Epilogues
#25 of Love and Aura
First Epilogue: Out of the Shadows
Tahnokk sat alone in the semi-darkness of what had become his cell, waiting for his judgement to come. It had been one week since his efforts had met with such disastrous results. He had spent every waking hour under guard, and with nothing to do but stare at the walls. He sighed. He had held so much power, had been on the verge of plunging all of existence into darkness, and he had failed, all because of a meddling smartass, and two adolescents with a kink for species other than their own. It was frustrating beyond all belief, and yet he couldn't do a thing about it.
He looked up in surprise as the room seemed to grow darker. He smiled. Perhaps his chance for vengeance would come sooner than he had hoped. Inclining his head to the empty room he whispered, "Greetings, Master."
The shadows themselves seemed to radiate disappointment. Then there came the whispering, smooth voice that had first called to him from the shadows what felt like so long ago. "You failed Tahnokk."
Tahnokk nodded. "My sincerest apologies. Our plan would not have failed-"
"Not our plan Tahnokk. My designs were fouled up by the incompetence of you and your subordinates."
"I won't deny my own hand in the-"
"You played no small part Tahnokk. It was your fault entirely that things turned out the way they did."
Tahnokk nodded. "As you say. But what shall happen now? What will become of me, and what will be done about those who interfered?"
It felt then as though the shadows smiled softly, though they had no form. "You needn't worry about Galen, or the others for that matter. Their time will come. As for you..."
The voice trailed away, and was then replaced by the sound of screams echoing through the block of cells. Tahnokk could hear the guards rushing around, trying to figure out what was going on. But then, the Guardians only currently had thirteen prisoners. It wasn't hard to figure out the source of the twelve wailing voices. He looked around in confusion. "What is going on? What did you do?"
The shadows laughed. "The same that I did to the one in Oblivia. With your hearts and minds so connected to the shadows, it doesn't take much for me to reach within you, and destroy you all."
Tahnokk's eyes went wide with fear. "But...why? We have done all that you asked to the best of our-"
"You were a convenient pawn, nothing more. But you have failed me, and I already have a replacement for you. Farewell, Tahnokk."
Tahnokk fell to his knees as his whole head suddenly felt like it was on fire, searing pain traveling down through his body until he was screaming in pain, just as all the others were. The voices began to die out one by one, until finally the only voice Tahnokk could hear was his own. His fell to the ground completely, his body convulsing, until finally he lay still and quiet, his life extinguished.
Second Epilogue: To Face the Past
Galen sighed. He stood in the middle of the road running through Solaceon Town, starring at the exterior of the Pokémon Daycare. It was there that Valor and Tamash? had claimed to last see Kasai, the Ninetales that could be his daughter.
He sighed again. He wanted to know the truth, but at the same time, the thought of it scared him. If he was right, he would have a lot to make up for, and a lot to explain, and that was assuming that Kasai would even want anything to do with him.
Reaching up under his jacket, Galen pulled out a Pokéball, clicking the button on the front. Clara appeared in a flash of blue light, the Espeon shaking slightly as though trying to dry off. Looking up at Galen she used telepathy to ask, "What's going on Galen? Why are we here?"
Galen gulped. "Do you remember how I told you about...my...relationship, with a Ninetales? Well, it turns out that she and I...may have produced a child...and I think that she's here at the Daycare."
Clara canted her head. "Okay, so what am I here for then?"
"I need a translator if it turns out I'm right, and you're the only one of my Pokémon who knows about the whole situation."
He then began walking toward the Daycare building, Clara padding along behind him as he prepared himself for whatever may come next.
Final Epilogue: Almost Normal
The sun shone through the trees over the road between Sandgem Town and Twinleaf Town. Two Riolus ran along the emerald shaded path, full of energy with not a care in the world but to find something to entertain their time with. Around ten meters behind them-at a far more leisurely pace-followed Valor and Tamash?, keeping a watchful eye on the two young Pokémon.
Valor sighed. "I still don't know where they get all that energy from. You certainly weren't that way."
Tamash? laughed. "True, but I didn't have a sibling to play with."
Valor smiled. "I suppose so."
It had been just three months since the events in the Guardians' mountain fortress, and it had been just two months since their children had come into the world. In all that time, they had both found themselves admittedly exhausted by being the parents of two rambunctious Riolus, but also quite happy with the change their lives had experienced. Both couldn't help but smile when they looked upon their son and daughter, as they served as constant proof of what they had managed to do.
Of course, more than just their family had changed in the intervening months. The world had changed drastically as well. In a relatively short amount of time Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Unova had all repealed the laws that had once made their relationship illegal. Naturally forced sex between a Pokémon and a human was still as illegal as forced sex between two humans, but a consensual relationship was now perfectly acceptable. At least as far as the law was concerned. There were still people out there who would give them dirty looks, or look down on them for being together, but they didn't have to hide their feelings any longer, and they could just ignore those who disagreed.
Now they didn't have to run, or pretend to be something they weren't. Valor let out a contented sigh. In the end, it was simply nice to for things to be normal again.
Both he and Tamash? cringed at the sound of growling and a cry of pain from one of their children. He sighed again. Well, almost normal. "Do you want to deal with it this time or should I?"
"I broke it up last time," She replied.
Valor rolled his eyes. "Alright then."
Quickly covering the distance to where their children were rolling around, wrestling in the middle of the path, Valor reached down and grabbed both by the scruff of the neck. "Zyle, get off your sister! Koinu, spit out your brother's tail!"
Both reluctantly complied as they were lifted up to his eye level. Both Riolus immediately started gesturing furiously at each other, trying to communicate with rapid bursts of Pokéspeak. With a sigh, Valor set them back down on the ground. "Alright, stop. I don't care who started it, you're both at fault. Now, apologise to each other."
The Riolus glanced at each other, and reluctantly mumbled apologetic sounding noises. Valor smiled. "Good. Now you can go back to...whatever you were doing before that fight broke out."
They both ran off down the path again, quickly and quite happily forgetting about their conflict. Turning back to Tamash?, he was surprise to find her giving him a rather adorable look. Raising an eyebrow he asked, "What?"
She walked past him, flicking her tail in his face as she did. "Oh nothing, just thinking a made a good choice for my mate."
Following after her he asked, "That was in doubt?"
She shook her head. "Of course not. I'm just happy that I was right not to doubt it, and that you make for a good father."
He smiled wearily. "Well thanks, though sometimes I feel...I don't know, like I'm not really their father."
She smiled at him. "If you ever need proof, just look at their eyes."
He smiled back. While their children had the usual red eyes of Riolus and Lucarios, if one were to look close, one would see small flecks of bright blue as well, proof-as Tamash? had said-that they were in fact his children.
"So since they are mine, why didn't we name him after Azure like I wanted?"
She smirked. "You know why. It's not my fault you couldn't win a coin toss."
He sighed once more. Yes, Tamash? had indeed won that contest. He had thought Azure would be a more fitting name for a Riolu and/or Lucario, but she had wanted to name their son after Zyle. Not that he disliked the name choice, he had just thought Azure to be a better choice.
"Besides, if you keep doing cute parenting stuff like that, we can get to work on making another son for you to name Azure." She punctuated this by winking and then rubbing her body against him lightly.
"Tamash?! Not in front of the kids!"
She rolled her eyes. "Oh please, they've walked in on us doing worse. Hell, I'm just glad they haven't walked in on you and Froslass at all. That would be too difficult to explain, I think."
He smirked and quirked a brow. "Too difficult to explain that you enjoy the fact that I'm left ice cold after she's finished? Besides, you were the one who said she could have access to me from time to time."
Tamash? sighed, both vocally and telepathically. "Yes, I suppose I did."
Valor draped his arm across her shoulder, pulling her in close. "Hey, just remember if it makes you feel better, that when we get to Twinleaf, my mom will probably have a heart attack over being the grandmother of two Riolus."
Tamash? snorted with laughter. "I think that does make me feel a bit better."
They both laughed then, and together with Zyle and Koinu, they all continued down the path toward Twinleaf, happy as could be under the light of the midday sun.
_ Never...The End _