Artemis Ignitan
*~*Northwind Gale*~*
Ok, so here's the lowdown. This is some random chappie from a fic I've had in my head for a while, but due certian circumstances, I only have a bit on paper. The idea for this chappie came in a dream, and I decided to just get it down 'cause I'll probably not get this far anyways. Oh well, enjoy!
Rated Pg-13 because I'm being careful.
Author's Note- The fact that the main character's name is Artemis Ignitan doesn't mean this fic is based on me. Artemis Ignitan the fanfic character came long before my Serebii acount. She's just one of my personal favorites. However, there is a character that I based on myself in this story. See if you can guess who it is and I'll tell you at the end of the chappie.
A girl stretched her legs as she jumped off a silver Metagross onto the shores of Sootopolis City. She was clad in a white T-shirt, covered with an open vest colored like the azure waters beneath her. Her pants were long, nearly covering the white sneakers on her feet. A white, wide-brimmed hat with a blue ribbon encircled around it topped off her outfit. Her white locks tinged with silver strands and a large blue stripe running down the center shimmered in the sun as she turned her head, skimming the city sights. A large bowl was the first thing that came to mind as she took in the scenery; and with good reason. Sootopolis was built into a once volcanic crater that had partially filled in with water.
One would wonder what Artemis Ignitan, Pokemon Coordinator, would be doing in a city like Sootopolis, where there was nothing related to coordinating, nor was it in the way of any routes. No, Sootopolis City was just an island in the middle of nowhere, the only reason for it even being on the map was because it was the home of the most powerful of the Hoenn Gyms. Many trainers came from far and wide to challenge Juan, the water illusionist.
But Artemis wasn’t a trainer. She didn’t come to challenge Juan. She didn’t need to come here…did she?
Artemis pulled an envelope from her pocket. Scrawled on it were the words:
Steven Stone. Yes, she remembered him well. Ever since that day they met, when he brought her a message from Ambrose, and she had secretly gotten her Plusle to trip him up as he left…She held back a chuckle at that thought. Strange, really, how she had suddenly felt so…mischievous around him all of a sudden. She had always been the shy one. When she had gotten that letter a few days ago, she thought…maybe…
Artemis forced herself back into reality. That letter was not a love letter, no matter how much that little part of her secretly wished it was. No, it was a letter of another sort, yet just as important, because it was the key to all the answers to the questions she had been asking herself for nearly two years…the questions about her sister, Terra Ignitan.
Terra had started her Pokemon journey three years before, when Artemis was eight, as an explorer. She had come back after a year, only to disappear the next day, leaving only a note and the egg that had hatched into the Beldum that became the Metagross by Artemis’ side. The note had mentioned something about her family being in danger because of her, and she had to leave immediately, and had begged them to forgive her. Artemis’ eyes began to well up at that memory, and blinked a few times to wash away the stinging tears. She looked at the Metagross sitting next to her, and smiled. She didn’t blame Silver Meta for making her sister leave her, she knew the steel Pokemon had nothing to do with it. In fact, she loved that big hunk of metal for all it was worth, and more. It was her first Pokemon companion, and the only link she had to Terra…
Artemis shook her head. No, she mustn’t let her emotions get to her. She couldn’t, not now, not when she was so close…She quickly withdrew Meta into its ball and began to jog down the streets of Sootopolis, searching for the person Steven mentioned in the letter.
Tell you what’s going on. Did that mean Steven knew already? And if he did, for how long? Artemis thought he understood the pain she had felt from losing Terra, but she had started to doubt that. If he really understood, why would he keep this information from her? Unless Terra had told him to, to protect her? And…there was Ambrose. She had been like a sister figure to her for so long…and she had been best friends with Terra. Had Ambrose been hiding this information from her too? And what about the other people close to Terra. Brendan? Jevon? How many people had been keeping this from her?
Ding Dong. The sound of the doorbell rang through the house.
“I’ll get it!” the voice of a girl yelled. Footsteps pounded rapidly across the hall, a lock opened, then a scream…
“MOM! DAD! IT’S TERRA! TERRA’S HOME!!!
The clanging of plates dropping in the sink and tools on tabletops were heard.
“Terra? Really?”
“Uh huh. An’ Ambrose an’ Brendan’ an’ Jevon too!”
Mr. and Mrs. Ignitan came to the door. “Well, come on in, dears. This is a fine time for you to arrive,” chirped Mrs. Ignitan.
“We’re sorry, but we can’t. Jevon and I have to visit Dad. And Ambrose needs to see her family back at the ranch,” replied Brendan.
“We just wanted to see how you guys were doing,” added Ambrose.
“Well, you are always welcome here. Come back and visit anytime,” said Mr. Ignitan.
“Will do, sir,” chided Ambrose as she and her Blazekin hopped onto her Flygon.
“Same here,” Jevon responded as he walked away with Brandon and Sceptile.
Ambrose looked back as she flew off on Flyai, and saw the two sisters chatting to each other, side by side. “Young Artemis is just like her sister, Terra,” she mused to herself. “Same deep brown eyes, same auburn hair…same vivacity and love of life. They are so close. It’s great that they can be together again.” She smiled to herself as they disappeared over the horizon.
Later that night, as Artemis climbed into bed, she happily remembered all the stories that Terra had told her, and imagined her own journey. She couldn’t wait to be a coordinator, and travel around just like her big sis.
“I’m glad you’re back, sis.” That was her last thought as she slipped off into a deep slumber.
“AAAAAAAAUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHH!!!”
“Artemis, dear, are you all right?”
Her parents and Terra opened the door to find Artemis standing in front of the mirror, shaking. When she saw their shocked reflections in the mirror, she turned to them.
“Mom, Dad, Sis, I’m getting old!”
“Not exactly, Sis,” said Terra wryly.
Artemis had changed. Her brown eyes were now a deep blue and her skin had become so pale that it was almost transparent. And her hair…was the most surprising of all. No longer a silky auburn, it was pure white, like untouched snow. Silver strands ran through it here and there, causing the whole mane to glimmer when it was kissed by sunbeams. A thick blue stripe ran straight down the center, from the top of her pale forehead to the very last strands hanging at the bottom.
Artemis wasn’t shocked by her parents’ reactions. But Terra was a different story. Terra didn’t seem just surprised, she seemed…frightened. Terra was scared…of her. The thought caused her to sink to the floor and sob.
Terra bit her lip, thinking. Suddenly, she sprung into action. “Mom, Dad, Sis, I have to talk to somebody about this.” She ran into her room and shut the door. Mr. and Mrs. Ignitan looked at their oldest daughter’s closed door, then at their youngest daughter crying on the floor, then at each other. They slowly helped Artemis back onto the bed and left the room, closing the door gently.
Hours passed until Artemis felt well enough to leave the room. The first thing she did was cross the hallway to Terra’s room and tap on the door.
“Terra, are you there?”
No response.
“Are you mad at me?”
No response.
“Please, say something…”
Still, no response.
“Terra?” more urgently this time. “TERRA?” She hit the door harder this time, causing it to swing open slowly. She peeked, then quietly crept inside. “T-Terra?” she repeated, getting more worried by the second.
The only response was the wind whistling in through the open window. The room was empty. ‘Maybe she’s downstairs with Mom and Dad,’ Artemis thought. She was about to leave when a note on the desk caught her eye. It was addressed to her. She opened it, and what she found written in it horrified her.
“MOM, DAD! TERRA’S GONE!”
“Dear, are you sure? Maybe she just went out for a bit.”
“NO, SHE’S REALLY GONE! SHE LEFT A NOTE AND EVERYTHING!”
Her parents quickly ran up the stairs to find Artemis sobbing in her hands, the note at her feet. Mr. Ignitan read the note, and a worried look crept across his face.
“It says here that our family is in great danger because of her, and she felt bad for bringing this trouble to us, so she’s left. And it says here that she left you something, Artemis,” he said, pointing to a Pokemon egg case sitting next to where the note had been.
“I don’t care whether she left me anything. She left because of ME! I s-scared her away! I’m n-nothing but a freak! It’s-it’s a-all m-my f-fault!”
Her parents tried to console her, telling her that it wasn’t her fault, it said so in the letter.
But they couldn’t stop themselves from wondering.
Artemis stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and wiped her tears, thinking to herself, It wasn’t my fault, not my fault. Not Terra’s or my parents’ or Ambrose’s or Steven’s or any of my friends’ fault. It was the person who had started this crazy idea of trying to rule the world. Without them, none of these crazy things would have started. Ambrose said so. She remembered when Ambrose first told her this, a few weeks after Terra left…
“Ambrose?”
“Hmm?”
“You said Terra sent you here. Does that mean you know why she ran away?”
“Artemis, I’m actually part of the reason. Quite a few people you know are in on it, too.”
“What? What is it?”
“I can’t tell you, not yet. But you will be part of it too, very soon.”
“How soon?”
“I dunno. I’ll tell you some of it, but not all.”
“So, spill it.”
“It all started when some crazy guy-actually, two crazy guys- who wanted to rule the world. They felt that they could not rule without getting rid of the other. Some drastic steps were taken, the world was put into danger, we saved it, and now we are forever bound to protect it. And soon, you will join us.”
“And those two guys are still trying to rule the world?”
“Oh, no, no. They’re on our side now. It’s a new person, ten times more dangerous than those two combined. And he’s after us.”
Artemis pondered this for a moment.
“Ambrose?”
“Yeah, Artemis?”
“Why do bad things have to happen?”
Ambrose paused.
“They make us stronger, more ready to take on life.”
“Then why does it hurt?”
Another pause.
“It’s like this. Things like this are supposed to make us stronger, but many people don’t see it that way. They need someone to show them that. If no one takes the time to care, they fall deeper and deeper, until they’ve passed the point of no return. And anyway,” Ambrose added after another brief pause, ”No pain, no gain.”
Artemis smiled wryly. Yes, Ambrose was the cryptic one at times, but she really did take the time to care and show her the way out of her hole. At least she stopped crying. But as she looked around, she realized something.
“Oh, ****. I’m lost.”
Artemis had been running around for quite some time now, wandering here and there, but never meeting anybody. In the back of her mind, she wondered where everyone was, but her first priority was finding the Sootopolis Gym. Now if she could only find someone who could tell her where it was…
Fireworks in the distance abruptly stopped her thoughts. That must be where everyone is, she thought. She then saw various Pokemon flying through the skies, all using some sort of water attack, to fill the sky with glowing bubbles and sparkling stars. Artemis’ eyes grew wide in awe.
Suddenly, her Masquerain popped out of its Pokeball and started flying towards the other Pokemon, snapping Artemis out of her trance.
“Maski Rai, get back here! Where are you going?” But Maski Rai was already too far away to hear. With a shrug, Artemis quickly followed her Pokemon through the streets, trying to return it to its ball as she ran.
Under the swarm of Pokemon, two men were on a stage directing the Pokemon in the air, as well as Pokemon on the stage and the waters below. People in the amphitheater surrounding them clapped and cheered for them as they gracefully directed the Pokemon through their attacks in order to create a dazzling water show. Many fan girls were screaming out the names “Juan” and “Wallace” along with phrases such as “We love you!” and others that are typical in the language of their kind. Just as Juan and Wallace thought they were done, a stray flying Pokemon came and scattered shimmering sparkles down on the crowd and Pokemon, bringing cheers from the crowd.
“Now that was unexpected,” commented the one the girls called Wallace.
“Yes, but that Pokemon sure does have style,” replied Juan. “I wonder what it was doing here.”
“MASKI RAI!!! There you are! You sure had me worried,” a voice called from the doors.
The stray Pokemon flew down to meet her.
“Masq, masquerain,” it cheerfully said. Artemis sighed, then started to gently scold it about not running off and interrupting performances and the like, oblivious to the fact that everybody had been watching her and her Masquerain, including the two people on the stage.
“Excuse me, young lady with the Masquerain?” asked Juan.
“Who, me?” Crap, we’re in trouble now.
“Yes, you. Could you please come here?”
Maski Rai settled itself upon Artemis’ head as she walked down the steps of the amphitheatre towards the stage. She looked around nervously as she realized that every eye in the crowd was focused on her. All of Sootopolis City must be here, she thought as she remembered the empty streets. As she neared the stage, she caught the menacing glares of the fan girls and almost laughed. They’re kind of pathetic, really, latching onto someone like that. Now maybe they could stop leering now…dammit, stop!
Artemis slowly climbed up to the stage and stood nervously in front of Juan and Wallace. She gave a sheepish smile as Maski Rai simply clapped its two front feet in its naïve happiness. She started blabbering out an apology at the same time Juan began to speak.
“Young lady, I would just like to say-”
“Look sir, I’m really sorry-”
“-that your Masquerain’s performance was truly-”
“-I know, it probably wrecked your performance-”
“-divine. You have raised it quite well.”
“-and I will do anything to…what?”
“Your Masquerain is amazingly graceful, and yet very powerful. I can see that at a glance. Are you a coordinator?”
“Yes, sir. How did you guess?”
“Madam, that is the goal of coordinators, to have their Pokemon be able to unleash their attacks with style and power.”
“That’s true. You must be a master coordinator to know that.”
“Oh I was, at a time. I am the Gym Leader now. My name is Juan, and it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“You’re Juan? Ambrose told me about you.”
“Ah, you know Ambrose? It’s no wonder you’re so skilled, then. Wha-”
Juan was interrupted by the complaints of the audience, who were wanting the show to go on.
“Dear me. I suppose our fans our waiting.”
“It’s okay. I was supposed to deliver a message anyway. It was from Steven Stone, to some guy named…” She quickly checked her letter. “…Wallace.”
“Wallace? That’s me!” the young man next to Juan said. “You know Steven?”
“Yeah. He brings me messages from Ambrose. And he needs to have a talk with you and me.”
“Wait a minute.” Wallace went over to Juan and had a whispered conversation. Juan nodded and sent Wallace back to Artemis. “He says we can go. This talk must be important.”
“It is.” Maski Rai started to fly away again, but Artemis quickly returned it to its Pokeball. “Oh no. You’ve caused enough trouble for today.” As Wallace escorted her off the stage, she caught the glares from the fan girls once more. I’ve only been here for half a day and already I’ve got half the city breathing down my neck. Jeez, what else is going to happen?
Artemis and Wallace were riding in his fancy Rapidash-drawn carriage down the streets of Sootopolis City, talking about her journey. Artemis had just finished recalling the time when she had gotten Lil’ Plusi, her Plusle, to trip up Steven after they had first met.
“Please promise not to tell,” Artemis said, giggling.
“Oh, all right, I promise. Isn’t that Steven over there?”
Artemis looked.
“That’s him, all right! Hey, Steven!”
The silver-haired man stopped at the sound of the delighted voice. Surely that wasn’t…
“STEVEN!”
Yup, it was. Only one person could shout that loud. He turned around and smiled, then almost cut his grin short.
Artemis was riding with Wallace.
He didn’t understand why it bothered him so much. It wasn’t that big of a deal. He was pretty sure that Wallace was only taking Artemis to the gym, where he had asked her to be. Surely he was. Not a date. Just a ride. Good grief, he was overreacting. Still, he couldn’t help feeling a tad uneasy.
Something was weird with Steven. She could see it written all over his face. She tried to ignore the feeling and began chatting away with Wallace again. But that little part of her just wouldn’t let her be. It kept nagging at her and bugging her. So she turned around.
The way Steven was sitting was unusual. Instead of sitting in that confident, in control posture that she had come to know, he was slumped against the door, staring out the window. It almost looked like he was sulking. Tentatively, she looked at him straight in the eye and asked him:
“Steven? Is something wrong?”
Her voice seemed to startle him out of his trance-like state.
“Hmm? Oh, nothing, nothing’s wrong. Just thinking about something,” he replied airily.
“Okay.” She turned back around. Something is definitely wrong with him.
“Steven? Is something wrong?” That voice. That happy little voice. That was one of the things about Artemis that he liked about her. Only now, it wasn’t so happy. It was…worried. About him? Yeah, right. Who would worry about him?
Still, it was nice to imagine it so. Who would have imagined that he, Steven Stone, son of Devon Stone-leader of the Devon Corporation, ex-Pokemon League Champion, would have fallen for a frail little girl like Artemis? Then again, Artemis wasn’t so frail, nor little. She had risen through the ranks quickly and skillfully, and was now a force to be reckoned with in the coordinating world. But still…the real Artemis was still just as fragile as she was in the beginning. So why? Why did he focus so much of his attention on her? Maybe it was…those eyes. Those big, ocean-blue eyes. The way they sparkled…it was just like the sea at sunrise. Ever since the first time they met, he could have sworn she put a spell on him with those eyes…
Stop it, he told himself. Dammit, he was letting himself get carried away. Good grief, he sounded like some kind of crazy lover! He never really believed in love. His mind drifted back to the first time he had confronted the idea head-on, during a talk with Ambrose. She had been telling him about the good times that she and Brendan had during their journeys together, and he had confronted her on whether she had really been in love. Seriously, Ambrose was the last person he had expected to fall in love with somebody. Her reaction was very unexpected. She had given him a lecture he would never forget.
“Ambrose, my mom left my dad when I was six! How d’ya expect me to believe in this ‘love’ thing after something like that?
“I don’t. Lot’s of people with happier pasts don’t believe in love.”
“Then why are you mad at me?” He didn’t get it. Ambrose just contradicted herself! What was she getting at?
“Because, you’re just being an ignorant fool like everyone else.”
“Say what?!”
“Just because you don’t believe in love doesn’t mean you still fall for somebody. Just be patient and keep your mind open. You don’t go looking for love, it finds you.”
“And I just wait?”
“Yup. As long as you accept it, it’ll come. Just wait, it’ll be sitting at your doorstep soon!”
“And once it’s there, that’s it?”
Ambrose looked at him shrewdly.
“Of course not, silly. Love won’t come in unless you open the door.”
He still didn’t get it. Sure, Ambrose was nice, and he appreciated the fact that she had seen practically everything and had acquired that much knowledge, but seriously, why did her advice have to be so confusing? Why did people have to give such complex words of wisdom? That just made things that much more complicated.
He was so immersed in his thoughts that he didn’t notice that they had reached the Gym.
“Steven? Steven, wake up.” He didn’t respond; he had been so caught up in those bittersweet memories. “Hell-ooo, anybody home?” He then felt a hand rapping on his skull.
“Ow!” he yelped, rubbing the spot where Artemis had hit him.
“Finally, you’re up. You must have dozed off,” said the girl.
If only she knew.
All sorts of feelings were coursing through her body right now. Excitement from being so close to the answers she had been seeking for so long; curiosity about what she was going to learn; amazement that the ones she cared about were all in on this secret; and confusion over the problem with Steven. She was being pulled in all directions by all sorts of emotions; she was so muddled up, she didn’t know what to do. So she just followed and did what she was told.
Except that little part of her. It went its own way. All the way in the back of her head, she was pondering about Steven, and why he had been acting so oddly. She couldn’t get her mind off him, no matter how many times she told herself she was heading for heartbreak. It was like drinking poisoned honey: It didn’t matter that she knew it was hurting her; it was so succulent, she…just couldn’t stop. And she wondered if she even wanted to.
She snapped herself out of her trance in time for the meeting with Steven and Wallace. What she heard sent her right back into her emotional struggle.
Almost six years ago, Ambrose, Brendan, and Steven had released and bonded with the powers of the three Regi’s to thwart the plans of Maxie and Archie of teams Magma and Aqua to reawaken the beasts Groudon and Kyogre. Three years later, Maxie and Archie were at it again, and Ambrose and Brandon were away. Steven couldn’t handle this on his own, so he had called on Jevon and Terra to help him sort things out. Jevon and Terra had released the power of Rayquaza to send them back to their eternal sleep. But because they had used the powers of the sacred beasts, they were forever bound to it: Ambrose to Regice, Brendan to Regirock, Steven to Registeel, Jevon to Rayquaza, and Terra to Groudon. Each of them had been given a locket to mark them as the guardians of these elements; however, Kyogre’s locket had been sealed away in the Cave of Origin. When Terra realized that Artemis was in danger, she left. Terra was the guardian of earth, so she knew people would target her family.
Now a new enemy was on the loose; trying to collect all six lockets, starting with the unclaimed Kyogre locket. Team Aerial. She had run into them and their leader several times.
Her head couldn’t stop spinning. Terra didn’t abandon her. She didn’t chase Terra away. She had a power. Her loved ones had power. She wasn’t alone anymore. It had been just her and her Pokemon for so long…or was it?
She remembered Steven. How he had been the one to get her to open up and let out her real personality. How he had been guiding her through her whole journey. How he had always been there when she needed him. He had helped her in so many ways.
Maybe she hadn’t been alone after all.
Artemis seemed to be taking the news well. Better than he thought. But she had been out of it for some time before the meeting. However, that didn’t worry him as much as Steven did. There wasn’t something right about his old friend. And he knew Artemis had noticed too. Maybe he should talk to him.
Wallace walked out into the hall, finding Steven a ways down. He saw him leaning against the wall; one hand cradling his elbow, the other pressed against his forehead. His eyes were closed; it was obvious he was in deep thought. Wallace made a beeline for his friend, only to see someone get there first.
“Steven? Are you sure everything is alright?”
Wallace saw Artemis tentatively talking to Steven, and saw her get rebuffed with a barely audible “Yeah, yeah.” However, as she turned and left, Wallace saw his face turn a bright red.
He thought he knew what was wrong with Steven. And he knew Steven had to take care of this himself.
Damn. Since when was it that he couldn’t even talk to Artemis without blushing? He was hoping that nobody had seen, but he caught a glimpse of Wallace smiling knowledgeably at him before turning around to leave. Crap. He set off walking in the opposite direction.
He had remembered Ambrose’s words, and was keeping his mind open, but she hadn’t said anything about being cautious. He wouldn’t let himself make the mistake his father had made. He couldn’t. He had to be wary. And yet…he couldn’t help himself from throwing it all out the window when he saw her.
“A-Artemis? Can…can we talk for a sec?” Why did his throat have to go dry now?
“Okay…”
The hallway was deserted; this was his perfect chance to say it. But his throat was so dry, he couldn’t speak. He swallowed. Nothing. He still had to try.
“Artemis? I-I…um…I-ah…er…ah…”
Why? Why couldn’t he say it? Three simple words. Just three. And yet he couldn’t say them.
“I…ah…um…”
Dammit. Damn those eyes. Those large, lustrous eyes. He loved the way her emotions swam through them like Pokemon in the sea. He saw bewilderment, concern…and something else. He had always seen a trace of that feeling there…but he could never figure out what it was. It always made him feel jittery. He gritted his teeth and clenched his eyes shut. His body began to shiver. He couldn’t do it, he just couldn’t…and she…she would never know…
He felt a comforting hand on his right shoulder. Immediately a soothing sensation flowed through his body, soothing and calming each and every rattled nerve like balm on a wound. Then Artemis’ voice spoke to him.
“Steven, you have to calm down. I’ve been wondering what has been going on with you; and I want you to know that I’m worried. Please tell me what’s wrong, I’ll listen. I’ll always be there for you…just like you’ve always been there for me.”
That comforted him greatly. He let the voice waft over him like the sweet scent of Meganium’s leaf before opening his eyes. He then gently caressed the slender fingers on his shoulder; then cradled her hand in both his own. He looked into her eyes again and felt himself bolstered and gaining confidence instead of shrinking away. He had been renewed, refreshed, he could do this, he just had to say those three words…
“Artemis, I-”
BANG. The door behind them swung open with a great crash, causing Artemis and Steven to jump away from each other. Wallace was in the door; apparently about to say something, but pausing at the sight of the two together. Quickly scanning the scene, he caught Steven glaring at him fiercely and met it with a brief apologetic stare. He then continued what he was about to say.
“Team Aerial is on their way here! We have to get Artemis to open the Cave of Origin quickly, before they come!”
Crap. Why now? He kept those thoughts to himself, it was selfish to think things like that at a time like this. People’s lives were in danger.
Great. Another new emotion to add to this confusing muddle of sensations; pulling her this way and that, leaving her as limp and helpless as a rag doll. When will this stop?! She couldn’t help but wonder about what Steven had wanted to tell her. As she walked towards the Cave with Steven and Wallace, that little part of her started to piece it together on its own…she pushed that thought away, it could only hurt her. However, no matter what she did, it kept coming back.
He had regretted what he had done. He should have come in later. Damn, he just hurt his best friend…and he couldn’t do anything about it. He probably ruined the only chance those two would have had…no, he couldn’t think negatively like that. No. They would have another chance…the problem was, he didn’t know if either of them had the courage to try again. He felt so helpless.
Then he abruptly smiled. No, he couldn’t actually do anything, but he could nudge things along a little.
“Steven, we need to talk.”
Now what? Wallace had already ruined his only chance with Artemis, what more did he want to wreck? Calm down, he told himself. That was only accidental. He doesn’t want to wreck anything, not now…
He stopped and waited for Wallace to catch up with him, then told Artemis to keep on going, she needed to get there sooner. She shot him a look, full of that unidentifiable emotion, then disappeared from sight.
“All right, what is it?”
“Good grief, there is no reason to be so worked up. I just came to apologize, and to warn you that there isn’t much time left.”
“Not much time left for what?”
Wallace rolled his eyes. “Don’t be dense with me. I know very well that you like her.”
“L-like who?”
“Steven!”
“Okay, fine. I admit it. But…there’s plenty of time…isn’t there?”
“Maybe, maybe not. But if I were you, I wouldn’t take a chance.” Wallace then walked off, leaving Steven in his muddled thoughts.
Artemis was confused. Very confused. So many things had crowded into her mind that day. She didn’t like that feeling. She despised it. She just wanted everything to go back to normal; being on her coordinator’s quest, with all her friends-and her sister- cheering by her side. She didn’t want to be the one with the whole burden on her shoulders. But she was, so she shouldn’t complain. She could do this. She had to. Even if she died doing it.
At that moment, her demeanor began to change. The usual lightheartedness emanating from her eyes disappeared, replaced with a stormy sureness, determination, a bitter resolve.
Steven was the last to arrive at the Cave of Origin. His head was still reeling at what Wallace had told him…and that awful possibility…no…he had to keep his head high. He couldn’t doubt anything now.
What he saw cut away at the very core of his heart.
Her eyes. They had changed. She was ready to die to save everyone. But…he wasn’t ready. He had almost lost her once. He couldn’t bear the pain if he lost her now. And he had never…told her…
Suddenly he found himself running towards her, shouting at her to wait, as if he was possessed. He didn’t know what made him do it…he just needed to get those feelings out. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally reached her side and realized…he didn’t really need to say anything.
Then he swept her into his arms.
Artemis was in complete shock. He-he had hugged her? Her, of all people. All the emotions that were crowded inside her were all swept away in an instant, to be replaced with a warm, bubbly feeling. She snuggled up against his chest and just took in everything, his smell, his touch, his appearance, everything, and let herself just melt into him. It felt just like the time when she had been poisoned by the venom of an Ariados belonging to a Team Aerial member. She had been drifting in and out of consciousness the whole time, but no matter what, when she woke up, she had always found herself cradled in Steven’s arms. Always in the realm of safety she knew he could bring, always whispering words of comfort in her ear.
Comfort. Yes, that’s what he’s doing. Comforting me, she convinced herself as her eyes locked with his.
She was surprised when Steven raised her chin with his finger and pressed his lips to hers.
Numb shock. Then sweet, sweet bliss. This is what it feels like to be loved. Mew. She was engulfed by the all-new feelings that coursed through her, but this was nothing like before. Not unpleasant or crowding or pulling her in different directions. No, nothing like that. It was…indescribable, just nothing but pure joy.
And she was amazed by the wonder of it all.
What made him do that? He didn’t know. And at that moment, he didn’t really care. It was enough to hold her next to him, letting all those confusing feelings out. When they locked eyes…he noticed their shimmer had returned, along with that unidentifiable feeling. Only…he could tell what it was now. At that moment, he couldn’t hide his emotions anymore, and she knew it now. And he wasn’t scared of her reaction…because that feeling told him…that she had loved him too.
Now that he was holding her once more, he never wanted to let her go, he just wanted to keep on protecting her…but he knew she was perfectly capable of protecting herself now. He knew she needed to do this on her own. But at least she knew that he would always be waiting for her to return.
And slowly, he let her go.
Author's note: Well, that's the end of my first fic. And for the people who were wondering, I based Ambrose Anderson on myself. Please rate, I worked a long time on this!
Rated Pg-13 because I'm being careful.
Author's Note- The fact that the main character's name is Artemis Ignitan doesn't mean this fic is based on me. Artemis Ignitan the fanfic character came long before my Serebii acount. She's just one of my personal favorites. However, there is a character that I based on myself in this story. See if you can guess who it is and I'll tell you at the end of the chappie.
The Hoenn Trilogy
Saga 3- The Depth of Destiny
Chapter ???
Saga 3- The Depth of Destiny
Chapter ???
A girl stretched her legs as she jumped off a silver Metagross onto the shores of Sootopolis City. She was clad in a white T-shirt, covered with an open vest colored like the azure waters beneath her. Her pants were long, nearly covering the white sneakers on her feet. A white, wide-brimmed hat with a blue ribbon encircled around it topped off her outfit. Her white locks tinged with silver strands and a large blue stripe running down the center shimmered in the sun as she turned her head, skimming the city sights. A large bowl was the first thing that came to mind as she took in the scenery; and with good reason. Sootopolis was built into a once volcanic crater that had partially filled in with water.
One would wonder what Artemis Ignitan, Pokemon Coordinator, would be doing in a city like Sootopolis, where there was nothing related to coordinating, nor was it in the way of any routes. No, Sootopolis City was just an island in the middle of nowhere, the only reason for it even being on the map was because it was the home of the most powerful of the Hoenn Gyms. Many trainers came from far and wide to challenge Juan, the water illusionist.
But Artemis wasn’t a trainer. She didn’t come to challenge Juan. She didn’t need to come here…did she?
Artemis pulled an envelope from her pocket. Scrawled on it were the words:
To Artemis Ignitan
From Steven Stone
From Steven Stone
Steven Stone. Yes, she remembered him well. Ever since that day they met, when he brought her a message from Ambrose, and she had secretly gotten her Plusle to trip him up as he left…She held back a chuckle at that thought. Strange, really, how she had suddenly felt so…mischievous around him all of a sudden. She had always been the shy one. When she had gotten that letter a few days ago, she thought…maybe…
Artemis forced herself back into reality. That letter was not a love letter, no matter how much that little part of her secretly wished it was. No, it was a letter of another sort, yet just as important, because it was the key to all the answers to the questions she had been asking herself for nearly two years…the questions about her sister, Terra Ignitan.
Terra had started her Pokemon journey three years before, when Artemis was eight, as an explorer. She had come back after a year, only to disappear the next day, leaving only a note and the egg that had hatched into the Beldum that became the Metagross by Artemis’ side. The note had mentioned something about her family being in danger because of her, and she had to leave immediately, and had begged them to forgive her. Artemis’ eyes began to well up at that memory, and blinked a few times to wash away the stinging tears. She looked at the Metagross sitting next to her, and smiled. She didn’t blame Silver Meta for making her sister leave her, she knew the steel Pokemon had nothing to do with it. In fact, she loved that big hunk of metal for all it was worth, and more. It was her first Pokemon companion, and the only link she had to Terra…
Artemis shook her head. No, she mustn’t let her emotions get to her. She couldn’t, not now, not when she was so close…She quickly withdrew Meta into its ball and began to jog down the streets of Sootopolis, searching for the person Steven mentioned in the letter.
Artemis, I think it is time you finally learned what happened to your sister. Meet me and my friend Wallace at the Sootopolis Gym and we can tell you what’s going on.
Tell you what’s going on. Did that mean Steven knew already? And if he did, for how long? Artemis thought he understood the pain she had felt from losing Terra, but she had started to doubt that. If he really understood, why would he keep this information from her? Unless Terra had told him to, to protect her? And…there was Ambrose. She had been like a sister figure to her for so long…and she had been best friends with Terra. Had Ambrose been hiding this information from her too? And what about the other people close to Terra. Brendan? Jevon? How many people had been keeping this from her?
I apologize for keeping this from you for so long, but Terra had insisted on keeping this secret until the time was right. You see, there is a secret you hold that not even you know about.
That sentence comforted her greatly. At least this was not meant to harm her. She just wished they had told her sooner. That secret…yes she had an vague idea about it. She felt that that was what had driven her sister away. Tears slid down her cheeks at the memory…*~*
Ding Dong. The sound of the doorbell rang through the house.
“I’ll get it!” the voice of a girl yelled. Footsteps pounded rapidly across the hall, a lock opened, then a scream…
“MOM! DAD! IT’S TERRA! TERRA’S HOME!!!
The clanging of plates dropping in the sink and tools on tabletops were heard.
“Terra? Really?”
“Uh huh. An’ Ambrose an’ Brendan’ an’ Jevon too!”
Mr. and Mrs. Ignitan came to the door. “Well, come on in, dears. This is a fine time for you to arrive,” chirped Mrs. Ignitan.
“We’re sorry, but we can’t. Jevon and I have to visit Dad. And Ambrose needs to see her family back at the ranch,” replied Brendan.
“We just wanted to see how you guys were doing,” added Ambrose.
“Well, you are always welcome here. Come back and visit anytime,” said Mr. Ignitan.
“Will do, sir,” chided Ambrose as she and her Blazekin hopped onto her Flygon.
“Same here,” Jevon responded as he walked away with Brandon and Sceptile.
Ambrose looked back as she flew off on Flyai, and saw the two sisters chatting to each other, side by side. “Young Artemis is just like her sister, Terra,” she mused to herself. “Same deep brown eyes, same auburn hair…same vivacity and love of life. They are so close. It’s great that they can be together again.” She smiled to herself as they disappeared over the horizon.
Later that night, as Artemis climbed into bed, she happily remembered all the stories that Terra had told her, and imagined her own journey. She couldn’t wait to be a coordinator, and travel around just like her big sis.
“I’m glad you’re back, sis.” That was her last thought as she slipped off into a deep slumber.
*~*
“AAAAAAAAUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHH!!!”
“Artemis, dear, are you all right?”
Her parents and Terra opened the door to find Artemis standing in front of the mirror, shaking. When she saw their shocked reflections in the mirror, she turned to them.
“Mom, Dad, Sis, I’m getting old!”
“Not exactly, Sis,” said Terra wryly.
Artemis had changed. Her brown eyes were now a deep blue and her skin had become so pale that it was almost transparent. And her hair…was the most surprising of all. No longer a silky auburn, it was pure white, like untouched snow. Silver strands ran through it here and there, causing the whole mane to glimmer when it was kissed by sunbeams. A thick blue stripe ran straight down the center, from the top of her pale forehead to the very last strands hanging at the bottom.
Artemis wasn’t shocked by her parents’ reactions. But Terra was a different story. Terra didn’t seem just surprised, she seemed…frightened. Terra was scared…of her. The thought caused her to sink to the floor and sob.
Terra bit her lip, thinking. Suddenly, she sprung into action. “Mom, Dad, Sis, I have to talk to somebody about this.” She ran into her room and shut the door. Mr. and Mrs. Ignitan looked at their oldest daughter’s closed door, then at their youngest daughter crying on the floor, then at each other. They slowly helped Artemis back onto the bed and left the room, closing the door gently.
Hours passed until Artemis felt well enough to leave the room. The first thing she did was cross the hallway to Terra’s room and tap on the door.
“Terra, are you there?”
No response.
“Are you mad at me?”
No response.
“Please, say something…”
Still, no response.
“Terra?” more urgently this time. “TERRA?” She hit the door harder this time, causing it to swing open slowly. She peeked, then quietly crept inside. “T-Terra?” she repeated, getting more worried by the second.
The only response was the wind whistling in through the open window. The room was empty. ‘Maybe she’s downstairs with Mom and Dad,’ Artemis thought. She was about to leave when a note on the desk caught her eye. It was addressed to her. She opened it, and what she found written in it horrified her.
“MOM, DAD! TERRA’S GONE!”
“Dear, are you sure? Maybe she just went out for a bit.”
“NO, SHE’S REALLY GONE! SHE LEFT A NOTE AND EVERYTHING!”
Her parents quickly ran up the stairs to find Artemis sobbing in her hands, the note at her feet. Mr. Ignitan read the note, and a worried look crept across his face.
“It says here that our family is in great danger because of her, and she felt bad for bringing this trouble to us, so she’s left. And it says here that she left you something, Artemis,” he said, pointing to a Pokemon egg case sitting next to where the note had been.
“I don’t care whether she left me anything. She left because of ME! I s-scared her away! I’m n-nothing but a freak! It’s-it’s a-all m-my f-fault!”
Her parents tried to console her, telling her that it wasn’t her fault, it said so in the letter.
But they couldn’t stop themselves from wondering.
*~*
Artemis stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and wiped her tears, thinking to herself, It wasn’t my fault, not my fault. Not Terra’s or my parents’ or Ambrose’s or Steven’s or any of my friends’ fault. It was the person who had started this crazy idea of trying to rule the world. Without them, none of these crazy things would have started. Ambrose said so. She remembered when Ambrose first told her this, a few weeks after Terra left…
*~*
“Ambrose?”
“Hmm?”
“You said Terra sent you here. Does that mean you know why she ran away?”
“Artemis, I’m actually part of the reason. Quite a few people you know are in on it, too.”
“What? What is it?”
“I can’t tell you, not yet. But you will be part of it too, very soon.”
“How soon?”
“I dunno. I’ll tell you some of it, but not all.”
“So, spill it.”
“It all started when some crazy guy-actually, two crazy guys- who wanted to rule the world. They felt that they could not rule without getting rid of the other. Some drastic steps were taken, the world was put into danger, we saved it, and now we are forever bound to protect it. And soon, you will join us.”
“And those two guys are still trying to rule the world?”
“Oh, no, no. They’re on our side now. It’s a new person, ten times more dangerous than those two combined. And he’s after us.”
Artemis pondered this for a moment.
“Ambrose?”
“Yeah, Artemis?”
“Why do bad things have to happen?”
Ambrose paused.
“They make us stronger, more ready to take on life.”
“Then why does it hurt?”
Another pause.
“It’s like this. Things like this are supposed to make us stronger, but many people don’t see it that way. They need someone to show them that. If no one takes the time to care, they fall deeper and deeper, until they’ve passed the point of no return. And anyway,” Ambrose added after another brief pause, ”No pain, no gain.”
*~*
Artemis smiled wryly. Yes, Ambrose was the cryptic one at times, but she really did take the time to care and show her the way out of her hole. At least she stopped crying. But as she looked around, she realized something.
“Oh, ****. I’m lost.”
*~*
Artemis had been running around for quite some time now, wandering here and there, but never meeting anybody. In the back of her mind, she wondered where everyone was, but her first priority was finding the Sootopolis Gym. Now if she could only find someone who could tell her where it was…
Fireworks in the distance abruptly stopped her thoughts. That must be where everyone is, she thought. She then saw various Pokemon flying through the skies, all using some sort of water attack, to fill the sky with glowing bubbles and sparkling stars. Artemis’ eyes grew wide in awe.
Suddenly, her Masquerain popped out of its Pokeball and started flying towards the other Pokemon, snapping Artemis out of her trance.
“Maski Rai, get back here! Where are you going?” But Maski Rai was already too far away to hear. With a shrug, Artemis quickly followed her Pokemon through the streets, trying to return it to its ball as she ran.
*~*
Under the swarm of Pokemon, two men were on a stage directing the Pokemon in the air, as well as Pokemon on the stage and the waters below. People in the amphitheater surrounding them clapped and cheered for them as they gracefully directed the Pokemon through their attacks in order to create a dazzling water show. Many fan girls were screaming out the names “Juan” and “Wallace” along with phrases such as “We love you!” and others that are typical in the language of their kind. Just as Juan and Wallace thought they were done, a stray flying Pokemon came and scattered shimmering sparkles down on the crowd and Pokemon, bringing cheers from the crowd.
“Now that was unexpected,” commented the one the girls called Wallace.
“Yes, but that Pokemon sure does have style,” replied Juan. “I wonder what it was doing here.”
“MASKI RAI!!! There you are! You sure had me worried,” a voice called from the doors.
The stray Pokemon flew down to meet her.
“Masq, masquerain,” it cheerfully said. Artemis sighed, then started to gently scold it about not running off and interrupting performances and the like, oblivious to the fact that everybody had been watching her and her Masquerain, including the two people on the stage.
“Excuse me, young lady with the Masquerain?” asked Juan.
“Who, me?” Crap, we’re in trouble now.
“Yes, you. Could you please come here?”
Maski Rai settled itself upon Artemis’ head as she walked down the steps of the amphitheatre towards the stage. She looked around nervously as she realized that every eye in the crowd was focused on her. All of Sootopolis City must be here, she thought as she remembered the empty streets. As she neared the stage, she caught the menacing glares of the fan girls and almost laughed. They’re kind of pathetic, really, latching onto someone like that. Now maybe they could stop leering now…dammit, stop!
Artemis slowly climbed up to the stage and stood nervously in front of Juan and Wallace. She gave a sheepish smile as Maski Rai simply clapped its two front feet in its naïve happiness. She started blabbering out an apology at the same time Juan began to speak.
“Young lady, I would just like to say-”
“Look sir, I’m really sorry-”
“-that your Masquerain’s performance was truly-”
“-I know, it probably wrecked your performance-”
“-divine. You have raised it quite well.”
“-and I will do anything to…what?”
“Your Masquerain is amazingly graceful, and yet very powerful. I can see that at a glance. Are you a coordinator?”
“Yes, sir. How did you guess?”
“Madam, that is the goal of coordinators, to have their Pokemon be able to unleash their attacks with style and power.”
“That’s true. You must be a master coordinator to know that.”
“Oh I was, at a time. I am the Gym Leader now. My name is Juan, and it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“You’re Juan? Ambrose told me about you.”
“Ah, you know Ambrose? It’s no wonder you’re so skilled, then. Wha-”
Juan was interrupted by the complaints of the audience, who were wanting the show to go on.
“Dear me. I suppose our fans our waiting.”
“It’s okay. I was supposed to deliver a message anyway. It was from Steven Stone, to some guy named…” She quickly checked her letter. “…Wallace.”
“Wallace? That’s me!” the young man next to Juan said. “You know Steven?”
“Yeah. He brings me messages from Ambrose. And he needs to have a talk with you and me.”
“Wait a minute.” Wallace went over to Juan and had a whispered conversation. Juan nodded and sent Wallace back to Artemis. “He says we can go. This talk must be important.”
“It is.” Maski Rai started to fly away again, but Artemis quickly returned it to its Pokeball. “Oh no. You’ve caused enough trouble for today.” As Wallace escorted her off the stage, she caught the glares from the fan girls once more. I’ve only been here for half a day and already I’ve got half the city breathing down my neck. Jeez, what else is going to happen?
*~*
Artemis and Wallace were riding in his fancy Rapidash-drawn carriage down the streets of Sootopolis City, talking about her journey. Artemis had just finished recalling the time when she had gotten Lil’ Plusi, her Plusle, to trip up Steven after they had first met.
“Please promise not to tell,” Artemis said, giggling.
“Oh, all right, I promise. Isn’t that Steven over there?”
Artemis looked.
“That’s him, all right! Hey, Steven!”
*~*
The silver-haired man stopped at the sound of the delighted voice. Surely that wasn’t…
“STEVEN!”
Yup, it was. Only one person could shout that loud. He turned around and smiled, then almost cut his grin short.
Artemis was riding with Wallace.
He didn’t understand why it bothered him so much. It wasn’t that big of a deal. He was pretty sure that Wallace was only taking Artemis to the gym, where he had asked her to be. Surely he was. Not a date. Just a ride. Good grief, he was overreacting. Still, he couldn’t help feeling a tad uneasy.
*~*
Something was weird with Steven. She could see it written all over his face. She tried to ignore the feeling and began chatting away with Wallace again. But that little part of her just wouldn’t let her be. It kept nagging at her and bugging her. So she turned around.
The way Steven was sitting was unusual. Instead of sitting in that confident, in control posture that she had come to know, he was slumped against the door, staring out the window. It almost looked like he was sulking. Tentatively, she looked at him straight in the eye and asked him:
“Steven? Is something wrong?”
Her voice seemed to startle him out of his trance-like state.
“Hmm? Oh, nothing, nothing’s wrong. Just thinking about something,” he replied airily.
“Okay.” She turned back around. Something is definitely wrong with him.
*~*
“Steven? Is something wrong?” That voice. That happy little voice. That was one of the things about Artemis that he liked about her. Only now, it wasn’t so happy. It was…worried. About him? Yeah, right. Who would worry about him?
Still, it was nice to imagine it so. Who would have imagined that he, Steven Stone, son of Devon Stone-leader of the Devon Corporation, ex-Pokemon League Champion, would have fallen for a frail little girl like Artemis? Then again, Artemis wasn’t so frail, nor little. She had risen through the ranks quickly and skillfully, and was now a force to be reckoned with in the coordinating world. But still…the real Artemis was still just as fragile as she was in the beginning. So why? Why did he focus so much of his attention on her? Maybe it was…those eyes. Those big, ocean-blue eyes. The way they sparkled…it was just like the sea at sunrise. Ever since the first time they met, he could have sworn she put a spell on him with those eyes…
Stop it, he told himself. Dammit, he was letting himself get carried away. Good grief, he sounded like some kind of crazy lover! He never really believed in love. His mind drifted back to the first time he had confronted the idea head-on, during a talk with Ambrose. She had been telling him about the good times that she and Brendan had during their journeys together, and he had confronted her on whether she had really been in love. Seriously, Ambrose was the last person he had expected to fall in love with somebody. Her reaction was very unexpected. She had given him a lecture he would never forget.
*~*
“Ambrose, my mom left my dad when I was six! How d’ya expect me to believe in this ‘love’ thing after something like that?
“I don’t. Lot’s of people with happier pasts don’t believe in love.”
“Then why are you mad at me?” He didn’t get it. Ambrose just contradicted herself! What was she getting at?
“Because, you’re just being an ignorant fool like everyone else.”
“Say what?!”
“Just because you don’t believe in love doesn’t mean you still fall for somebody. Just be patient and keep your mind open. You don’t go looking for love, it finds you.”
“And I just wait?”
“Yup. As long as you accept it, it’ll come. Just wait, it’ll be sitting at your doorstep soon!”
“And once it’s there, that’s it?”
Ambrose looked at him shrewdly.
“Of course not, silly. Love won’t come in unless you open the door.”
*~*
He still didn’t get it. Sure, Ambrose was nice, and he appreciated the fact that she had seen practically everything and had acquired that much knowledge, but seriously, why did her advice have to be so confusing? Why did people have to give such complex words of wisdom? That just made things that much more complicated.
He was so immersed in his thoughts that he didn’t notice that they had reached the Gym.
“Steven? Steven, wake up.” He didn’t respond; he had been so caught up in those bittersweet memories. “Hell-ooo, anybody home?” He then felt a hand rapping on his skull.
“Ow!” he yelped, rubbing the spot where Artemis had hit him.
“Finally, you’re up. You must have dozed off,” said the girl.
If only she knew.
*~*
All sorts of feelings were coursing through her body right now. Excitement from being so close to the answers she had been seeking for so long; curiosity about what she was going to learn; amazement that the ones she cared about were all in on this secret; and confusion over the problem with Steven. She was being pulled in all directions by all sorts of emotions; she was so muddled up, she didn’t know what to do. So she just followed and did what she was told.
Except that little part of her. It went its own way. All the way in the back of her head, she was pondering about Steven, and why he had been acting so oddly. She couldn’t get her mind off him, no matter how many times she told herself she was heading for heartbreak. It was like drinking poisoned honey: It didn’t matter that she knew it was hurting her; it was so succulent, she…just couldn’t stop. And she wondered if she even wanted to.
She snapped herself out of her trance in time for the meeting with Steven and Wallace. What she heard sent her right back into her emotional struggle.
Almost six years ago, Ambrose, Brendan, and Steven had released and bonded with the powers of the three Regi’s to thwart the plans of Maxie and Archie of teams Magma and Aqua to reawaken the beasts Groudon and Kyogre. Three years later, Maxie and Archie were at it again, and Ambrose and Brandon were away. Steven couldn’t handle this on his own, so he had called on Jevon and Terra to help him sort things out. Jevon and Terra had released the power of Rayquaza to send them back to their eternal sleep. But because they had used the powers of the sacred beasts, they were forever bound to it: Ambrose to Regice, Brendan to Regirock, Steven to Registeel, Jevon to Rayquaza, and Terra to Groudon. Each of them had been given a locket to mark them as the guardians of these elements; however, Kyogre’s locket had been sealed away in the Cave of Origin. When Terra realized that Artemis was in danger, she left. Terra was the guardian of earth, so she knew people would target her family.
Now a new enemy was on the loose; trying to collect all six lockets, starting with the unclaimed Kyogre locket. Team Aerial. She had run into them and their leader several times.
Her head couldn’t stop spinning. Terra didn’t abandon her. She didn’t chase Terra away. She had a power. Her loved ones had power. She wasn’t alone anymore. It had been just her and her Pokemon for so long…or was it?
She remembered Steven. How he had been the one to get her to open up and let out her real personality. How he had been guiding her through her whole journey. How he had always been there when she needed him. He had helped her in so many ways.
Maybe she hadn’t been alone after all.
*~*
Artemis seemed to be taking the news well. Better than he thought. But she had been out of it for some time before the meeting. However, that didn’t worry him as much as Steven did. There wasn’t something right about his old friend. And he knew Artemis had noticed too. Maybe he should talk to him.
Wallace walked out into the hall, finding Steven a ways down. He saw him leaning against the wall; one hand cradling his elbow, the other pressed against his forehead. His eyes were closed; it was obvious he was in deep thought. Wallace made a beeline for his friend, only to see someone get there first.
“Steven? Are you sure everything is alright?”
Wallace saw Artemis tentatively talking to Steven, and saw her get rebuffed with a barely audible “Yeah, yeah.” However, as she turned and left, Wallace saw his face turn a bright red.
He thought he knew what was wrong with Steven. And he knew Steven had to take care of this himself.
*~*
Damn. Since when was it that he couldn’t even talk to Artemis without blushing? He was hoping that nobody had seen, but he caught a glimpse of Wallace smiling knowledgeably at him before turning around to leave. Crap. He set off walking in the opposite direction.
He had remembered Ambrose’s words, and was keeping his mind open, but she hadn’t said anything about being cautious. He wouldn’t let himself make the mistake his father had made. He couldn’t. He had to be wary. And yet…he couldn’t help himself from throwing it all out the window when he saw her.
“A-Artemis? Can…can we talk for a sec?” Why did his throat have to go dry now?
“Okay…”
The hallway was deserted; this was his perfect chance to say it. But his throat was so dry, he couldn’t speak. He swallowed. Nothing. He still had to try.
“Artemis? I-I…um…I-ah…er…ah…”
Why? Why couldn’t he say it? Three simple words. Just three. And yet he couldn’t say them.
“I…ah…um…”
Dammit. Damn those eyes. Those large, lustrous eyes. He loved the way her emotions swam through them like Pokemon in the sea. He saw bewilderment, concern…and something else. He had always seen a trace of that feeling there…but he could never figure out what it was. It always made him feel jittery. He gritted his teeth and clenched his eyes shut. His body began to shiver. He couldn’t do it, he just couldn’t…and she…she would never know…
He felt a comforting hand on his right shoulder. Immediately a soothing sensation flowed through his body, soothing and calming each and every rattled nerve like balm on a wound. Then Artemis’ voice spoke to him.
“Steven, you have to calm down. I’ve been wondering what has been going on with you; and I want you to know that I’m worried. Please tell me what’s wrong, I’ll listen. I’ll always be there for you…just like you’ve always been there for me.”
That comforted him greatly. He let the voice waft over him like the sweet scent of Meganium’s leaf before opening his eyes. He then gently caressed the slender fingers on his shoulder; then cradled her hand in both his own. He looked into her eyes again and felt himself bolstered and gaining confidence instead of shrinking away. He had been renewed, refreshed, he could do this, he just had to say those three words…
“Artemis, I-”
BANG. The door behind them swung open with a great crash, causing Artemis and Steven to jump away from each other. Wallace was in the door; apparently about to say something, but pausing at the sight of the two together. Quickly scanning the scene, he caught Steven glaring at him fiercely and met it with a brief apologetic stare. He then continued what he was about to say.
“Team Aerial is on their way here! We have to get Artemis to open the Cave of Origin quickly, before they come!”
Crap. Why now? He kept those thoughts to himself, it was selfish to think things like that at a time like this. People’s lives were in danger.
*~*
Great. Another new emotion to add to this confusing muddle of sensations; pulling her this way and that, leaving her as limp and helpless as a rag doll. When will this stop?! She couldn’t help but wonder about what Steven had wanted to tell her. As she walked towards the Cave with Steven and Wallace, that little part of her started to piece it together on its own…she pushed that thought away, it could only hurt her. However, no matter what she did, it kept coming back.
*~*
He had regretted what he had done. He should have come in later. Damn, he just hurt his best friend…and he couldn’t do anything about it. He probably ruined the only chance those two would have had…no, he couldn’t think negatively like that. No. They would have another chance…the problem was, he didn’t know if either of them had the courage to try again. He felt so helpless.
Then he abruptly smiled. No, he couldn’t actually do anything, but he could nudge things along a little.
*~*
“Steven, we need to talk.”
Now what? Wallace had already ruined his only chance with Artemis, what more did he want to wreck? Calm down, he told himself. That was only accidental. He doesn’t want to wreck anything, not now…
He stopped and waited for Wallace to catch up with him, then told Artemis to keep on going, she needed to get there sooner. She shot him a look, full of that unidentifiable emotion, then disappeared from sight.
“All right, what is it?”
“Good grief, there is no reason to be so worked up. I just came to apologize, and to warn you that there isn’t much time left.”
“Not much time left for what?”
Wallace rolled his eyes. “Don’t be dense with me. I know very well that you like her.”
“L-like who?”
“Steven!”
“Okay, fine. I admit it. But…there’s plenty of time…isn’t there?”
“Maybe, maybe not. But if I were you, I wouldn’t take a chance.” Wallace then walked off, leaving Steven in his muddled thoughts.
*~*
Artemis was confused. Very confused. So many things had crowded into her mind that day. She didn’t like that feeling. She despised it. She just wanted everything to go back to normal; being on her coordinator’s quest, with all her friends-and her sister- cheering by her side. She didn’t want to be the one with the whole burden on her shoulders. But she was, so she shouldn’t complain. She could do this. She had to. Even if she died doing it.
At that moment, her demeanor began to change. The usual lightheartedness emanating from her eyes disappeared, replaced with a stormy sureness, determination, a bitter resolve.
*~*
Steven was the last to arrive at the Cave of Origin. His head was still reeling at what Wallace had told him…and that awful possibility…no…he had to keep his head high. He couldn’t doubt anything now.
What he saw cut away at the very core of his heart.
Her eyes. They had changed. She was ready to die to save everyone. But…he wasn’t ready. He had almost lost her once. He couldn’t bear the pain if he lost her now. And he had never…told her…
Suddenly he found himself running towards her, shouting at her to wait, as if he was possessed. He didn’t know what made him do it…he just needed to get those feelings out. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally reached her side and realized…he didn’t really need to say anything.
Then he swept her into his arms.
*~*
Artemis was in complete shock. He-he had hugged her? Her, of all people. All the emotions that were crowded inside her were all swept away in an instant, to be replaced with a warm, bubbly feeling. She snuggled up against his chest and just took in everything, his smell, his touch, his appearance, everything, and let herself just melt into him. It felt just like the time when she had been poisoned by the venom of an Ariados belonging to a Team Aerial member. She had been drifting in and out of consciousness the whole time, but no matter what, when she woke up, she had always found herself cradled in Steven’s arms. Always in the realm of safety she knew he could bring, always whispering words of comfort in her ear.
Comfort. Yes, that’s what he’s doing. Comforting me, she convinced herself as her eyes locked with his.
She was surprised when Steven raised her chin with his finger and pressed his lips to hers.
Numb shock. Then sweet, sweet bliss. This is what it feels like to be loved. Mew. She was engulfed by the all-new feelings that coursed through her, but this was nothing like before. Not unpleasant or crowding or pulling her in different directions. No, nothing like that. It was…indescribable, just nothing but pure joy.
And she was amazed by the wonder of it all.
*~*
What made him do that? He didn’t know. And at that moment, he didn’t really care. It was enough to hold her next to him, letting all those confusing feelings out. When they locked eyes…he noticed their shimmer had returned, along with that unidentifiable feeling. Only…he could tell what it was now. At that moment, he couldn’t hide his emotions anymore, and she knew it now. And he wasn’t scared of her reaction…because that feeling told him…that she had loved him too.
Now that he was holding her once more, he never wanted to let her go, he just wanted to keep on protecting her…but he knew she was perfectly capable of protecting herself now. He knew she needed to do this on her own. But at least she knew that he would always be waiting for her to return.
And slowly, he let her go.
*~End of chapter~*
Author's note: Well, that's the end of my first fic. And for the people who were wondering, I based Ambrose Anderson on myself. Please rate, I worked a long time on this!
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