Maya, Rio & Terra Chapter 5

Maya's POV

"Stupid Rio…" It was only me and Terra standing in front of the Pokemon Center, when evening had just arrived. I was pacing around, ranting in a bitter rage about Rio, while all Terra had to do was listen. "Stupid stupid stupid!"

"Ah, ye-"starting to come alive was Maw. But I wasn't having any of it. Maw was interrupted.

"Shut it!" I scowled as I sat on my possessed second mouth. While sitting on Maw, I turned to Terra and proceeded to give action. "Terra, let's go."

"No…" The head of the Torterra shook from left to right.

"No?!" I repeated Old Man Terra's reply. "But why?!" I don't know why, but at this point, just talking about Rio annoyed me… Oh, why should I care?! "Why don't you wanna go? Is it because of Rio?"

"Are you aware that this whole mess is YOUR FAULT?" Terra asked.

"MY FAULT?" My eyes shot wide open. I couldn't believe what I was hearing from the old geezer. "No way!"

"You're the one who questioned his abilities and independence. And now, it seems he no longer needs us to achieve his goals."

"MY FAULT?! MY FAULT?!" I just had to repeat what Terra said again. I continued to look at him wide eyed.

"I saw the look in your eyes when you were knocked on the ground…"

"W-what?" My voice had calmed down upon hearing that Terra actually saw my face at that moment. It was something nobody was supposed to see… "I…"

"-You miss him already…"

"No way!" I scowled.

"And you care for him too."

"Terra, shut up! You're wrong! You're wrong about everything!" My hands were on my head, and I was wincing as I tried to repel the words coming out of Terra's mouth, "I don't care about that 'stupid little kid' Rio!"

"Then why are you so angry at him? Or, are you even angry at all? Was it anger, or sadness that I saw in your eyes the moment Rio walked away from you?"

"Well…" I did not answer Terra, I didn't want him to see how I was feeling deep down…

"You're very stubborn, Maya. You don't have to answer me, you know. But you DO have to answer to Rio. You must apologize."

"Huh?!" I scowled at the idea. "No way! If anything, HE should be apologizing to ME!"

"Then go to him. Go to him so he can give you the 'apology' he seems to owe you," Terra said.

It was as if Terra knew the answers to everything I said, even though I didn't like what I was hearing.

"Where IS Rio right now?" I asked.

"That, I do not know." Terra answered.

I facepalmed myself. OF COURSE, the one time I DID want an answer from Terra was the one time he didn't have one.

…

"Wow, more wild pokemon roaming Oreburgh?" It was a human who passed by Terra and I on his way inside the Pokemon Center. My guess was that he was simply a trainer looking for a place for him and his Pokemon to rest for the night, and we just so happened to be there to grab his attention. "Wonder if they know that group of rare Fighting types."

"Huh? Fighting type?" I questioned as I looked at the passing trainer. "Maybe he's talking about Rio, Gurdurr and the gang."

"He is." Answered a voice.

"Hm?" I looked to see that by the trainer's side, a pokemon was talking to me. It was a Shinx. "Yeah, I saw a Gurdurr and a Combusken and Hitmontop and-" Shinx was in my face and talking like there was no tomorrow, but I didn't mind it this time. Shinx WAS interrupted by her trainer.

"Come on, Shinx. We've gotta rest up for tomorrow's gym battle!" The trainer was speaking to Shinx with much enthusiasm.

"A cave called Oreburgh Gate, that's where the Gurdurr and his crew are," Shinx said before catching up to her trainer.

I couldn't help but watch the way Shinx jumped into her trainer's arms. The two were smiling and nudging each other as the cuddled. I don't get it. Shinx didn't look like the strong type of Pokemon, so why did that trainer seem to love her so much? The whole public display of affection was so unfamiliar to me. 'Love' was something my trainer NEVER showed me…

As the Pokemon Center's automatic doors slid shut, and as the trainer and Shinx were out of my sight, my eyes started to drift down to the night-shaded ground.

"What is love?" I whispered to myself as my eyes narrowed. Whatever love was, I knew that it would never come across me. After all, I was unloved and rejected. Stupid humans! It's all their fault I'm cursed with this stupid Maw!

"Maya? What's got you down?" The presence of Old Man Terra startled me. I had completely forgotten that he was still here. But with Terra now on my mind, I just had to ask.

"Terra, did your Trainer 'love' you?" I asked as I faced the Torterra with a serious frown.

When we met Lucas, did he try to 'love' me the same way he 'loved' Terra?

"Maya?" Terra's answer was written all over his face. He was too surprised to come up with a logical reply. But then I realized something…

…Did I just ask that question out loud?! What am I thinking?!

"Oh!" I shook my head, and my eyes were wide open, shocked by the words that just came out of my mouth. "Uh, what?! I…I was uhhh…Forget I said anything, alright!" I yelled at Old Man Terra in an annoyed tone. But why was I annoyed? Nevermind the question. We couldn't get distracted from trying to find Rio. "Come on! To Oreburgh Gate!"

….

Location: Oreburgh Gate

Rio's POV

Following the confrontation between Maya and I, me and the boys continued to wander aimlessly throughout Oreburgh until we stumbled across Oreburgh Gate. Maya, Terra and I passed through Oreburgh Gate going into Oreburgh City.

Hitmontop, Gurdurr, and Combusken were all up ahead as I fell behind, my eyes fixated on the ground and my mind still on Maya and Terra.

"So has it ended here, our friendship?" I mumbled to myself.

"What was that?" Hitmontop asked as he, Combusken, and Gurdurr all turned to me.

"Uh…" I looked up to the trio, "I-it's nothing…"

"Then what's up with you?" Gurdurr asked as he approached me. "You're not walking with us, and you've been awfully quiet these last few hours."

Given how late it was, I couldn't help but yawn. "I guess I'm just tired…" Before, I usually had Old Man Terra's back to sleep on…But now, at least I don't have Maya trying to wake me up for no reason…

"Well you must be!" Combusken replied, "Battling Rampage does that to everybody!"

"If that's the case, then we'll rest here for the night." Gurdurr proposed as he put his arm around my neck.

"What?" I questioned, "Right here in this cave?"

And even before I slept on Terra's back, I had a nice, warm bed provided by my friends back at Twinleaf Town.

"Yeah, what about it?" Gurdurr asked.

"Oh, um, nothing…" I answered.

I sighed and looked at the ground once again. I've never slept in a cave before. Heck, I still getting used to not sleeping on a bed!

"Well alright then!" Gurdurr finished.

Gurdurr, Combusken, and Hitmontop were all able to get comfortable, quickly drifting to sleep and leaving me all alone…Despite not really getting comfortable to slip into a deep sleep, my day ended on a rather quiet note. With me at least trying to close my eyes, eventually, I blacked out...

Later…

…

"H-hey! Let go of me, you!"

It took so long for me to finally fall asleep. I didn't even get to sleep long as I was woken up by a yelling voice. The voice sounded so familiar, but the name I was trying to remember wouldn't come up. My mind was still half asleep, and I wasn't in the mood to open my eyes.

"I'll rip that arm right off your body if you don't let go of me!"

But then, another familiar voice came up. It was a rather deep voice.

"Calm down, Maya." It was the voice of Terra.

…Wait, Terra?!

The thought of Terra being here didn't fail to wake me up as my eyes shot wide open and I immediately stood up from my resting position.

"!" I was bewildered to see them here; Terra, and 'the other one'. The one doing all the yelling. The one I wanted to forget. It was Maya, and she was being held down by Gurdurr and Terra, Hitmontop and Combusken watched on. "What the?" I walked up to Combusken and Hitmontop, and had to ask, "What's going on?"

"It's that girl and the old man from before." Hitmontop answered.

"Why have you followed us? And just what do you want?" Gurdurr asked as he held Maya by her second mouth.

"Err…" Maya slowly faced Gurdurr, Combusken, and Hitmontop with her bitter eyes before looking at me. "…Rio!" She then looked at Terra. "Terra, why are you just standing there!"

"Before I take action, I believe there are a few words you must say to Rio…" Old Man Terra said.

"Rio?" Gurdurr, Combusken, and Hitmontop all looked at me suspiciously. "Rio, they both know your name. Were you lying to us before when you said you didn't know these two?"

There was no use lying to them anymore, especially with the evidence right in front of them. "These two are former friends…" I then walked up to Maya, who was still being held by Gurdurr. We both stared at each other with narrowed eyes, carrying the grudge from earlier. I suddenly smiled as I said to Maya as I said, "Looks like I was right. I really DON'T need you anymore."

"Maya…" Terra called her name with a hint of impatience, "Say what you've come to say."

"Please, let her go…" I said to Gurdurr, "'I'd like to hear what she has to say."

Gurdurr answered my request, and Maya immediately fell to the ground when her maw was released.

Right in front of me, I looked at the deceiver who was flat on her face. "Maya…" I waited for her to get up and say what she needed to say, but-

"-Ha!"

"Ah!" As soon as she picked her face up off the ground, she knocked me back with a headbutt.

"You owe me an apology!" Maya yelled. Where her face was laying just seconds agos, I saw wet dirt… "I-I don't need you either!"

"Maya!" Terra yelled.

"You!" Gurdurr, Combusken, and Hitmontop all got into battle stances, ready to fight Maya.

Maya sniffled. She was still looking at me. "You think I need you?! That's why you had that smirk on your face!"

"That's right!" I shot back as I rubbed my bruised nose. "Just admit it: You need me more than I need you."

"What?!" Maya yelled. Her Maw was starting to move on its own. "Do you really think I came here to tell you I was wrong? No way! I came here because you owe me an apology.

"Me, apologize to YOU?! I wasn't the one who turned a peaceful morning into a problem. I don't have to apologize to you."

"Then I'll just have to beat it out of you!" Maya threatened.

"Oh, no you won't!" Combusken said as him and his crew all proceeded to surround Maya. I could see Terra on the brink of aiding Maya to ease her disadvantage.

"Guys, stop!" I called. "I'll fight her myself." I stepped closer to Maya as the group of Fighting types backed down. Maya and I were staring at a one on one fight in each other. I really didn't want to fight Maya, but when I launched my first attack, I knew that there was no turning back…

"Ha!" I charged toward my former friend with my hand cloaked in the aura of Force Palm, "Let's see you try and stop me!"

"Hmph!" Maya decided to go into a head to head showdown as she charged back at me with her fist cloaked in the aura of Power-Up Punch. And just as we closed in on each other-

"Ya!" I quickly pulled back my Force Palm, causing Maya to stop a blink in confusion, which provided me the chance to surprise her by quickly striking her with my other palm.

"Ugh!" Maya was stricken, and was knocked down on her back.

I calmly walked up to my downed opponent, and we both stared into each other's eyes again. "Maya, I don't want to fight you, but I will if I must…"

"Grr…"

"Will you let you bitterness overtake you?" Maw was beginning to speak on its own, causing Maya to wince.

"No! Never!" Maya answered while ferociously shaking her head and possessed Maw.

"Ah!" Though while she shook her Maw, she caught me completely off guard by swinging it right in my face, sending me to the ground. It was now Maya standing over me as she eyed me with great frustration.

"All you have to do is apologize, Rio…" Maya said. "Apologize and you won't have to fight anymore. We'll both get what we want…"

I didn't give her a reply…What was I supposed to apologize for? I'M the victim in this mess.

"Come on Rio! Apologize!" Maya was getting more and more visibly frustrated finally grabbing me by my neck and starting to shake me as her voice gradually became angrier with each word that came out of her mouth, "You have to say sorry, you…you…" The shaking stopped for a moment as she was finding a name to call me. "You have to apologize…because if you don't, I'll…I'll…"

"-You'll what?" I interrupted. "Will you cry again?"

"What?! Cry?!" Maya's frustrated eyes shot wide, and her grip on me grew even tighter as her Maw lifted itself off the ground.

"You cried…" Maw whispered.

"I saw your tears in the dirt…" I added.

"No…No! I don't cry!" Maya scowled, "YOU'RE the one who's the spoiled little kid!" Maya was in denial, and she was starting to shake me again before stopping to await my apology.

"Yes...you DO cry…" I whispered, "You cried because of me. Just admit it. You need me more than I need yo-"

"No! No! No!" Maya's yelling was starting to turn into raging screams as she slammed me into the ground. "SHUT UP!" Looking up at her, I saw Maya cloaking her arms in the aura of Power-Up Punch again. I braced myself for the beating I feared I was going to take, using my hands to cover my face, "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! I don't need you! I hate you! I HATE YOU SO MUCH, RIO!" Punch after punch, the pain I felt just grew with every strike. But it wasn't the physical damage that pained me the most…Maya's eyes…they were trying desperately to hold back tears…They almost made me want to cry…Everything about me hurt. My body, my spirit, my mind…And worst of all, Maya's assault wasn't going to stop. Now MY eyes were watery, and my jaw was becoming sore. I could tell, all this pain, Maya didn't want to inflict. What she wanted, was what she started to scream repeatedly when she ran out of things to say, "Apology! Apology! Apology!"

Slowly but surely, Maya's punches were softening and coming at a slower pace. "Apologize…Apologize…Apologize!" Her anger was turning into sadness, and she was still trying to hold back tears as she began to sniffle even more. She looked into my watery eyes, and just couldn't help but let it all out after a few moments. Some of her tears fell on me…And not one more word was said. She did HAVE to say a word though, because all of her feelings, she was letting out through every drop of watery bitterness that fell from those red eyes of hers. She was crying over me, but she was too stubborn to admit it.

When she wiped her tears away, all Maya said to everybody and herself was, "I am not crying…Rio, apologize…"

"…Maya…I…" I had to ask myself once again: What was I crying for? I wasn't sure. But seeing Maya break down emotionally and cry like that made me think that I may have to apologize anyway. "Ngh…I'm…" I tried to say those two little words, but the pain was too much. I couldn't say anything. In fact, I could feel my vision starting to fade. The last thing I saw was Maya, and I gave her what she wanted…or at least, all I was able to give at the moment: an apologetic expression on my face before finally blacking out…

To Be Continued…