We Are Reluctant Heroes (Discontinued)

Prologue: A New Purpose

(Song: "Red Swan" by YOSHIKI (X JAPAN) feat. HYDE from Attack on Titan: Season 3.)

***

...

There.

The toll of the bell reverberated throughout the district. Something terrible was coming.

After months of enduring death, fighting through hell, and embracing the pain, there it was.

Confusion rose throughout them. They could only watch, as the hand lodged itself onto the wall. Taller than any other, it must have been.

I don't know if this was meant to be. I don't care. To hell with destiny. We survived, now we're here.

And then, there it was. The head of the monster. The giant Pokemon looked down, at all of them. Watching.

Every one of us shed our blood for this moment. Every life taken, and every day a brutal one. All of those things, just for this moment.

With its massive strength, it channeled its power. The kids could only watch, as its terrifying face almost seemed to stare directly at them.

Even now, as I stand, the remnants of my brave comrades still linger around my soul. Their blood still stains the lush, grassy earth below my feet.

All hell broke loose. As towering spikes pierced through the gate. Tearing a hole right into it, and flattening anyone within its vicinity.

I'm sorry, my friends. My allies. Your lives were cut short. But, your deaths were not in vain. We've made it this far, because of you. And now, your memories will be our legacy.

The breached wall gave way, as they began to flood in, like maddened vermin on a frenzy. Pokemon were in utter chaos and panic in an instant.

I looked back into the distance, not taking my eyes off of it. The sun was going to set soon. I waited, watched.

All they could do was run. Run back home, and pray. Pray that it was still there. But, like all things, some lives must end.

I sat down onto the grass, awaiting for the moment when the orange sun would meet with the horizon.

Witnessing her death, that sparked something in all of them. As they were forced to abandon her to her demise, his optimism started to fade, slowly. Threatening to return to what he was once.

An hour passed. Still, I waited, as it slowly descended.

Screams echoed, as they boarded their ship. The ground started to shake once more, as another beast appeared. All he could do was watch, his friends clenched against him in the crowded space.

And it did. Slowly, the sun came to meet the horizon. Around me, my friends saw it too. Silently now.

With a merciless sprint, the monster had crashed through the final gate. The last line of defense was gone. The Wall was fully breached.

Are we demons? Are we angels? My thoughts were rushing with these questions, before I answered them myself: We were fallen angels, doing our duty. Spreading our wings for the future.

Witnessing this, something inside him snapped. It wasn't anger, or rage. It wasn't his past emotions. No...it was what he was named after.

I opened my eyes again. Thinking about the past. Thinking about what to do next. The battle may be over, but the war is still everlasting.

He looked to his left. Mothers clenching their babies, or crying hysterically, unable to even mourn. To his left, Pokemon were in despair, a few even jumping over the edge, too affected to even live.

Yes...We're not done. It's only a matter of time, before the hell begins again. The Braviary cried above us, flying with grace, like a Swanna in red. Symbolizing our courage.

The despair left its mark on him. Yet, it didn't consume him, like all the others. Rather...it fueled him. It fueled him with a feeling he had always wanted before: Courage.

The other side. Where all the secrets lie. I clenched my left fist, staring calmly into the horizon, now lit up by the orange sun.

He stood up, brushing past the Pokemon in his way. He put a hand onto his dear friend, who had just had a massive outburst after witnessing what would impact him for the rest of his life.

Slowly, I raised my hand. Lifting a single finger, towards the horizon. If I acted sooner, maybe they all would've survived. Maybe, he...No. He wouldn't approve of my regrets.

Narrowing his eyes, he stared at the land, which was getting further and further, as the ship drifted away. Then, he opened his mouth, stating to the world of his new purpose. One that he would inherit, from his name.

I opened my mouth, pointing towards the distance as my friends all looked at me, and said...

"From this day on...I declare myself as the hero of this world, forever and always."

...

"...He was a savior to all of us. He lived up to his wish. Our comrades were brave, and he was among them, defiant to the end. That's why, he deserves his name. We can't stand here, with sadness in our hearts. That's not what he would've wanted. So...we'll continue towards the path, until the rest of our enemies are defeated. To honor the ones we've lost. Just like he did."

Because we are the reluctant heroes, and he was our own hero, to the end.