Please Don't Go-Chapter 26

Alternative Title: We'll Heal Each Other-Chapter 7

A FerrisWheel Shipping Fanfiction

Chapter 26

The room was dark, save for the light cast by a solitary lantern hanging on one of the walls. A man quietly sat beneath this light, twirling something small and circular in his fingers.

Though he did nothing to acknowledge it, he heard the 'whoosh' of cold air signaling that three shadowy beings were now in the same room.

"The boy has returned, my Lord." One said.

The man remained silent, his cold red eyes focused on the small pendant in his hand.

"And..." Another added. "He has reunited with the girl, my Lord."

This made the man pause, the pendant now resting idly in his palm.

"...Your orders, my Lord?" The third asked.

The moment of silence that had past was ended by the sound of breaking glass. Broken pieces of green and blue glass from the man's clenched fist fell to the floor, shattering some more. His eyes gleamed with fury and revenge as he snarled four simple words:

"Bring me the angel."

------------

"You've ruined everything. TIME TO DIE!"

Ghetsis released his vice-grip on Touko's throat.

And threw her off the edge of the tower.

Much like the previous dreams she had, Touko once again relived her most recent near-death experience. Same nightmarish grin. Same maniacal cackle. Same deafening rush of wind. The only minor detail that differed from her nightmares and what really happened was that she was falling through darkness instead of soft morning light.

That, and also that N wasn't coming to rescue her.

This one, however, changed suddenly when Touko heard her locket playing its song through the deafening wind.

"...Daddy?"

Through the darkness, she saw the kind, smiling faces of her mother and father above her as the song continued playing.

"Mommy...Daddy..." Touko reached her arm out toward the quickly disappearing vision of her parent's faces above her. They were replaced by a different, equally heart-aching face that Touko longed to see again. "N..."

But soon enough, his face disappeared after the song stopped playing, leaving Touko all alone as she continued to fall through darkness. She felt tears come to her closed eyes as she waited for the collision with the ground below that would make her wake up screaming.

"Please don't go..."

Strangely enough, just a few seconds later Touko felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her. A small gasp escaped her mouth and she opened her eyes at the familiarity of the person's embrace. Though she couldn't make out any definite features of the man holding her, she knew exactly who he was when she heard his voice.

"I'm not going anywhere." N whispered.

"I promise."

They had stopped falling and were instead hovering in the air. A small smile spread across Touko's lips as she closed her eyes and leaned her head against N's chest.

Letting his presence banish the dark, cold nothingness around her and replacing it with soft, warm light.

------------

Upset that the dream ended so quickly, a small moan escaped Touko's lips when she woke up.

To find herself in N's arms.

Touko let out a tiny gasp. She was in a sitting position, her torso straight up and her head resting against his shoulder. Memories of that moment on the balcony in the rain filled her mind. Slowly, in disbelief, she craned her head upward.

And her eyes immediately locked onto his.

A kind smile was on his lips as he stared into her eyes. "Good mor-"

She suddenly flung her arms around him, wrapping around his back, her hands clutching the back of his shirt. Startled, N felt himself wobble a little but kept his hold on her. "-ning?"

"Please let this be real." She cried out, tightening her arms around him and pressing her face into his chest. "Please don't let this be a dream. Is it...is it really you, N? Please let it be you...please..."

N's eyes softened as he lifted one of his hands to Touko's hair, gently stroking her long wavy locks. "Yes. It really is me. I promised you that we would see each other again. Now...I've kept that promise."

Hearing this, Touko's arms slid away from N's back to his chest. She lifted her head back up as her fingers traced their way to his face. He gave her another kind smile as he cupped her face in his hand, his thumb caressing her cheek.

"I'm back, Touko."

A tiny smile briefly flashed across Touko's mouth. Before she pulled herself up to his face and connected their lips.

N - stunned for only a second - gladly returned the kiss, the arm still around her torso pulling her body closer to his. Touko moved her hands to the back of N's neck, pulling his face closer to hers. The same earlier feeling of euphoria filled up both of their hearts and only grew stronger the longer they held their kiss.

Which was sadly interrupted when a loud growl came from Touko's stomach.

Touko broke away first, turning her head down and moving her hands back to his chest. "I guess...I'm hungry." She said bashfully, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks.

N couldn't help but let out a chuckle. She looked adorable when she was embarrassed. He glanced over at the tray of food still sitting on the left side of the bed, which had now gone cold and no longer very appetizing. "How about I make us some lunch. Would that be okay?"

Touko looked back up to him, slightly confused. N knows how to cook? "Yes. That would be amazing."

N smiled, slowly unwrapping his arms from around her. The moment he did though, grief and panic surged throughout Touko and her hands tightly grabbed the front of his shirt. N softened his eyes in concern and lifted her chin with his finger so that she was looking straight at him.

"I'm not doing the same thing as I did on that tower." He said. "I'm just going downstairs; we'll only be apart for a few minutes, alright? Don't be afraid, I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

Feeling a little foolish for thinking that he was leaving again, Touko nodded in understanding and released her grip on his shirt. Her eyes then glanced down at her own shirt, which was still wet from the earlier rain. "I...need a shower anyway." She said shyly, her pink blush turning redder.

N let out another chuckle, to which Touko playfully shoved his chest. He stood up, planting a small kiss on her forehead, before getting the tray and heading for the door. "Remember, I'm downstairs if you need me." N said, giving her another comforting smile before leaving the room.

Touko slowly got out of her bed, the lingering joy the kiss left on her making her feel like she was in a daze. It wasn't until she was standing in the shower with warm water running down her bare body that she felt herself awaken from it.

She sank to her knees and covered her mouth with both hands, tears forming in her eyes.

Touko, why are you upset? Reshiram asked sleepily, like he had just woken up.

I'm not.

Through the happy tears she was shedding, a genuine smile was spread across her face, a mixture of sobbing and laughing coming from her mouth. The laugh was genuine as well, its foreign feeling welcomed by Touko as she wiped her tears away. This is really happening, isn't it?

Yes. It is. Touko could feel the smile in his words. He's back.

Her wide, happy smile never left Touko's face as she washed herself in the shower. Because, after the longest time, she finally felt...

Whole.

------------

'Wow. Really?'

After informing Zekrom about what Touko's Pokemon told him about the last three years, Zoroark had been spending the last hour or so learning even more about Touko's past. Now, they were all gathered in the grand foyer and Touko's Pokemon had just finished telling him about how her father died.

'Yes. And the ironic thing is that they discovered a cure just weeks after he passed away.' Serperior let out a scoff. 'What a poor sense of timing fate has.'

'No one can control the hands of fate, Sirius.' Mienshao commented from where she was meditating. 'Everything that has - or will - happen will happen for a reason.'

'No need to go all wisdomy on us, Mien.' Seismitoad said, leaning against the wall and rolling his eyes. 'We know that.'

'So...' Zoroark said, turning his attention back to Serperior, who was sitting in front of him. 'What happened to her house in Nuvema Town?'

'Touko said that her mother sold it off to try to pay off their debt. It eventually got torn down and turned into a playground, which later got torn down as well.'

'Well that sucks.' Zoroark sighed, laying his head back down on his arms. 'Not only did she lose both of her parents within the same week, but she also had no chance of returning to the home she grew up in. That really sucks, huh?'

'That's an understatement.' Hydreigon commented. 'I can't imagine a life without my Mama and she had to live most of hers without one. That's just one thing I admire most about Mama. How she can act so strong even with everything she's been through.'

Zoroark smiled slightly at Hydreigon's admiration for his trainer. 'You said that her parents died still in debt. What does that mean for her?'

'Officially,' Chandelure said from where he was hanging from the ceiling. 'Milady was not expected to take on the burden of paying back her parents' debt until she became of age. However, Milady found a way to do that before she turned eighteen.'

'How?'

'After Cheren's folks took her in,' Seismitoad answered, stretching his arms out. 'She got her hands on the many medical bills her mom left behind. While on her journey, she would send most of the money she earned from battling with the bills to that hospital in Black City. Because of all the battling we had done, she was able to pay back all the debt by the time we made it to the League.'

'Wow. All that work and now she has more money than she can count, huh?' Zoroark commented, his eyes doing a quick scan around the room. 'By the way, I can't help but get the feeling that this place didn't use to be so empty. Didn't she inherit this place from a family of collectors?'

'She did.' Serperior replied. 'And this place used to be filled with paintings, statues, archaeological specimens, all kinds of things like that. But Touko really didn't feel anything toward them and, about two years ago, donated all of them to museums around the world. But yeah...pretty lonely in a place with no memories.'

'Hmmm...' Zoroark tapped his chin with his claw, looking around the room again. 'Well, how about not thinking that this place has no memories, but instead a place to fill with new ones. Now that Touko and N are together again...well, who knows what new memories they'll form?'

As if on cue, each Pokemon heard the sound of someone descending the stairs and looked up to see N, carrying a tray of cold food in his hands and a happy smile on his face. He paused at the foot of the stairs to look at the six faces staring up at him, his smile growing wider. "It seems that you're all getting along, huh?"

'Yup.' Zoroark answered, a wide smile stretched across his face at seeing N looking so happy.

"Uh," N muttered sheepishly. "Where's the kitchen?"

'Turn your head to the left.' Serperior answered nonchalantly, turning his gaze away from him.

N did as told, soon finding the entryway to the kitchen. "Oh, thank you." He said before going in.

'Hey, N!' Zoroark called out. 'Could you get us something? I'm pretty sure we're all hungry too!'

"Sure thing!"

Serperior eyed Zoroark curiously. 'You know, I don't get it.' He said, making Zoroark turn back to face him. 'You and N are obviously close. Yet every battle we've had with him, not once have we seen you make an appearance. Why is that? And how did you and N meet in the first place?'

'Kinda a long story.' Zoroark sighed, laying his head back down on his arms. 'It started about nine years ago. I was a Zorua wandering around with a broken front leg. That's when some members from Team Plasma found me and brought me to N. Though it took some time, I came to trust him and he helped be get healthy again. Though other Pokemon brought to him came and left as time progressed, I stayed by his side ever since.

'I'm not sure why, but I don't remember much of my life before I met N. The one vague thing I remember...is a human girl and the overwhelming need to help her. Other than that, nothing really.

'As for why you haven't met me before, it's because N thinks of me as his best friend. Though I've wanted to battle alongside him he never let me. Something about how I was so dear to him that he didn't want me to get hurt anymore.'

Serperior unwarily remembered that he and the others were in the same situation with Touko before the final battle. So N really did care about his Pokemon that much. Maybe he isn't such a bad guy after all...

'And besides,' Zoroark continued, puffing out his chest. 'I'm so strong that if N let me into every battle he had against Touko, you all wouldn't have stood a chance!'

Loud, disbelieving groans issued from Touko's Pokemon. Zoroark smirked arrogantly.

"Um..." N peaked his head out the kitchen's entryway. "Does Touko...eat meat? I only ask because I'm a vegetarian and only know how to make..."

N trailed off when he saw five pairs of eyes glaring at him sternly (seven if Hydreigon's three heads were taken into account). "I...guess that's a no." He mumbled, ducking back into the kitchen and feeling foolish for asking.

Mienshao let out a sigh. 'Hey, fox-boy.' She called out, standing up and turning to face Zoroark, who pointed a claw at himself. 'Yes you. If you're that confident in your strength, how about a friendly spar?'

'Uh...' Zoroark said dumbly, scratching his face in confusion at being asked out of the blue like this.

'Oooh boy. This is gonna be good.' Seismitoad said, clasping his hands together. He and the rest of Touko's Pokemon were suddenly very excited, backing away from Zoroark and Mienshao to give them some room.

'Are you sure about this?' Zoroark asked nervously, standing up and staring back at Mienshao.

'Oh, it'll be fine!' Hydreigon said encouragingly. 'This is just Mien's way of getting to know you!'

'Afraid? Don't worry, fox-boy.' Mienshao grinned devilishly. 'I'll be gentle.'

Zoroark raised an eyebrow, then grinned back deviously. 'And where's the fun in being gentle?'

The sounds of Zoroark and Mienshao sparing in the grand foyer could be heard from the kitchen where N was making lunch for him, Touko, and their Pokemon. These sounds, along with the cheering of Touko's other Pokemon, slightly concerned N. But he wasn't too worried about it; though N never let him fight when he could help it, Zoroark knew how to take care of himself in battle.

N sighed. They're getting along. That's what matters.

------------

Eager to be with N again, Touko took the quickest shower she ever took - which was only about five to ten minutes. After slipping on a pair of jeans and a white shirt, she practically bounced down the stairs she was so filled with happiness. She stopped at the foot of the stairs, turning her head to the grand foyer.

She saw her male Pokemon gathered against the far wall, letting out sounds that sounded like cheering for Mienshao. She was currently sparing a Zoroark she had never seen before who seemed to be evenly matched with her.

"At least they're not trying to actually hurt each other." She heard N's voice say from behind her. Before she could turn around, he wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned his head into her still damp hair. "You smell nice, by the way."

A small blush crept onto Touko's cheeks, turning her head so that her left cheek rested against N's chest. Her hair smelled like berries and yes, very nice indeed. "So that's your Zoroark then?" She asked, wrapping her arms around his.

"Yes. A rather devious fellow, but my best friend nonetheless."

"Well," Touko turned her gaze back to the two Pokemon still sparing. "I've never seen Mien in such a pinch since-!" She cut her sentence short when she felt one of N's hands move up her waist.

And a tiny giggle escaped her mouth.

N was confused for a moment, not fully sure that he heard what he thought he heard. "Touko?"

"That tickles," She squeaked out, her cheeks now red.

N turned her around in his embrace and gave her an amused grin. "Really?"

Her face became hotter. Uh oh. "N-!"

She was once again interrupted when N started to really tickle her. The man was relentless; keeping one arm around her so that she couldn't get away while his free hand tickled her stomach. She tried to fight it, but in the end she couldn't stop her laughter from coming out and filling the air. This made N stop his tickling and gawk at her. It also made the Pokemon look away from each other and focus on her.

She was laughing; actually laughing!

Her laughing subsiding into a giggle, Touko threw her arms around N's neck and pulled herself closer to him. "Oh, N..." She whispered, kissing his cheek. "I love you..."

N smiled warmly and tightened his grip around her. "Does this mean we're now boyfriend and girlfriend?"

Though it slightly surprised her that he knew these terms, Touko nodded. "That...and so much more..."

The pair was once again interrupted when Touko's Pokemon surrounded them, each letting out happy cries and each having a turn to shower Touko with their affection.

"I love you all, too." She said sweetly, keeping one of her hands in N's as she hugged each of her Pokemon. She looked up for a moment, her eyes catching sight of N's Zoroark. He was standing in the grand foyer, his mouth slightly agape and his eyes blankly staring at her. Curious as to why he was acting this way, Touko broke away from her Pokemon and N (regretfully) and went to stand in front of him.

"Hi there." She said, flashing him a sweet smile and crouching down so that they were at eye level. "I'm Touko, and-"

"He...lp?"

Touko stopped mid-sentence, her mouth hanging open and her eyes staring dumbly at the Pokemon she though she heard just speak. "Wh-what?"

Zoroark suddenly jumped into the air and did a front-flip, his body engulfed in a bright light. When he landed, the being he had transformed into made everyone let out shocked gasps. Touko in particular was the most surprised, loosing her balance and falling onto her backside as she stared at Zoroark in disbelief.

For he had transformed into the ten-year-old version of Touko.

"He...lp?" Zoroark asked again, staring intently at Touko with her younger self's eyes. He jumped into the air again and returned into his normal form. He slowly walked towards Touko. "Fr...iend?"

Touko's eyes suddenly lit up in recognition. She moved to her knees and reached her hand out to Zoroark. "...it's you..."

Zoroark smiled slightly before licking her nose. "Friend!"

"It is you!" Touko wrapped her arms around Zoroark, who did the same with her. "You're alive!"

In a state of astonishment, N walked over to Touko and Zoroark, who were still hugging each other. "You're...the Zorua that saved her from the butcher?!" He asked incredulously.

Touko broke away from the hug and held Zoroark's head in her hands, a small frown on her face. "You...read that letter..." She stated, looking up at N in embarrassed sadness.

N's eyes softened as he crouched down to her level and cupped her face in his hand. "Yes. I did." He reached into his pocket and pulled out Touko's sliver necklace. She let out a small gasp as N carefully slipped it on over her head, making the pendant rest just beneath the hollow of her collar bone.

Touko tenderly held the locket in her fist, a small smile replacing her frown. "Thank you..."

Another loud growl emanated from Touko's stomach. "Oh, shut up." She growled back, her smile widening and her cheeks turning pink.

The house was suddenly filled with heart-warming laughter.

"Come on," N said after he and the others stopped laughing, helping Touko back to her feet. "Shall we eat?"

------------

After everyone finished the delicious lunch N made, Touko led N on a tour around the villa while Zoroark happily followed them. The two rooms N was most interested in were the downstairs library - filled to the brim with all sorts of books on various subjects that instantly piqued his interest.

The other room upstairs was simple and empty, save for the black grand piano sitting in the center of the room. Even though she only knew how to play a few simple songs, Touko kept this piano because it had reminded her of when her mother used to teach her how to play. Once again, N surprised Touko when he started playing the piano, filling the small room with the beautiful melodies N was playing. When he stopped, N began to explain what he had been through in their three years apart.

"Really? A bar??" Touko laughed.

"It's true!" N called from the bathroom. "I once worked at a bar in Johto!"

Throughout the rest of that day, N had been telling Touko stories about the places he'd seen, the new Pokemon he met, and about the number of different odd-jobs he performed and what he learned from those experiences. It was now nighttime. Touko was sitting on her bed, wearing a white tank top and a pair of gray sweat pants - she really didn't care what she wore to bed other than that it had to be comfortable. She was absentmindedly stroking Zoroark's head and fiddling with the silver locket still around her neck while waiting for N to come out of the shower.

"And what did you learn from that?" She called out to him, still snickering at the thought of N in a bar.

"Three things." He answered. Touko heard the bathroom door opening from down the hall. "One: that I'm never going into another bar. It gets crazy in those places! Two: the meaning of the boyfriend/girlfriend relationship."

Ah, so that's how. Touko thought. The door to her bedroom opened. Because his clothes were in the wash (they were the only clothes he brought and Zoroark had insisted on getting them clean), N only had a fluffy white towel wrapped around his lower body when he entered the room.

"And three," N continued as he tried to get water out of his ear. "I'm never going to drink alcohol for as long as I live. I've seen people do crazy, stupid things when they're drunk..."

He trailed off when he saw that Touko's face had become redder than a Darumaka.

'Put some pants on.' Zoroark coughed, trying to sound discreet even though he knew only N could understand him. 'You're making her uncomfortable.'

Suddenly remembering that he was covering himself with only a towel, N's face turned a bright red and he muttered and apology before he quickly walked out of the room, Zoroark following after him. After the two left Touko fell backwards onto her bed, still feeling lightheaded and dizzy from seeing N without a shirt.

Or pants for that matter.

She pulled a pillow over her head in embarrassment and took many deep breaths, wanting to rid her mind of any indecent thoughts of N before they could even present themselves. She forced herself to think about the stories N had been telling her: About how he learned to play the piano in Kanto (he had apparently caught on very quickly, even though he had never seen one before). About how he spent four months learning how to cook in Almia (and how he perfected those skills as he continued his travels in other regions as well). About his visit to the Mossdeep Space Center and how space had always filled him with wonder since he was a child...

Thinking about how N sounded when he was telling her about all these adventures made Touko feel a twinge of sadness. He spoke with excitement and longing in his voice, like he wanted to go back to that time apart from her. Touko removed the pillow from her face and sat up, no longer filled with embarrassment.

Instead, with guilt.

The door to her room opened again. N was standing in the doorway and was wearing his khaki pants and black shirt, a faint blush still on his cheeks.

"A-and then there was that delivery boat in Sinnoh," N stuttered, walking up to Touko and trying to keep his own mind off of his earlier blunder. "From that I learned that I get seasick way too easily." He let out a small, bashful chuckle as he sat down beside her. "So yeah, I'm also not going anywhere near a boat-"

"N, I'm not...forcing you to stay, am I?"

Touko's guilt-filled voice made N's embarrassment instantly disappear. He stared at her dumbly. "What?"

"It's...just that..." Her mouth had become a hard line and she kept her gaze away from him. "You sounded like you had such a great time exploring the world...away from me. And you read that letter, so now you know about me and the life I had before you."

She paused for a moment to rub her nose. "I...don't want you to feel indebted to me; that you have to stay because I'm so insecure and broken. Y-you had a life without me...I just don't want to force you to love me-!"

N suddenly took her face and crashed his lips into hers. After getting over her brief moment of surprise, Touko closed her eyes and gently returned his kiss, the beginnings of tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

"Reading that letter," N whispered after breaking the kiss, using his thumbs to gently wipe away her tears. "Did nothing more than make me love you even more than I used to. Sure, traveling the world for three years might have been...enjoyable for anyone else. But, for me, I couldn't enjoy it for even one whole second because you weren't there with me. I may have said that I needed to do it alone, but that changed the further away from you I got! You're not forcing me to do anything. I told you that it took me three whole years to realize that you were what I was missing in my life. But, now I guess that's incorrect.

"Touko, I have no life without you."

Touko sniffled, but smiled as she rested her forehead on N's chin. "I'm sorry." She whispered, feeling him kiss the top of her head.

"It's oka...Oh, shoot!" N yelled, pulling away from Touko and slapping his forehead with his hand.

"What is it?" Touko asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I just remembered! It's your birthday, and I didn't get you anything!" His other hand came up to his face, covering his eyes in frustration.

Touko smiled and wrapped her arms around N's neck, her head resting on his shoulder. "It's okay. Just having you here, knowing that you're alive and that you're here to stay on your own free will...that's enough for me."

N moved his hands away from his face, revealing a sweet smile. One hand clasped onto Touko's and squeezed it lovingly. He then let out a yawn. "So...where am I sleeping?" He asked drowsily.

A faint blush colored Touko's cheeks. She looked away. "Would I...still be forcing you to stay...If I told you that I'm scared to be alone at night?"

N laughed sweetly and walked around to the other side of the bed, climbing beneath the sheets. Still blushing, Touko let out a tiny giggle as she positioned herself beneath her bedsheets so that she was facing N. Within a few moments of her head meeting her pillow Touko drifted off to sleep, a warm smile on her face and N's hand tenderly holding hers.

Careful not to disturb her, N gently kissed her hand. After turning off the light, N settled down in the bed and whispered one last thing before he fell asleep too.

"Happy birthday, Touko. I love you."

------------

Though her sleep was graciously not plagued by nightmares, Touko woke up later that night. She had woken up like this before; the night before her League challenge and the final battle. What made her wake up was a feeling of dread, like something was wrong or was going to go wrong.

Still laying down, she opened her eyes and was greeted by the sight of N asleep on the other side of her bed and still holding her hand. Touko felt a small sense of comfort in knowing that he was still there. But that feeling of comfort soon left when she looked up.

And her eyes locked onto a man with snow white hair standing beside the bed.

Staring down at her with a familiar pair of cold, gray eyes.

She let out a scream. Which was cut off when someone's cold hand covered her mouth with a piece of white cloth. The last thing she saw was N's eyes snapping open and staring at her in horror.

Before her body went limp and everything went dark.

------------

When she regained consciousness, she found that her hands were tied to a post behind her back and a burlap sack was covering her head. She kept a calm demeanor when the sack was removed and she found herself in a dimly lit room. She didn't try to get away or even call out for help because she realized what was happening the moment she saw the man she hoped never to see again.

"So." She said calmly, though on the inside she was seething in rage. "You've finally come for me...

"Ghetsis."