Love in the Time of Trials

Chapter 25: A Rescue

Often, but not always, I use specific music to write certain sequences, as opposed to just whatever random piece will come up on my themed playlists. In this case, for the opening segment of this chapter, I used the song "Pain" from Noragami Aragoto. I think it sets the tragedy of it quite well, and I hope you'll think so, too. Time for Chapter 25!

Chapter 25

A Rescue

His hand was shaking. No, his whole body was shaking. There was a numbness spreading throughout his entire system. The others around him were staring, oblivious to the rain falling around them, soaking their hair, their skin, their very bones.

Because for Ash, what he was feeling pierced down to his very core.

"What...did you say...?" he gasped out, breath traveling upwards as frosted air. Gladion didn't answer, he just looked at Ash. There was something behind his eyes, like an honest plea for help, but Ash couldn't hear it. Didn't want to hear it. "She's...Lillie's..."

"Your sister," Serena also gasped out. Clearly the revelation that Gladion had dropped wasn't affecting just him, but rather all of them. Ash wanted to clutch for his chest, feeling a sudden burning pain inside. Clemont pulled Bonnie closer, as though the words now exchanged had firmed his resolve in protecting his sister.

"Yes," Gladion said, all emotion gone from his voice, like he had died. Ash felt his eyes grow sharp and narrow, and he had to consciously stop his hand from shaking. This wasn't possible. Couldn't be possible. "I...That's why I've been trying to protect her. Save her from our mother. But I couldn't. She's like this dark shadow haunting our every step, and the only way to protect Lillie from her was to make a deal to bring her back!"

"Protect...?" Ash said, his breath shuddering out. Images flashed before him: his father, Zinnia, Dalton, all people who had tried so hard to protect the ones they loved. Some of them had lost their way; but they still never betrayed the ones they wanted to protect. "You think...you think you protected her?"

"It was the only-"

"She's...she's family!" Ash cried out, his teeth gritting against each other. The burning sensation increased, causing him to tremble. His father was staring at him, smiling. "You...You don't do that to family! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

"Chuuuuuu!" He didn't care anymore; didn't care how attacking Gladion and Null wouldn't change anything. Wouldn't help anyone. All he cared about was what the boy had done. Pikachu's Thunderbolt went soaring out and Gladion leapt back. The Electric attack barely missed him, scorching into the ground powerfully, leaving charred grass behind. Ash dug his feet into the dirt, the calves of his legs already splattered with mud from the battle with Nanu earlier. He reached Gladion in no time and punched him violently across the face.

"Ash! No!" Serena cried, sounding distressed. Ash couldn't hear her, though. He was too lost in that moment, like he had been with Guzma in Malie City. This, however, felt like more of a betrayal than anything else Ash had ever experienced in his life. It didn't even have to do with himself, but with Lillie.

"She was your sister!" Ash cried, punching forward again, only to have that blow batted away. Pikachu was running across through the mud, looking as remarkably fierce as ever. "She was your sister and you betrayed her!"

"I did what needed to be done! For me! For...for her...For both of us!" Gladion roared, spit flying from his mouth. He punched forward, barely missing hitting Ash. The raven-haired boy jabbed forward with a headbutt, slamming into the boy and knocking him back. "Null, Crush Claw!"

"Counter with Iron Tail!" Ash screamed. He briefly caught a glance of his friends, staring at the abominable scene with looks of shock on their faces. They clearly couldn't comprehend what was going through his mind; now that he tried thinking of it, though, he didn't even know what was going through his mind. Soon, the rage took that thought from him.