Silently Broken

Epilogue

"I will Wander till the End of Time, Torn Away from You"

The house was silent. Everything – dead silent.

Sunlight was beginning to touch Pallet's hills, awaking one emotionally drained member of the Ketchum family. Springing up with sheer struggle, Delia was momentarily blinded by the bright cast of light protruding through the patio door. After she and Ash shed their last few tears on the couch and allowed slumber to take over, they remained there the entire night. Delia earned a noticeable kink in her neck as she stretched, and was covered in an uncomfortable mixture of sweat from the humidity and rain. They were both dry, yet sticky and mud ridden after treading mindlessly without clear sight in the hazardous weather.

Even as she woke, Delia still could not fathom what had happened last night.

Gazing down with a few blinks, Ash remained nestled in his mother's lap clinging close to her and the small blanket she draped around him. She didn't want to wake him, nor did she feel the strength to get up. Delia felt dead inside, like half of her withered away so painfully it was mind-blowing to process. Just moving slightly to adjust herself felt excruciating throughout her entire body, and she could only imagine what Ash would be feeling when he awoke...

Nothing made sense that night. Nothing.

It was the closest Delia ever felt to insanity, and she wasn't alone. Her mind was so boggled, so distressed she had difficulty shaking off the awkwardness. From it all. Burying all the precious and treasured memories of Jay to the farthest depths of the ground sounded tempting; a much safer way than what most would do, like drink their souls to death or torture one's self with eternal thoughts of what could have been- It was the only solution Delia could think of, the only thing she believed that would keep her and her little angel intact without letting depression claim them.

Doing so, however, did not clear the air of where Delia and Jay officially stood. What would be of their destiny as a married couple now? Was their love all- a lie? The entire time?

As much of a contradiction as it sounded, the young wife wanted to believe every word Jay said was an utter lie. That he did not feel compelled to leave and choose something that could never measure against the love she and Ash felt for him- yet not matter how much faith and trust Delia had in Jay, she could not believe so.

Too much was broken to restore what they so beautifully made.

But why? Why did this happen to them out of all people? Why did their vision of heaven on earth have to diminish in unforgiveable flames while it was blooming in its most predominate time? She and Jay had worked so incredibly hard to make their relationship last, to do whatever it took to not be torn apart, and they had proven to everyone and themselves that their love was something unbreakable and was more real and pure than most. Those facts could not be denied nor overlooked. Still, even after recalling all of that, Delia felt so betrayed, so fooled.

Not to mention downright scared. She was now faced with a reality she never thought she'd be forced into, and in that moment of realization, the mother questioned her strength. Could she raise Ash on her own? Would they make it? Would he be able to work through this? The thought of how her son was going to handle the issues horrified Delia and plagued her with a wounded soul. It was low for Jay to hurt and destroy what they had, but to go as far as to abandon their son who had the biggest and accepting heart of all... Delia could not see reason to forgive him for that. And how on Earth was she going to explain this to her parents? His parents? Delia could just imagine how unglued her father would become, for he already disliked Jay to begin with- Her father... Delia had lived part of her life without Ernest, for he tried himself to become a trainer and failed miserably in time to not miss most of his little girl's childhood. But as for Jay...

There was no way he was going to fail, and that nearly angered Delia to tears.

Yet as she gazed back down at her angel snuggled up so warmly in her lap, Delia knew what was most important, why she needed to stay strong. But it wasn't going to be easy. She wondered endlessly what kind of contorted variations of Jay's departure would spread about town like wild fire. However, shouldn't a remaining belief in her once committed husband burn brightly through the storm? Up until this point, Jay had never given a false impression and had kept every word he had solemnly promised to his wife...

Oh God, why? WHY?! Why did this have to happen to us? This isn't Jay... this isn't the person I married! This person is not the man I love...

More than anything, though, Delia asked what she had done wrong. And the question stumped her every time she scrutinized over it.

Interrupting Delia's quiet forms of self-torture, a sound behind the door erupted, but did not capture Delia's attention. From there, the doorknob twisted and a person willingly invited himself in. It was the presence of a man, though it was not the man in which Delia wanted to madly throw her arms around and never let go. No, it was someone else entirely.

Entering in slowly, Samuel Oak revealed himself and peeked into the house. He had thought he heard a disturbance late that night after staying up to work on another degrading project, and soon developed a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach that it had to do with the Ketchums. And he was right. Now finally coming in, Sam closed the door quietly behind him, catching sight of the back of Delia's head as she sat on the sofa. He approached with caution, keeping all his bubbling anxiety down as best he could, but not hearing Jay, not seeing him, made his fears all the more real.

Then, as he slowly walked around the corner to witness Delia's current state, the professor was taken aback immediately without realizing his harsh gasp and gyrating pulse.

Was that really her?

"D-delia?"

He was so startled, so dumbfounded as his eyes met hers that he could hardly believe he was looking into the face of Delia. Her eyes were bloodshot, accompanied by dark circles under them, and an overall despairing gloom engulfed her presence. She appeared as if she just survived a hurricane, but lost something dear to her heart in the process. It was then that Samuel's suspicions were confirmed without doubt. Diverting his sight down at the innocent and now fatherless child who most certainly did not deserve an ounce of this- Sam wished he was there to intervene when it all transpired so horrifically.

At the sound of her name, Delia blinked back at Sam, though it seemed she was not at all surprised to see her former instructor strut through the door. After all, she now partially blamed him for losing the only man who made her feel like she could touch the clouds. Even though she didn't know all the circumstances, nor had the heart to truly despise him.

Prof. Oak gulped and drew back at the sight with a shiver.

Good God...

Delia's eyes spoke of despondency and- bitter silence.

Nothing else.

Not long after their silent exchange did the disheveled woman moisten her lips and swallow hard with a quiver.

There was no point in hiding it now.

"Jay's gone."

The woods were silent. Dead silent.

Rushing streams and swaying trees filtered through Jay's ears as he moved along, avoiding the fallen debris from the whirlwind that whipped during the night. The night he miraculously survived through.

He had thought long and hard during his entire travel through the darkness, not taking a break to sleep or rest his feet. Saying he was tired was an understatement, yet the sleepiness could not sink in. All Jay wanted to do was keep on going, meander further and further away from Pallet till he was no longer in the town's territory. Simply thinking about Pallet made him cringe, for it placed further accountability and resentment on himself. However, for some odd reason, the man couldn't help but gaze at the trail he had just walked on before proceeding. Nothing else in the world could be compared to Pallet's natural beauty, to the happiness he had shared with others, to the delight that had brightened his heart. To the darkness that had burned out that light that shimmered in his little corner of the world.

Things were never going to be the same. Jay was never going to see that which he would claim to be a close-knit, nosy, annoying town with nothing better to do than throw pointless festivals, hear the latest gossip, and hold ridiculous town meetings. It was the town he once dreamed of escaping as a boy- yet Jay couldn't help but miss that wonderfully crazy land. And especially the people within it.

Gazing at the path behind him only tortured him continuously, knowing what he had left behind. The family, the woman who had stolen his heart and then heartbroken tragically by what he had done. Then there was the son who admired him but now might possibly despise him, be left in utter confusion and of course- the world Jay could no longer be a part of. That was all gone, the place where Jay truly belonged he could not stay in, and the wondering if he'd ever find his way back home was a question that ceased to exist.

To him, Jay felt as if he had unhinged more destruction than kept peace. All that he held onto so dearly with care and devotion was falling all around him, and he believed that he deserved punishment. Wild thoughts spread through his mind as he relived the past in his head, the irksome sight of watching a pitch black, rainy sky with wide, dilated eyes closing in to consume his soul in one epic blast for what he had just done to his family- In spite of those undeniable dark visions, however, Jay was still breathing, still moving even though it pained him to walk away. To leave his wife and son high and dry with the impression that his 'supposed' dreams were more significant than what he had, what he felt for them- Badges, fame, fortune, whatever Delia might think, whatever Ash might be led to believe, could never overpower the love Jay had for them. He just hoped they wouldn't lose sight of that impossible yet somehow possible faith. And that Team Rocket would not change him into something he wished not to become. That there was a reason behind his untimely departure.

And as to what Team Rocket had in mind for the future, what their next attack would be, how Sam would hold out with all the secrets...

With a heavy sigh, a brave heart, and the most passionate amount of positive faith he had ever put into anything, Jay looked over his shoulder for one final glimpse.

In unforsaken silence the destined trainer was decided on holding onto what he and Delia had, the day he could kiss her again, be entranced in those big gorgeous brown eyes, and gain her confidence and endearment... A glorious day when Ash was proud to have him as a father, to see his kind-hearted boy succeed and spread his wings. The day when Jay could at last speak the truth-

And maybe when that day came, the silence- would break.

THE END

Final Author's Note:

Well that's it guys. After nearly a years work, Silently Broken, my new masterpiece, has officially ended on a very tragic note. But don't panic! There is still is hope for the Ketchum family in the sequel! And obviously, Jay managed to escape Team Rocket's planned ambush attack down the road. But as to how that happened... that's up for debate! Some things are better left unsaid, for the imagination of you readers. ;) Ah, the suspense!

There are just a few speical thanks I would like to give out before signing off. First, I would like to say thank you to all who have reviewed at least one or more chapters: jg13145, Draco55, Spruceton Spook, KaliAnn, Fallingarcher22, Butterbeer8, DannyVulpix, Lord Crow, and of course to all the guest reviews as well. I can't say how much I appreciated hearing all your thoughts enough. Thank you all again for your continuous support of my work. It means more than I can express! :)

I would also like to give a huge shout out to my terrific hardworking beta reader. You are not only a great editor, but you're also a good friend and amazing writer yourself. THANK YOU for taking the time to read over my work and catch those silly errors that seem to escape from my eyes. I couldn't have done this without your help! :D

Now for all the extra info on the making of this story. Chapter titles with quotations were inspired by Evanescence songs (so those words belong to them!). Some of their songs just fit perfectly with the topic/feel of the chapters. And as for any extra stuff on the making of this fic... Well, a lot of research was put into Madame Boss. There wasn't much I could go on, so I had to mold a lot of it to my liking and what would be belivable for the story and quite possibly, the anime itself. Also as I have said before, TONS of time was dedicated to information on Ho-Oh, I tried basing a lot of what I wrote about the legendary on canon material. And if it's not obvious enough, the very first part in chapter one ties in with the ending (hence: the storm reference). I had that planned from the beginning.

Thanks also to all who voted on the poll. I will now close it, and take a look at the results. I will say however that I plan on writing both the AU pokeshipping fic as well as the sequel. The sequel will probably come first though, and the first chapter will most likely be posted in October and/or November. I am going to be taking a break to refresh my writing juices and I will probably not be able to post as frequently as I have in the past. But I will try my best to stay on top of it!

Also I'm thinking about FINALLY doing that fall themed short story with Ash, Misty, and Brock that I thought about doing last Halloween/Thanksgiving. So I am going to aim for that again, and I've thought about doing a short story that it'll involve Ash, Misty, and Delia. And I'll save the rest as a surprise. Gah, I have too many ideas and so little time to execute them all! Maybe I'll just do some oneshots/short stories in the mean time, possibly about other favorite fandoms as well...

I can tell you all now, that the sequel will be a combination between the feel of Silently Broken and Everything Changes, with a dash of the good old Indigo League season, but on a more mature level. It will definitely be its own original concoction! Also just as a reminder, the sequel will take place six years after Everything Changes. I had to adjust the time frame, so instead of Ash being fifteen he is now sixteen. So we will be dealing with a teenage, yet still lovable and mischievous Pokémon Master in the making! ;) There will be a lot of growth, maturity, and well, changes for all the characters, as well as new additions to add to the cast. So please, be on the lookout for the sequel as well as additional stories.

And finally, thank you all so much for reading Silently Broken. I really mean it. Your faves, follows, and reviews have been tremendously appreciated with every chapter, and I am glad to have brought some enjoyment to you all in the fanfiction world. I hope you all will continue to read my works, and I look forward to your final reviews.

- MilkywayScribbles