Far From Yesterday (Marissonshipping Fanfic)

Chapter 11

The beach and the cold weren't usually two things Mairin would put together.

But there were goosebumps on her arms as her dream self wandered down the beach, her bare feet sinking slightly into the wet sand. The sun had retreated behind a blanket of soft purple clouds, the whole sky looking as if it had been covered in a sheet. A wind whipped across the shore, blowing Mairin's red hair in front of her face as she continued down the beach.

The cold water rushed up to her meet her feet, covering her ankles before retreating back into the ocean. The water was choppy– not the rough sea of a storm, yet not calm like you'd find on a clear day. Mairin pushed farther down the shore, staring down at the sand as another wave washed over her feet. She reached down as it pulled back, hand surrounding a small object.

Mairin then looked out at the ocean, a salty scent in the air as she studied the water. It wasn't blue, it wasn't clear– it was gray. A soft gray, sharp waves forming as the wind rushed by. It wasn't the image you'd see on a postcard, but yet there was a tense beauty to the sight. Dream Mairin stared out at the water, her gaze empty.

She then examined her prize in her hand– a seashell. She turned it over in her hands, trying to get the sand off of it. The shell was pearly-black in color, and with its decent size it probably would have been considered a good shell if it wasn't chipped at the top.

Dream Mairin seemed happy with the shell though, even if her expression didn't change, because she turned around to look at the one standing behind her. Soft blue eyes were watching her closely, Alain standing several paces away. He held a small plastic container in his hand that seemed to be the remains of a takeout box, and he held it out as Mairin slowly made her way back to him.

She dropped the shell into the container, were it clinged against the other seashells resting inside. Dream Mairin had seemed to have built up quite a collection– seashells of all sizes filling the box. Different shapes and colors all shuffled together. Despite the number of shells she had found, it seemed that today wasn't a lucky one for finding seashells, because every one in the box was broken or chipped.

"We've been out here for awhile now," Alain said, his tone quiet and soft. Mairin had turned back towards the water, eyes staring down at the sand as she searched for more shells. "We'll want to get back inside soon, it's a bit chilly out there."

"Yes," Mairin replied, tone empty. "The cold isn't good for the egg."

Alain's gaze shifted slightly, going down to his arm, were a bag was looped across it. Within the green bag was a small blue egg, wrapped up in a small cloth. Alain's eyes then shifted to a small Pokemon on his shoulder, then to a white Pokemon at his side, and then finally to Mairin once more. She had found several more shells, three sitting in her palm. She studied them for a moment, before throwing one back into the sea. Dream Mairin then once again approached Alain, adding two more shells to the box. The shells rattled against each other as he followed Mairin further down the shoreline, gathering his thoughts. Ruby the Absol was at his side, the Pokemon looking towards the inland with sharp eyes, as if keeping watch.

"The egg will be fine," He reassured her. "The professor said that this Pokemon usually nests in cooler caves along the shore. I was worried about you, Mairin."

"Rrrrh," A soft coo filled the air, and dream Mairin glanced back at Alain. A small Rowlet was sitting contently on his shoulder, the Pokemon preening the feathers on its wing. Mairin weakly blinked at it, then looked at Alain once more.

"Don't worry about me," She said, voice monotone. "It doesn't matter what happens to me."

A look of frustration flashed across Alain's gaze at these words, and as he spoke again there was a rough undertone in his voice, however it remained gentle. "I do worry about you, Mairin, and I do care about you. I love you."