Forgiveness

-.-.-.-.-.

Salutations, greetings, and many great hellos!

The idea for this one-shot has been sitting in my brain for quite a while. I've wanted to do something for my new favorite pairing in the Pokemon franchise, as well as my new favorite villain in the Pokemon franchise, for a few years now. Guess I've finally rallied the motivation to do so, ha ha.

DISCLAIMER: Pokemon and everything associated with it does not belong to me. In some ways, that's probably a good thing.

-.-.-.-.-.

The nightmare was so familiar that Sun knew where he was before he even opened his eyes.

It was a cave, as foreboding and cold as ever. All around the clearing, stony pillars with mushroom-like growths supported the dark ceiling, while stalactites and stalagmites jutted from above and below like jagged fangs. Beyond, there was nothing but darkness. The air was thick and pressed against Sun, making him feel as though he was underwater. It was cold, but sweat was dripping down his face and back.

A single beam of light shone down on the center of the clearing, illuminating the cavern's sole inhabitant. The shadowy mass of equal parts crystal and ooze rose up with a vengeance, the false eyes on her clawed arms glinting as though they were alive. The woman's mouth opened in a bone-chilling grin, releasing a hissing shriek that no human had the right to utter. A monstrosity unlike anything Sun had ever seen, she blotted out the light as she loomed over him, the oppressive air transmitting her dark chuckles until it was though the sound was coming from all around.

Fearfully, Sun looked to his left, although in his heart, he already knew what he was going to see. Or rather… what he wasn't going to see. His companions had inexplicably vanished, although he knew they had been there just a second ago. And a glance at the yawning tunnel behind him revealed no sign of the Legendary Pokemon's glowing form.

He'd been left alone to face the monster that haunted his dreams.

A shriek split the silence, catching Sun's attention an instant before he saw the deadly claw swinging his way. The limb soared past him as he ducked out of its way, its dark mass colliding with a pillar and smashing it into pebbles. But a second limb came at him, and this one he could not dodge – it smacked him aside, sending him to the floor.

Gasping, Sun got to his hands and knees, his arms and legs trembling with exertion. His back turned toward the creature that assailed him, there was no way for him to know that she was already coming for him again until it was too late. Something cold and hard slithered over his back before talons like shards of ice sank into his shoulders and ripped him away from the ground. His only reaction was a short, desperate cry of pain and fear.

There was nothing Sun could do but watch as the creature turned him towards her. Poisonous yellow eyes gleamed hungrily through her protective dome upon seeing him broken and helpless in her grasp, betraying only her bloodlust and psychotic excitement. Her swaying, unoccupied arms made wet sounds as they moved, accompanying the giggles that were now echoing through the chamber. Her tongue darted from within her mouth to swipe across her lips – and then Sun was being pulled toward her at blinding speed, the last thing he saw being those glowing eyes and wide, open-mouthed grin.

"SCREEEEEEEEE!"

The monster's hellish screech was all Sun could hear, but he was pretty sure that he was screaming too.

-.-.-.-.-.

Sun's eyes flew open to be greeted by darkness. His body jerked all at once, reacting instinctively and with fear to the sudden sensation of being swaddled in sweat-soaked bedsheets. His breath came hard and fast, exploding from his mouth in short gasps that took him a few seconds to get under control.

Once he was sure that he was calm, Sun sat up, allowing the blanket to slip off his torso and land in a messy pile on his lap. Most of his terror faded away, only to be replaced with sadness and a bit of frustration. There was an uncomfortable twinge in his shoulders, the feeling of the monster's freezing-cold claws lingering there for a few seconds before vanishing altogether. Forlornly, Sun glanced out his bedroom window, where he could see clouds slowly gliding overhead, obscuring all but a few patches of the Alolan night sky. He took a deep, shuddering breath. Usually, when Sun needed to recover from the nightmare, it was the calming light of the moon and stars that soothed him, but there would be none tonight, it seemed.

Yes… the nightmare.

It had been seven years since he'd become the first Champion of Alola. Although he had still yet to be defeated, the life of this Champion wasn't all clear skies and rainbows. That harrowing journey to Ultra Space had been brief and fruitful, but the events that had occurred within… they had dug the claws of fear into Sun's heart and left him with psychological scars. Even after so much time had passed, they wouldn't let him forget. The nightmares kept coming to remind him. The sight of such a monster alone would have been enough to haunt him for the rest of his life, but the following battle… how close his life had come to ending… how close Lillie's life had come…

As if the mere thought of her had been enough to rouse her, there was a quiet rustling beside him as his flower emerged from the cocoon of blankets she had been nestled in. At that same moment, the moon peeked out from behind the clouds and played its serene light over the bed, bathing her in silver. Her skin seemed to glow with a radiance that only enhanced her already divine beauty, her normally golden hair now a silvery halo. Despite only having just woken up, her eyes were two brilliant emeralds that radiated nothing but alertness and concern.

Momentarily, Sun found that his breath had been taken away. Then the moment passed, and the worry emanating from Lillie's eyes caused a wave of guilt to surface. He could tell she already knew of what ailed him.

The lovers leaned forward and embraced, their arms encircling each other tightly in a show of support. Sun placed his chin on Lillie's shoulder, turning his head so that his face was enveloped in her silky hair. Her flowery scent seemed to clear his head, and tears slipped down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry," he murmured into her neck.

"Shhhh, it's not your fault," she said soothingly, rubbing his back to comfort him. "I'm always here for you, Sun."

They separated, only to lean forward again so that their foreheads made contact. They nuzzled lovingly, their hands reaching forward instinctively to clasp each other. The familiar feeling of her fingers knitted intimately with his calmed him greatly, as did the feeling of her breath on his face and her free hand against his chest. Sun did the same with his hand, resting it just above her bosom so he could feel her heartbeat.

Sun drew security from Lillie's proximity… her warmth… her love. The tears stopped flowing, the fear vanished entirely, the nightmare became but a distant memory. He trailed his hand gently down her chest and onto her lap, absentmindedly smoothing down her rumpled nightgown. Neither of them backed away, their faces never ceasing contact.

"Thank you, flower," Sun whispered to her.

"Anything for my sunshine," she replied, and his eyes flicked upwards to see her tender smile.

Their kisses were often soft and sweet, and the one they shared now was no exception. They parted soon after, loving smiles playing across their lips as they regarded each other with nothing but pure affection. Bidding him goodnight, Lillie burrowed back under the covers and fell back into slumber, her beautiful features softening and becoming peaceful. Sun remained awake, stroking her hair until she had fallen completely asleep – and carefully, he eased his way out of bed and exited the room.

Not feeling quite ready for sleep yet, Sun quietly padded his way toward the kitchen for a drink and a chance to clear his mind. He felt strangely relaxed in the darkness that shrouded the house at this early hour, even though he ordinarily should have felt odd walking about in nothing but a plain T-shirt and boxers. It was the thick silence that he took comfort in, he thought – the silence that assured him that he was safe, that there was nothing after him.

That wasn't to say there was nothing, though. Sun had to creep through the living room to reach his destination, where he had the opportunity to check on the "guests" currently residing with him and his beloved.

They weren't Pokemon, not exactly, and they technically didn't have a home anywhere in Alola. They were called Ultra Beasts, and Sun had captured them soon after becoming Champion so that they would no longer be a threat to the archipelago. Normally, the Beasts spent all their time at Poke Pelago – the island's sole resident was happy to provide them with a permanent home where they wouldn't cause any harm. But now, they were here for a temporary visit to their "owner", thanks to the hurricane that had swept through Alola just a few days ago. Normally Alolan buildings were built to withstand such nasty weather, but it had been the one they called Xurkitree – poor, skittish Xurkitree – that had panicked during the storm and brought down their shelter on Poke Pelago with a blast of lightning.

Sun paused in his midnight stroll to the kitchen to look over the sleeping Ultra Beasts, a faint yet fond smile making itself known upon seeing them safe and peaceful. The aforementioned Xurkitree was piled up in the corner like a tangled bunch of cables, one of its five tentacles plugged into the electrical socket on the wall and making sparking sounds. Buzzwole was standing up against another wall, and it would occasionally straighten up and strike a pose as it dreamed. Tiny Kartana had folded itself up neatly and was dozing on the coffee table in the middle of the room. Pheromosa had stretched itself out almost seductively on the sofa as it slept, the light from the moon giving its motionless form an angelic glow. And a glance out into the front yard revealed the titanic Celesteela and Guzzlord sleeping outside, both far too large to comfortably fit inside the house.

But the seventh was absent. And that did make Sun a little bit nervous.

A cool draught of water turned out to be what Sun needed. He felt like he was back to his old self after a few gulps, any lingering feelings of discomfort after the nightmare being banished as he refreshed himself. Alone in the darkness of the kitchen aside from the moon shining through the small window nearby, he put away his glass and cleaned up the little bit of liquid he spilled, feeling no fear of the shadows that thickly pervaded the room.

However, Sun's solitude was destined to be short-lived, as was his lack of fear.

"Brr-rr-rr-rr!"

The sudden chimes of the missing Ultra Beast rang quietly yet freely through the kitchen, making Sun jump so badly he almost stubbed his toe on one of the cupboards. He whipped around, eyes wide, in time to see the delicate creature flinch back just as frightfully and emit a nervous hum. Nihilego's body was aglow with soft white light, making it conspicuous and eerie in the darkness. Its tentacles retreated and its bell dipped, its posture freakishly similar to that of a young girl apprehensively reaching out to an angry parent. It was afraid.

Not that Sun noticed – he was too focused on his own fear.

Lusamine had long ago been forgiven for the… incident seven years ago. Despite Sun's first memories of her being tainted by the fact she had been a psychotic madwoman at the time, she had recovered greatly since then and had gladly accepted him as part of her family. It was difficult to remain distrustful of a genuinely kind and loving woman that always seemed to be optimistic, was able to serenely handle even the tensest of situations, and who had been so supportive of his relationship with her daughter that she now treated him as one of her own. (She also got along well with Sun's own mother – so well, in fact, that it was mildly concerning.)

No, the one truly at fault for the Aether Foundation debacle, the trip to Ultra Space, and Sun's own recurring nightmare was floating barely an arm's distance away from him now.

Silently, Sun took a tentative step back, while Nihilego itself seemed to retreat a little farther away as well. A quiver ran through its body, the movement making its tentacles bounce. The way it glowed in the darkness reminded Sun vividly of the first time he'd come into contact with this particular Ultra Beast – nighttime on Wela Volcano, frolicking by its lonesome in a pitch-black clearing in a way that almost resembled a dance, right before it noticed him and attacked with a bell-like cry so high-pitched it was more like a shriek.

Sun shivered as the sound from the nightmare echoed in the back of his mind.

He'd caught Nihilego for the same reasons as he'd caught the other Beasts – for the safety of Alola as well as their own. But he felt no compulsion to welcome it or care for it as he did the others. Rather, he wanted it as far away from him as possible. Although it might've been silly to fear something that hadn't harmed him or showed any intention thereof, he still knew what this seemingly innocent and harmless creature was capable of – no, of what it had done – and it frightened him even more than that hellish Totem Mimikyu he had to face during his trials.

Sun took a deep breath to calm himself. It wouldn't hurt him – it had only surprised him. It was levitating between him and the kitchen doorway, though, and he was extremely reluctant to get near it. Maybe if he got closer, it'd move out of the way… but, oddly, it didn't seem like the Beast didn't want to move either. But it wasn't positioned as if it was guarding or deliberately trying to block his path. No, it was more as if it was too uncomfortable to stray from its chosen spot.

"Brrr-rrrrr…" Nihilego cried out softly, wiggling. The movement made it look as though it were pulsing with light.

Its behavior was intriguing enough to make Sun almost forget his fear of it entirely. His eyes widened a little as he saw its front-most tentacles reach out to wrap around each other, while its bell dipped again and a shiver ran through the entire creature. Instead of reaching out, it was shrinking back, emitting its ghostly sounds in a manner that was more pathetic than aggressive. Far more.

Although he wasn't sure what made him think of it, Sun nevertheless found himself harkening back to what Wicke had told him when he'd gone to her for information about his newly captured Beasts. Something about Nihilego requiring a host… something about its dreadful behavior arising from a compulsive desire to ensure its own safety.

"No matter what world it comes from," Wicke had smiled at him as she talked, "it's still a Pokemon, and Pokemon that have been bound to a Poke Ball need a Trainer that will love them and support them."

For the first time, Sun realized that maybe Nihilego was just as scared of him as he was of it.

All the other Ultra Beasts had been the same way. Wicke and the International Police had told him that the Beasts lashed out with anger borne from terror and loneliness, and once Sun had taught them that they were no longer alone and had no reason to be scared, they stopped attacking and revealed emotions like those of any other Pokemon. But in his already well-established fear of it, Sun had never thought to treat Nihilego the same way, believing it to be a heartless monster.

He looked again at Nihilego, watching the way it floated in place, studying its apprehensive body language. Despite not having any facial features, it was remarkably expressive, using nothing more than its posture and the wiggling of its tentacles to convey its emotions. Combined with the ethereal whimpering noises it made, it looked to Sun as though Wicke was right, and that Nihilego was no different from any of the other Beasts – or indeed, any of his Pokemon team.

He no longer felt scared. Instead, he was feeling pity – and guilt, for denying this Beast the support and security it craved out of his own selfish biases. Yes, it was dangerous, but it was also his responsibility to look after it. That was just how it was with Pokemon, whether they were of extradimensional origin or not.

For the first time in his life, Sun felt compelled to take a step forward and reach out toward this deadly yet lonely creature.

Somehow sensing the movement, Nihilego tilted its bell back up a fraction to "look" up at him and his outstretched hand. Sun didn't know if it could really see, but he forced himself to relax and eased his face into a warm smile, encouraging it to come closer.

Nihilego did so, but hesitantly, as if it was afraid that advancing would frighten him away again. But although Sun's heart was currently racing a mile a minute at its proximity, he stayed put, drawing strength from the knowledge that this Beast wanted only his protection and perhaps companionship.

After all, he reasoned to himself, I might be the only one that it has in this world.

As the comforting thought crossed his mind, he felt the cold, smooth sensation of glass-like tendrils coiling around his hand. He blinked and came out of his thoughts to see Nihilego's glowing form there before him, carefully making contact. It made a chirping noise and tilted its bell, much like how an inquisitive girl would cock her head to the side. Sun could only smile wider, seeing that the Beast really was as innocent as it looked.

It was strange, but… Sun was reminded strongly of Lillie, on the day they'd first met. It brought warmth to his heart.

"Brrrr-rr-rrrr!" Nihilego chimed, a sound of celebration to express its joy at having been accepted by its Trainer. It retracted its tentacles and commenced an oddly entrancing dance that involved it bouncing up and down in the air while it twirled in circles around him, singing in its ghostly voice.

Sun was simultaneously captivated by its movements and touched by its sudden display of enthusiasm. He watched it dance to its alien heart's content, and was surprised when it suddenly stopped and approached him to make contact once again. This time, it leaned its glassy bell into his chest and made a vibrating hum that was not unlike a feline Pokemon's purr.

Although he was initially thrown off guard by Nihilego's suddenly affectionate behavior, Sun relaxed and gently placed his hand atop its smooth, cold surface. It stiffened, as if only now realizing what it was doing, and darted away with a flustered little tremor, the area just under the rim of its bell darkening slightly. Sun had to restrain a laugh, not wanting to wake up any of the other Beasts in the other room.

It was almost endearing how Nihilego was acting – so unlike the monsters he'd once encountered in Ultra Space. He knew that Lusamine had liked to call it her "sweet beast" when she'd been… well, not herself. But Sun had never known just how true that affectionate term had rang, until now. It genuinely was quite a charming creature.

Maybe this is how it acts towards those who protect it… those who earn its love.

A wave of sleepiness suddenly hit Sun, making him yawn widely, and reminding him of how late at night it was. He approached Nihilego one last time to place a hand upon its bell and whisper a goodnight, to which it responded with a "brr-rr-rr" and floated away to find its own place to settle down and sleep.

When Sun found himself alone again, he felt… different. More relaxed. At peace. Such was the magic of forgiveness.

Sun crept back to his room and pushed back the covers, although not so much that it would disturb Lillie. He slid smoothly onto the mattress and pulled the blankets back over himself before laying his head back down onto the plush, familiar surface that was his pillow.

It had been a long time since Sun was able to go back to bed, after awakening in the middle of the night, in a state of complete peace. The possibility of falling back into the nightmare had always plagued him with worry for those few brief minutes before he drifted back into slumber. But now, there were no thoughts of such a possibility – for the first time in a long while, he was entirely calm as he closed his eyes, unafraid of what he might dream.

The feeling of a soft hand on his cheek tempted his eyes back open. Lillie was awake and facing him, smiling sleepily as she caressed him. Her fingers were warm, apart from a prick of coolness from where her single ring touched his skin. Sun silently moved his arm so that he could rest his own hand on top of hers, stroking it gently and lovingly.

"You feeling better?" the sweet, quiet words came from between his beloved's soft lips.

Their fingers once again moved towards one another and intertwined. Something passed between the two in that moment. A reassurance? A promise? Whatever it was, it was answer enough for Lillie, whose fond smile grew as she shuffled closer to kiss him.

Sun wrapped his arms around his flower, and she did the same for her sunshine. The young lovers held each other close under the sheets, humming contentedly as they savored each other's taste and proximity. When their lips parted at last, Lillie snuggled close to him and fell back asleep. Her soothing scent and deep, rhythmic breaths lulled Sun to sleep soon after, and there the couple lay, safe in each other's arms.

There would be no nightmare tonight.

Nor any night ever again, for he could forget now that he had forgiven.

-.-.-.-.-.

This actually goes against my head-canon that Nihilego is a brainless parasite and won't hesitate to harm/murder/assimilate you for the sake of its own survival, but it's much more in line with how the Beast is portrayed in the games and is all-in-all just more adorable this way.

So yes. I love the Ultra Beasts, I love the idea of Beast-bonding, I love Sun x Lillie, and I love that terrifying ordeal in Ultra Space, so this one-shot was basically my love letter to all of that. Might do more Sun/Moon one-shots relating to any of those things in the future.

For now, please give me some reviews!