Chapter 18 - The Voice

"Are you the voice?" He asked. Why did he even ask?

The world paused for a second, before a mischievous voice appeared.

'Am I?' It asked with a smile and a small boy appeared.

His body radiated pure white light and yet anyone could see his outline distinctly.

"No." Red said back. He knew the answer.

Ever since he appeared in Remnant, the voice disappeared. It didn't just go silent, the very presence and existence he used to feel vanished.

'But I can be.' The boy said.

Red froze.

"I…"

'Remember the feeling? The liberating power to grow without worries, where no trivial things affected you." The boy said and a memory appeared.

Distant memories flooded his mind.

The space adhered and changed alongside it and the journey of his began to replay.

'You know it, don't you. The difference between that 'Red' and you. Remember how weak and pathethic he was? Even though he should have been your equal. The other you.' The boy said and the battle began to play.

The world eventually regained its calm and the space turned back.

Just him and the boy. It smiled and welcomed an embrace.

Then came his mistakes. They didn't come from the voice, but from his defiance against it. The world swirled around him as the boy kept smiling.

It knew the best and it knew how to fill everything until he doesn't have space for anything.

His mouth slightly opened, before he closed it.

The heart that laid dormant began to beat like a drum. His vision began to change back and forth.

He saw the colours of the surrounding space. And the dark, deep sucking void where the boy stood.

Then, a crack appeared and sucked him in.

…

"Come on, five more sets."

'?'

"Ralts!" Red felt a sound come out of his throat.

Before him, a huge boulder stood. It moved up and down while his energy drained at a massive rate.

Long before the fifth set. His energy had vanished till the last drop.

However, something kept coming back, granting him energy to complete the last set.

The boulder fell down. His body soaked in sweat.

Just then he noticed, he wasn't himself at all. A weird feeling began to settle in, but they got suppressed by something else.

Clear and vibrant emotions.

A big hand stroked his head as the emotions and colors around him begun dancing.

Like a page, the world turned. This time, he stood beneath a waterfall, trying to withstand the incoming pressure and creating a space for himself without getting soaked.

Again, instead of negative emotions. His just anticipated that large warm hand.

And only one sound escaped from his mouth.

"Ralts!"

The journey began all over again, but thise time from a different eye.

Each time he patted Ralts, an immense amount of joy flooded in. Unstoppable and it didn't lessen with time.

Activities became fun when he was there.

Even when Ralts cleaned herself, he felt some kind of different emotion. Anticipation? All of these became a huge mystery.

These he longed for, but they felt so foreign.

The fun and happiness continued on for a while as he experienced every single drop of it. It became overwhelming almost.

Then the day came. Rain and thunder followed by a sense of no gravity.

Now, surrounded in a tight space. It lulled him? Ralts? To sleep, but something fought and refused to hibernate.

Within him, the hidden force that kept granting him power even when exhausted arrived and it fought. Something that should belong to the most sturdiest of pokeballs began to break.

Each crack paved way for more strength.

But even such power couldn't help break the pokeball. A sense of trepidation came.

What ifs, terrible scenarios and the worst cases. Ralts didn't feel or feared anything that might harm her like being trapped inside forever.

No, she feared the death of her master.

Even when she saw the confident look in his eyes.

Even if she knew her power couldn't allow her to help him at all.

He stood in her heart taller than anything else. And she wouldn't allow that figure to collapse no matter what.

At least, she wished to breathe her last with him.

Those emotions swirled and kept amplifying. Red tried to process what was happening, but to no avail.

How could she feel something so confusing, yet clear at the same time? And why did she care so much about him.

Red never treated her too well. He treated them all equal, no favourites.

He gave her the bare minimum. She was ready to give him her all.

That difference, only the voice could ever bridge. A feeling of certainty and clarity appeared inside his mind.

Yes, as long as he could get it back. He'd have the same conviction and perhaps even higher one than she did.

He would return to those days, where he marched forward.

Through anything that might hinder him. Fight pain that couldn't be fought, but only succumbed to. That's what he used to be able to do.

With resolve, he tried calling the boy.

Accept and regain the glory he lost. The little boy naturally appeared with a smile and opened his arms.

A single embrace and everything would return to normal.

Red found himself inside his own body once again. Step by step he approached, however his steps began to feel heavy.

As if he had fallen into a swamp.

He turned around to see her, Ralts. Although she shouldn't have known about his presence and instead should have continued concentrating on her breakthrough.

She didn't. Rather she stared at him and her eyes told it all.

The boy frowned for a second.

"Will you wait?" Red asked as the boy smiled.

'Of course, I'll wait forever. I'll wait longer than anyone will.' The boy said and vanished.

The space shattered as he found himself outside, looking straight at himself. Now he felt it, those eyes.

They didn't express unwillingness to be confined, but something much different.

Now Kirlia, her life continued.

Her power increased day by day, but her desire to change things didn't. She felt content.

The feeling of being spiritually full. It was addicting.

Something he never felt before.

As if she sensed his wonder, her emotions only got amplified. Not only the good ones, but the bad ones too.

Except that they weren't used like he learned.

She propped herself up with them.

Even if she felt the greatest joy in life, she didn't wish to slack off. So, she found ways to amplify her negative emotions.

A drive beyond motivation.

Certain fear stood at the forefront of it all.

Time began to accelerate. After witnessing Kirlia evolving into a Gardevoir, the memories arrived at the fateful scene.

He finally witness what was happening beyond the barrier.

The visage of himself burning. Despair and feeling of hatred. Pure hate that couldn't be described or measured.

It went beyond anything and targeted both herself and the culprit that caused it all.

He half understood her hate. However, the hatred she felt for herself, he couldn't comprehend at all.

The scene replayed itself.

Without a pause, he now stood face to face with the boy again.

He didn't say a word and opened his arms.

They welcomed him.

Join and hold the power that you once held, the indisputable talent and the reason why he stood at the peak for so long.

Maybe the vision had ended.

However, he felt her silent embrace, she waited for his answer.

No matter which, she would support it.

"You said you'd wait." Red said and watched his reaction.

The boy flinched.

'Of course, forever, until you are ready. Until you know you can't go on without help. I'll be here, you know how to find me.' The boy said and vanished.

A radiant smile that made one feel warm.

That's what the boy left behind. Red's heart began to beat again, sensations rushed in before they vanished.

This time, it didn't come from him.

Somewhere, deep down, he'll find her again.

…

A feeling of weightlessness got replaced by the familiar feeling.

He was back. The people around him had all various expressions. Some cried, others looked happy and some had downcast expressions.

No one came back unscathed.

Red tried to stand up just to stagger, almost falling on a stranger on accident. He apologised, but received a smile instead of malice.

"The first time I've been here, I too couldn't walk afterwards! No worries friend!" The person said and walked away with a smile.

For some reason he got goosebumps.

Maybe the painting isn't as innocent as it seemed. At least it resembled a drug.

He considered the negatives. Over all, they looked tiny compared to the things people received in comparision.

Just one quick look said it all.

He stood up and walked away and people already began to follow.

Behind him, on the other side of the colosseum. A golden strand of hair quietly fell down…