FSE

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Zerobi stood in the middle of town, staring at a window while partially hidden by the shadow of a nearby house. Feeling quite foolish, she really hoped no one would see her like this. She had no valid explanation as to what she was doing there, a problem compounded by the fact that her graceful and extremely lethal claws were currently lodged deep inside two snow white pillows. A strange scene that would confuse anyone but exactly two people in this world - Herself, and the person she was meeting.

She knew she could do this. She had stood up to Darkrai. She had revealed her past to the two most important people in her life. Indeed, she had even done the impossibly difficult task of confessing her love to someone. This was not going to be anywhere near as trying or dangerous. Just a simple chat with an old friend, something they had both enjoyed so many times before.

A sigh escaped her lips. At this point she would rather take on two Darkrai than jump up to that window. It was beginning to snow again - Was that an excuse enough to call it off? She could slip and break her neck. The soft buns around her hands would not exactly improve her dexterity or make a fall any less dangerous, either. Going from scissorhands to cushionhands made her look very stupid, but they were necessary apparel to make her out to be as non-threatening as possible. She had only tried it once before, when she evolved and her claws rapidly outgrew their gloves. She hoped the person whose idea it was to use pillows for protection still remembered her clever little scheme.

Zerobi was not the only Pokémon making use of pillows that night. Far from a bustling metropolis, the homely little town nonetheless offered many conveniences such as a Pokécenter, a police station and a hotel, the latter of which was currently housing a very unusual occupant. Like any guests, she and her husband had paid for their stay, causing the surprised manager to give them a room before wondering if providing lodgings for Pokémon might be an overlooked business opportunity. At the moment, the Pokémon's husband was working overtime at the police station while she spent the cold night indoors.

Human beds were nice, she thought. Lying curled up like usual, it was a nice experience to find that her cozy tail was not preferable to the fine bedding and soft headrests. She was not entirely sure on what to make of human TV, though. Movies were one thing, but even Snivy seemed to carry some disdain for what he referred to as "entertainment for the pleb." It seemed to have little to offer but uninteresting reality shows that worked to put her mind to sleep, and any fictional show that idolized a Lucario left a bad aftertaste in her mouth.

But nothing could bring her down right now. In a simple bed, engaged in no special activity, she had temporarily entered a state of fully encompassing comfort. Her insides rocked gently, only adding to the sweetness of the moment. The atmosphere was calm and the room was in perfect temperature thanks to her opening the window and letting in the cool winter's air. Snivy would ceaselessly warn her about leaving it open, asking if she could not simply follow him to work if she was so eager to meet burglars. He was paranoid, but she felt they both had fairly good reasons to be. Still, she was a rational being - What were the odds of the source of their nightmares appearing right now on this very night?

This cold night.

This black night.

A shudder ran through her, ruining the coziness. Something felt off, like someone was staring at her. Someone by the window. Hastily she tapped the remote, muting the TV and hoping to catch the sound of whoever was there, or more preferably, not catching any sound because there was no one there.

All she heard was a small tap, and it grabbed her attention as a terribly familiar figure landed outside the window, crouching on the slate of the roof. The darkness of the night made her wish that her mind was only playing tricks on her, being needlessly scared by a rare black cat only seeking shelter for the night. But there was no denying the creature that swiftly slipped in through the window, the light striking and fully illuminating Zerobi's features.

The temperature in the room dropped to absolute zero as Eve felt like her heart was about to stop. Zerobi looked very elegant, even more so than in her younger days due to her more impish features receding. Yet still, she seemed so much more frightening. Zerobi tried to smile, but all Eve could see were the fangs of a vampiric creature, not in the least bit calming or cute but only a glimmer of her demonic nature. Losing control of her breathing as she panicked, Eve leaped up to her feet in an attempt to flee.

"I come in peace! I just want to talk!" Zerobi interrupted her while flailing around with her wrapped up hands, "See? Gloves and everything! I'll just stand over here, I won't try to come any closer, just don't scream..."

Eve froze up in terror, realizing it was already too late. Nothing but humans in the hotel; they would get sliced to ribbons in a fraction of a second. She could never match up against Zerobi in the past, so fighting or fleeing while carrying an extra passenger was beyond impossible. By the time Snivy and the others arrived at the scene, she would be but a finely carved cadaver. She was trapped.

Amazed that Eve was not screaming hysterically, Zerobi already felt things were going in her favor. Watching her old friend cowering like this was discouraging, and so she summoned up all of her amicability. She could do this.

"I-If you think..." Eve stammered in warning, staring down Zerobi while hoping to evoke enough sympathy that she would come out of this alive. It did not seem very likely. After all, when Zerobi had been on the verge of death and begging for mercy, Eve had left her to die. She trembled, knowing the blooded wraith's revenge upon her and her unborn child would be unimaginable.

"I know. There is no excuse for what I have done, and I would understand perfectly if you would rather I go away and die..." Zerobi explained as she looked around the room awkwardly, finding it more and more difficult to stare into Eve's hateful eyes, "But... I want you to know. At least you should know what really happened, and why. You deserve that much."

Zerobi quickly lifted her hands to her hair, trying to grab the small object she had stored within. Due to the pillows covering her claws, she rummaged around with the finesse of two very soft sledgehammers.

"... Stupid..." Zerobi grunted as she slipped out one hand from the cushion, the shiny metal causing Eve to sharply inhale. Moving quickly as to stop the normal-type from panicking, she withdrew and object and threw it on the ground in front of Eve.

"... Here," Zerobi said as she put her claw into the headrest again, "It's a picture of me and... My sister..."

Eyeing her carefully, Eve threw a glance down towards the ground. It stayed there for only a second before it snapped back up at Zerobi again. However, her expression turned slightly daft as she warily looked down again, staring more intently at the picture this time. After a few moments, she lifted her head with an expression that practically shouted "Are you serious?"

"Yes, I would also consider myself insane if our roles were reversed," Zerobi answered her unspoken question, "Turns out, Celebi and I are family. I could have brought her, but... This is between you and me."

"... And everyone you killed..." Eve said, unable to stop herself. She knew she was in a bad position, but seeing what could be genuine proof that the legendary Celebi was real overwhelmed her. It had to be fake.

Sighing deeply, Zerobi stared off to the side while twiddling the soft cushions around her hands. Any little gesture to ease what she was about to explain.

"... I never meant for it to happen..." she whispered with a hazy, almost dreamy expression, "I never knew I was of legendary heritage. I had no idea on how to shackle myself. My powers... Overtook my being. Controlled me."

Once more examining the picture, Eve realized that even if the picture was fake, Zerobi's inexplicable resurrection was not. She felt eight years of nonsense explanations and futile reasoning vanish in a second. Of course Zerobi survived, she was a bloody legendary. Or perhaps, a legendary of blood? For the first time, Eve looked at Zerobi with curiosity rather than fear, wanting to know more.

"... You know exactly when it happened, don't you?" Zerobi asked while thinking of that one fateful night with the Kadabra, "The day I changed. The time when I evolved..."

She did, in a manner of speaking. Eve had always assumed Zerobi to be a typical serial killer, acting normal around other people until the day she finally snapped. When they founded Evolution's Gate, Zerobi stopped being the cheerful, caring girl she once befriended. However, Eve had come to believe that it had all been a ruse on Zerobi's end, trying to hide her murderous tendencies from the public.

"... It was the blood. The unstoppable lust for blood controlled my mind, and ruined my life," Zerobi continued with a chilling voice, "When I came down from my high and returned to my senses, I had no idea how it had happened. I had been possessed to kill, something I would never even have been able to even imagine before."

Hesitating for a moment, Darkrai's words echoed in her head. The blood did not control her - It simply allowed her to act out her urges. She decided to leave this out of the explanation, thinking it would ruin what little credibility she was gaining with people.

"The following seven years I lived in seclusion, knowing I was too dangerous to ever be with anyone again," Zerobi explained as she clenched her unseen hands, "Every night, I could hear the cries of those I killed... And... Even worse..."

This was it. Forcing herself to look at Eve, Zerobi prepared to say the most difficult thing she had ever said.

"... I knew you hated me," she admitted breathlessly before quickly looking away again, "You were my best friend, Eve. I... No, the other part of me ruined that, and that's why I could never let it control me again."

Eve felt her heart skip a beat, not believing what she was hearing. Mustering up all the knowledge Snivy had given her regarding criminals and their aptitude for lies and trickery, she could not help but take in Zerobi's ridiculously sincere admission. In fact, ever since the Dark-type had entered, Eve had not felt the presence of the murderous swine she had come to fear for so long. It had been exactly like that of her old friend, a presence she had forgotten about ages ago.

"I never wanted to hurt anyone... But especially not you," Zerobi said while suddenly finding it a bit easier to look into Eve's eyes and their diminishing hostility, "If there was anything I could do to make things better, I would."

"If you truly feel that way..." Eve spoke up for the first time in a while, her voice calm if maybe a bit wary, "... You should turn yourself in to the police."

"... A year ago, I might have done so..." Zerobi whispered while thinking of two quietly weeping figures in a cave not far away, "... But now, there are others that need me. I can do a lot more redemption out here than in a cell."

A strange silence followed. It was awkward, but at the same time very comforting and somewhat nostalgic. Eve and Zerobi looked at each other without fear, eight years of frightened memories beginning to melt away.

"I... I would've brought some Leppa Cake for you..." Zerobi said to break the silence, "... But knowing what I did, you'd probably think it was poisoned or something..."

Eve stared at her, speechless. Could this actually be happening? She was talking to Zerobi, the serial killer who had betrayed her. Tried to murder her. So many dead, so many friends back in Cerulean City with their lives ruined, all because of her. Every nightmare. Every session of therapy. Her fault.

"... No..." Eve whispered to herself and fixed a serious gaze into Zerobi. The Weavile suddenly felt a cold sensation take grip of her heart, causing her to freeze up in nervousness.

"Snivy would know if it was poisoned or not," Eve explained calmly while feeling a sudden urge for sweets, "He can smell poison from a mile away."

Zerobi sighed out in relief and smiled. For a moment she thought the conversation was going to head in another direction.

"... He's a good man," Zerobi lied, not really knowing Smugleaf for anything other than what a Leaf Storm feels like, "He protected you well. I hope I did not hurt him and his partner too badly..."

"... Well..." Eve whispered while remembering what Umk had told her about the conclusion of their battle, "Compared to what they did to you..."

"Hey... Remember the days we spent at the river by Bill's House?" Zerobi reminisced while smiling, "Sitting and chatting... Reading magazines... Not a care in the world..."

"Those days are long gone," Eve spoke sternly, wondering if Zerobi honestly thought they could pretend Evolution's Gate never happened, "And they are not coming back."

"I know," Zerobi answered with dismay, but her smile never faded, "Things are different... For both of us."

This was as far as she would get, Zerobi thought. It was a bit unrealistic to try and rekindle their friendship with a past surrounded by murder, betrayal and blood. Just talking to Eve after all this time was enough, and definitively a step up from what could have happened in this meeting. It felt so strange to see Eve looking so grown up, despite still being unevolved. Zerobi attributed part of this due to Eve's lightly sagging belly, still not believing what she was seeing. Wishing she could stay around longer, she felt it was time to retreat before the pleasant encounter had the chance to turn sour.

"Thanks for hearing me out. I'm not sure what to say... Just..." Zerobi said while bowing in respect, "Please... Do not suffer any more for my mistakes."

She turned around to leave, relieved to see no one outside had notice her little intrusion. She wondered how this all seemed to Eve, watching her disappear into the darkness of the night one last time. Was she being too hasty? Should she try to-

"Wait," a voice sounded from behind. Zerobi turned around, shocked to see Eve jumping off the bed and walking towards her.

"I didn't... I mean..." Eve fumbled with her words as she looked up at the surprised Weavile, feeling very weird inside. She had always assumed Zerobi hated her, only acting like her friend to keep together Evolution's Gate. The rise and fall of Evolution's Gate was merely the catalyst that tore them asunder, Zerobi finally showing her true colors. Believing her dead all this time, their brief encounter in Snowpoint City made Eve imagine the malicious Weavile plotting revenge for seven years, not sitting and crying her eyes out over what had happened. Despite being the perpetrator, could the tragedy have affected her nearly as badly as her victims?

"... I hated what you did," Eve admitted as she straightened her legs, "But I never hated... You."

Zerobi's mouth fell open, wondering why Eve would deny something like that. But Eve knew that although they had drifted far and away from one another, their past was intertwined whether they liked it or not. Their friendship had been unbreakable, at least that seemed to be what Zerobi was banking on. They would never have what they had then, but that did not mean they could not share anything.

"If... If you want to come back and talk another time..." Eve said quietly, hoping she was not making a mistake. Zerobi looked at her with a stunned expression before smiling and nodding. Suddenly hesitating with her notion of leaving, Zerobi forced herself back out the window, knowing that her old friend needed time to think things over.

They both spent the rest of the evening mulling their moments together in the good old times, blind to the future and the misfortune it would bring. Dreaming of growing up to be a Vaporeon, or discovering the many secrets of the world. Hugging a doll of a Wigglytuff, or reading the latest issue of Occult Magazine. Exploring caves or lying by the riverside, or even just staying up at night to watch scary movies on Halloween. No Snivy, no Lucario. No police, no legendaries. Just two children, doing insignificant things that left no impact on their lives or the world as a whole whatsoever.

So happy together.