
"… Why…?" he whimpered after the short battle was over. I picked him up with my arms, hoping to draw more fear from him.
"Take me… Leave her al-" he started, but remembering my original purpose there I snapped him in half. His resistance was comparable to that of a twig. Blood splattered my physical manifestation, and dripped to the ground as I reverted to my original form.
Entering the primitive house, the distinct lack of anything is what struck me first. For an instant I thought that I had been tricked by the Weavile, before seeing the empty husk of Celebi in the corner, a wailing baby in her grasp.
Seems my intervention was not necessary, after all.
Observing the room to ascertain myself that the deed was done, I noticed something peculiar regarding the baby. A Dark-type, like me… No psychic abilities… No supernatural traits… Just a regular Pokémon. Had I known this would be the spawn of a dying fairy, I would never have worried myself over it.
It cried. Not out of fear, but out of instinct. Untainted by fear, untainted by the world surrounding it. Feeling that this trip had been nothing but a waste, I decided to try a little experiment. Removing the child from her corpse of a mother, I filled her up with as much darkness as I could muster. If the slaughter of today would not deter the coming generation of fairies from not dying, this hellspawn of evil most certainly would. T'was far from a pleasant evening, but…
Whose nightmare is this? No one from that encounter was left alive, except for…
…
… Ah.
My, how time flies. Enjoying your nightmare, young Weavile? Cling on to life... And you may relive it!
