a beautiful fairy tale

It had been roughly 12 hours since they had gotten back to the hotel, Noir's teleport barely enough to get them to the room. She was so thankful that she pushed Poppy to get an actual hotel the night before - not a love hotel - and that Poppy's habits meant they missed check out this morning, giving them an extra few days Noir could easily add to their schedule once the sun rose.

Even now, it was starting to peek over the horizon...and Noir slammed the curtains shut again. Munmun sat in her corner, radiating calm drowsiness like a space heater. Poppy had managed to make her way to the bed and then immediately crashed, hard - Munmun was graciously pushing her to go no lighter than Stage 2. In a few hours she'd be up again for the room service Noir ordered and had waiting in the fridge and then back to the pseudo-coma again. For as long as it took.

Progress was happening, even if it was slower than Noir liked - little by little her energy was returning, and she wasn't dying. Just really exhausted, in ways normal humans wouldn't be able to understand. And yeah, Noir herself had been up since they made it to the hotel room, because she was busy! Busy getting room service, busy trying to poke around Saffron's psychic network, trying to cover up or misdirect about what had happened on the roof of that hospital. And busy keeping up the illusion currently cloaking the room interior, making it much cozier and home-y than what the room actually was: the bed was more comfortable. The curtains became completely light tight. Nothing but Munmun's soft glow of her powers casting a pink tint emanating from her position on the bed. The soothing sounds of a waterfall in the distance. The floor looking and feeling like plush grass.

A knock at the door almost broke her concentration, but not quite. Because even from this side of the room, Noir could feel it.

A god had come to pay them a visit. Seems their activities weren't as secret from the eyes of others as Noir had hoped. She cracked the door open just enough to make eye contact, making sure nobody else was in the hallway.

It happened, at times. Stasis always meant waking to a world changed and family moved. Before, though, he was rarely gone more than a couple centuries. Short enough a time for stories to be passed down. For them to remember the ancestor who became more and more distant with each generation, yet came for births and weddings.

He'd been gone for thousands.

Never mind family, entire towns were built and abandoned. Records and tales faded before he could learn them.

Desperation built a home in him with each dead end. So long as each child wanted another—infertility was hardly an issue with the being of life as an ancestor—all it took was one person deciding they didn't want children.

It seemed impossible to overcome even as he finally, finally found proof.

(Please please please be them I promised I'd look after them I promised.)

He does not expect a Pokémon to answer the door.

"I'm...I'm looking...." Pull yourself together.

– — It took a lot of self control for Kyurem to suppress a laugh, knowing full well how inappropriate it may seem. Instead he opts to shake his head, taking another sip of water to quell his quickly drying out throat.

“To put it frankly with you, my friend? I am broken beyond repair, and I cannot fathom what force it will take to mend that without… causing further harm.” Further harm to himself, those he cared for, everything. He brought the glass to his temple, it once again beginning to frost over and figured to may as well use it as an ice pack. “Some atrocities happened so long ago there are times I wish if I can travel back and off them myself. As for the most recent offense…”

“Indeed,” Xerneas sighs, a note of bitterness creeping into his voice. “For all they cling to the past and forge their bright tomorrows, they never seem to learn.” Always the same mistakes, the same lessons, the same broken promises.

“You mustn’t apologize, lord.” Heldes replied, her voice firm but mild. Her wings flapped briefly to shake off the tense feeling of remaining in place for a long while. His mustering of her markings was not lost on her, but not wanting to offend in some way she chose to ignore it. “I didn’t expect for you to burden yourself with deeper knowledge over what isn’t your domain or task.” Had she been able to smile in this form, she would. Instead the lights at the tips of her horns twinkled in reply.

Her six bent legs held the dragon upright as though she was floating on a breeze. Xerneas’ own bow to her was regarded with a surprised scratch of the dust beneath, between the wilds of the tall grass.

His question however, caused her to quiet for a little. Her gaze averted, Heldes remembering the eons spent in isolation from everyone else, only ever getting to meet the souls who would soon leave her again as well. It had been so unbelievably lonely, but she’d always fulfilled her meaning diligently and without question. Even now she held this task above everything else; if that weren’t the case, she wouldn’t be out here in the mortal plane, seeking for those stranded souls that never got to pass by her gate.

They wish it didn't. Their eyes burn, from the sensation that they wanted to tear up, but couldn't, not right now.

Still, yet, they couldn't help but love the selfish desire to connect with him. Not because he was a marvel of creation, and not because they wanted to feel as though they had back what they lost; though that may have been part of it. No, there were... other reasons.

Instead of answering Xerneas' question, they instead approach him, their presence a tidal wave of power who's aura might as well wash away that of his with playful ease. They reached out to him, faintly brushing the tips of their fingers against his shoulder, an invitation to connect. They wished not to impose their presence on him, should he change his mind, but he'd said he wanted them to stay.

Why'd he want them to stay? They weren't his, neither creator nor possession, yet he wished for them to remain, and not to leave him, like the dust that might sweep through an abandoned hallway and eventually dissipates.

"I hope I will, if it's really what you want." they say, luminous golden gaze fixated on his blue eyes.

Send me “I see” and I’ll tell you how my character perceives yours

"It's not that easy, Xerneas." They began, lost for words. They had a goal to achieve. He would be a distraction,

An all to welcome one, still.

A childish demand, even more-so given how often Xerneas themself is prone to wander. Is it so much to wish that even just one of them would stay? That some kind of bond would not wither away with the passing of this age?

~~~

He was far too kind. A gesture, they'd not know how to react to proper. The gentleness of Xerneas' words permeated throughout them, and they couldn't help but look away, ashamed and too guilty, to hold his gaze.

~~~

Brandnew, highly canondivergent Arceus rp blog, written by Necro!

Please REBLOG to spread the word, and LIKE if you'd like an ask from Arceus in your muse's inbox.

— “N-no, I–” Oh deer dear. Kyurem unfortunately knew his limits, so even if he wanted to leave to avoid awkward conversation he wouldn’t get very far in his current state. That, and he would hate to be a rude guest when the other graciously offered him reprieve.

Xerneas’ gaze slid away from them to glare at nothing. “Don’t they all?” he muttered. Then, turning back to Kyurem, said, “Excuse me. I’ve had my own experiences. If it doesn’t bother you to have me ask, is it something humans caused, or is it something they helped solved?”

So that is what he looked like. Xerneas’ aura was powerful in a way Heldes had not experienced before. It was clear that he’d been watching her for at least a few minutes before she’d even realized he was there. She barely dared approach him, lest she could potentially startle him, or appear like a threat.

Instead she sighed, a breath held for a little while finally getting released, and with graceful movement befitting a queen like her she curtsey bowed infront of Xerneas, her six legs almost awkwardly arranging themselves to account for the pose.

“Indeed, I am Heldes. Guardian to the afterlife and reincarnation.” she started, as she moved to stand again. A cautious step she took toward his direction, trying to get a better glimpse of him in the shadows that were only minorly banished by the glow of his marvelous crown.

“Yes, that was it. I apologize for my ignorance. Reincarnation and the afterlife are outside my responsibilities. Yveltal will prove more knowledgeable, should you two meet.”

The light of his antlers illuminated the markings along her form and accentuated the angles of her limbs. Her lilac glow did not fade in its presence. Rather it seemed to compliment the yellow of his. Xerneas supposed it would be the same against Yveltal’s light.

How pleasant.

“It is an honor to meet you, as well. We were informed of your creation, but not where to find you. You have...been well?”