Nothing Greater: Chapter 10
A HUGE thanks to anyone who managed to read all of this. It really means a lot that you would take time out of your life to read it. I hope the story was a good read, and if you have any comments, please share them. I'd love to hear what you think of it. And, as I said at the end of Family Bonds, if you read all this, I GIVE YOU A COOKIE!!! =3
Chapter 10: New Life
Everyone had gathered around the center of the Valley as the stars came out from hiding. It hadn't been more than a few minutes since it happened, but word spread quickly throughout the Valley, and another circle was formed just as it had when Zenith had died. Nobody had said anything once they were all in place; they merely hung their heads as they paid their respects.
Charc was with Seria, and he looked around the entire crowd, before saying loudly, "Mommy, where's daddy?"
She didn't care anymore that anyone knew who Charc's parents were. A few around her moved their heads in her direction to hear her response, and she said proudly, "Daddy's gone honey." Tears burst from her eyes as she finally said what she had been trying to deny. She leaned down and pulled Charc in close to her, and she said over and over in a hushed voice, "Daddy's gone... daddy's gone." There was not a dry eye in the entire group.
No one said anything else for the rest of the night, and not a single one of them dared to go back to their homes. The danger was over, and they all owed their lives to the two Charizards who had lovingly given up their own lives as a sacrifice for the rest of them. As the minutes turned into hours, they stayed locked in place until some movement caught their attention.
Onix was stirring where he had fallen, and heads turned to see him as he raised his head. He looked at all of them with confused look on his face before he said, "What happened?"
No one wanted to be the one to say it. They were still in disbelief themselves, but as the seconds ticked by, one of the Charizards who had been fighting and had seen it all spoke for everyone. He said, "The fight's over. We won, but we lost someone very dear to us in the process. Thank you for your help."
Onix didn't have to ask who it was. Somehow he knew what had happened, and he knew that this wasn't his place. He bowed his head and shut his eyes to show his own sympathy for their loss. After he did that, he mustered up the strength to turn and make his way to his home. He was thoughtful enough to go slowly so as not to make any extraneous noise, and he left them to mourn their loss in silence.
It was well into the night before Seria's eyes had run dry. While she was holding him, Charc had cried himself to sleep in her arms, and she made the move to go back to her home. She never said anything to the rest of them, and she merely stood up, she cradled her son in her arms, and she walked back to her cave proudly. Her brother was gone, but his memory would never be forgotten. As she left, the others took their cues as well and returned to their homes. Eventually, the lava pool was left empty, and it stayed that way for the rest of the night.
When morning came, Seria tried to do things the same as she had before. However, she couldn't leave Charc alone anymore, so she took him over to play with Agro. When he was dropped off, she and Darius left to go walk. He didn't say anything to her because of what happened, and he let her lead the way. It didn't take him long before he realized where she was taking him. Before long, they were back in their secret spot underneath the rocky overhang.
The two of them sat down, and Seria scooted close to him and hugged his arm, putting her head on his shoulder as he had done not more than a week ago. The minutes went by, and he decided to break the ice and say, "I'm here for you if you want to talk."
She said, "Thank you. I think I got most of it out last night. I just need someone to hug right now."
He was happy to oblige, and the two of them embraced each other. They seemed to hug each other for hours until she finally broke it off. She managed a smile at him and said, "Thank you for being here for me."
He smiled back and said, "You're welcome."
He had been dying to say something to her for weeks now, and even though she had just gone through the loss of her brother, something was telling him that this was the time to bring it up. He swallowed before he said, "Um... so, I've been meaning to ask you something."
"What is it?"
He scratched his head and continued, "Well... I'm not really sure how to say it, but here goes nothing. I want to be with you."
Her face told him that he wasn't clear on what he meant, and he decided to elaborate. "I've seen the way that my brother has reacted to our dad's passing. It breaks my heart to see him like that, and it would hurt me even more to see Charc go through the rest of his life without a father figure. I know I can't be everything that Drek was, but I want to try. Seria..." He reached out his claws and grasped her before continuing, "will you be my mate?"
She was speechless. Her mind raced, and all she could do was stare at him in response. Her eyes fell on his, and the kind and reassuring look that she saw in his eyes made her positive of what her answer should be. She smiled broadly and said, "I would love to be your mate." The two of them hugged each other again, but this time in happiness rather than just for comfort.
They stayed there enjoying each other's company for a while before they decided to go back home. As they got back into the main part of the Valley, they noticed that there was a group of Charizards around the lava pool. They went over to see what was going on, and as they got within earshot, Seria said, "Hey, what are you guys doing?"
They turned to her and one of them said, "We're planning out the memorial for Zenith and Drek."
The two of them gasped when they heard it. They both knew that only the most respected and praise-worthy Pokemon got put on there, and they were both honored. Neither of them knew how long it would take for them to finish the etchings, but they eagerly awaited the day that they were done. With the happiness of the two of them now being mates for life and the knowledge that Drek and Zenith were to be commemorated, they turned and headed to see Cara. They had to tell her the good news about Zenith and Drek, and about the two of them as well.
They found her in her home as usual, and upon telling her, she was overjoyed. She said, "I was wondering when you two were going to end up being mates. There was something about your eyes when you two were together that told me you had found the right one." They stayed and talked about anything they could thing of. They tried to stay away from the thoughts that Drek was gone because of all the nice things that had happened that day, and they smiled and laughed about everything until it got late, and Seria decided that it was time to take Charc and go home.
She was about to leave when Darius said, "Um... would you mind if I went with you?"
She smiled and said, "Not only do I not mind, but I would be thrilled."
He couldn't wait to follow them, and he practically skipped with joy the closer they got to her cave. No... their cave. If they were to be mates, then they would share everything. They got in as night hit, and they could see a little sliver of the waxing crescent moon to the west. It was a welcome sight to see in the sky after the previous night, and it only warmed his heart more as he stepped inside the cave, knowing that he would be there for the night.
While they were getting ready for bed, Charc said innocently, "So, is mister Darius my new daddy?"
He wasn't sure how to respond to it, but Seria saved him by saying, "Yes he is. And you can call him daddy and me mommy as long and as often as you want." That seemed to make him happy. Darius was overjoyed with the honor, and it was almost surreal how he was fitting into their lives only a day after the incident. He actually reached a claw down to pinch himself to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. The little pain that he felt confirmed it for him, and he couldn't help but smile.
Before long, they were settling down to go to sleep. Charc took his usual spot, and Seria and Darius took a different spot more toward the rear of the cave. They shared a lick on the cheek before they lay down with Seria facing the entrance. Darius put his arm around her and scooted close to her so that his warm stomach was against her back. They both fell asleep with smiles on their face as thoughts of their new life together filled their heads.
* * *
It took a little over a week for the memorials to be finished. The picture that was done was very fitting for them, and no one could complain about it. Drek and Zenith's likeness were facing each other, and their heads were angled downward. Fire was coming from both of their mouths, and there was a tiny image of Thael that was being burned by their attacks. Below Zenith's body, there was a clenched claw next to a rock, and the two markings together symbolized how strong he was. Underneath Drek, there was a strange acorn-symbol next to fire. It was later realized that the strange symbol was the same shape as the mysterious blue berries that Seria and Darius had found that day. Together, they made up his blue fire.
The water Pokemon who had been involved in the battle never showed up to cause them harm again. It was unclear whatever happened to all of them, and they could only speculate that they kept up their search for a permanent place to live. With them gone, the rest of the Valley was at peace, and even with the loss of a couple of family members, Seria and Darius were happy together.
Not a day went by where they didn't go by the lava pool to see their loved ones. It turned into a daily ritual for them, and they wouldn't give up the time they spent doing it for anything in the world. With Thael gone, life in the Valley was happy, and it stayed that way for many years thanks to the sacrifice of two of the greatest Charizards who ever lived; there is nothing greater than laying down their lives for the ones they loved, and they would always be remembered for it.