"Dad, please come home." N's son Illusion pleaded, holding a black umbrella over him, his sister, and his brother.
N shook his head sharply, "No! I can't leave her...not again..." he sobbed, kneeling by his wife's grave. Rain water soaked N's clothes, blending in with the tears streaming down his face.
She had gotten sick. Really sick. There was nothing anyone could do. They always knew it was a possibility- it ran in her family. It's how her father died, but N never expected it.
Why? Why did this happen? Why couldn't it have been him?
N refused to leave, even though the funeral ended hours ago. It began to rain, so N's children decided it would be best to remove him from the site.
"Dad...Please..." His daughter begged, "You'll get a cold."
Icicles jabbed at N's heart, "I don't care, Juniper!" He hissed, "It should've been me..."
"Don't say that!" Gray snapped, "You know Mom wouldn't want you talking like that!"
"So? It should have been me!"
"N...You know this isn't what she would've wanted." Zoroark said sadly.
"Zoroark's right," Juniper agreed.
"What am I supposed to do then?!" N yelled, whipping his head around and glaring at the five figures behind him.
The five figures exchanged unsure glances. They didn't even know what to do themselves. How could they tell the man who loved his wife more than anything how to feel about her death?
A green vine found its way to N's shoulder, "N...she wouldn't have wanted this."
"What do you know?!" N hissed, slapping the vine away.
His wife's partner slithered in front of N and coiled itself around its trainer's tombstone.
"I knew her better than anyone," He said, "Even you. Do not test me."
"You didn't even know about us!" N retaliated, glaring up at the regal Pokémon, "How can you say you know her?!"
Serperior stared daggers into N's eyes, "She and I are one."
Illusion and Juniper began getting choked up, but Gray didn't see why. He didn't understand the Pokémon language, and no one seemed in the mood to translate for him.
More tears flowed from N's face, but they were hardly seen because of the heavy rain, "Aren't you angry? She promised me forever! She promised you- all of you- forever!" He cried, "She promised us..." he whispered.
"She didn't mean for this to happen, Dad." Juniper soothed.
"She didn't mean to get sick." Illusion added.
Gray stuffed his hands in his pockets and stepped into the rain. He didn't want anyone to see his tears.
N dropped his head and sobbed, "She promised..."
Zoroark trotted over to his trainer and nuzzled his face, "I know...but it wasn't her fault- you know that."
"How am I supposed to live without her?" N cried.
"It's not about you," Serperior hissed, "It's about THEM." He said, nodding his head in the direction of N's children.
N looked over his shoulder at his three children. He sniffled.
"THEY are what you live for now. They've lost their mother. They can't lose you too."
Illusion and Juniper gave their father reassuring smiles, but Gray sneezed and huddled back underneath the umbrella with his siblings. Illusion smacked his little brother upside the head and called him an idiot.
N smiled sadly and stood up. He walked over and pulled all three of his children into a hug.
Gray blinked in surprise, "Would someone tell me what's going on?"
