LoRD V: A Legacy's Denouement Chapter 27

Of Man and Titan

"I'll say that I have a problem in meeting people at the wrong times, but I wouldn't exactly say that." Lucas said, as he walked up to meet the agent couple. "Sorry, I don't have much time to talk. I have somewhere I have to be."

"Where do you have to go?" Bruce asked. "You don't work for the SUI anymore! What is that you even have to do anyway?"

Lucas tried to answer that question in the next way he could. "It called none of the your damn business, that what." He joked. "No, but seriously, I'm actually going to be in Hearthome for a few days. I... I decided that the ranch wasn't my place to stay."

"Where are you going to go?" Mallory asked. "I mean- where in Hearthome, I should say."

"Just off the road here at some place called the Butterfree Inn. I hear the only reason why they call it that is because they have a view where you can see Butterfree flying around- only three times a year." He said, shaking his head. "I would just call it the Inn."

"For a few days?" Bruce repeated. "Why a few? Where are you got after that?"

Lucas shook his head as if he had no idea. "Somewhere." He said. "Wherever the wind takes me. At this rate, I'm just thinking to myself that I have nothing left here anymore."

"What about Elisa and her pokemon?" Mallory asked. "Didn't you say that you've been helping them for- what- two years?"

"I said goodbye." He admitted. "I told them I'd be back one day. I just don't know when that day will actually come."

Bruce and Mallory gave each other a quick glance. "Any thoughts on places outside of here?"

Lucas thought for a moment, and concentrated on his mind instead of the crowd of people just wanted to look at some flowers. "I was thinking about moving out of the region for a little while. You know, doing some vacationing for a while. I have a friend who lives in Hoenn that can hook me up with some vacations. Maybe even meet a Professor Oak if I had the chance, even thought I hate the pokeball."

"Oh! Sounds exciting!" Mallory said, wrapping her arm around Bruce.

"We had thoughts about going to Unova," Bruce said, "we don't know what we will do, we just want to go! We've heard nothing but good things about the region."

"Hopefully next year," Mallory said. "The rest of this year doesn't look good for vacationing. But... I guess that's just how everything plays out."

Lucas nodded. "I suppose so." He said. "Hehe, listen to us. Just a few days ago, I would have been talking about how we always had to make sure no one was holding a knife over us. And now-"

"Vacationing," Bruce added in the blank.

"Exactly. It's- weird!" Lucas said, as he couldn't help but think it. "I'm just glad that everything is going back to the way it used to be. Back before the chaos. Back before David. That's what I can actually expect now, and it feels incredible!"

"I think I can speak for Bruce and myself in saying that we agree!" Mallory said with a grin. "To hell with David! To heaven with vacations!"

"Here, here!" Lucas changed, as he laughed a little afterword. "Well... I guess I better get going. There's some unfinished business I have to wrap up over these few days in the city before I can move on. But it was really good to see you both again."

Mallory then hugged Lucas, as Brice shook his hand. "Well, whatever you end up doing, good luck." Bruce said, giving a smile to his friend. "It was nice to work with you one more time. Truly!"

"Yeah, Lucas, we really hope you can come back one day."

"I'm sure I'll be able to swing back to Hearthome again, and Jubilife too," Lucas said. "But like I said, I just don't know when. But I will come back."

"You better keep that promise!" Bruce grinned.

"Don't I always keep my promises?"

"No," both Bruce and Mallory spoke.

Lucas just laughed, as he began to continue to walk off down the sidewalk. "I'll catch you guys later."

"Just remember," Mallory said, "you still have the radio! As long as you stay in Sinnoh, you'll be able to connect to us!"

Lucas reached into his pocket, and felt the radio. He totally forgot that he even had it. "I'll keep that in mind!" He shouted, just before he disappeared along with the people walking alongside him.

---

Back at the ranch, it was now the middle of the afternoon, as everyone went back to doing what they usually did on the ranch. Matthew was flying over to the Night Lamp to meet Elizabeth, but soon discovered that she wasn't there. After flying over the ranch for a while longer, he swept down by the house and found here hovering in the back, facing one of the gravestones. Matthew landed right beside her, figuring out who she was looking at.

"Marlowe?" Matthew asked, looking at the gravestone all the way to the right.

"I thought I could pay my respects." Elizabeth said, with her hands folded together. "Sibelius came up to me today, asking vit I vould always be there for him if dings would go south again. He asked the same for you as vell."

Matthew seemed shocked by this information. "Well, Elizabeth, of course we always will be!" He said. "That poor soul has already been through too much."

"Ve all have." Elizabeth commented. "But I do see vere you are coming from. So I responded that ve vould, and he embraced me."

Matthew then looked back down on the grave, looking at the inscription reading Marlowe. "Why did you come here?" Matthew asked.

"I vas vondering about the day Marlowe passed," Elizabeth spoke, "vhen Scar came down from the sky and-"

She stopped herself, seeing Matthew cringe a little.

"And den I thought to myself, 'could dings have gone differently that day?' I don't know vhy, but I felt like I could've helped Marlowe lived. I just vish he could've seen his boy just once more."

Matthew wrapped his wing around Elizabeth. "We cannot repeat the past, no matter how many times we wish to do so." Matthew said, as they both looked down. "Marlowe would want us to move on, as long as we keep him alive in spirit. All who had parish would surely have wanted the same." He said, as his eyes scrolled down to view the rest of the tombstones. "You are doing the best you can to adapt. I mean- we, are. It's not easy... I still think about Marlowe pretty much every day. But no matter what, we have to deal with the present, instead of dreading on the past. I had to learn that the hard way."

Elizabeth then looked back over toward Matthew, as she grinned. "You're sympathy alvays gets me into spirit again." She said.

Matthew then grinned as well. "Come on, we might as well see what the rest are up to."

---

"Come on, Valence, just walk toward the ball and push it this way!"

Alex and his little brother laid on a quilt set out along the field, as they both looked toward a small, red ball about thirty feet away from them.

"I don't want to!" Valence protested, crossing his arms while looking at Alex.

"You have to!" Alex said, pointing to the ball. "If you don't learn how to walk on your own, then you'll never learn how to walk. Period."

Valence still wasn't convinced. "Mommy will help me!"

"It won't matter eventually!" Alex said. "You're going to have to let go eventually. It's not like the two of you will merge feet! It's not that easy!"

Valence didn't respond, as he just laid on the quilt, facing the sky.

"Just once," Alex said, "and I won't bother you again. You have to try!"

Valence sat up, and looked at Alex with wonder. "Can you... at least tell me a story as I walk?"

Alex didn't never stand why. "What's the purpose in that?" He asked.

"To keep my mind off my feet!" He spoke. "I don't want to fall down!"

Alex thought for a moment, and saw where his little brother was coming from. Alex then grinned, and nodded his head. "Alright," he said with a smile, "just get on your feet while I think of one."

"Yeah!" Valence spoke with joy.

As Alex sat up, making sure his brother got to his feet, Alex thought of a story that he could tell. Valence then got to his feet, as they wobbled a little after standing up straight.

"Are you ready?" Alex asked.

"Yes!" Valence said.

"Okay... well..." Alex said, trying to figure out how to start. "I don't remember where I heard this story, but I found it interesting. So, here it goes."

Valence then started to take one step at a time, as he walked over to the ball. Alex was still trying to figure out how to start.

"There was a hero who had the nickname of Titan. No one really knew what pokemon he was, other than that he was a towering beast who fought for the good of the world. There's even a rumor that he managed to single-handedly fight Giratina back to the Dark World." Alex said, watching Valence to make sure he wouldn't fall. "Whenever a dark force threatened to change the balance of the world, Titan fought to rebel against this dark force in order to maintain balance of the world. However, there was one day, during the summer solstice, where Titan was just not able to win."

Valence went to go over to the red ball, and carefully bent his knees, and picked it up. Alex saw his shaking, but he was able to keep his balance. He then continued his story.

"On that day, someone as large and as powerful as Titan challenged him to a battle, and it ended up in favor of the challenger. The Challenger would eventually become his nickname, after the battle, when he managed to beat Titan in a battle. That was when the balance of the world changed, because of Titan losing the battle, the balance of the world went in favor of the dark side."

"That can't be the end!" Valance said.

"It's not." Alex assured him. "After the Challenger had ultimately defeated Titan, he was sure that no one else would be able to stand up to him. Then came another, much smaller and weaker than the Challenger, named Aloki. Aloki said that he could beat the Challenger without even lifting a finger, right there in the room they were both in. The Challenger just laughed, and was sure that it was impossible. Aloki said that if he won, the Challenger would have to be banished, and balance would be restored. However, if the Challenger won, Aloki would have to accept a death sentance, and- whoa! Valence!"

Valence began to move back and forth, just as he was about to approach the quilt. As it seemed like he was about to fall over, he stepped onto the quilt, and fell right into Alex's arms. Valence then laughed, and felt proud of himself. "I did it!" He laughed. "I did it! I did it!"

"Yes you did!" Alex said. "I'm so proud!"

"But you didn't finish the story!" Valence looked up at him. "Can you please finish the story?"

Alex nodded. "Of course!" He agreed. "Aloki accepted. As the Challenger arose from where he sat, Aloki stepped to the right edge of the room, where there was a carpet. He used his feet to move the carpet, and then ran. As the Challenger chased after him, he slid on the slippery tile, and fell onto the ground- head first. This knocked him unconscious. Aloki then stepped onto the massive beast, and claimed he has won. The Challenger was banished to an unknown part of the world, and balance was one again restored."

There was a clap heard from behind, as Veruka came from behind the two boys. "Valence, I saw what you did!" She said, sitting down next to the two. "I'm so proud of you!" She took Valence, and hugged him. "And of course his big brother helped as well!" She rubbed Alex's head, causing his hair to shift all over his head.

"Mom!" Alex said, not expecting to call her mom instead of Veruka.

Valance giggled, as she laid him back down onto the quilt. "Alex, you think you can watch him a little longer? Maybe tell him another story?"

"Yeah," he said, why?"

Veruka began to walk off. "I'll be back in a little bit, I just have something to do is all."

Veruka then made her way off, looking for Vincent. She looked around the ranch for minutes trying to find him, and was unable to located him. It wasn't until she made her way to the path going toward the mountains where she saw him making his way off. She became alarmed, and started to run to him.

"Vincent!" She called. "Vincent!"

Vincent turned around. "What's up?" He asked.

"What are you doing?" She asked. "You came over to see Alex for a little while, and then you kinda left."

Vincent then embraced Veruka, as she wrapped her arms around him as well. "I'm sorry, Veruka," he said. "I'm still clearing out my head. I promise, soon, I'll spend all the time with you guys as you want. I just still need to get these thoughts out of my head."

Veruka then let him go, as she looked up at him. "Do you want me to walk with you for a bit?" She grinned. "I can get Ross and Saria to look after the kids for a bit."

Vincent shook his head. "I'd rather go on my own for a bit," he admitted. "Zillion be gone for a couple hours. I want to take a long walk along the path. I mean... it's not like someone is going to jump out at me anymore."

"And if someone did," Veruka started, "I'd have to be there to save you!"

Vincent then laughed. "Maybe not as much anymore," he said. "I'll be back. Just some time to myself is all, and I'm all yours."

"As long as you say so," Veruka continued to talk him out of it. "Just a couple hours?"

"And I'm all yours." He said.

Veruka then let him go, as the two starred at each other for a few seconds. "You promise?" She asked.

"I do," Vincent said, "I promise. I just need some time to myself is all."

Veruka and Vincent then gave each other a kiss, as they started to move their separate ways. "Then I'll catch you later," Veruka said.

Vincent smiled, and then nodded off to her. "Catch you later." He repeated.

Vincent then began to walk off into the woods, as his feet kicked the dirt into the air from the path. Veruka watched him move every step he took until she no longer could, as the path began to curve into the woods. As she did, she couldn't shake the feeling that Vincent couldn't have just changed his mind so quickly. Due to the fact, she chose to ignore it, in hopes that Vincent is really just clearing his mind.