Forest Whispers

Chapter 1
It had been quite some time that the little absol had been walking. She knew not to what destination, nor from what direction she had come, but she did know that the forest ahead stretched on into layers of darkness. She shivered within the shadows, her eyes darting warily in every direction. Her small, bony frame wracked with trembling, she stumbled ever forwards, seeking only refuge from the shadows of the forest and the pain from her wounds.

She winced as she looked back at her previously white coat, now marred by clay streaks and bloody burrs. She had never even seen the ferrothorn among the brush until it was too late, and now she was paying the price for her foolish actions. As if in a dream, she remembered what her mother had told her before she had left to hunt: "A young Pokémon like yourself must always be careful, always be wary, for there are Pokémon who would destroy you with a mere thought if you crossed them."

"I am sorry mother." The absol croaked through parched lips. "I am sorry I will not be able to hunt with you now. I am sorry I did not head your words."

Who are you, little one, who did not head the words of her elders?

The absol jumped in surprise at the strange voice in her head, then winced as the sudden move drove the barbs deeper into her skin. She looked around cautiously, but she was met only with the dappled light and shadow of the forest. Dismissing it as her tired mind playing tricks upon her, she continued to shamble forwards.

How long now until you lose all of your health, little one? It would be foolish of you to ignore kind words in your condition.

"Who are you?" The little absol cried out, her voice echoing slightly among the looming trees. "And where are you?"

Ha ha, I was under the impression that I had asked that question, oh curious one.

The voice seemed warm, yet ancient, like those of the eldest absol of her pack. She had only spoken to the eldest once, but she had liked the way he spoke to her as a student, not an inferior.

"My name is Marra." She called out, emboldened by the voice's similarity to her memories. "Who are you, sir?"

I am a Pokémon of many names, the voice said softly. But you may call me Xerneas.

"Sernays?" Marra scrunched up her nose, before a small smile came to her face. "I like it, it is funny to say."

The smile upon her muzzle was short lived, however, as the pain from her wounds returned to her. Suddenly overcome by her weariness, she collapsed at the base of a small tree.

"Sernays?" She whispered. "I am sorry I could not talk to you more, because I like your voice. I do believe I will not be here much longer."

What happened to you, little Marra?

Marra whimpered slightly at the sorrow in the voice. She did not want it to be sad; she didn't like when things were sad because of her.

"I was foolish, and went to play without my mother. I met a Pokémon who was much stronger than me, and it attacked me with it's barbs." Tears were flowing down her muzzle now, the salty sting of their presence amplified over her many cuts. "My whole body hurts, and my tummy aches, and I am afraid that my mother will be mad at me, and it is all my fault!"

There was a long silence, and Marra was afraid that Xerneas had left her. But, just as she was about to call out again, the voice rang out powerfully in her mind.

Do not be afraid, Marra. I am the guardian of this forest, and I have protected it and it's inhabitants for thousands of years. I will not allow the suffering of one so young and innocent beneath my branches.

Suddenly, a strange pink aura glowed from the ground beneath Marra. It slowly spread over her body, leaving behind a feeling of warmth wherever it touched. Around the tree, flowers opened up suddenly into bloom, and plants sprouted with incredible speed. It seemed to the young absol as if life had simply intensified in the area, and the feeling spread soothing relaxation into her aching limbs.

She could no longer feel the burning pain of her wounds, nor the hunger or thirst she had suffered from before. She only felt the pure joy of life, the happiness in her very existence, curling around her like a comforting embrace.

The pink aura faded, but the greenery and life that had spread continued to thrive around the tree, as if in defiance of the dappled shadows below and chilling winds above. Marra curled up in the soft grass near the tree's roots, a content smile fixed upon her muzzle. With a small yawn, she closed her eyes, letting the peaceful lull of the new life drift her to sleep.

"Thank you... Mister Sernays..."

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Well, well, that was quite the surprise.

A new voice, one that sounded less like the calm voice of an elder, and more like the poisonous tongue of a seviper, flowed through the forest. The shadows around seemed to coalesce when it spoke, forming the shape of a strange, vulture-like creature. Had Marra been awake, she would have noticed the shift in Xerneas' tone from welcoming to cold.

Hello, Yveltal. What brings you to intrude upon my home?

Intrude? Am I not welcome in the place of my kin?

For a long time, there was simply a tense silence, as the shadow and the tree regarded each other in similarly cold manners. Finally, the shadow laughed, its voice seeming to meld with the cold wind above the canopy.

Oh, you always were the stuffy one, weren't you? I actually do have a purpose here, you know. Would you like to know what it is?

Either way, I am quite certain that you will tell me. Xerneas huffed in irritation.

I'm here to watch over one of my dark types, you see. That little absol you have there.

Watch over? Xerneas scoffed. Yes, I could tell you were doing quite the nice job of that, judging by the way she was dying.

Exactly. She was weak, and she chose her own fate,Yveltal's voice changed into the hint of a growl. A fate that you changed without cause. I could go to Zygarde for this encroachment on my domain.

Well, the little one walked straight up to my roots. What was I to do, let death within my territory? No, that would have been against both my nature and my own domain.

Yveltal's snarl rang out emptily through the forest, wilting flowers closest to its shadowy figure.

You are a fool. You can't possibly believe that a dark type can survive in this fairy environment. Besides, what are you to do now?

Yveltal's voice regained its previous venomous smoothness, the shadowy form seeming to shrug.

She doesn't know how to return to her home. Would you allow her to stay, knowing she would grow ever weaker just by being near this place? Or would you send her off just to die somewhere else, scared and alone? Simply giving her to me would be the most merciful thing you could do.
Another tense paused stretched out, before Marra shifted slightly. Her paws worked lightly against the soft grass, a small yawn stretching her muzzle, before she slipped again into dreams with a grin of contentment.

You cannot take her. Xerneas declared, his voice as sturdy and determined as a mother Shieldon. She is no longer within the grasp of
death, and you no longer have claim over her.
For a moment, Yveltal was silent. Then, roaring laughter filled the area, Yveltal's shadowy form seeming to double over in hysteria.

Oh, my sibling, what a weak mind you have, bending your will to any little child that you see! Maybe you can even get captured by a child trainer, I'm sure it would fit you. Yveltal chuckled, before his tone turned dark again. Very well. You say that you have claimed her, but I say that she is within my domain. Therefore, if that little absol stays within this forest where your fairy aura presides, then she may live. But, if she leaves your domain, she will be out of your power, and I will have what I should have gained in the first place.

But if she stays here, she will eventually die anyways! Xerneas protested angrily.

That sounds like something you should have thought of earlier. Yveltal huffed. Farewell, then. I'm sure I'll see you again quite soon.

The shadows silently faded from the forest, taking Yveltal's apparition with them. Xerneas growled lightly in frustration, before turning attention back to the little Pokémon that still slept beneath Xerneas' branches. At the sight of Marra peacefully dreaming, Xerneas' growl shifted to a weary sigh.

Oh, little one. I hope that you can forgive me for what I have just done.

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Note:
This won't be very long, but I don't know if I'll be updating it too often. Hopefully you guys can still enjoy it though.