My Silent Fable (Riolu X Zorua)

Honest Lies

Gentle music floated on still air. The sound bounced easily off old trees and lingered in the branches. I smiled in content. The beautiful song was being played a Kricketune somewhere in the forest. I'd met him once, a little while back. Since then, I'd heard him several times, but today his music was especially peaceful and it brought a warm stillness to my heart, for a moment ceasing the storm thundering inside.

I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, pausing to admire the lovely noises alive in the forest. After a moment my eyes blinked open, and I continued. I brushed aside a low branch and jumped a fallen log. Spinning around a large boulder I saw it, the lagoon, our lagoon.

There's Fable, right there, I can see him sitting by the pond. I don't believe my eyes, but he's there! I swear he is. I exhaled deeply, nearly sobbing from happiness. I leaped closer and called to him, "Fable!"

His response stunned me, and the rose-coloured lenses fell from my eyes. I froze dead still and blinked slowly. My smile fell while his head tilted. He looked confused and worried; I don't blame him. After all, he watched as it all broke. He saw the supports collapse and everything I'd built to make me feel alright, he heard it fall.

I dropped to my knees and he hurried over. He spoke but I couldn't hear him. I clenched my eyes shut and held my head tightly, resting it against the dirty forest floor. I whispered angry nothings to myself, begging the walls to go back up, but they wouldn't. They lay in a broken pile and refused to move.

"Briar."

My eyes flicked open and I slowly let go of my head. I raised my chin to see Kenai looking at me, eyes full of concern. There was a throbbing in my chest, and I breathed out a pained sob. I faced the dirt again and fought to control my breathing. I wrangled my emotions and buried them, but they only burst forth again.

I lunged out and grabbed Kenai. I pulled him close and cried into his fur. Fear and curiosity had plagued me since the sports carnival and today I finally broke. I couldn't keep it in any longer and I collapsed on him.

"Where did you learn... to smile like that?"

My question surprised him, and he blinked before smiling gently and cradling me close. His eyes closed and he spoke softly. "An honest lie, a lie told for the good of others. I had to smile and lie, or else I would never have made it this far. I struggled a lot at first, but eventually got the hang of it. But you, unfortunately, you're a natural. You're good at lying to others, but you can't keep lying to yourself."

"All I can do is lie! I, I don't know the truth."

I lay there and cried a long time before he spoke again.

"When we first met, I told Lily that laughter is the best medicine, and that I am hilarious, but what I didn't tell her is that I am the joke."

I slowed my sobbing to a quiet sniffle and peered at him through wet eyes. "What?"

"I'm a joke. There are so many things I pretend to be, but honestly, it's nice to have someone who knows the truth. It's nice to have someone to cry with."

I blinked away my tears and saw big wet puddles glistening in his eyes. "You are not a joke," I said weakly. "I was riddled with cracks, but you taught me to smile anyway. Thank you."

His eyes fell to the dirt and his tears cascaded in a silent waterfall. "You deserved better than me."

I paused and looked at his crestfallen face. I reached up slowly and planted my hand against his cheek. "Maybe so, but you're exactly what I needed."

He pulled away from my touch and stepped back. The light flickered and for the first time in over a year I saw the face of Silent Fable.

Perhaps I should cry, or maybe I should yell, scream and shout, but one thought surfaced above the raging emotions and quelled the insignificant cries of everything else. "Why?"

"You deserved better."

I sobbed and shook my head. "I didn't want anything else; I loved you."

"I was weak. Too afraid to even speak. You deserved someone who would tell you how beautiful you are: How much he loves you. I could never do that. I was always just... Silent Fable."

"You were my Silent Fable."

"Rose..."

"I mourned you. I loved you and I lost you. Now, I finally have you back and it's like you're not even here. I suffered and I learned because of you, but that's finally over. I know the truth." I stopped and searched his face. I saw pain and longing there, and something else too, regret. A sad smile kissed my cheeks. "Thank you for everything, Fable."

"Rose?"

"I don't need you anymore. I thought I was always would, but I was wrong. It's funny, that it took all this for me to learn to let you go. I can finally smile at a hollow moon and not feel empty. Fable, I hope things go well for you."

After a moment his face cleared of sadness and filled with something more like peace, like closure. "So that's it then? We're really... over?"

"Yeah, I guess we are. It's been a trip, but the book of you and I is at its final chapter."

He nodded and smiled softly. "I'd forgotten what's it like to speak but after this, I can't ever go back to being silent. Thank you, Rose. I'll miss you, dear friend."

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. "I hope you don't. I hope you're too busy meeting new people and making memories. I'm not sure if I'll ever look back on our time with fondness, but I'll never forget what it taught me."

His head tilted curiously. "You're different from when we first met."

"That's because I learned that we don't have to live in the past and I realise now, life doesn't have to be a silent fable."

Fable smiled and laughed quietly.

"I think I always knew," I said suddenly, "Part of me always knew you were close, and now all of me knows it. It's like I can finally... heal."

Fable bit his lip and nodded. "I'm sorry that it happened like this. Again, you deserved better, but you're right. Enough hiding in the past. Let's just live and maybe I'll see you again someday, Briar."

I smiled. "Maybe, until then, mutt." I stepped forwards and hugged him tightly. "Goodbye, Silent Fable."

"So long, Rose."

The water was still, and many beautiful flowers bloomed by the spring, watered by the rain we spilled and smiled upon by a hollow moon.

I broke the hug and we shared one last look before turning and leaving. As I walked, I smiled. Hearing Kricketune's music again it sounded different than before. I giggled at the silliness of it all, and maybe because I'm still not sure what just happened. Either way, a single thought rested peacefully in my mind; 'best of luck, my silent Fable.'

*Shoutout to Papafar for being the first person (I know of) to guess Kenai's true identity!