fanfiction To The Sky

[ArdillaVerde93]

*This is a story posted at the request of Neptune. Kai appears courtesy of SMFoxy. This is set to the song "To The Sky," by Owl City. To clear up confusion, the lyrics are for the parts after them.*

  It was nearly a year to the day since Shaymin's trainer's tragic death. With Goodra left in charge of the house, Kai and Shaymin were invited to stay. Kai had chosen the guest bedroom, while Shaymin had insisted on the shed in the garden. For the first month, Shaymin was inconsolable. But, with Kai's help, she had mostly gotten over her depression. What's more, Kai had helped her regain her Sky Forme. This day was bittersweet for Shaymin. She barely spoke as she tottered into the dining room to eat from a bowl of kibble left out for her. As much as her trainer thought she deserved the best, she honestly liked the processed pet food.
 

[Shipwrecked in a sea of faces.
There's a dreamy world up there.
Dear friends in higher places,
carry me away from here.]
 

  She looked around and saw that the other residents had their gazes fixed on her. She loved them, considering them all to be great friends. But this was the last thing she wanted to see now. She sighed and went back to eating.
 

[Travel light; let the Sun eclipse you
'cause your flight is about to leave,
and there's more to this brave adventure
than you'd ever believe!]
 

  No later had the last morsel disappeared down Shaymin's throat, than she felt a paw on her quill-covered back. She looked up to see Kai, who said only 2 words to her. "It's time." Shaymin's response was similarly terse. "Do I have to?"
 

[Bird's-eye view!
Awake the stars, 'cause they're all around you.
Wide eyes will always brighten the blue.]
 

  After breakfast, everybody, Shaymin included, stepped outside to the front porch. Again, all eyes were on the petite Legendary. She wanted to curl up into a ball and disappear. Run back to the shed. Anything but what she was about to do. Kai's paw was placed on her again, making her jump. There was no turning back. She had to go.

 

[Chase your dreams,
and remember me, sweet bravery,
'cause, after all,
those wings will take you up so high.]
 

  "O-Okay," she stuttered. "I'm ready." Kai pulled his paw away, and Shaymin turned to face everyone. 7 in all. And all with smiling faces. Again, not something Shaymin wanted to see in this situation. She gave them a sad nod.
 

[So bid the forest floor goodbye,
as you race the wind and
take to the sky!]
 

  Shaymin began to glow. This transformation was still a bit of a strain to her, and she whimpered as her body shifted and contorted. Once the light faded, she no longer resembled a hedgehog. Now, she could almost be mistaken for an albino reindeer.
 

[You take to the sky!]
 

  Reluctantly, and with a final, deeply genuine "thank you" to everybody, she leapt up with her hindpaws, her feathered ears catching the breeze and suspending her in the cool morning air. Tears fell down her face, cutting damp paths through her stark white fur.
 

[On the heels of war and wonder,
there's a stormy world up there.
You can't whisper above the thunder,
but you can fly anywhere.]
 

  The tears didn't stop, and Shaymin didn't dare speak. She looked straight up. Her instincts told her a storm was brewing. She knew she could only remain in Sky Forme for as long as the weather was clear. But, with her speed, she was confident she could at least reach the Ruins Of Alph before she would be forced to land. "You can do it!" Kai called out, as if sensing her trepidation.
 

[Purple burst of paper birds;
this picture paints a thousand words!
So take a breath of myth and mystery,
and don't look back!]
 

  Kai was right. Shaymin could certainly make the flight to Sinnoh; that wasn't in question. What was, though, was whether Shaymin wanted to fly away. If she dared show her face to the others, they would see she wanted to stay on the ground. The warm, dew covered ground. But, if she hesitated, she'd miss her chance for sure. She shook her head violently, as if trying to dislodge her own hesitation. Finally, she shot high up into the sky.
 

[Bird's-eye view!
Awake the stars, 'cause they're all around you.
Wide eyes will always brighten the blue.]
 

  She could hear her temporary family cheering for her, and, looking down, she could see the whole of the garden that Bellossom kept in such beautiful shape. She took a deep breath, smelling the familiar scent of forthcoming rainfall.
 

[Chase your dreams,
and remember me, sweet bravery,
'cause, after all,
those wings will take you up so high.]
 

  Shaymin sped forward, the air whipping against her wing-ears. Soon, she was just a speck to the 7 onlookers that continued cheering. Suddenly, though, she turned around, and lowered her altitude. Skillfully, she flew just over the garden, plucking a single pink flower wth her mouth before departing again. "Sorry, Bellossom!~"
 

[So bid the forest floor goodbye
as you race the wind and
take to the sky!]
 

  She was actually slightly glad, at least in that moment, that she was flying alone. If the others could see where she was going, they'd almost surely try and stop her. The buildings of Goldenrod City glinted below her in the morning sun. Admittedly, it was a beautiful sight. She had every intention of going to Sinnoh, but later. There was something far more important she had to take care of first. She landed in the middle of a cemetary.
 

[There's a realm above the trees
where the lost are finally found.
So touch your feathers to the breeze
and leave the ground.]
 

  The gravestone she was looking for - that of her trainer, of course - wasn't far from where she landed. Shaymin hung her head, and released the flower, which fell in front of the gravestone. "I'm sorry. It's time for me to go."
 

[Birds-eye view!
Awake the stars, 'cause they're all around you.
Wide eyes will always brighten the blue.]
 

  Shaymin's voice was choked with tears. "I-I... I didn't want this. I love you, with all my heart! Why did it have... t-to end like this?!" Almost contemptuously, she kicked at the ground.
 

[Chase your dreams,
and remember me, sweet bravery,
'cause, after all,
those wings will take you up so high!]
 

  Not trusting herself to keep from bursting into hysterical tears, Shaymin rose into the air again, just as lightning tore through it. She gasped, knowing what would happen next. She dropped like a stone, hitting the ground with a thud, now back in her Land Forme.
 

[So bid the forest floor goodbye
as you race the wind,
and take to the sky!]

  For once, Shaymin wasn't worried by the storm. She got back up to her paws, smiling. She used to be able to fly in storms, but even Kai's training couldn't return that ability to her. She looked up at the suddenly darkened sky. "Thank you."
 

[You take to the sky!
You take to the sky!]

  Shaymin didn't have a choice; she had to stay. She nuzzled the gravestone. "Don't worry; I'm not leaving quite yet." In the midst of everything, she let out a giggle. "It's ironic. You hated storms, but a storm is keeping us together!" Sinnoh would still be there when the storm broke. At that moment, Shaymin was right where she needed to be.

[SMFoxy]

(I'm sure) I said it before, and I'll say it again: I really like your writing. It's not a long story, but... It doesn't have to be. It's as long as it needs to be, and I think that's important. It gets across what you were trying to, without too much fluff (everything is relevant from the 'personal' perspective it's written from), but it's not boring, either. I think it's beautifully written.

The content is... well, I'd say the perfect word is already right there in the story... bittersweet. It has somewhat of a "life goes on" feeling, but it also conveys that no one has really forgotten or completely gotten over it, especially not Shaymin, and I feel that her perception has been emphasised well. That is to say, with the story being from her perspective, it's crafted to a point that, while she may not necessarily doubt that the others are still affected, the way she sees it, she's affected the most; everyone else seems to be focused on her, and happy for her, but there's enough there (to me) to show that they do still care. But maybe I'm reading a little too much into it/between the lines with an observation like that?

I like that despite the tragedy and depression of the events preceding, there are things to be happy about too, and overall, the story balances that in a lovely way. The best 'metaphor' for it is the storm; it's the most literal example of things being both bad and good in the story, because it's specifically one thing that is both, in this context. I won't be overly specific, though, because I don't want to spoil a story both so well written, and that wouldn't take that long to just read anyway.

In regards to the songfic aspect: For the speed at which I personally read, the length of the paragraphs in relation to the relevant section of the song is perfect. In fact, I could even read the first paragraph while the intro to the song was playing. So clearly well thought out and carefully planned (or you listened to the song a hundred times as you were writing/rereading it, and it fit how fast you read? xD).

Anyway, I feel like I'm out of things to say really, but I'm sure something I missed will pop into my head at some point later and taunt me until I either forget it, or add it. Keep up the writing, @ArdillaVerde93; it's wonderful work.

[Neptune]

I would have given a sad react, but that doesn't give you a rep point, which I feel that you deserve for this.

I didn't read it when you first posted up, because I've been having to deal with something when I first got up. But I'm glad I waited, because this was worth taking several quiet minutes to read. I'm in agreement with everything SMFoxy said. It wasn't huge, it wasn't tiny, it was just right. The pace was perfect, and it tugs at the heart strings. I think the best way I can describe it is, along with SMFoxy's 'Bittersweet' is; Poignant. Sweet, but gave a very sharp feeling of sadness to the reader. I most certainly had a lump in my throat. And a bitter kind of smile at the very end there. It's that very final goodbye. 

Gone. But never forgotten.

[ArdillaVerde93]

Thanks, both of you!~ Neptune, did you read with the song? I watched the music video - from a Blu-Ray of Legend Of Guardians: Owls Of Ga'Hoole - several times to make sure that, if the reader visualises the events, they'd match with the song.

[Neptune]

I haven't, yet. I think I'll want to do that when alone, with some tissues lol. I know that listening to a sad song, while reading something as sad as this, will not end well xD Even reading it on its own, brought a lump to my throat.