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imjeralee · 3 years

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Comfort in Despair: Chapter 24 - Haunted

Leon x F!Reader

Disclaimer: Do not own Pokemon

Summary:

Galar is rich in folklore and tales of the supernatural.

As a Pokemon Researcher who specialises in ghost types, this is a great opportunity for you to investigate and learn more about the paranormal.

Along the way, you meet Leon (in the most awkward way possible) who becomes embroiled in your adventures.

^ Basically this story is about ghosts :/

NOTE: I’m updating early! hope you enjoy. This chapter is quite disturbing (in a different kind of way).

Rating: General/Teen

@marydragneell here is the latest update

Haunted

…

[“Laugh, and the world laughs with you; Weep, and you weep alone.”

- Solitude, Ella Wheeler Wilcox]

…

Leon sits at the table, wondering what to expect.

He isn’t really sure and he watches the rustling red curtain worriedly as Jace presses a button on his remote and the spotlight moves to shine on the drapes and the same music from the pageant’s opening ceremony begins playing.

He spares Volkner a quick glance; the gym leader is immobile, sitting in his seat with pen in hand over the paper, watching.

Leon passes a glance to Sonia and Jace next.

They look a little perturbed.

Frankie looks nervous too, sitting with Sylveon and Yamper squashed in her arms.

Meanwhile, Ezra snores on the sofa, the music drowning him out.

The curtains rustle again and are promptly pulled apart and you step out.

Leon stares, eyes wide. His hand goes limp, the pen almost falling out of his grip; you look….different.

He’s not the only one. Sonia is also gaping in shock, astounded by the difference in persona which is so glaringly obvious. Jace too, is severely spooked, gawking with eyes as large as saucers.

You’ve turned into a completely different person.

With a wide smile that reaches your ears, you have emerged in a swimsuit and high heels.

He hasn’t seen you wear so little clothing before. In fact, he’s used to seeing you in your long coat, oversized sweaters, cardigans or something…anything that was baggy and casual. He’s used to seeing you in bland, neutral colours with little or no makeup. He’s never seen you so dolled up, dressed up in such bold and bright colours and so exposed before.

He inwardly gulps as you begin to stroll down the aisle with the confidence and grace of a catwalk model, taking long strides in your heels, rehearsing the routine in tune to the music.

Except it’s not really you.

Keeping to her schedule, Sonia begins the introduction, clearing her throat and with script in hands, holding the microphone close to her mouth, “And give it up for the lovely Flora Warren who is here today to represent Motostoke!!!” she exclaims as enthusiastically as possible, but when she’s finished, she lowers the microphone, her lip wobbling with worry.

You parade over the red carpet, waving and smiling, oblivious.

Reading from the script, Sonia says, “Miss Motostoke is twenty years old this year. She is currently a full-time arts student at Hammerlocke University and her hobbies include dressmaking, flower arranging and volunteering at the local pokemon shelter! Her mother is an ex-beauty pageant queen with a five-year win streak and she’s hoping to carry on their legacy if she wins tonight. Good luck to you, Miss Motostoke.”

Following Sonia’s introduction, you wave to the dark audience, blowing kisses and still wearing that rehearsed smile on your face. You’re smiling so widely your cheeks are bunched together so high, your eyes creasing until they have turned into slits. It’s time to head to the left so with a hand on your hip, you head over – it's Leon’s side – and he stiffens as you look at him but your gaze is empty and not belonging to you.

You blow him a kiss and wave, a little flirtatiously, waggling your fingers.

Sonia laughs awkwardly, trying to masquerade it as much as possible. “Oh! What a bold gesture! I wonder what our judge Leon is thinking of?” she outlines, as you leave his side and head to the right where Volkner is.

The gym leader stares at you impassively and writes down his score, unaffected by your demeanour.

Leon glances at Volkner, inwardly wishing he did not get the opportunity to see you so scantily clad like this. Not just Volkner, but Jace too. This pageant is a bad idea and he is uncomfortable with this, as you had predicted. He tries not to let this revelation eat at him, though his chest clenches tightly with discomfort.

When the music is almost over, you return to the middle of the catwalk to perform one last twirl before returning to the curtain, standing in front of it. This should be the part where all the contestants did a synchronised dance and Leon watches as you perform the moves.

The music ends and after giving the miniscule crowd one last wave, you smile and vanish behind the curtain.

Leon’s gut comes undone and he pens in his score for the opening act, not that he really has an idea on how to grade you for this.

Jace blinks blankly the entire time, wondering to himself what in the name of Arceus he had just witnessed.

Frankie clutches the pokemon to herself, the colour drained from her face.

Sonia also appears disturbed, exhaling shakily before moving on to the next act.

It’s question time and you reappear in the swimsuit; Leon is certainly not used to seeing you wearing so little clothing and when you stride over to Sonia, he sees the smooth curve of your ass as you twirl and shift your weight onto one foot for a pose and he harrumphs into his fist, realising it is about to get worse.

Sonia stands at the catwalk with the microphone whilst you join her side, standing with your hand on your hip. In heels, you are taller than her an inch or so.

“Good evening, Flora,” Sonia says, a little reservedly.

“Good evening, Miss Sonia,” you reply, with that never-ending smile plastered on your face.

She hesitates: your voice has changed to a high-pitched, flirty, girlish tone.

“W-well…” she eyeballs the script briefly. “H-how does it feel to be on stage tonight?”

“Simply wonderful! It’s a dream come true!” you gush, uncharacteristically so.

Sonia is struggling to keep a straight face and to minimize her stammering. “Great, let’s move onto the questions then! Our first question for tonight is: Please do tell us something about yourself.”

“Yes, of course, I’d love to,” you speak clearly and confidently; Leon and Sonia cannot help but stare. Oblivious to them, you smile sweetly and say, “I am an embodiment of a new meaning of life. My purpose here is to find the meaning and to fulfill it. This platform is one of my steps towards reaching my goal for this destiny, which I will decide.”

“What an excellent, well-thought answer!” Sonia replies as the crowd claps in response.

You giggle and do a little curtsy, knocking one leg against the other.

She moves onto the next question. “And what would you say is the biggest problem facing our educational system, and why?”

“That is a fantastic question, Miss Sonia, and my reply is this: the biggest problem our educational system faces is that it believes it’s a system. A system is a set arrangement of things. However, education means to impart knowledge by giving and taking to empower the uneducated. This has been forgotten in the process of being a system, which needs to be learned once more.”

“Miss Motostoke, here is our final question: what do you expect to gain by participating in pageants and why?”

“By being a part of these pageants, I expect to gain an opportunity to discover my strengths and perfect them, realise my weaknesses and transform them into strengths and take home the crown.”

“Thank you, Flora. That’s all the questions for tonight.”

“Thank you.”

Sonia returns to face the audience as Leon, Volkner, Jace and Frankie erupts into applause once again and Leon writes down his score.

The night wears on until finally, it’s time for the crowning.

Frankie steps in and gathers the scoresheets off Leon and Volkner, handing them to Sonia. She checks it briefly before returning to the script; Flora is supposed to win anyway and as Sonia head to the stage. The music shifts to a drumroll, courtesy of Jace.

You emerge in the ruby red dress which glimmers brightly under the spotlight and stand behind her a short distance away.

Sonia reads out the scores, where an imaginary third and second runner up are announced.

“And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for,” she announces, “who will be this year’s Miss Galar???”

You stand in the back, clutching your hands together with your eyes squeezed shut, holding your breath.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of this year's Miss Galar Beauty Pageant is.........." Sonia leaves her sentence trailing for dramatic effect, “Miss Motostoke!”

You shriek with joy, leaping up and down on the spot.

“Give it up for Miss Motostoke!!! Congratulations!!!”

Slapping a hand over your mouth, you’re beginning to cry, thick tears oozing from the corner of your eyes.

Jace switches the sound effect to a fanfare then abandons the remote control to sprint over to the stage. He climbs up a ladder he has propped up where a basket full of confetti has been set up neatly on the top step. He promptly grabs a fistful and promptly tosses it over you as per your guidance.

As you squeal happily, a chair adorned with fancy red cushions is your ‘throne’ and it’s your final destination, a meaningful end to the night; you stride over, seating yourself with the precision and grace of a queen. You wave blindly to the crowd in the dark, smiling.

Next, Jace climbs down the ladder and abruptly tears off his sweater, revealing that he’s wearing a white shirt, suit jacket and tie underneath which he hastily adjusts before Frankie hands him the tiara and sash on a velvet cushion.

He tidies his hair and clothes before he strides over with the awards, presenting them to you.

You gasp with delight, pressing a hand to your chest, yet as you shift your glance, gazing at the pink jewel of the tiara sparkles and shimmers brilliantly under the light…

…your smile instantly evaporates.

In one fell swoop, your body abruptly lurches backwards against the chair as though you are host to an invisible force, before you’re thrown to the floor.

Sonia gasps and Leon stands up, chair legs scraping harshly across the floor as he rushes over and helps you up, snaking an arm around your shoulder and holding your hand tightly.

Your eyes are closed as he shakes you gently, calling your name, and you slowly open your eyes. He breathes a sigh of relief when he sees your pupils are no longer blank and devoid of life. You have returned.

Your head’s throbbing and you emit an uncomfortable groan under your breath. “….Leon?”

“I’m here, it’s me. Are you alright?”

“…I think so.…” you glance around, spotting Volkner, Jace and Sonia who have gathered round.

"What happened to you?" Volkner asks.

“Chuck, are you okay?”

“Thank goodness!” Sonia cries as she envelopes you into a hug whilst Frankie is gawping at the chair you had previously occupied.

“….Flora?” she squeaks out.

A transparent, shadowy silhouette has suddenly appeared from out of nowhere, lingering on the seat, capturing everyone's attention.

“Flora??” Frankie tries to reach out to her but her fingers only come into contact with nothingness, grappling into thin air, “Flora, say something…what’s wrong? Flora?? Flo-

-ra?”

“Flora?”

“Flora, get back here this instant!”

“Leave me alone, mum!”

They’re fighting.

She can’t remember what the reason was. It’s probably her mum who started the argument as usual, for she has been ruthlessly training her day in and day out.

She's exhausted and she wants to leave.

Locking the door behind her, she marches to her closet and throws open the door, pulling out an empty suitcase and tossing it over the bed. She begins to pack her essentials as the doorknob is wrestled for a few moments or so, before a loud thud resonates from the door.

"Open this door!" mother yells, slamming a clenched fist against the surface.

"No!"

"Open this door right now!"

"No, go away!"

When she's finished packing, she zips the case up and lifts it off the bed; she unlocks the door, coming face to face with her irate mother who had been waiting impatiently outside.

“What do you think you are doing?”

“I’m leaving, mum.”

“But the pageant-“

“That's your dream, not mine. I never wanted to participate in any pageants, you’ve just been forcing it onto me,” Flora snaps, brushing past her mother and towards the direction of the stairs.

“Flora, you can’t!” mum follows and grabs the suitcase, causing Flora to stop. “No, how could you? I’ve sacrificed too much for you to throw it all away! Don’t go."

"I'm sorry, mum, but I've had enough."

"Don’t, please don't.”

She pulls the case as hard as she can. “Mum, let go!”

“Don’t leave me!”

“Let go!”

The two women struggle, pulling and tugging the case in various directions, grappling with it back and forth.

Flora’s mother cannot fathom this betrayal and treachery, by her own daughter nonetheless. She had spent all those years training and grooming her daughter to win, to be the best and most beautiful of all.

And now her daughter was going to leave?

She knew about her boyfriend.

She had eavesdropped on the plans they had discussed, the dreams they shared.

They were planning to elope.

A vile taste rises in her mouth. She wanted to vomit from the treachery, the betrayal….from her own daughter, nonetheless.

If friends and the neighbours found out…how could she still show her face? Who knows how long she will be the talk of the town, the laughing stock? Hadn’t she been humiliated enough?

She had driven her own daughter away, just like she had driven her husband into the arms of another all those years ago! The husband who left her with two children. One born when they were in love, and the other who caused the separation in the first place. That's when she lost the crown. She was too old. It was time to move on.

Never, she thinks to herself and at that moment in time, she knew she had to stop her daughter from leaving at any cost.

She grabs an object. Everything happened too quickly, she couldn't remember, but it was large and weighty and with strength she did not realise she could even possess, perhaps it was the spur of the moment and the adrenaline and anger rushing in her veins, she brings it down over her daughter's head.

And everything goes still.

Flora stumbles, dropping the case as she shakily lifts a hand to where she had struck.

Her trembling hand is soaked with blood.

Suddenly aware of what she had done, mother drops the object in shock. "FLORA!!! Oh my god, I'm so sorry-"

Disoriented, Flora winces and stumbles away clumsily, backing closer towards the stairs.

"Flora!"

"Don't....come...near me-"

She’s too late to stop Flora from falling; the heel of her foot completely misses the step; it happened so fast. Flora disappears down the staircase.

The sounds of her body tumbling down the steps resonates throughout the entire house, accompanied with a curt scream which abruptly comes to an end as her body slams over the ground.

Her mother is still, eyes laden with sheer terror.

“…Flora?”

She rushes to the railing, peering over and promptly gasps at the sight, covering her mouth with her hands.

Flora's body lies on the ground, limbs splayed out, resembling some twisted puppet on strings. Her head twisted to one side, Flora’s eyes remain open yet robbed of life. A puddle of red begins to leak from her head.

She creeps down the steps, noticing that Flora hasn’t reacted, hasn’t moved when she calls her name, and she begins to weep as she crouches beside her daughter. Her face is ruined. How can she participate in the pageant now?

Before the light disappeared from her eyes and the darkness overtook, Flora was facing the living room of the house she had grew up in, where she had so many fond memories.

A pink glint reflected off her eyes; it was last thing she saw and it was her mother’s tiara, which was proudly displayed on the mantelpiece.

…

“Flora, what’s wrong?? Oh god, what’s wrong??”

Frankie cries out for her sister again and again, but she cannot elicit a successful response from the spirit as it hovers listlessly in the air.

“Frankie, stay back. Something’s wrong,” you utter as a dark miasma begins to emit from the spirit in shadowy wisps.

It gazes where her hands should be though they are transparent, and her fingertips are slowly dissolving into nothing.

That’s right. I’m dead.

It’s then she realizes she’s hurting all over and she’s seeing everything in a lopsided angle. Is it her neck?

It hurts.

A profound sense of dejection spreads throughout her chest, though it is comforting in many ways.

“Flora!” you yell, as the dark waves and wisps increase steadily around the spirit and begin to cocoon her; she is beginning to lose form. “Stop! Don’t give in!”

“What’s going on?!” Frankie cries out in confusion.

Flora closes her eyes as the darkness laps at her. A soothing voice beckons to her, telling her this is real. Her death was real and to embrace the truth.

My own mother.

Throwing her head back, the spirit's jaw enlarges as she proceeds to emits a pained scream as sharp and grating as nails on a chalkboard, and you and Frankie wince uncontrollably; her eyes sink in, her hair grows wild, elongating until they resemble tendrils which grow darker, more fierce, and Frankie flings her panicked glance back and forth between you and her sister; a cloud of darkness has swamped her entirely, coiling and twisting under the lights of the lab. The light does not penetrate this formless, sprawling mass.

“It’s too late,” says a quiet but gruff voice, and everyone glances to the source.

Ezra has risen from the sofa with Absol by his side.

He’s heading towards your group, his glazed eyes focused on the coiling shadow as he pulls out a thin, bronze dagger from the inner pocket of his coat.

“Wait!!!” Frankie yelps.

She runs up to him but he shoves her aside.

Ezra's wrist darts out and he tosses his dagger towards Flora’s direction.

The dagger hurtles seamlessly through the air and pierces the shadow. A strangled, ethereal shriek fills the lab before the spirit promptly explodes in a burst of black, its existence reduced to nothing but dark ashes that slowly float gently in the air before disintegrating into nothingness. The scream persists in its wake, echoing thoroughly before it fades away.

The dagger, having destroyed its target, lingers in mid-air for a second or so before it drops to the ground with a loud clatter.

The lab is bathed in silence as Jace and Sonia blink with wide disbelief whilst Volkner watches on impassively. Leon gives you a gentle squeeze on the arm as you hold him close. Frankie averts her limp gaze to you and Ezra.

“….What have you done?”

…

In Motostoke, Frankie’s mother is led out of her house in cuffs.

She’s escorted by two policemen and her expression is blank, empty of emotion. Is she remorseful that her daughter died, or resentful that she was caught? You cannot tell.

You stand a safe distance away, watching Frankie in the open doorway; she’s sobbing and shaking her head with disbelief. The sirens blare and wail and neighbours peer over the garden fence to get a closer look. Then she spots you and your mentor across the street under the streetlight, and her expression turns stormy.

She marches up to you and when she’s an arm length’s away, her eyes are ablaze with anger and hatred, reserved just for you.

“I hate you!” she hisses, “I wish I never met you!!! You ruined everything!! You’ve taken EVERYTHING away from me!!! I never want to see you again!!!”

Without another word, she spins on her heel and dashes towards the direction of her house, slamming the door shut in her wake.

Stricken with a numbness you’re all-too familiar with, you stand, immobile.

Some of the neighbours throw glances at you, wondering what had happened between you two to have warranted such a hostile encounter.

Footsteps approach you, and Ezra joins your side.

“…You okay, kid?” he mutters, breaking the monotony.

It takes a while for you to regain your composure, and you manage a meek shake your head.

“You did your best.”

“…But it’s never really enough, is it?”

“You tried...that’s what’s most important.”

Your body shudders as you exhale loudly, wiping the corner of your eyes which are growing wet. “Oh god. What the hell was I thinking? I-I couldn’t do anything after all.”

“Stop beating yourself up. You did everything you could.”

“Do you think she’ll be okay?”

“She’ll be fine, her anger will subside and she'll move on. Not sure about her mother though.” Ezra mutters; without further ado, he grabs his cane and begins tapping at the ground, disappearing from the lamplight and onto the path. “Come on, kid, let’s call it a day.”

You nod weakly, joining his side; you throw the house one last look from over your shoulder before you follow your mentor into the darkness.

…

Later, you receive a message from Graves; one of his subordinates saw and recognised you at the scene. He asks you what you were doing there and you tell him you were working on a case. He doesn't bother to berate you over text.

Though you're aware the police were investigating at the same time since you had met Frankie and when you had held the pageant, you ask for more information regarding the arrest and to your surprise, Graves informs you the autopsy revealed Flora had died in a different location (and not the Watchtower Ruins). She had suffered head trauma and was left to bleed. The injuries on her body were also post-mortem, designed to confuse and mislead but lo and behold, nothing can escape Lady Justice. Frankie's mother and her alibi didn't quite check out, and she had become the prime suspect.

It would only be a matter of time.

The truth has been revealed though your mood does not improve and when you return to the lab, you quietly clean up the whiteboard and stow away the remnants of the case into your files. Earlier, you had wiped off the makeup and gotten changed into your normal clothes.

Jace and Volkner assist with dismantling the setup; they silently take down the curtains, the lights and tidy away the carpet. They also help you return the tables and desks and chairs to their respective places before they take their leave for the remainder of the night.

Everything was a blur, but you briefly remember thanking them and they did ask if you were fine, and you assured them you were and that you wanted to be alone.

Sonia packs away her utensils but you don’t go home with her just yet. You thank her for her help tonight and she exits the lab with Yamper though she’s reluctant to leave you on your own.

That leaves Leon, and he enters the lab quietly, spotting you at the whiteboard and quickly taking down all the pins, strings and magnets.

“Hey…” he murmurs as he makes his way over and you turn round.

His arms are full; he's holding a massive bouquet of flowers, a lilac box tied all over with a white ribbon and a Sobble doll.

"Um, I got you these because I wanted to cheer you up...they ran out of Ghost pokemon dolls so I had to make do with Sobble," he utters as you gasp. "And the bouquet I got you last time was ruined so I got you a new one."

You're stunned he managed to curate all these in such a short span of time and an image of him running around from shop to shop flashes in your mind; it's enough to bring a smile to your lips and you chuckle. "Thank you, they're wonderful."

He grins bashfully as he presents you with the gifts which you carefully settle on the desk. The bouquet is far more extravagant than the previous one, filled with a multitude of brightly coloured flowers of all shapes and sizes and also looking very expensive and exotic. You quickly lean down and take a whiff; they smell wonderful as expected, and you lift up the box next for a good look. It's fancy chocolate.

Next, you pick up the Sobble doll. It is so cute and squishy, and you let it sit on the desk beside your books. Leon watches as you smile to yourself; just seeing you happy makes him happy.

"Thanks Leon," you murmur, stepping over to his side to swiftly kiss him on the cheek.

His face grows red, but he grins and before you can wander away, he takes your hand in his and gently squeezes your fingers. "...You're welcome."

"I'll take better care of the flowers this time," you reassure him and he nods; you return to the board, picking up where you left off and determined to finish up before the end of the night.

"Let me give you a hand."

"Thanks."

He grabs Flora’s photograph and pulls it off the board. You watch as he silently assists you, before you peel off Frankie’s photo and Hank’s mugshot. He continues to help you with the cleanup and when the board is clear, you grab your journal and the box of chocolates before heading for the last step of the staircase, plopping yourself down with the items balancing over your knees.

Leon joins you as expected, being mindful of his cape as he settles himself down. You have always enjoyed being close to Leon no matter what the occasion and this evening is no exception.

"Let's have a look," you say with a smile as you untie the ribbon as carefully as you can, lifting up the lid to reveal the chocolates are moulded into adorable shapes of ghost-pokemon ranging from Ghastly, Phantump, Pumpkaboo and Drifloon.

Leon watches your reaction; your eyes light up before you gesture him to take one. He chooses a Drifloon fudge and you pluck a Ghastly truffle before you both pop them into your mouths at the same time.

"Oh, it's good."

"I’m glad you like it. What should we try next?"

"Phantump caramel?"

"Yeah."

As you munch your way through your next chosen chocolate, you sigh.

"Are you okay?" Leon asks.

You shake your head.

"Come here," he replies, and you put the chocolates down to scoot closer to him; he invites you into his embrace, wrapping an arm around your shoulder whilst scooping your other hand with his. The warmth from his hands is comforting as he affectionately weaves your fingers together.

“I just wanted to help,” you murmur.

“I know.”

“Was that so wrong?”

“Of course not.”

“I wish I could be like you, Leon. I wish I could help people the way you do.”

“But you already do.”

“No, I don’t. You inspire people and actually make a difference to the world.”

“So do you,” he replies, chuckling. “I’m serious. You do make a difference, and in so many ways. You save people’s lives.”

You look up at him silently and he glances down, your eyes meeting.

“You saved me, remember? You saved the Champion of Galar. And you saved that guy called Tanner. Your heart was in the right place, and it always has been. Someone needed help and you answered their pleas; you wanted to help them in the way you knew how, which you did.”

Your cheeks go pink and he grins at you.

He lets go of your shoulder so he can gently clasp both hands over yours, bringing your entwined hands close to his chest before he leans down and brushes his lips over your knuckles. This display of affection makes you smile, and he presses another kiss over your hand.

“…She reminded me of myself when I was younger,” you utter, “and she also reminded me of Rosie. I even asked her if she wanted to learn. For a long time, it felt like I was swimming in a dark ocean all by myself where I couldn’t see anything or anyone but then she came along, and I wasn’t alone anymore. Someone else was swimming beside me the entire time.”

“You’re not alone,” Leon replies, “you have me. You have your pokemon, you have Ezra, Jace, Sonia, Inspector Graves, the professor. My mother and Hop, too.”

When he releases you, albeit slowly, his hands settle on your waist and you encircle your arms around his neck, resting your cheek against his shoulder. Leon emits a quiet sigh under his breath as he gathers you up in his sturdy arms and pulls you further into his embrace, holding you close to him.

As your mind begins to ease, your body relaxing, the journal finally slips off your knees and topples to the ground, your family photo sliding out in progress.

“I got it,” Leon murmurs, sliding his arm around your back as he bends down so he can scoop the items up quickly, and you chuckle as you cling onto him.

“Thanks,” you say with a grin as he hands you the journal and photo; you study your family’s smiling faces and your smile disappears. “…Leon?”

“Yes?”

“...I never told you what really happened to my family. I should have told you earlier. I’m sorry,” you say quietly, taking a deep breath. “I’ll tell you now.”

He nods.

“I’m from Kalos. We lived in Laverre Town. My family were haunted by an entity. In particular, Rosie.”

As you recount your past, explaining to Leon about Dusknoir, the incident in the basement, your mother’s disappearance and your time spent in hospital after your mental breakdown, you see Leon’s smile slowly vanishing from his face, his expression turning solemn.

And now you’re rather afraid yourself, for deep inside, you knew very well you cannot hide the truth from him and you were always terrified of what he will think of you once all the skeleton in the closet was dug out.

You cannot fathom what he might be thinking of. Maybe this will be it, this will be the final straw for him. He will decide you are a kook, once and for all and like many others, he will cease being around you. Maybe it’s too much emotional baggage to deal with and he will not want anything to do with you after all.

When you finish, Leon is very silent.

You ensured no detail was left out and now all you can do is wait for his response, albeit with incredible unease.

"So that's why you asked if I could help you find a Dusknoir," he murmurs, and you're surprised he remembered that considering it was such a long time ago.

Regardless, you nod. "I want to find out what happened to them, if they're still out there. I need to know what happened. Why Rosie, why them? Why me? Who did it...or, what did it...and why?"

Leon clamps his hand tightly over yours. "What happened isn't your fault. Don't blame yourself."

"But if I'd been stronger, if I'd paid more attention-"

"It's not your fault," he mutters, "I'll help you. Should we find a Dusknoir to get some answers? I know there are wild ones in Galar. Would that help?"

"...It might be dangerous."

He says, with a wide grin, "The Champion of Galar will do everything he can to protect you."

A huge smile worms its way over your face and you squeeze his hand tightly, "I appreciate it, Leon, but Ezra said it's nothing to do with the pokemon."

"Do you agree?"

You nod. "When Dusknoir took my family away, it was either possessed by the entity or it was receiving orders via the antenna on its head. And whatever that something is, it's from the spirit world, using Dusknoir to do its bidding. If I'm to stop it, I'll need to go in myself but even till now, I still have no clue what it might be or how to get there. I might get answers if I go into the spirit world myself but that would mean....well, I'd need to go through a Near Death Experience, or...I'll find a way to open a portal but that's completely unheard of, if not, impossible."

"You can't, that's too dangerous. Everything you've just told me is too dangerous."

"Yeah, I know. Too dangerous." you echo, nodding.

There's your dilemma, you realise.

"Any other plans?"

"....Well, Ezra said it will come for me one day. There's that."

As Leon speaks, it's then you recall that shadowy silhouette behind Charizard and Vulpix when you had watched the sunrise together.

“Hey, you okay?"

"Huh?" you snap out of your thoughts, blinking at him. "What? Sorry, did you say something?"

"Yeah, I was just asking what happened next? What happened after you moved to Galar?”

"Oh, right," you murmur, “Well….”

…

#jeralee #fanfic #fic #reader #reader insert #leon #leon x reader #Leon x you #dande #pokemon #pkmn #pokemonsword #pokemonshield #pokemonswordandshield #pokemonshieldsword #pokemonshieldandsword #archive of our own #Comfort in Despair #you

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shazyloren · 6 years

Text

I’ll Come Back

A small one shot that I’ve done in response to @underrated-reylo‘s sad af Reylo fic about Kylo discovering Rey’s pregnancy.

I hope you all enjoy this and are squealing with joy.

Link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/13270059

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Kylo laid next to Rey, their bodies in perfect harmony with one another as their forcebond hums around them. Kylo feels something inside him that hasn’t been there since his turn to the dark, a sense of belonging, of conquered loneliness.

She’d forgiven him for his mad grasp at power, for his hunt of the Resistance as the Supreme Leader. The First Order were losing this war, and Kylo had never more felt the pull to the light this strongly as now.

He wondered why, this scavenger girl, how had she managed to cause such conflict in him. Had she been left on Jakku, none of this would’ve happened. He’d firmly be in the dark.

He had to think this was his path laid out before him, that it was his destiny to bring balance with Rey. But he would be giving up everything he’d given to be where he is.

The psychological torment he had endured at the hands of Snoke for five years, the physical pain he’d put himself through, scrapping with Hux for as much power as he could get.

And yet, he couldn’t help this nagging sensation it may soon be for nothing. It was there, even if he tried to cut it out of himself.

And then she had come along. Never, had he given a thought to falling in love.

He knew it was love, he longed for her when she wasn’t here, he felt the light flicker inside him when they communed through their bond.

And she’d been the only one not to give up on him. Even if after Crait she took a while to warm back up to him.

But who would ever love a monster like him, he always thought.

And then, came Naboo.

A plan to meet and try to treat face to face without the backdrop of war behind them. She was something else, and it had shown in his three days in Naboo with her.

She’d come to him the last night, she’d seduced him, she’d loved him unconditionally and he’d felt it.

She was where he belonged and even though he was in his room of the Star Destroyer he was currently occupying, he felt he was at home next to her on whatever planet the Resistance was hiding on.

She did not know he was here, she had been sleeping. He’d just laid himself next to her and spooned her through the bond.

“Rey?” He asked quietly. She did not reply. “I wish this was really you”

Kylo was unsure, but he thought he heard a sob held back in her throat. He felt a lump in his throat as fear consumed him.

Cautiously he held onto her a little tighter. She wriggled away. “Don’t”

He felt his heart plummet. She didn’t want to be touched by him. Who would ever love a mon-

He caught something else. A faint beating like a finger tapping on thick glass. He looked above him at first, thinking it was coming from his room, but the sound was quieter when he sat up.

He turned down to face Rey who’s cheeks were wet with salty tears. As he looked at her fetal position she was bunched in, he noticed a hand on her stomach.

“Rey...” He knew, he knew straight away what was wrong. Not that it was a wrong thing, it was a... wonderful thing. It was just wrong circumstance. “Rey, are you-”

“Yes” She weeped quietly.

“And, am I-” He was interrupted again.

“Yes” She couldn’t look at him.

Kylo felt her upset, but he could feel his own elation. An heir, was his first thought, but it was quickly shoved away and replaced with the fact that Rey was carrying his child.

“Rey... I, I don’t know what to say” He mumbled as he once again took his place by her side.

“It doesn’t matter” She snapped. He felt a little shocked at her sudden outburst to start with, but she turned over and buried her face into his chest and cried profusely.

“Rey, my love” He spoke the words before he could keep them in. “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t have this child, with you still in the dark” She mewed almost, like one of the many cats he had growing up on Chandrila. It was innocent and distressing, and it played with Kylo’s mind.

He shouldn’t care, some first order officers had children they did not see with many different slaves that came through the First Order.

But he did, he cared deeply. He placed his forehead on hers before kissing her deeply. Their bond was singing as balance was restored in this moment.

“Rey... I always thought I’d die alone, or unwanted, lonely... I’ve got so used to that feeling now I don’t think I know any different” He sighed as their lips parted. “There are so many demons in my head... I don’t think I have the strength to be... a, a father”

“I want you to be with me, with us” Rey begged. “The Balance, I can feel it so much better when you’re around”

“I... what if I end up like my father?” He said sadly.

“Then our child will be the luckiest in the world” Rey spoke so softly it was almost a whisper on the air. “Come to me, come home to us. The war is almost over, you’re losing. Come now and let us end this all”

“I... I don’t deserve forgiveness for the things I’ve done to you, to General Le- mother, to mother” He was being stubborn, she knew it, he knew it. It was the demons in his mind, the years of self hate eating away at him.

“You deserve all the forgiveness in the world - a lonely boy preyed on by a monster, lost for so long and no one to guide him back” She took his hand that was gloved and took it off, a first in their bond. She guided his hand onto her stomach. “But this, this is a future you could have, with me. Just us, no wars, no demons, no self loathing”

“Where are you?” He asked, feeling the life inside her with his hand against her cool stomach. “I want to see you”

“If you come to see me you stay - or you don’t come at all” She warned, tears pooling her eyes, not matter how hard she fought them back. “I can’t take you choosing power over me again - it hurt so much!”

Kylo thought on it for a while. What did he have to lose?

Hux had lost his mind, he’d been out to spite Kylo every since Snoke died. Hux had been waiting for the opportunity. The war was being lost, there was an informant in the order who was coding their messages. They were being bombed at every turn.

What would he gain? Rey, her unconditional love that she claimed to have for him. And a legacy that wasn’t twisted and warped in fear and cripping isolation.

For the first time in Kylo’s life, he felt himself see things clearly. Stay and die for a cause that never cared for him back. Or run into the arms of a future he could have.

In that moment, his mind was made up.

“I’ll do it, I’ll come back to you” He said as he held her close. Her hair smelled of the falcon - he couldn’t explain it. “You’re all I have”

“And you are all I need” She sighed in content as Ben leaned his head down and kissed Rey’s stomach.

“So, a baby” He said, nervous laughter filling the room.

“We should call it Padme if it’s a girl” Rey suggested.

Ben froze. “How did you...”

“Please, your mother does nothing but talk about Naboo and her Queen mother” Rey chuckled. “She likes to think about the good in her family”

“I can’t tell if that’s a jab at me or not” He raises an eyebrow as Rey’s cheeks flush deeper than Kylo’s Red silk sheets of his bed.

“Never” She cheekily replied. Ben rolled onto of her and began to tickle her mercilessly. “Okay, okay! Stop!”

“Anakin, for a boy” Kylo almost demanded.

“We’ll see” Rey snuggled into him once again, their bond finally feeling the beginnings of a full balance of the force.

“We will” He agreed, the belong he felt finally settling inside him as he planned his escape of the First Order.

#kylo ren #ben solo #rey #star wars #tlj #post tlj #force bond #reylo #reylo one shot #reylo fanfic #fanfic #one shot #pregnancy #defection

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somevirtualnolife · 6 years

Text

In the Case of Dragons

1031 words

Rating: T Pairing: Mage Trevelyan x Cassandra Summary: After their first fight against a dragon, Reagan shares his opinion on the beasts. Previous Chapter: The Man Who Loved the Sun Author’s Notes: Gah, it's been too long since I've updated my lovely Reagan and Cassandra! Even though I know how I want them to end up, I've been having troubles writing some of the inbetween chapters before the big conclusion. Anyway, enjoy this sort of jokesy chapter before we get back into fluffy feelz.

Although the matter of Cassandra or Leliana possibly becoming Divine still weighed the everyone’s mind, at least they knew that it was still a while away. The chantry knew that it would be foolish to take them away right now. It was more important to focus on the matters at hand rather than worry about the future. For even with Corypheus forces weakened, there were still many other dangers to deal with.

“Ow,”

“If you stopped moving, Vivienne and I could look at it properly,”

Reagan lay on his back as Cassandra pulled up one of the legs of his trousers, inspecting a very large gash across the thigh. Vivienne then knelt, her hands glowing green as her powers slowly stopped the bleeding and dulled the excruciating pain. It would do for now; at least until they could make it back to camp. A proper healer would be able to handle this.

“Man, it really got you good, didn’t it boss?” Iron Bull stood tall among the trio, his arms crossed.

“I told him to be careful. They have a much further reach than expected. He shouldn’t have tried to get closer with his lack of protection,” Cassandra continued to scold the inquisitor.

“Well you know the thing we shouldn’t have done?”

“Please don’t say fight a drag-”

“Fight a dragon, my dear Cassandra,” Reagan went to sit up, but felt a sharp pain shoot across the left side of his abdomen. Most likely a broken rib, among many other things. He let out a pained groan of regret. “That would have been the first mistake. Winged bringers of doom, that’s what they are,”

“In all honesty, darling, I’m quite surprised you’re as afraid of them as you are,” Vivienne said curiously, as she placed her glowing green hand near the wound. “Considering everything you’ve encountered thus far in you life,”

“Why do you all act as though it is something unusual to fear? They’re dragons. Dragons are gigantic wild beasts with a penchant for stealing gold and eating people,”

Indeed, demons and extremists weren’t the only ones that had been causing a ruckus across much of southern Thedas. It seems no matter where they went, locals spoke of large winged reptiles that attacked villages and ate their livestock.

The Inquisition could help. It would boost our approval to take care of matters separate from Corypheus, Josephine and Cullen would always say. That was easy for them to say, behind tall walls that didn’t have dragons inside of them.

We’ll see, Reagan would respond. You know, why not let nature just be nature? If they prove to be a real problem, then we’ll deal with it. The dragons’ will probably move on in no time, unlike Corypheus and his archdemon.

But they didn’t. Which mean they had to deal with them.

Despite Reagan’s thrill for adventure, what he didn’t care much for encountering nature’s carnivorous predators. He was still very much a theorist and academic in that regard. You can’t reason with wild animals, so he’d much rather read about how a bear could tear your face off rather than experience that up close.

But the inquisitor did time and time again, much to his dismay. Bears, wolves, giant spiders… you name it, he probably fought it. And this time, got the full taste of a dragon’s wrath.

Some say that you experience a rush; you find a deeper meaning when you face such raw power.

Reagan was not much for that school of thought.

And now here he was, his body in agony, unable to move, his beloved warrior princess trying to ease the pain despite not having the gentlest of touches, nor the most sympathetic of words.

“It’s just a dragon,” Cassandra continued, her tone indifferent. “You’ve faced countless of enemies and have been in far worse condition. You’re being overdramatic,”

“I don’t think I’ve ever noticed how Nevarran you are until this very moment,” he groaned, throwing his arm over his eyes. Cassandra may not care for dragon-slaying but her nonchalance to the subject certainly made her live up to the Pentaghast legacy.

Iron Bull let out a hearty laugh, grinning at the bickering couple. “Your family is gonna be pissed that your boyfriend can’t handle a dragon or two, Cass,”

“I do have to agree, as fetching as you two are, this isn’t one of your finer moments,” Vivienne added as she moved her hands away from the wound. “So much whining about dragons,”

“You know it’s really mean for you to say these things to a man who’s in a terrible amount of agony,”

He really wanted to give them a far better retort, but they weren’t particularly wrong. Cassandra and him had discussed their families and meeting them a few times. After all, it would have to happen at one point, whether Cassandra was to be named Divine or not, they were an important part of each other’s lives.

It’d been years since he’d seen any of his family members, but Reagan already knew that his family would love her. A devout Andrastian, a Seeker and (technically speaking), a princess? He could almost hear his mother’s voice in his head, weeping for joy. Finally, the perfect daughter-in-law. Not to mention that every other Ostwick house would be green with envy.

The Pentaghast family on the other hand...

Honestly, you’d think that being savior of the world would be enough, but no. It seemed that her family was even harder to impress than Cassandra was, especially her uncle. He may deal with the dead most of the time, but they were dead people with credentials. Reagan really needed to consider his next career move after Inquisitor.

“Oh, who cares what they think,” Cassandra rolled her eyes, dismissive of the comments.

Reagan smiled through the pain. Right, it’s not that they really cared what their families though. What really mattered how they felt about each other.

“You still have to fight dragons though,” she said, standing up and crossing her arms. “We’ve received a half a dozen more reports requesting we get rid of them. No complaints,”

“Such a sweet and encouraging partner you are, my love,”

#dragon age #dragon age inquisition #da:i fanfic #Cassandra Pentaghast #cassandra x inquisitor #cassandra x trevelyan

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