bless y'all kk ily 

lyrics used: Metronome (english sub by vgperson, adapted in opening quotation); Magical Mirror (english lyrics by ham, YT singer)

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❝ We were like two metronomes.

Even though once, we ran at the same pace

at some point, we started getting out of sync

and nothing could be done.

(until now.) ❝

...?

I looked up at the sky, enjoying every inch of the blues and whites that swirled together like paints on an artist's palette—and I wondered just when I last had the privilege to enjoy such a masterpiece.

My life had grown hectic lately, and I had always been at home studying. Exams were coming up in a month—I couldn't afford to be lazy, and I needed to do well. I needed to do well in order to make sure that the wish I'd made hadn't been in vain.

Yes, I had heard every last word of what Jirachi had told me. I'd remembered that she had more than believed in me—that she had entrusted me with the ability to remember these experiences that had culminated in my current life.

I remembered certain things. For one, I knew my previous identity—I knew I had been a Legendary, but a wish had given me my human form. A few select images could come to mind—a snatch of yellow from one of Jirachi's streamers, a few poignant notes from the ending of Meloetta's song; a warning, cold hue in Arceus' serious tone.

There was one gap that I couldn't quite wrap my head around, however—and that was the fact that I didn't know why all this had occurred.

What had been the triggering event...? The break in the logic was like a string that had been snapped in two without my consent, and although I could usually push the matter to the back of my mind, there were days where the confusion would just overwhelm me.

I just didn't get it—I could remember nearly anything, but knowing that there was something else—something that defied me and chose to remain at the back of my mind frustrated me. I wanted to know just who had been that shadowed, blurred-out silhouette whose details just wouldn't show.

"I hope that someday, you're reunited with the one you cherish."

That sentence occasionally came to mind, a passing breeze through my head that would disappear after a few seconds. It calmed me, as if there was a metaphorical hand stroking my cheek and taking the role of an unnamed mother—it told me that everything would be fine.

What bothered me was a pressing question at the back of my mind, something that nagged at me—who had spoken that sentence?

༺༻

It was one of those days where the teacher had come in, high heels clicking against the door in a spotted, anxious rhythm as the worry in her brows was evident—she, like the rest of us, was concerned about our exams and I couldn't blame her.

Raising an eyebrow, my hand slid to a stop, the pen in my hand halting in the middle of a word as I caught sight of the stack of work in the adult's hand—and I couldn't hide a tired grimace. Yes, I understood that she cared for our grades, but this was the third set of notes she had given us in two days.

I rather enjoyed my school life, though. It was on a whole other level than my—though I had enjoyed the satisfaction of helping others—mundane duties as a Legendary—it was much less stressful, for one, and I enjoyed the freedom of carving out an actual life for myself.

A prideful laugh threatened to slip out while I leant back in my chair, twirling my pen around as I listened to the teacher's order to self-study—and my legs swung back and forth, creating a slow, casual rhythm to an inaudible piece of music.

The questions were all too easy, and it was far below the standard of someone who used to be a Legendary—nonetheless, I kept up the facade that I was just an average student.

Picking up my pen once again, I turned to face my worksheet—the string of numbers slotted themselves together in my mind, the solution to the equation already crystal-clear in my head—but yet another noise disturbed me and I was forced to place the writing instrument down with as little noise as I could.

"Ah, we have a new transfer student with us today!" The woman placed a harried smile on her face as she rushed to open the door. "I know that it's a bad time to transfer, especially with the exams coming up—so I hope that you all will give your utmost support to integrate him into the community."

I perked up a little at that. It wasn't very often that the school got any new students—why now, though?

Brushing my blonde hair—it was more of a yellow, but oh well—aside, I glanced up as the teacher muttered something to the figure outside the door—I cursed at her hushed whisper under my breath, and a strange sense of anticipation fluttered somewhere in my heart.

"Introduce yourself," the teacher encouraged, and led the boy inside.

His sneakers scraped along the wooden floor as he walked, and they settled to an eventual halt—and the teenager shuffled in place as he observed the class from where he stood at the front. He looked nervous—and I couldn't blame him; sure, we had a pretty small number of students, but it could still be a daunting task.

Crimson eyes peeked through his black-and-white locks—differing hues could be seen if you looked closely—and they carried a peculiar melancholy within them. His face was taut with anxiety, his mouth disappearing into a thin line as he bit down on his lip—and he used those fiery irises of his to glance around the classroom.

I tilted my head, tuning my own ruby optics so that I could study him more closely—I was quite sure I had never seen him in my short time as a human, but he seemed familiar somehow.

"I'm—" The student paused, deciding that the eye contact was far too pressurising—and he landed his gaze on the ground between his feet. "I'm Rai. I'm from...I mean, I used to live in Hoenn, but I moved to Oreburgh recently."

That voice! I was sure I had heard it somewhere before, but I just couldn't figure out where. My brain had raced into such speed that it nearly short-circuited; I thought I was one to solve problems easily, but this was a knot that I couldn't unravel with ease.

The teacher smiled—and the sound of my own breathing had become far too apparent. It rang in my ears like an annoying bell, and the rhythm of my swinging legs had become choppy and slow. I didn't know if I liked this feeling or not, but the only thought I could hear was that I knew the boy.

"Nice to hear that," the woman smiled. "There's an empty seat next to Lia over there. Why don't you sit there for now?" Raising an eyebrow, she glanced at me. "You're a responsible student. Please get him comfortable with his new school, OK?"

Not having any other choice in the matter, I nodded, pasting a smile on my face in reply and trying to ignore the thudding sound that boomed at the back of my head.

The boy mouthed a near-silent greeting to me as he made his way over, settling down in his chair and pulling out a worksheet of his own—it seemed that he was trying to blend in with the class, and I had to at least give him some space.

We stayed like that for the rest of the lesson—quietly absorbed in our own work and trying to avoid each other's gaze.

༺༻

I uncurled myself from my hunched position over the table, amazed at just how I'd managed to retain that stance for so long—just in time to hear the bell ring with a nasty, shrill timbre and to see the rest of my classmates escape the prison of a classroom we'd been in for the past few hours. The teacher followed behind, shouting at them not to run, but this type of behaviour was common in school.

Standing up, I grabbed my wallet, about to follow the throng of people for recess—but something caused me to glance over my shoulder for a split-second.

Right. I'm supposed to be guiding him. I looked back at the transfer student—he had averted his attention from anyone else—and that very intentness had been directed at a novel he'd buried his nose in. He didn't seem very interested in eating—and I stopped by his table, choosing to start up a conversation—it was awkward, but we had to get acquainted if we were going to be classmates.

"Hello," I blurted out, and he startled—he'd been so caught up in his own world that he hadn't noticed me speak. "Uh...are you going down to eat?"

"Oh," he simply stated—his voice held a note of polite interest, and he closed his book with a muffled thud. "No—I'm not very hungry. I'll just stay here until break ends."

I nodded, my mind searching for yet another topic that would break the tense silence between us. "Do you need help on anything?" I finally asked, attempting to return his polite smile. "As in—do you need me to show you around school?"

"It's fine," was his quick reply, and he inclined his head towards me, standing up so that he didn't seem rude. "I'm still a little jet-lagged from my flight here—maybe another day. Thanks for the offer, though; I really do appreciate it, and it's very kind of you. Sorry to have troubled you; I'm sure you're hungry or something."

Fumbling for more words, I shook my head and let out a laugh—who was he? I need to know who he is—and before I knew it, my hands had moved into a gesture directed at the white earbuds that were plugged into his ears. "What are you listening to?"

A small sound escaped his mouth—was it one of embarrassment?—and he redeemed himself with a nervous chuckle. "Nothing modern or popular nowadays," he replied, shrugging his shoulders in one fluid motion. "You wouldn't be interested."

"May I?" The both of us were quiet for a while, Rai not quite knowing how to respond to that—but he dipped his head in an eventual nod, tugging out one of the earphones and offering it to me.

I stuck the small device in my left ear—and the boy remembered that the volume had been somewhat halved as well. He slipped a hand into his pocket, fingers finding the volume switch and flicking it slightly upwards.

My eyes widened slightly at the soft piano tune that seeped its way into my mind—I was sure that I hadn't listened to this song; yet, the poignant notes had already struck some broken chord in my heart, and I was left with a breathless sensation—and I didn't know why.

The lyrics started playing, and I couldn't help but think that I knew the song—needless to say, I was confused, but the story illustrated in the haunting melody had hit a nerve in the back of my mind—I didn't know the song itself, but I knew the story.

And that was because the story illustrated the two of us like a camera, its lens shutting close and capturing that picture-perfect moment just as our fairytale had been shattered and everything had fallen apart.

"But still I felt so incomplete—there is one more thing that's missing

And it is something only you can give —a special type of 'magic'

Now let's promise...

('Don't let go of my hand')

'Won't you please stay here with me—?'"

Before I knew it, tears had started to stream down my eyes as I cried—they fell in silent rivulets as the fog over my mind lifted, and if I hadn't been so focused on my blurred surroundings, I would have noticed the offhanded smile on Rai's face.

"'I hope that someday, you'll be reunited with the one you cherish.' You finally remember now, don't you?"

I looked up into his crimson eyes, those optics that I had made a wish on; the irises that I would have never thought to have seen so clear and worry-free—and in that moment, I knew just what he was talking about.

Jirachi's words sounded in my mind like a bell. And even if you do forget...I am sure that there will be someone or something to make you remember them someday."

I finally understood what she had meant. I'd carried nothing over to my human life but my memories as a Legendary—and they were what kept me afloat; kept me believing in a greater future because everyone had worked so hard to fulfil my wish.

This was what I wanted. Not a 'past', but an opportunity to create one.

All those friendships I'd made would always accompany me as my most precious treasure.

My hand reached out to grasp his arm just before he was about to sit down again.

"You're—"

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mm yes that angel beats! ending ~

should i write an a/n? should i not? i don't know.

https://youtu.be/tm7Xf9818FM

ichiban no takaramono - my most precious treasure