FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Along the halls of Camaran Palace, Lucario paced as he searched his surroundings. Several of the Palace's subjects conversed with each other, some greeting the jackal as he passed. With a huff, he closed his eyes, using the power of the Aura to expand his search further and wider. As his gaze passed by the castle's bailey, he finally spotted his target. Making his way outside, he approached as he called out, "Sir Aaron."

"Ah, hello, Lucario," the Aura Guardian greeted, not moving from his spot in the grass as he lied on his back. His head rested on his hands as he stared at the sky above. "It's a beautiful day, isn't it?"

"It is, but I've come to tell you that we've been summoned by Queen Rin. She wishes to speak to us both."

Lucario's master continued to lie still.

"Sir Aaron? We mustn't keep the Queen waiting."

"I heard. But one of her messengers told you this, correct?"

"Well... yes, but-"

"Then we can lie down here for a minute longer, just the two of us."

Instantly, Lucario could feel a wave of warmth pass over him. "S-Sir Aaron, please. We should see the Queen."

"Just one minute, then we can go. How does that sound?" He looked over to his pokemon, a serene smile and a welcoming gaze in his eyes.

Upon meeting his stare, Lucario's reservations melted away, and he shared his master's grin. "Very well, just a minute." The jackal gently lied down, keeping his hands on his chest.

He shifted his gaze between the sky and Sir Aaron. His cheeks grew warm as he laid his head back and closed his eyes. The cool air dragged itself along his body, whistling as it passed and made the nearby trees rustle.

"I love days like this. Being a Guardian is important work, but it's nice to sit back and appreciate what the world has to offer."

"Yes... it's quite pleasant."

"It's the kind of day you'd want to share with someone important to you, wouldn't you agree?" Sir Aaron added, turning to Lucario.

A burning flame filled Lucario's chest as he smiled back. "Yes... I do..." He looked away, heaving a deep breath as a question lingered on his mind, but...

"Time to get moving," the Aura Guardian remarked as he got onto his feet. He reached a hand out to his pokemon.

Lucario's ears folded back as he reached out and took hold of Sir Aaron's hand as he got to his feet. His hand dragging along his Masters as they pulled away and walked together.

Both Guardians passed by several of the groundskeepers and other subjects on the Castle Grounds, walking silently as they continued.

"So I'm curious..." Sir Aaron began with a teasing grin on his face. "Do you have someone important to you?"

Time seemed to slow around Lucario as a jolt shot through his heart. "Wh-where's this coming from?"

"Oh, come now," he replied with a chuckle. "It's just an honest question! You have to have someone, don't you?"

It was only a few steps further before Lucario stopped in his tracks. He stared at the floor, his heart racing as he fought to control the shaking throughout his body.

"Lucario?"

He looked up to see Sir Aaron staring back at him, his amusement now replaced with concern. The jackal closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Before... before I tell you, may I ask a question?"

The Aura Guardian got down on one knee, looking Lucario in the eye. "Of course."

After taking another moment to draw deep breaths and steady his nerves, he took a leap of faith. "Do you think love can transcend class and... and order?"

Sir Aaron stared blankly before putting a finger to his chin. "I think so."

Lucario swallowed the lump in his throat.

"As long as the love is genuine, that's all that should matter." He let out a sigh. "Frankly, a lot of these kingdoms could do better without all this arranged marriage nonsense. But keep that between us, or the Queen will have my head."

Lucario nodded. "I promise."

"Now then, what's your answer to my question?"

The jackal nodded again, clenching his paws. "The one... the one who's most important to me is... you." He clenched his eyes and looked down, bracing for impact.

"Well, you're a good friend for me too, Lucario!"

The jackal's eyes shot open as he stared back at that smiling face.

"I'm glad, because you mean a lot to me too!"

"N-no, that's not it..."

Sir Aaron raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

A full blush presented itself on Lucario's face as he held his paws and his ears drooped forward. "What I mean is... Y-you mean a lot to me because... I... I love... you." He stared into his master's face as he repeated, "I love you." He continued to look on as the revelation passed over, neither one of them saying a word.

Gradually, Sir Aaron's astonishment melted, becoming increasingly deadpan. "Do you take me for a fool?" he seethed.

The world around Lucario started to spin. "Wh-what are you saying? I wouldn't joke about this!"

"So you do, then,," the Aura Guardian repeated as he walked away.

A cold emptiness grew in Lucario's chest as he dragged his feet forward. "N-no! I mean what I'm saying! I love you! There's nothing that-"

"Shut up!" Sir Aaron barked as he whipped around with a glare, freezing the jackal in his tracks. "As if I'd believe you now!"

"Wh-what are you saying?"

"After all this time, I thought you would know me well enough... but you don't, do you?"

Suddenly the castle grounds became a rocky mountainside. Fog encapsulated the area, and faint vibrations could be felt coming from afar.

"You really thought I abandoned you. You thought that I would be so selfish as to leave the Queen and Castle to fend for themselves! You insult me!"

"That... that's not true! I never-"

"You never what?"

The words died in Lucario's throat. He clenched his fists and looked away, gritting his teeth as his eyes began misting over.

"That's right," Sir Aaron began, continuing to walk away as the shaking grew in intensity. "You're not the same Lucario I thought I knew. All those years were wasted with someone like you."

Lucario looked up, fighting to break the hold of despair that took him over as he trudged forward, eventually running towards his master. "Yes, I doubted you... but I've learned since then!" he shouted. "I know your true intentions! I understand everything, and I'm sorry!" He ran ahead, trying to get in front of Sir Aaron as the marching of an oncoming battalion came into view.

"Too late."

Suddenly, the environment changed again and the Aura Guardian disappeared before him. The marching instantly ceased, and instead Lucario found himself standing in a large room. The walls appeared like they were made of variously shaped slabs cemented together. In the center of the room was a sparkling pillar of light painted the room in a green glow. From the top of the ceiling, crystal chains descended downward, as if being roots on a plant. A sudden realization made the blood drain from his face.

"Far too late," Sir Aaron chided from behind.

The jackal froze. His breathing shuddered as every limb of his trembled. Every single fibre of his being screamed to not turn around, but his head sluggishly turned regardless. He froze in terror as he saw the Aura Guardian encased in crystal, slumped against one of the chains.

"Sir Aaron!" he yelled, running towards the container. A scan of the encasement showed no openings in the material, so he began punching it repeatedly. The strength of the strikes grew as his desperation took hold. He soon threw all of his strength into his strikes, failing to notice the spots of blood growing larger on the encasement. Eventually, a sharp pain shot through his arms, causing him to stop and look at his mutilated and bleeding paws. He gritted his teeth and cried, "It wasn't supposed to be this way!" A single tear escaped his eyes. "We were supposed to be together again! So why?! Where are you?!"

It's useless.

Lucario looked up in shock, hearing the voice telepathically. He saw his master open his eyes, looking at him with disdain.

You disgust me. Leave my sight!

At that moment, any sense of being the jackal had shattered instantly. He stared blankly as tears rolled out in force. That was when he felt a weight suddenly press down onto him. Snapping out of his trance and turning around, he gasped in horror as a red blob latched onto his back leg, growing to cover more of him. The jackal frantically tried to shake it off by kicking outward, but it stayed in place. More red blobs started to appear, homing in on Lucario. He moved to dodge them, but was thrown off balance by his absorbed leg. His breathing quickened as he was tackled to the floor, frantically trying to tear off the growing masses. As he started to lose feeling in his limbs, he looked to where his master lie. With the last of his effort, he reached out a paw towards him and screamed, "Sir Aaron!" before being enveloped by the red mass.

---

With a jolt, Lucario shot forward, sitting upright as he scanned his bedroom in the faint moonlight. Tears fell onto the bed sheets, coercing him to wipe his eyes and take slower, deeper breaths. As the nightmare replayed itself through his head once more, he sniveled and rested his face against his paws. Movement came from the left side of the bed, making him quickly look over to see Mewtwo rousing from their slumber.

"Lucario? What's wrong?" they asked while groggily sitting upright.

Quickly wiping the tears from his eyes, he replied, "N-nothing, sorry. Just a nightmare."

Mewtwo slid closer, reaching around to place a hand on his right shoulder. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'll be fine, thank you."

After a moment's consideration, Mewtwo nodded. "Very well," they remarked before kissing Lucario on the cheek. "Please wake me if you have another nightmare."

"I will." As the legendary went back under the covers, he followed shortly afterwards. Drawing in a deep breath, he closed his eyes and laid still, allowing sleep the opportunity to take hold of him. However, it rejected this invitation, as Lucario continued seeing Sir Aaron's contemptuous gaze and hearing his scating remarks, causing him to now stare at the ceiling above. As the sounds of his lover's slow, sleepy breaths filled the room, he gently slid out from the covers.

He quietly made his way to the sliding glass doors in their room and gently pulled them open before stepping outside and closing them. At the metal rail of the balcony, he stared at the night sky. A gentle warm breeze fell, as he looked over the night sky, thinking of the night's he used to spend as an Aura Guardian. Tears welled up in his eyes as he whimpered, "Sir Aaron... I'm sorry." The door behind Lucario slid open, causing him to quickly turn around.

Mewtwo took a step forward, asking, "Are you sure you're alright?".

Lucario slowly left his gaze towards the floor, turning around before resting his arms against the railing and looking down at the ground below. "I... I saw Sir Aaron."

Mewtwo joined him on his left, silently looking down at his partner.

"He... hated me. He was disgusted with me."

"Why?"

The jackal gritted his teeth. "Because I loathed him for all those years... despised him for sealing me in that prison. I... I truly believed he abandoned his duty as a Knight to the Castle..."

"You did find the truth."

"Yes... but it's too late."

"It's never too late." As Lucario looked up at them, they looked out at the landscape before the pokemon. "I loathed and despised humans for the longest time; using me as a tool for their own selfish desires. But soon I came to learn that there are those out there who work for the betterment of pokemon and this world. Had I simply assumed it was too late for humanity, I would've become lost to a vicious cycle of self-destruction."

They turned to Lucario. "On the same note, it wasn't too late if you learned at all. You know Sir Aaron better than anyone. And while it may be difficult, try remembering the happier times you two had together. Those matter more than any hypotheticals."

The jackal turned to look towards the landscape, he started thinking back to the days traveling the world with his master; not only training and fighting, but also the leisurely days, resting with and understanding how Sir Aaron worked. A smile started to grow on his face as he let out a sigh of nostalgia. "Whenever we had a moment to rest, I would always see him staring at the sky." He looked towards the stars. "Whether it was day or night, he would always see something new." A chuckle escaped his lips. "He would always find something to get excited about, and call me over, insisting it was going to amaze me."

He looked to the ground. "He found beauty in so many things in this world." Lucario felt his throat tighten. "He wanted to protect whatever he could, and showed me the value in life..." His eyes started to sting at the corners. "He was the most amazing person I've ever known, and I... I loved him for it." Through his chokes and sniffles, the jackal hunched over the rail, crying while Mewtwo gingerly rubbed his back. "I couldn't... I couldn't be with him in the end..."

"I'm sorry you have to endure this," they consoled. "I wish there was more I could do..."

"I thought... that I'd finally see him again..." Lucario growled as he gritted his teeth. "I thought that I would be able to make amends for the past, but now..." he shuddered as his body started to shake. "Now I'm in this strange world, having to fight for these people's entertainment!"

"Lucario..."

"I thought if I fought hard enough, I would find a way to see Sir Aaron again. But I've been in their fights for years, and for what?! I'm still no closer to finding him than when I started!" He brought a fist down onto the railing, harshly denting it and nearly breaking it on the spot.

"Lucario!"

"How long am I to endure this?" the jackal shouted as he turned to Mewtwo, tears streaming down his face. "Day in, day out, I'm expected to fight, and I'm tired of it!" He looked down at his shaking paws. "I want to leave this forsaken place! I want to find Sir Aaron and start anew! I'm sick of this, sick of it all!"

"Please, Lucario, stop this!" Mewtwo pleaded before placing a hand on Lucario's shoulder. "I understand you're upset, and I know how you feel, but this is-"

"You what? You know how I feel?!" he shot back, smacking the legendary's hand away and causing them to step back. "How would you know?! Do you know how it feels, waking up to find out everything and everyone you knew has been gone for centuries? How it feels, watching the man you love wither away right in front of you, saying how much you meant to him, longing to see you again? Do you know how any of that feels? Do you?!"

Mewtwo stared back at the seething jackal, slowly averting their gaze towards the floor. "No..." he admitted. "No, I don't."

Slowly, Lucario's sneer faded, and his eyes grew wide. A quick gasp escaped his lips as he stepped back. "M-Mewtwo, I... I didn't mean to... I..." As sorrow filled his senses, he fell to his knees, holding his forehead while he shakily uttered, "I- I'm so sorry... p-please forgive me!" He clamped his eyes shut through the tears. Through a series of whimpered apologies, he nearly doubled over on the floor. Once more, he heard it again:

"Lucario..."

He sheepishly looked up, seeing Mewtwo stare back with a tear trailing from their eyes. With a newfound sense of clarity, Lucario slowly raised his top half until he was back onto his knees. That was when the legendary softly pulled him in for an embrace, resting one hand atop the jackal's head, and the other arm rubbing his back.

"Please... don't hold back anymore... It's okay now. Let it all out."

As time seemed to slow, Lucario blankly stared outward. Following shortly afterwards, he started to choke and sob, gripping them tightly as he cried and cried on that balcony.

Both pokemon stayed still, letting the emotions wash over them.

"I... I miss him," Lucario sobbed. "I miss him so much..."

Silently, Mewtwo continued to hold him until Lucario's cries mellowed out.

"I'm sorry," he managed through shaky breaths. "I just want to see Sir Aaron again..."

"Don't be," Mewtwo replied, still holding him close. "You're in pain. I would never blame you for that." After a moment, they stopped rubbing their back and their grip weakened before asking, "Do you truly want to leave here?"

The jackal slowly pulled away, staring at the floor as he wiped his eyed. Begrudgingly, he nodded his head. "Yes, I do..." His gaze slowly locked onto Mewtwo's hand, which he held with both paws. "But my love for you overshadows that." He looked up, finally managing to crack a smile as tears continued to fall. "I wouldn't want to leave you behind. You've made me feel at peace, and I can never thank you enough for that!"

A smile to match his own appeared on Mewtwo's face as he gently cupped Lucario's chin. "You've no idea how happy that makes me. Truly."

Both pokemon leaned forward, gently holding each other as they moved in for a kiss. Their lips remained locked, choosing to cherish the moment together as their hands and paws caressed each other's faces. Finally, they pulled apart, looking at each other with a longing for the other as the moonlight washed over them.

"I know I can never replace him," Mewtwo admitted, "but I hope I can make you feel even a fraction of how Sir Aaron made you feel."

Lucario's lip quivered as he moved to hug the legendary. "You do. You truly do."

Both pokemon stayed there, silently embracing each other before Mewtwo pulled back.

"Let's try going back to sleep," they suggested, rising to their feet.

With a nod, Lucario stood up, taking Mewtwo's hand as the both of them walked back inside. He pulled back the covers and slipped underneath, as did the legendary, and both rolled to face each other. "I'm sorry for putting you through this," he stated as his ears folded back.

"Don't be," Mewtwo replied. "You're hurting, and have every right to be upset at the circumstances."

A small smile grew on the jackal's face as he held Mewtwo's hand. "I can't thank you enough for everything," he whispered.

"Being here with you is enough thanks." Their eyes glowed. "Shall I help you sleep tonight?"

Lucario looked away in thought, then turned back with a nod. "Please, just for tonight."

With a nod and a smile, Mewtwo planted a kiss on his forehead and raised their free hand.

"Wait," the jackal stated, raising a paw. "I need to get something first." He got to his feet, walking towards the closet and reaching for a small chest stashed in the back. Gently, he opened the lid and stared at the object within, choking up as he pulled out the items and held them to his chest. Then he walked back into the room. "These... are Sir Aaron's gloves," he commented while holding them out. They were long, blue gloves with a silver orb on the back of the hands that had a yellow border to it. "They appeared with me when I first was brought to this world. Holding them makes it feel like he's still with me, and I can feel a part of him within these." Tears fell from his eyes as he held them out. "Here, feel them."

Cautiously, the legendary took hold of the gloves. They took note of the finely conditioned leather and polished orb before handing them back, saying, "You'll see him again, someday. I know it."

Lucario wiped his eyes and nodded, still keeping his smile. Then he made his way to the bed, going under the covers as Mewtwo handed him back the gloves. "Okay, I'm ready."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

With a wave of their hand, a similar glow appeared over Lucario's eyes, causing his eyelids to slowly close as he drifted into a deep sleep.

---

The midday breeze blew over Lucario as he stood atop a grassy hill facing Camaran Palace. He stood there, looking over the structure with pride.

"Hey, Lucario! Over here!"

He turned to see Sir Aaron sitting underneath a tree, waving him over. A small jolt stirred in his heart as he smiled and approached. "Enjoying nature as always?" he asked with a smile.

"Whenever I can," the Aura Guardian replied as he grinned. "You should come take a look with me."

"We shouldn't stray from the Castle for long."

"Which is why we're watching it from a strategic position, am I wrong?" Sir Aaron asked with a raised eyebrow.

While looking back towards the Castle, Lucario put a paw to his chin. "I... suppose you have a point. Very well." He walked next to his master but was stopped by his hand.

"No, not there," he began, causing the jackal's head to tilt. He then pointed to his lap. "You should sit here!"

Instantly, a rush of blood went to Lucario's head as he stifled a gasp from escaping his lips. "S-Sir Aaron! I- I couldn't!"

"You would sit in my lap as a Riolu, it'll be fine!"

"But... what would-"

"What would the people think? No one's around, as far as I can see."

After a moment's contemplation, and scanning the area for potential witnesses, Lucario hesitantly crawled over and sat in his lap, feeling steam trickle out of his ears. His gaze was glued to the floor while his heartbeat became deafening.

"Take a look!" Sir Aaron stated, rousing Lucario's attention and pointing to various pokemon flying through the sky in their migration patterns. "I love watching the migrations at this time of year!"

"Y-yes, it's quite nice..." the jackal replied, his face still burning brightly.

With a sigh, the Aura Guardian leaned forward. "You know, Lucario. Sights like this are why I wanted these duties in the first place. So many others out there would want to abuse nature here for their own needs."

"I agree..."

"I want to protect it with my last breath." He paused to hold one of Lucario's paws and wrap his other arm around his waist, causing the jackal to look up at him with wide eyes. "It's one of the most important things to me... wouldn't you agree?" he asked looking down with a warm look in his eyes.

Lucario stared back at him, a blush growing on his cheeks before turning his gaze towards his paw and Sir Aaron's embrace. His eyes began misting over as he held the hand wrapped around him and smiled, leaning back against his Master. "Yes... I feel the same."