In The End

PMD2 SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!! BEWARE!!!!!!!

Yay! finished Time Exploration Team yesterday! Dang it, the ending is sad. If I ever write a fanfic about this, this scene will be written like this:

Every step was torture. As Kara walked behind her Charmander partner, she felt her paws weighing her down. Each footfall took an enourmus amount of energy, and Kara soon realized what it was. As time reset itself, she could no longer exist.

But greater than the physical pain that filled her body was the knowlege that she would soon have to leave Taro....

.....For good.

If only I hadn't met him, she thought. If only I hadn't listened to that oblivious little Charmander on the beach. If only I hadn't been nice enough to help him get that stupid little rock back. Then mabye I wouldn't be feeling this way right now.

If only..... If only..... If only.....

It was too late for those.

And she was glad she had met him. Taro had changed her. He was the best friend that she could have ever known.

Kara placed a final paw onto the rock in front of her and felt her legs shaking. Her energy was gone.

She collapsed.

"Kara?" called Taro's voice as he turned around.

"Kara!"

Suddenly filled with alarm, the Charmander ran to his friend's side and knelt beside her.

"Kara? Kara, what's wrong? What happened?"

"Taro....." she whispered. Rather than feeling weighed down, Kara was suddenly lightheaded, as if her body was.......

.........Fading.

Taro drew back quickly, frightened. "You're...you're..."

She was glowing.

This was it. These were her last moments. The future no longer existed, so neither did she.

"Taro," she said again, "I.... I'm sorry. I kept this to myself for too long. But now I have to say....... goodbye."

"Goodbye?" repeated Taro. "But..... How? Why?"

"Time. When we reset time, we created a new future. A future where.... I was never born."

"So you're just going to disapear? Just like that?" Taro was trying to stay strong, she could tell. But his eyes began to shine with tears. "You can't just leave! You can't abandon your teammates like that! You.... you...."

He was beginning to sob. "You can't leave...... me......"

Kara's heart broke. "Please, Taro. If I had a choice I would stand by your side forever. But I did this for the good of the world, and for.... your sake."

I will not cry, she told herself. I will not cry. And yet hot tears were running down the skitty's cheeks.

"I want you to live in a world where there is life, and there is love. I want you to live and be happy."

Taro looked up at her and took her paw. It was so transparent that the yellow-orange color of his hand shone through clearly.

"But I c-can't! I can't be happy without......... you........"

"Taro." Kara breathed. "I want you to do something for me."

"A-anything." Taro sobbed.

"I want you to promise me that you'll make it home alive. I want you to take care of Sakura and the rest of the team. I want you to tell the Guild.... to tell everyone what happened here. So that no one..... ever has to go through this pain..... again......"

Sobbing, Kara grasped Taro in a final hug goodbye.

"Please, Kara," Taro stammered. "Don't..... don't leave me.....

"Because you're......

"The most important thing in the world.....

"To me........."

The light surrounding Kara grew brighter. This was goodbye.

"I'm so lucky to have known someone like you....." Kara whispered.

"Thank you....."

And what was left of her form vanished.

"Kara! No!" cried Taro, the tears flowing freely.

But tears couldn't bring her back now.

As he sobbed, something clattered to the ground.

A small, blue stone encased in a gold necklace.

Kara's Amulet.

He recalled her words from so long ago.

"And whoever is leader has to carry the Amulet! That's the rule!"

And Taro understood.

He was leader now.

"Kara....."

***************************************

The solem walk back to Wigglytuff's Guild took an eternity in Taro's mind. All he could think about was Kara.

But he would carry out her final wish. He had abandoned his green scarf for them gem that was all that was left of his Skitty friend. He would keep together Team Amulet.

As he stepped onto the grate, Loudred's familiar voice screamed "WHOSE FOOTPRINT? WHOSE FOOTPRINT?"

A pause, and then "IT'S HIM! HE'S BACK!"

The pounding of many feet could be heard as the Pokemon of the Guild clambered to the entrance, pushing and shoving eachother along the way. "Stop it! Stop it! Single file! Single file!" Chatot's shrill voice screamed. But of course, no one listened.

Sakura was the first one out the door. "TARO!" she cried, her Mesprit eyes filled with joy.

She tackle-hugged her teammate, yelling "You did it! You saved us! You're amazing! You're-"

She stopped and looked around. "Where's Kara?"

"Hey!" called Bidoof from the back of the crowd. "Is.... isn't that Kara's Amulet?"

"But only the leader...." Sakura's eyes widened in the terrible realization. "No. She can't of. She didn't....."

Taro looked at his feet.

"She's gone."




END OF SPOILERS. IF YOU DIDN'T LISTEN TO ME AND GOT SPOILED, DEAL WITH IT.

skitty, charmander, and PMD2 (c) Nintendo
Kara, Taro, and Team Amulet (c) myself