Fear - An Aureliashipping and Lonashipping Story

-20-

Sniff. Sniff.

Lillie softly cried into her pillow. Every so often she would raise slowly and notice how much her tears wet the expensive bedsheets and pillowcase. She silently wished they would just drown her already.

Knock knock.

"Go away!" Lillie answered. "I'm not leaving until you let me in," Gladion replied on the other side of the door. "Shiron misses you."

"I'm a failure of a trainer to Shiron." Lillie told him stubbornly.

Gladion sighed and leaned against the door. Facing him was Ash and Moon, looking equally as worried. Shiron gave a quiet cry of sadness and walked to the living room. "Don't feel so discouraged," Moon told Gladion. "You and Lillie are doing the best you can."

Gladion shook his head. "I should have been more careful."

"You saved us back there." Ash reminded him.

"Not everyone." Gladion said in frustration. "I never even thought of the possibility of Null triggering painful memories for Lillie. I was so careless."

Moon frowned. "No one could have predicted that. You did what you needed to do."

Ash suddenly had a look of realization in his eyes. "Null!"

"Huh?" the older teens asked.

"Lillie isn't afraid of the Ultra Beasts. She's afraid of Null!" Ash explained. "Remember how brave she was when we fought the giant black Ultra Beast? She wasn't scared at all! She and Shiron were the reason Null was even able to finish it off."

Gladion thought back to the battle with the UB. What Ash said was true: everything went well until Null had shown itself. Lillie was braver than he had ever seen her up to that point. What surprised him even more was the fact that Ash could even pay attention to that in the middle of the chaos.

Ash was an idiot, but if there was anything he was good for, it was his battling.

Gladion found himself smiling. "I think you hit it right on the head." he told Ash.

Ash nodded in excitement. "We should have Lillie face Null as soon as possible-"

"Arceus, give the girl a break!" Moon butted in. "It's not that easy to get rid of a false memory like that. Plus, she's in a lot of distress. Listen to her."

Lillie's crying was still audible from the other side of the door. Ash and Gladion looked at each other and silently nodded in agreement. Gladion faced the door again for one last attempt to talk to his sister. "Lillie, can we please-"

A solid object of some sort slammed the door, causing Gladion to flinch back. Ash blinked. "I've never seen her get violent before."

Moon sighed. "We won't get anywhere with her like this. We should get some rest: it's late."

"I'm not leaving her." Gladion repeated.

Moon grabbed his arm and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Please?"

Gladion's face reddened and he groaned in frustration. "Fine."

Moon pulled Gladion down the hall, leaving Ash very confused to his sudden change of heart.  He approached the door to Lillie's room. "Lillie?"

"Go home, Ash." Lillie weakly responded, although her voice had softened a bit. If there was anyone she didn't want to see her like this, it was Ash. "You sure you don't want to let me in?" the boy asked hopefully. "No." Lillie replied, a bit disappointed in herself for how quickly the reply came. Ash fell silent.

The night dragged on. Lillie continued her sobs, this time full of regret for driving Ash away. She didn't deserve him. She didn't deserve Shiron, Gladion, or any of her friends. Her heart was heavy with self-doubt. How would she ever face anyone ever again?

Snoreeeee.

Lillie rolled over to try and find Shiron and get her to stop snoring. A half-second passed before she realized that Shiron wasn't sleeping there tonight. Her negative emotions were quickly replaced with confusion. Where did that noise come from.

Snoreeee.

Lillie's head swiveled to her bedroom door. The noise was coming from the hallway. Lillie quickly grabbed a book off her self for defense and slowly made her way to the door. She slowly opened the door and peered outside. She looked left...then right...then left again. Nothing.

Snore.

Lillie looked down. It was Ash, asleep on the floor, Pikachu curled up a few paces away. Lillie was worried he passed out until she realized he was lying on top of a few sheets and his head was nestled peacefully in a pillow. He planned to stay here until he could talk to her.

Lillie's face burned in a mixture of affection and shame. She made him wait for so long. Suddenly a impulse overtook her, and she went back into her room for a blanket and pillow of her own. She walked back to Ash, and slowly lied down next to him. Her face was on fire, but she smiled as she closed her eyes.

An hour had passed before a white nose peeked around the corner. Shiron peered down the hallway to find her trainer asleep next to Ash. She smiled faintly to herself and trotted over to Lillie. She made sure her trainer was asleep before curling up near her stomach. She still loved her, regardless of her flaws.